bmusic - Newsletter No. 249

On Christmas Day, 1818, the Christmas carol "Silent Night" was performed for the first time, at the Church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorff, Austria. Written by Father Joseph Mohr, and set to music by the village organist, Franz Gruber, the carol was originally known as "Song From Heaven." The song eventually reached the ears of the King and Queen of Saxony, who were much taken with its message of peace. And the word was spread.

In 1942, Frank Sinatra, backed by the Benny Goodman Orchestra, performed his first solo concert at the Paramount Theatre in New York.

In 1953, 20,000 people attended the funeral of country star Hank Williams in Montgomery, Alabama. Williams had died three days earlier at age 29 in the back seat of his limousine.

In 1957, Elvis Presley received his U.S. army draft notice.

On Christmas Day, 1959, future Beatle Ringo Starr, who was then 19-year-old Richard Starkey, received his first drum set for Christmas. He was working as an apprentice engineer at the time.

In 1961, the Beach Boys played their first concert under that name at the Richie Valens Memorial Centre in Long Beach, California.
The group was previously known under several names -- the Pendletones, Kenny and the Cadets or Carl and the Passions.

On Christmas Day, 1964, George Harrison's then girlfriend, Patti Boyd, was attacked by jealous female fans at a Beatles' show in London.

On Christmas Day, 1967, Paul McCartney and Jane Asher became engaged. They never married.

In 1967, guitarist and vocalist Dave Mason made the first of his two departures from the group Traffic. Mason disagreed with leader Steve Winwood over the direction the group should take, with Mason favoring a pop approach while Winwood leaned toward jazz. Mason returned briefly in 1968 to help record Traffic's second album but was gone again within months.

In 1967, two recently departed members of the John Evans Blues Band, vocalist Ian Anderson and bassist Glenn Cornick, formed Jethro Tull in Blackpool, England. The group was named after the 18th century inventor of a number of farm implements. John Evans later joined the band as it's keyboard player.

In 1967, the Hollies' "He Ain't Heavy (He's My Brother)" was released.

In 1969, Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsies, with Billy Cox on bass and Buddy Miles on drums, made their debut at the Fillmore East in New York City. The Band of Gypsies was the successor to the guitarist's first group, the Jimi Hendrix Experience.

In 1970, Paul McCartney filed suit in London seeking the legal dissolution of the Beatles' partnership. The move came six months after the release of the "Let It Be" album.

In 1972, police in Miami, Florida, enforcing a curfew, cut short a concert by Mannfred Mann and his Earth Band. Fans rioted for nearly two hours, while the band hid in the dressing room.

In 1973, Kiss, whose flash-and-thrash stage shows would influence two decades of heavy metal bands, made their debut at the Academy of Music in New York. They shared the bill with Blue Oyster Cult, Iggy Pop and Teenage Lust.

In 1974, Mick Fleetwood telephoned Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham and invited them to join Fleetwood Mac. Fleetwood became interested in the duo after producer Keith Olsen played him an album that Nicks and Buckingham had recorded at Olsen's studio. Nicks and Buckingham completed the lineup that would record the four-million-selling "Fleetwood Mac" album in 1975 and the 15-million-selling "Rumours" two years later.

In 1975, Paul Kantner and Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane split after seven years of marriage.

In 1975, guitarist Joe Walsh joined the Eagles, replacing original member Bernie Leadon who had departed for a solo career.

In 1976, singer and songwriter Isaac Hayes declared bankruptcy, citing six-million dollars in debts. Nowadays Isaac Hayes is as well known as the voice of South Park's "Chef" as he is as a soul singer.

In 1979, Emerson, Lake and Palmer announced they were splitting up. The trio regrouped in 1986, at first with drummer Cozy Powell substituting for Palmer. But Palmer himself later rejoined Emerson and Lake.

In 1980, John McVie of Fleetwood Mac and his wife, Julie, were arrested for cocaine possession in Honolulu after a police dog sniffed out the drug in their mail.

