Today in Music History for March 23:
In 1743, George Frideric Handel's oratorio, ``The Messiah'' had its London premiere. The first performance of the work had taken place in Dublin the previous year. During the ``Hallelujah Chorus'' at the London performance, King George II rose excitedly to his feet. The audience followed suit and a tradition was born.
In 1792, Joseph Haydn's ``Symphony No. 94 in G Major'' (the ``Surprise'' symphony) was performed publicly for the first time, in London.
In 1963, ``Surfin' USA'' by ``The Beach Boys'' was released. It put new lyrics to Chuck Berry's ``Sweet Little Sixteen.''
In 1972, Pink Floyd began recording the ``Obscured By Clouds'' soundtrack at a chateau in France.
In 1973, U.S. immigration officials ruled that John Lennon was an ``overstay'' in the country and was deportable. Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, replied by asking for permanent residency.
In 1977, a record store and radio station in Hollywood, Calif., launched 250 giant balloons to promote the album ``Wind and Wuthering'' by ``Genesis.'' Three area airports, including Los Angeles International, were put on alert so they wouldn't confuse the balloons with UFOs.
In 1978, A&M records signed ``The Police'' after Miles Copeland, the group's manager, played the song ``Roxanne'' for the company's executives. The contract was unique in that it awarded ``The Police'' a higher-than-usual royalty rate instead of a large advance. ``Roxanne'' became the group's first North American hit, after already making the charts in Britain.
In 1985, singer Billy Joel married model Christie Brinkley. They later divorced.
In 1985, Zoot Sims, one of the modern era's leading jazz tenor saxophonists, died of natural causes at the age of 60. He joined Benny Goodman in the mid-1940s, then became part of the famous ``Four Brothers'' saxophone quartet in Woody Herman's band. Sims launched his solo career in the 1950s, recording the first long-playing album issued by the Prestige jazz label. During his 40-year career, he often played with fellow saxophonist Al Cohn.
In 1987, the first Soul Train Music Awards were held in Santa Monica, Calif. Cameo won Album of the Year for ``Word Up,'' and Gregory Abbott won Best Single for ``Shake You Down.''
In 1991, Elton John joined George Michael on stage for a duet of ``Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me.'' It was recorded and released as a single and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 1993, during a surprise concert in Red Bank, N.J., Bruce Springsteen ripped off his shirt and offered a version of Billy Ray Cyrus' ``Achy Breaky Heart.'' Springsteen told his audience that it was a ``damn good'' tune. The surprise show, which benefitted a local theatre and a food bank, was a warmup for a European tour.
In 1993, ``Across the Borderline,'' Willie Nelson's 35th album for Columbia Records, was released.
In 1995, Paul McCartney performed for Prince Charles and 300 invited guests at St. James Palace in London. The royal charity performance marked McCartney's first concert with a string quartet, and his first public performance with Elvis Costello, with whom he had written several songs.
In 2004, Usher released his fourth studio album, ``Confessions.'' It went on to reach the 10-million plateau in the U.S. and 20 million worldwide.
In 2010, Blanche Thebom, a mezzo-soprano associated with the Metropolitan Opera from the mid-1940s to the mid-1960s, died in San Francisco at age 94.
In 2010, New Orleans blues and gospel singer Marva Wright died of complications from a stroke she suffered in 2009. She was 62. She sang traditional jazz and gospel standards but was better known for sultry, sometimes bawdy blues songs. Among her best known songs were ``Heartbreakin' Woman'' and ``Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean.''
In 2012, a piano work experts attributed to Mozart as a child prodigy was performed for the first time since it was found in 2011 after apparently being left in an attic for centuries. The lively 84-bar passage - marked ``allegro molto,'' or ``very quick'' - was played on the composer's piano in a room of his Salzburg home by virtuoso Florian Birsak.
In 2013, ``My Chemical Romance'' announced it had disbanded after a dozen years together. Group members included vocalist Gerard Way, bassist Mikey Way and guitarists Ray Toro and Frank Iero. Their hits included ``Helena'' and ``Welcome to the Black Parade.''
In 2014, Dave Brockie, frontman ``Oderus Urungus'' for the heavy metal band GWAR, was found dead in his Richmond, Va., home. He was 50. The Grammy-nominated band founded in 1984 is known for its comically grotesque costumes, stage antics and vulgar lyrics.
In 2024, Grammy-winning Italian pianist Maurizio Pollini died at the age of 82. The opera house in Milan where Pollini performed frequently says he died without giving a cause of death. La Scala called Pollini one of the great musicians of our time. He had a six decades-long international career and his repertoire expanded beyond the standard classics as he embraced early 20th-century masterpieces and postwar modernists.
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The Canadian Press
