Today in Music History for Dec. 22:
In 1808, Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67, and Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, also known as the "Pastoral Symphony," had their world premieres in Vienna, Austria.
In 1858, Giacomo Puccini, composer of some of the world's most popular operas, was born in Italy. It was said that when Puccini was a child, his music teacher used to kick him in the shins if he made a mistake. As an adult, every time Puccini hit a wrong note, he would automatically jerk his legs. Puccini's lyric style and masterful orchestration are displayed in such operatic standards as "La Boheme," "Tosca," "Madama Butterfly" and "Turandot," produced two years after Puccini's death in 1924.
In 1921, country singer Hawkshaw Hawkins was born in Huntington, W. Va. A recording contract in the late 1940s with the King label yielded such hits as "I Wasted a Nickel," "Slow Poke" and "Sunny Side of the Mountain." Hawkins had little success in the 1950s, but on March 3, 1963, his "Lonesome 7-7203" entered the charts on its way to No. 1. Two days later, Hawkins was dead, a victim of the same plane crash in Kansas that killed Patsy Cline and Cowboy Copas.
In 1939, Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, one of the classic blues singers of the 1920s, died in Columbus, Ga., of heart disease. She was 53. During her heyday, she often travelled in her own railway car, and was the biggest-selling artist for Paramount Records, one of the so-called race labels that targeted their records to a black audience.
In 1944, Barry Jenkins, drummer with Eric Burdon's second edition of "The Animals," was born. The original "Animals" split in 1967 and Burdon formed a new group, which included guitarist Andy Summers, who went on to greater fame with "The Police."
In 1949, Robin and Maurice Gibb of the "Bee Gees" were born on the Isle of Man. The Gibb family moved to Australia in 1958, and the twins, along with brother Barry, began performing together. The family returned to England in 1966, where the Gibb brothers were signed by producer Robert Stigwood. A hit single, "New York Mining Disaster 1941," and a hit album followed within a year. The teenaged stars were unprepared for their sudden success, and the "Bee Gees" fell apart in the early 1970s. But in 1977, they contributed several songs to the soundtrack of "Saturday Night Fever." "How Deep is Your Love," "Stayin' Alive" and "Night Fever" all became No. 1 hits. And the "Saturday Night Fever" album was the biggest-selling LP of all time, until Michael Jackson's "Thriller" came along. Maurice Gibb died of an intestinal blockage on Jan. 12, 2003. Robin died on May 20, 2012, after a long battle with cancer.
In 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono met for an hour with Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in Ottawa. The couple had talked earlier in the day with Health Minister John Munro about drug abuse. The meeting with Trudeau was a continuation of the couple's peace campaign that had begun on their honeymoon in March 1969 with their "Bed-in For Peace." A week before the meeting with the prime minister, Lennon and Ono had erected billboards declaring "War Is Over; If You Want It" in 12 world cities, including Toronto. They also announced plans for a peace festival in Toronto, but the event never took place. (Note for trivia buffs: the student activist who accompanied the Lennons to Trudeau's office was future federal cabinet minister Allan Rock.)
In 1973, singer Stephen Stills lost a paternity suit brought against him by Harriet Tunis of Mill Valley, Calif. The child had been born two years earlier.
In 1976, singer and songwriter Isaac Hayes declared bankruptcy, citing $6 million in debts.
In 1978, Kenney Jones became the drummer for "The Who," replacing Keith Moon, who died four months earlier.
In 1979, the four-night "Concerts for the People of Kampuchea" began at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. Performers included "The Who," "The Clash," "The Pretenders," Paul McCartney and Robert Plant.
In 1979, Linda Ronstadt, the "Eagles" and "Chicago" played a political benefit for California Governor Jerry Brown in Las Vegas. That show, and one the night before in San Diego, raised $150,000.
In 1993, Michael Jackson defended himself against child molestation allegations during a live TV broadcast. He told of being subjected to a body search by investigators, calling it "the most humiliating ordeal of my life." Jackson did not allow any questions following his statement.
In 1995, the artist formerly known as Prince announced he wanted to be released from his multi-million dollar contract with Warner Brothers Records. The singer said the company's "unstable and ever-changing management structure" made promotion of its flagship artists impossible.
In 1988, Morissey performed for the first time as a solo act in England.
In 2002, Joe Strummer, lead singer of the legendary British punk band "The Clash," died at age 50.
In 2008, "AC/DC" singer Brian Johnson dedicated a music room for sick children to use at Sarasota (Fla.) Memorial Hospital. The kids were able to rock out on an electronic drum kit, guitars, a keyboard and a computer with music recording software.
In 2009, "Aerosmith" frontman Steven Tyler entered a rehab clinic to treat an addiction to pain killers he took to cope with 10 years of performance injuries. He also stated that he was eager to return to work with his bandmates, a reference to earlier rumours that implied Tyler was leaving the band to concentrate on a solo career. (In 2016, he did release a solo album, "'We're All Somebody From Somewhere," a 15-song foray into country music.)
In 2009, Atlanta rapper T.I. (born Clifford Harris Jr.) was released from a federal prison in Arkansas and headed to a halfway house in Georgia. In May, he began serving his sentence of a year and a day for illegal firearms possession and possessing a gun as a convicted felon. (In September, 2010, he violated his parole and was sentenced to an additional 11 months in prison.)
In 2010, the zebra-striped crossing in London where "The Beatles" posed for the "Abbey Road" cover in 1969 was declared a British heritage site.
In 2010, Michael Jackson's posthumous CD, "Michael," sold only 259,000 copies in the U.S. in the week following its release, but still good for third place on the Billboard 200 Album Chart.
In 2011, 19-year-old Melanie Amaro won the inaugural U.S. version of "The X Factor." Amaro, who was mentored by judge Simon Cowell, won a $5 million recording contract. The Fox-TV talent competition failed to achieve popularity similar to "American Idol," which Cowell left in 2010 to import "The X Factor" from the U.K.
In 2011, British pop star George Michael was released from a Vienna hospital where he had been treated since Nov. 21 for a life-threatening bout of pneumonia. He had to cancel tour stops in Austria, France and Wales.
In 2014, Joe Cocker, the raspy-voiced British singer known for his frenzied cover of "With a Little Help From My Friends," the teary ballad "You Are So Beautiful" and a contorted performing style, died of lung cancer. He was 70. He won a Grammy Award in 1983 for his "Up Where We Belong" duet with Jennifer Warnes, the theme of the movie "An Officer and a Gentleman."
In 2016, The Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie was chosen as The Canadian Press Newsmaker of the Year, marking the first time in the Newsmaker's 70-year history that an entertainer had been selected for the title. His spirited fight with terminal brain cancer and his widespread impact on Canadian culture and advocacy for aboriginals struck a chord with Canadians. (In 2017, Downie, who died in October, was chosen Newsmaker of the Year for the second consecutive year.)
The Canadian Press