In 1981, the father of Spanish singer Julio Iglesias was kidnapped by Basque terrorists from a Madrid hospital. He was rescued three weeks later in a raid by 150 anti-terrorist troops and police on a house in north-eastern Spain. No ransom was paid, although the singer was reported to have withdrawn about US$1,000,000 from a U.S. bank and transferred it to Spain.

In 1984, Rick Allen, the drummer for English hard-rock group Def Leppard, lost an arm in a car crash. He rejoined the band after his recovery, playing a specially designed electronic/traditional drum kit.

In 1985, one person was shot and several were stabbed at a rap concert featuring L.L. Cool J, Doug E. Fresh and Kurtis Blow at Madison Square Garden in New York. Eighteen people were arrested. Four days earlier, three people had been shot at an L.L. Cool J show in Baltimore.

In 1987, Elton John announced he was cancelling all performances for a year to undergo throat surgery at a private hospital in Sydney, Australia. The exploratory operation five days later revealed a non-malignant lesion.

In 1989, Sebastian Bach, lead singer of Skid Row, was charged with assault and mayhem after allegedly hitting a female fan in the face with a beer bottle during a concert in Springfield, Massachusetts. The woman suffered a broken nose and skull. Authorities say Bach then leaped from the stage and kicked another person in the head. He returned to the stage after the scuffle and finished the gig.

In 1992, B.B. King performed in Gainesville, Florida, for a prison audience that included his daughter. Patty King was serving three years for drug trafficking.

In 1992, singer Courtney Love sued her doctor and a Los Angeles hospital for around US$1,000,000. She accused them of leaking word of the heroin treatment she underwent while pregnant with her and Cobain's daughter, Francis, who was born healthy four months earlier.

In 1994, Courtney Love, in an interview published in "Spin" magazine, said husband Kurt Cobain's drug problems and constant threats to kill himself nearly drove her to suicide. Love said she put a revolver to her head but Cobain grabbed it from her. The incident occurred only weeks before Cobain killed himself with a shotgun at their Seattle-area home in April 1994.

In 1996, Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx wed "Baywatch" actress Donna D'Errico in a private ceremony in Beverly Hills, California.

In 1998, singer Ronnie Hammond of the Atlanta Rhythm Section was shot in the chest by Macon police after allegedly lunging at an officer with a broken guitar neck and a hammer. Police were responding to reports that the singer was trying to commit suicide. Hammond made a full recovery. It was the second incident with the police for Hammond. On December 9, 1998, police responded to an alleged suicide attempt.

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Births 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.

On Christmas Day, 1907, singer and bandleader Cab Calloway was born in Rochester, New York.

In 1915, bluesman Brownie McGhee.

In 1926, record producer George Martin was born in London. He joined EMI Records in 1950, producing hits by pop singers Matt Munro and Shirley Bassey. Martin signed the Beatles in 1962, and produced all of their records until 1969.

In 1928, rhythm-and-blues superstar Bo Diddley, whose real name is Ellas McDaniels, was born in McComb, Mississippi.

In 1931, Scotty Moore, guitarist on Elvis Presley's early records.

In 1933, Scottish singer Andy Stewart.

In 1940, folk singer and songwriter Tim Hardin, in Eugene, Oregon. Despite his ability as a performer, his greatest impact was as a writer of songs that proved great successes for other artists. Hardin's best-known composition is "If I Were a Carpenter", which provided Bobby Darin with a hit in the early '60s, and a gold-record single for Johnny Cash and June Carter later in the decade. In 1980, Tim Hardin was found dead of a heroin overdose in his Hollywood apartment.

In 1940, Jorma Kaukonen, guitarist with Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna.

In 1940, guitarist/composer/artist Frank Zappa, regarded by many as genius, was born.

In 1942, Les Maguire, pianist and vocalist with Gerry and the Pacemakers.

In 1942, guitarist Andy Summers, formerly of the Police.

