Today in Music History for March 27:
In 1905, blues pianist, singer and songwriter Leroy Carr was born in Nashville. With guitarist Scrapper Blackwell, Carr formed one of the greatest blues partnerships of all time. Their first recording, of the blues standard ``How Long, How Long,'' was produced by Blackwell in Indianapolis in 1928. Leroy Carr died of alcoholism in 1935 at the age of 30.
In 1924, singer Sarah Vaughan was born in Newark, N.J. She developed her vocal style by her association in the 1940s with the form of jazz known as bebop. Vaughan sang with such jazzmen as Billy Eckstine, Earl Hines, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. Much of her later work is not strictly jazz, but it still shows the jazz influence. Vaughan's first major pop hit came in 1954 with ``Make Yourself Comfortable.'' In 1959 came her biggest chart success, ``Broken-Hearted Melody,'' which featured lyrics by the then-unknown Hal David, later to team so successfully with Burt Bacharach. Vaughan died of lung cancer in Los Angeles on April 3, 1990.
In 1950, ``Genesis'' keyboard player Tony Banks was born in England. He helped form the art-rock band in 1966 with Mike Rutherford, Peter Gabriel and Anthony Phillips. By the time of their first concerts in 1970, they had added drummer Phil Collins and developed an elaborate stage show around lead vocalist Gabriel. Collins took over the vocals after Gabriel left in 1975. The group discarded much of its theatrics and began making hit albums such as 1978's ``And Then There Were Three,'' 1981's ``Abacab,'' 1985's ``Invisible Touch,'' and 1991's ``We Can't Dance.'' Collins quit the group in 1996 and was replaced by Ray Wilson, formerly of the group ``Stiltskin.'' ``Genesis'' reunited to re-record a single song in 1999 and for a world tour in 2007.
In 1961, Jack Kane, one of Canada's leading arrangers and conductors, died in Toronto of cancer at age 36. Kane was musical director for TV series starring Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, and Andy Williams.
In 1964, ``The Beatles'' occupied the top six spots on the Australian pop chart.
In 1965, British rocker P.J. Proby, famed for splitting his skin-tight trousers during performances, was ordered off the stage at a municipal ballroom in Hereford, England. A local politician's wife called Proby's act disgusting and obscene.
In 1967, the British music industry awarded John Lennon and Paul McCartney an Ivor Novello Award for writing ``Michelle,'' the most-performed song in Britain in 1966.
In 1967, ``The Rolling Stones'' were pelted with bottles, chairs and fireworks during a concert at Halsingborg, Sweden. Police with dogs moved in to clear the crowd.
In 1968, the Manitoba Centennial Concert Hall in Winnipeg opened with a concert by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. The hall serves as the home of the symphony, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the Manitoba Opera Association.
In 1968, ``Grapefruit,'' a band managed by John Lennon, opened for the ``Bee Gees'' at London's Royal Albert Hall. Despite the backing of ``The Beatles''' Apple Corps Ltd., ``Grapefruit'' remained obscure.
In 1970, singer Mariah Carey was born in Huntington, N.Y. Her 1990 self-titled debut album, which included the chart-topper ``Vision of Love,'' sold millions of copies and propelled her to diva status. With her stunning vocal range, she won two Grammy awards including best female vocalist. Her second album ``Emotions,'' in 1991, also produced hits including the chart-topping title track. Her follow-up ``Music Box'' included the ballad ``Hero,'' and became her best selling album to date. Carey wed music mogul Tommy Mottola in 1993, but the couple split less than five years later. Carey suffered an emotional meltdown in 2001, the same year she signed an US$80 million contract with Virgin Records. Virgin then bought out Carey's contract the following year for $28 million after her movie and album sales for ``Glitter'' flopped. Later in 2002, Carey signed a multi-year contract with Island/Def Jam Records and went on to release her ninth album ``Charmbracelet.'' In 2005, she returned to prominence with the successful ``The Emancipation of Mimi,'' and followed that up with ``E
In 1971, ``Brewer and Shipley's'' ``One Toke Over the Line'' was banned by WNBC in New York. Despite similar bans elsewhere, the record managed to reach No. 10 on the Billboard pop chart.
