Today in Music History for March 7:
In 1875, composer Maurice Ravel was born in Cibourne, France. He became a leading exponent of impressionism, a style of music in which atmosphere and mood take the place of strong emotion. The French impressionists led music away from the heavy romanticism of Wagner. Among his most famous compositions are "Rhapsodie Espagnole," "Bolero" and the ballet "Daphne et Chloe." He died in 1937.
In 1917, a record containing "Livery Stable Blues" and "Original Dixieland One-Step" by the "Original Dixieland Jazz Band" was released in the U.S. The disc was to become the first big-selling jazz record. The "Original Dixieland Jazz Band," headed by cornet player Nick La Rocca, is generally regarded as being the first jazz band to make a record. And through its recordings and live performances, the group did more than any other band or musician to spread the jazz word in North America and Europe.
In 1939, "Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians鈥� recorded their signature tune, "Auld Lang Syne" for Decca Records in New York City.
In 1946, Peter Wolf, lead singer for the "J. Geils Band," was born in New York City. Although the band is named for guitarist Jerome Geils, Wolf is the group's songwriter and on-stage focus. Wolf was a disc jockey in Boston and played with a group called "The Hallucinations" before joining the "J. Geils Band" in 1967. The band's first hit was "Looking for a Love" in 1971, and two years later, their album "Bloodshot" was certified gold. Other hit albums by the "J. Geils Band" include "Sanctuary," "Love Stinks" and "Freeze-Frame."
In 1952, the British paper "New Musical Express" published its first issue.
In 1956, "Blue Suede Shoes" by Carl Perkins entered the R&B chart, the first time a country artist had done that.
In 1963, Jack Anglin of the country duo "Johnny and Jack" died in a car accident while en route to a memorial service for singer Patsy Cline, who along with Hawkshaw Hawkins and Cowboy Copas, had been killed in a plane crash two days earlier. Johnnie and Jack had such country hits in the 1950s as "Poison Love" and "Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight."
In 1969, "The Who's鈥� "Pinball Wizard" was released in Britain. It was the first public airing of a selection from the rock opera "Tommy," which would be performed in its entirety later in the year.
In 1983, the Nashville Network, the cable TV country music service, went on the air.
In 1983, Willie Nelson received a lifetime achievement award at the Songwriters' Hall of Fame dinner in New York.
In 1987, "Licensed to Ill" by the "Beastie Boys" became the first rap album to hit No. 1.
In 1992, "The Cure" performed at a surprise 18th birthday party in Tustin, Calif., for hemophiliac Martha Lopez. She was too ill to attend a concert by the British band.
In 1994, the former wife of Axl Rose filed a lawsuit against him in Los Angeles citing a range of charges, including assault, sexual battery and false imprisonment. Erin Everly, the daughter of Don Everly of "The Everly Brothers," married the lead singer of "Guns N' Roses" in April, 1990. They separated the following year. Everly claimed that Rose had once beaten her unconscious when she refused to sign divorce papers.
In 1994, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that copyright owners could not bar parodies of their songs. The case involved rap group "2 Live Crew's" bawdy version of Roy Orbison's 1964 hit "Oh, Pretty Woman." The owner of the song, Acuff-Rose Music, had sued for copyright infringement. "2 Live Crew" had sought permission to use the song and offered to pay royalties, but Acuff-Rose refused. The rap group's version was released on the 1989 album, "As Clean As They Wanna Be."
In 1999, bluesman Lowell Fulson, whose 1954 hit "Reconsider Baby" was recorded by Elvis Presley, died in Long Beach, Calif., at age 77. A family friend said his last words were "Don't mess with my money." His recording career spanned four decades, and among his hits were "Three O'Clock Blues" in 1948, "Everyday I Have the Blues" in 1950 and "Tramp" in 1967.
In 2001, "Pearl Jam" set a record for the most simultaneous chart debuts from a single band in a single week on the Billboard album chart. They had seven of their American bootleg albums debut on the chart. The previous record holder was "Pearl Jam," when five of their European bootlegs hit the album chart their first week out.
In 2009, Jimmy Boyd, the child vocalist and actor best known for singing the original rendition of the Christmas novelty hit "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" in 1952, died at age 70. The song shot to the top of the Billboard charts three weeks after it was released. It sold two million records in less than 10 weeks.
In 2010, Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett won the Oscar for Best Original Song for "The Weary Kind," the theme song from "Crazy Heart."
In 2010, singer-songwriter Joel Plaskett snagged six East Coast Music Awards: Entertainer of the Year, Male Solo Recording, Recording of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Pop Recording of the Year and Single of the Year for the song "Through and Through and Through."
In 2011, British singer and drummer Phil Collins used his personal website to announce his retirement in a bid to clarify recent speculation over his career. He said he was stopping music so he could be a full time father to his two young sons "on a daily basis" 鈥� not because of bad reviews, bad press or because he doesn't "feel loved." The former Genesis drummer and frontman sold over 100 million albums as a solo artist. (In late 2016, he announced a 2017 tour.)
In 2012, Charlie Lamb, a founding member of the Country Music Association board, died at age 90. He was once dubbed "the mayor of Music Row," started the trade publications The Music Reporter and Sound Format and reported for Billboard and Cash Box. He was also a talent manager, record company executive and concert promoter.
In 2016, British alternative rock band The 1975 set a new record for the longest title for a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 album chart with their 71-character "I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it."
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The Canadian Press