In 1942, British jazz-rock guitarist John McLaughlin was born. He first gained recognition for his work on Miles Davis's "Bitches' Brew" album, and later formed the Mahavishnu Orchestra. This group did much in the 1970's to promote the idea of fusing jazz and rock music.

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 1944, Henry Vestine, guitarist for the blues-rock band Canned Heat, was born in Washington, D-C. Vestine joined Canned Heat in 1966 after playing with the Mothers of Invention. "On the Road Again" in 1968 and "Going Up the Country" in 1969 were Canned Heat's two biggest hits. Vestine left Canned Heat in mid-1969 to form a new band but returned the following year after the death of group member Al Wilson. Vestine departed Canned Heat for good in 1975. He died in Paris in October of 1997.

In 1944, Mick Jones, lead guitarist with Spooky Tooth and Foreigner.

In 1944, guitarist and vocalist for Ten Years After, Alvin Lee.

In 1945, Motorhead bassist and singer, Lemmy Kilmister.

In 1945, Ronald Bushy, drummer with Iron Butterfly.

On Christmas Day, 1945, Noel Redding, bass player with the Jimi Hendrix Experience.

In 1945, singer Stephen Stills of Crosby, Stills and Nash.

In 1946, singer Marianne Faithful was born in London.

In 1946, Davy Jones, lead vocalist of the Monkees, was born in Manchester, England. The Monkees' guitarist, Mike Nesmsith, was born on the same day in 1942.

In 1946, singer Patti Smith.

In 1946, John Paul Jones, bassist with the Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin.

On Christmas Day, 1946, singer Jimmy Buffett.

In 1946, Beach Boys guitarist Carl Wilson.

In 1947, sax and flute player Ray Thomas of the Moody Blues was born in Stourport-on-Severn, England.
Thomas, along with lead singer Denny Laine, keyboard player Michael Pinder, bassist Clint Warwick and drummer Graeme Edge, began the Moody Blues as a rhythm-and-blues band in 1964 in Birmingham.
After their first major hit, "Go Now," Justin Hayward replaced Warwick as lead vocalist and the group turned to a more full-bodied orchestral sound. "Nights in White Satin," in 1972, was the biggest of their dozen hit singles.

In 1947, KISS drummer Peter Criss.

In 1947, Dick Diamonde of the Easybeats.

In 1947, drummer Cozy Powell of Whitesnake.

In 1947, Jeff Lynne, one of the founding members of the Electric Light Orchestra, was born in Birmingham, England. The other original members of the group were Bev Bevan and Roy Wood -- all three had performed together as members of a group called the Move.
After ELO Lynne concentrated on record production, and in 1988 became a member of the Traveling Wilburys with Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan and Tom Petty.

On Christmas Day, 1948, Barbara Mandrell, one of the top female vocalists in contemporary country music, was born in Houston, Texas. By the age of 11, she was performing in Las Vegas, and two years later toured with Johnny Cash.

In 1948, disco star Donna Summer.

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 number-one hits. And the "Saturday Night Fever" album was the biggest-selling LP of all time, until Michael Jackson's "Thriller" came along.

In 1949, guitarist Adrian Belew.

In 1951, Johnny Contardo of the rock 'n' roll revival band Sha Na Na.

In 1951, Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton.

In 1953, pianist Richard Clayderman.

On Christmas Day, 1955, Eurythmics singer Annie Lennox.

In 1956, Iron Maiden guitarist Dave Murray.

In 1958, rapper Grandmaster Flash, whose real name is Joseph Saddler.

In 1963, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian.

In 1972, Joey McIntyre of New Kids on the Block.

In 1989, Carlos Santana's wife Debbie gave birth to their daughter Angelica Faith.

