Today in Music History for March 24:
In 1949, Steve Lang, bass guitarist with the Canadian rock group ``April Wine,'' was born. He joined the band in 1975 and helped them share the stage with ``The Rolling Stones'' at Toronto's El Mocambo nightclub in 1977. ``April Wine'' was Canada's leading touring band of the '70s, but made little impact in the U.S.
In 1951, Dougie Thomson, bass guitarist with the rock group ``Supertramp,'' was born in Scotland. He joined ``Supertramp'' in 1974, appearing on the ``Crime of the Century'' album. It hit No. 1 in Britain, but failed to make much impact in North America. ``Supertramp's'' international breakthrough finally came with the 1979 album ``Breakfast in America.''
In 1958, Elvis Presley entered the U.S. Army. After receiving the standard G.I. haircut, he was quoted as saying ``Hair today, gone tomorrow.'' Presley had actually received his draft notice the previous December, but was granted a 60-day deferment to complete the movie ``King Creole.'' Some say rock 'n' roll died when Presley entered the service. Certainly, after he was discharged in March 1960, Presley himself was no longer a rock 'n' roll performer. He became primarily a movie star and middle-of-the-road singer.
In 1965, bassist Bill Wyman of ``The Rolling Stones'' was knocked unconscious by an electrical shock from a microphone stand on stage in Denmark.
In 1966, the New York state assembly became the first legislative body in the world to ban bootleg recordings. Bootlegs are recordings that are unlicensed and unauthorized.
In 1973, rock singer Lou Reed was bitten on the rear end during a concert in Buffalo, N.Y. A fan leaped on to the stage, screamed ``leather'' and bit Reed in the buttock, through his leather pants. The singer commented, ``America seems to breed real animals.''
In 1980, Aretha Franklin headlined a tribute for her father, Rev. C.L. Franklin, in Detroit. Franklin's father was in a coma after being shot a year earlier by an intruder. Funds from the concert, which also featured saxophonist David Sanborn and singer Ronnie Specter, paid the medical bills.
In 1986, ``Van Halen'' released their ``5150'' album, their first with Sammy Hagar on vocals.
In 1986, the Best Picture Award at the Academy Awards went to ``Out of Africa.'' Singer-songwriter Lionel Richie picked up an Oscar for ``Say You, Say Me'' from the movie ``White Knights.''
In 1990, ``Black Velvet,'' taken from the self-titled debut album by Toronto rocker Alannah Myles, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S.
In 1990, ``Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers'' headlined a 16-hour concert in Windhoek to celebrate Namibian independence from South Africa. A decade earlier, Ziggy's father, Bob Marley, had played a concert to celebrate Zimbabwe's independence.
In 1991, ``The Black Crowes'' were dropped as the opening act on ``ZZ Top's'' tour for repeatedly criticizing Miller Beer, which was sponsoring the tour.
In 1992, a judge in Chicago approved partial refunds for people who bought ``Milli Vanilli'' recordings or attended concerts believing the lip-synching duo were actually singing. Arista Records and its parent, BMG, paid out more than $400,000. About 80,000 claims were filed, most of them by people who bought compact discs.
In 1997, singer Harold Melvin of ``Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes'' died in his sleep at his home in Philadelphia. He was 57.
In 2009, Motown drummer Uriel Jones died following complications from a heart attack. He was 74. He played on numerous tracks, including ``My Girl'' and ``Ain't Too Proud to Beg'' by ``The Temptations,'' ``Signed Sealed Delivered, I'm Yours'' by Stevie Wonder, ``What Becomes of the Brokenhearted'' by Jimmy Ruffin, and versions of ``I Heard It Through the Grapevine'' by Marvin Gaye and ``Gladys Knight and the Pips.''
In 2009, a British auction house was unable to sell Bernard Herrmann's score to Alfred Hitchcock's bloodcurdling movie ``Psycho.'' The 20-page work was withdrawn from a sale after failing to make its minimum price of C$54,000. The manuscript carries the notes to the slashing, shrieking violin sounds that play when a knife-wielding Norman Bates bursts in on actress Janet Leigh as she showers in the Bates Motel. The score was returned to Herrmann's third wife, Norma.
In 2010, Scott (Scooter) Braun, manager for Canadian teen pop sensation Justin Bieber, was arrested in connection with a fan frenzy in November 2009 at a mall in Long Island, N.Y. that sent five people to the hospital with minor injuries. Authorities claimed that Braun didn't send out a tweet fast enough to let the raucous crowd of 3,000 know that Bieber wouldn't be making an appearance. (In May 2011, the charges were dropped when Bieber agreed to record a public service announcement on cyberbullying.)
In 2010, singer Johnny Maestro, who performed the hit ``16 Candles'' with ``The Crests'' and enjoyed a decades-long career with ``The Brooklyn Bridge,'' died in Florida at age 70.
In 2010, Marvin Sapp's album ``Here I Am'' debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, making it the highest ranking gospel album in the chart's 54-year history of tracking album sales.
In 2013, songwriter-producer Deke Richards (born Dennis Lussier) died of esophageal cancer at age 68. He was the leader of the Motown songwriting, arranging and producing team known as The Corporation. He was involved in writing and producing many ``Jackson 5'' hits, including their first three No. 1 hits - ``I Want You Back,'' ''ABC,`` and ''The Love You Save.`` He also co-wrote ''Love Child`` for ''Diana Ross & The Supremes,`` as well as Ross' solo ''I'm Still Waiting.``
In 2018, at the non-broadcast Juno Awards gala dinner, the late Gord Downie won album of the year for his last solo effort ``Introduce Yerself,'' and also shared a songwriter win for the album. Diana Krall scored vocal jazz album and the producer of the year award for ``Turn Up the Quiet.'' Shawn Mendes won single of the year for ``There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back.'' Montreal rockers Arcade Fire won the international achievement award.
In 2024, the biggest night in Canadian music wrapped up in Halifax. The Juno Awards paid a star-studded tribute to Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee and hip-hop pioneer Maestro Fresh Wes. The "Let Your Backbone Slide" rapper said "we don't make records, we make history" as he accepted the honour. Calgary natives Tegan and Sara accepted the 2024 Humanitarian Award for their work with the LGBTQ+ community. And Montreal singer-songwriter Charlotte Cardin scored album of the year for "99 Nights" while the Beaches took home the group of the year prize.
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The Canadian Press