In 1972, Elvis Presley recorded his last major hit, ``Burning Love.''
In 1973, ``Rolling Stone'' reported Carlos Santana changed his name to Devadip, which means ``The Lamp of the Light of the Supreme.'' Santana had become a disciple of Sri Chinmoy.
In 1973, police found marijuana, LSD, cocaine and prescription drugs in a suitcase after stopping a car driven by Jerry Garcia of the ``Grateful Dead'' on a freeway near Philadelphia.
In 1986, rock group ``Van Halen'' played its first show with Sammy Hagar as lead singer, in Shreveport, La. Hagar had replaced David Lee Roth.
In 1987, Irish rock group ``U2'' performed a free, hour-long concert on a rooftop in downtown Los Angeles. Parts of the performance were included in the video of ``Where the Streets Have No Name.''
In 1988, Tina Turner gave what was billed as her final live performance in Osaka, Japan. The concert, the 220th in her 13-month ``Break Every Rule'' tour, included a surprise appearance by Mick Jagger. They duetted on ``Honky Tonk Woman.'' Turner would perform more concerts later in Europe.
In 1991, ``New Kids on the Block'' lead singer Donnie Wahlberg was charged with first-degree arson over an incident at a Louisville, Ky., hotel. Wahlberg allegedly poured a flammable liquid on a hallway carpet and set it on fire during an argument with a young boy's mother. Wahlberg agreed to videotape public service announcements on fire safety, drug abuse and drunken driving.
In 1993, Prince played an unannounced early morning show at a New York City dance hall. That gig was followed by Prince's first concert at the legendary Apollo Theatre.
In 1995, legal warfare broke out over Eazy-E's assets, only a day after the rapper died of AIDS. His business partner and record label (Ruthless Records) sued the performer's wife and two lawyers, charging them with illegally claiming control of the label.
In 1997, an Ottawa autograph session with the ``Backstreet Boys'' turned to chaos as 5,000 screaming fans packed a downtown shopping mall to see the teenybopper group. The event was moved to the nearby Congress Centre, where police struggled to keep order. About 2,000 fans were finally allowed to shake hands with the five-member group.
In 1997, Yehudi Menuhin, Elton John, Van Cliburn and Prince Charles were among those who gathered at a Paris theatre to celebrate the 70th birthday of cellist Mstislav Rostropovich.
In 2006, Elvis Presley's ``Graceland'' was declared a national historic landmark.
In 2008, the CBC decided to disband the CBC Radio Orchestra after 70 years. The orchestra, the last of its kind in North America with 32 CDs to its credit, helped to showcase Canadian composers, musicians and Canadian content, and was much loved by classical music fans.
In 2009, rapper T.I. (born Clifford Harris) was sentenced to one year and a day behind bars on federal weapons charges. He began serving his sentence in late May and was released to a halfway house in December.
In 2011, Montreal indie rockers ``Arcade Fire'' won a leading four trophies at the Juno Awards - including Group and Album of the Year (``The Suburbs''). Rock legend Neil Young claimed the prize for Artist of the Year and 17-year-old teen-pop titan Justin Bieber won his first two Junos - Fan Choice and Pop Album of the Year (``My World 2.0'').
In 2011, also at the Junos, country crossover superstar Shania Twain was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and Neil Young accepted the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award with a touching speech about his family.
In 2013, Gordon Stoker, a member of ``The Jordanaires'' vocal group that backed Elvis Presley, died after a lengthy illness. He was 88.
In 2017, Toronto rapper Drake's 22-track album ``More Life'' debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Album chart, his seventh consecutive album to do so. It helped him break two of his own records on the Billboard Hot 100: most songs simultaneously on the chart (24) and most songs to debut (21). In addition, he increased his career total to 154 chart entries (103 as the lead artist) to pass Lil Wayne (135) for the most among solo acts.
In 2018, Grammy Award-winning songwriter Kenny O'Dell died at age 73. He wrote the 1973 Grammy-winning Best Country Song ``Behind Closed Doors'' for Charlie Rich and the 1984 Grammy-nominated Song of the Year ``Mama He's Crazy'' for The Judds. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1996.
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The Canadian Press