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Deaths In 1939, Gertrude (Ma) Rainey, one of the classic blues singers of the 1920's, died in Columbus, Georgia. During her heyday, she often traveled 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 1953, one of the most charismatic figures in country music, Hank Williams, died of a heart attack brought on by excessive drinking. He and his band, the Drifting Cowboys, had been booked to play in Canton, Ohio, and Williams hired a limousine to take him to the gig. Williams is said to have fallen asleep during the trip from Knoxville, Tennessee, and when the driver tried to wake him at Oak Hill, Virginia, the singer was dead.
But some researchers believe Williams was already dead when he was put in the Cadillac by two hotel workers on New Year's Eve. The controversy was fuelled by the hasty autopsy performed at a funeral home in Oak Hill.

Though he was an alcoholic for most of his working life, Williams nonetheless became the most influential figure in modern country music. A star on both the Louisiana Hayride and the Grand Ole Opry, he was fired from the Opry in 1952 because of his drinking. Many of his compositions, such as "Your Cheatin' Heart", "Jambalaya" and "Cold, Cold Heart", have been recorded by rock, folk and rhythm-and-blues acts. Hank Williams was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961.

On Christmas Day, 1954, rhythm-and-blues balladeer Johnny Ace died after shooting himself while playing Russian roulette backstage at the City Auditorium in Houston on Christmas Eve.

On Boxing Day, 1957, country singer Jimmie Osborne committed suicide at age 34. This now-forgotten performer had three Top-10 hits from 1948 to '50 -- "My Heart Echoes," "The Death of Little Kathy Fiscus" and "God Please Protect America".

In 1967, Paul Whiteman, the most popular bandleader of the pre-swing era, died in Doylestown, Pennsylvania at age 77. He had more than 30 number-one hits from 1920 to 1934, including "Whispering", "Hot Lips", "Three O'Clock in the Morning" and "Ol' Man River". Whiteman was billed as the "King of Jazz", but he specialized in sentimental songs and novelty tunes. However, his band did include, at various times, such sidemen as cornetist Bix Beiderbecke, trombonists Jack Teagarden and Tommy Dorsey and trumpeters Henry Busse and Red Nichols.
Singer Bing Crosby made his professional debut with Whiteman in 1926.

In 1973, former teen idol Bobby Darin died of heart failure during his second open-heart surgery in two years. He was 37.

In 1977, jazz pianist and composer Erroll Garner died at the age of 53. Garner was a self-taught musician who couldn't read music. But that didn't stop him from composing timeless music, such as the familiar "Misty".

In 1979, composer and lyricist Richard Rodgers died in New York City at the age of 77. Collaborating with Lorenz Hart and later with Oscar Hammerstein the Second, Rodgers wrote Broadway musicals, many of which were made into movies, for more than 55 years. Among his greatest successes were "The Sound of Music", "The King and I", "South Pacific", "Carousel" and "Oklahoma".

In 1980, folk singer and songwriter Tim Hardin died of a heroin overdose in Los Angeles at the age of 40. He composed such well-known songs as "Reason to Believe" and "If I Were a Carpenter", which provided a hit for both Bobby Darin and the duo of Johnny Cash and June Carter. Ironically, Hardin's only successful single came when he recorded Darin's "Simple Song of Freedom", which made the US top 50 in 1969.

In 1980, New Orleans-born rhythm-and-blues singer Larry Williams, despondent over his fading popularity, committed suicide. Williams began as a valet for singer Lloyd Price, before playing in Price's band. By 1956, he was recording on his own, and the following year had two million-sellers with the humorous novelty songs "Bony Moronie" and "Short, Fat Fannie." The Beatles were great admirers of Williams' music, and recorded several of his songs, including "Slow Down", "Bad Boy" and "Dizzy Miss Lizzy".

In 1983, Beach Boy Dennis Wilson drowned in Marina Del Rey. He was 39.

In 1985, two teenage fans of Judas Priest, after listening to the band's "Stained Class" album for six hours, took a shotgun to a churchyard in Sparks, Nevada and shot themselves. Raymond Belknap died immediately and the other youth, James Vance, was wounded. Vance died on November 29th, 1988 after lapsing into a coma while in hospital for treatment of depression. A drug overdose was blamed.
The estate and parents of the young men filed suit against Judas Priest, seeking US 4 million dollars in damages. A judge dismissed the action in 1990, ruling there were no subliminal messages on the Judas Priest album, as the plaintiffs had claimed.

In 1985, singer Rick Nelson, his fiance and five members of his Stone Canyon band were killed when their private plane crashed near Dekalb in northeastern Texas. They were on their way to perform at a New Year's Eve concert in Dallas.
Nelson gained teen-idol status in the 1950s after appearing with his parents and brother David on U.S. television's "Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet".

In 1986, Phil Lynott, former lead singer of the group Thin Lizzy, died in a London hospital of heart failure and pneumonia brought on by drug and alcohol abuse. He was 35. The Irish-born singer was being treated for an infection of the kidneys and liver.
Lynott is also recognised as a prolific poet.

On Christmas Day, 1991, Willie Nelson's son, Billy Nelson, hanged himself in his home near Nashville. He was 33.

In 1991, nine people died in a crush to get into a charity basketball game featuring rap stars at City College in New York. Twenty-eight others were injured. Police estimated five-thousand people went to the gymnasium, which had a capacity of 2,730. Most of the victims were crushed in a stairwell leading to the basement gym. The Heavy D and Puff Daddy Celebrity Charity Basketball Game was supposed to raise money for AIDS education, but a city report issued the following month said the promoter had not been able to make arrangements for anyone to accept the funds. The report also said nearly everyone involved in the event showed an "abysmal failure of responsibility," including police, college officials, organizers, student groups and the crowd itself.

In 1992, bluesman Albert King, a major influence on rock guitarists like Eric Clapton, died in Memphis, Tennessee, after suffering a heart attack. He was 69. King, who claimed to be a distant cousin of B.B. King, recorded as early as 1953 but his career didn't take off until he signed with Stax Records in 1966. There, backed by the likes of Booker T. and the MG's and the Memphis Horns, he recorded classics like "Born Under a Bad Sign", "Crosscut Saw" and "Laundromat Blues".

In 1993, original Byrds drummer Michael Clarke died of liver failure. He was 49.

On Christmas Day, 1995, singer and actor Dean Martin died of respiratory failure at his Beverly Hills, California home. He was 78.

In 1996, British saxophonist and jazz club owner Ronnie Scott was found dead at his London home. He was 69. There were widespread reports that he had committed suicide but a coroner recorded a verdict of misadventure, saying "an incautious overdose of barbiturates" had led to Scott's death. He opened Ronnie Scott's Club in London's Soho district in 1959. It became Britain's leading showcase for modern jazz, and among those who played there were Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald and Jimi Hendrix.

In 1997, Randy California, guitarist for the 1960s rock band Spirit, drowned while swimming with his 12-year-old son off Molokai, Hawaii. He was 45. California was apparently caught in a riptide after pushing his son to shore.
Spirit did have a Top-25 single in 1968, "I Got a Line on You", but they were known primarily for their critically-acclaimed albums, which blended hard rock, blues, country, folk and jazz.

In 2002, Joe Strummer, guitarist and vocalist for British band, The Clash, died of a heart attack at his home in Somerset, England. Strummer was 50 years old.

In 2002, Armand Zildjian, president and chairman of the Zildjian Company, the world’s largest cymbal manufacturer and one of the oldest companies in America, died of cancer at the age of 81.

In 2002, guitarist/songwriter Kevin Macmichael, a former member of Canadian bands Cutting Crew and Chalice, died from lung cancer. Cutting Crew had a huge international hit with "I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight" in the 1980's.

In 2004, Drummer John Payne Gueri) died aged 64 after heart failure brought about as a complication of the flu. Guerin's career spanned playing with The Byrds, Roger McGuinn, Gram Parsons, Skip Battin, Joni Mitchell, Cass Elliot, Frank Zappa, Todd Rundgren, Thelonious Monk, Peggy Lee, Bobby McFerrin, Lou Rawls, Jean-Luc Ponty, George Harrison, Elvis Presley, Kenny Rogers and many, many others.

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