Today in Music History for May 27:
In 1799, George Washington Doane, American Episcopal clergyman, was born. One of the foremost promoters of Episcopal missions in his day, Doane also authored many hymns, including "Fling Out the Banner!" "Let It Float" and "Softly Now the Light of Day."
In 1927, Ralph Carmichael, a popular sacred composer whose works flourished most during the 1960's-1970's, was born. Among his often sung arrangements are "The Saviour is Waiting" and "He's Everything to Me."
In 1945, Canadian folk singer and songwriter Bruce Cockburn was born in Ottawa. He first gained national attention in 1970 for his score for the film "Goin' Down the Road." After his early LP's proved popular, he made his first cross-country tour in 1972. He has won the Juno Award for folksinger of the year several times. Cockburn is one of the few English-Canadian performers to be successful in Quebec. And, he's as well known for backing human rights and environmental causes as he is for his music. His best-known songs include "If I Had a Rocket Launcher," "Goin' to the Country," "Musical Friends," "Lovers in a Dangerous Time," and "Wondering Where the Lions Are." He received the Order of Canada in 1983, and was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame in 2002.
In 1950, Frank Sinatra made his TV debut with Bob Hope on NBC.
In 1957, "The Crickets'" first record, "That'll Be the Day," featuring Buddy Holly as lead singer, was released by Brunswick Records. Under an arrangement worked out by Norman Petty, Holly's manager, some of the group's recordings were credited to "The Crickets," while others bore Holly's name. Buddy Holly's first hit under his own name was "Peggy Sue," also released in 1957.
In 1957, Toronto radio station CHUM went to a top-40 format and published its first hit record chart. The No. 1 song was Elvis Presley's "All Shook Up." The 1,500th issue of the chart made its appearance on March 14, 1986, making it the oldest surviving radio station chart in North America. The chart was discontinued later in 1986 when CHUM dropped its top-40 format.
In 1971, Lisa (Left Eye) Lopes was born in Philadelphia. She teamed with Tionne (T-Boz) Watkins and Rozonda (Chilli) Thomas to form "TLC." Beginning with their 1992 album, "Oooooh ... On the TLC Tip," the trio became the best-selling female R&B group in U.S. history with sales of 22 million albums. They had such hits as "Waterfalls," "No Scrubs" and "Unpretty." Lopes was killed in a car crash in Honduras on April 25, 2002.
In 1977, the "Sex Pistols'" second record, "God Save the Queen," was released in Britain in time to spite the Queen's Silver Jubilee in June. Despite being banned from airplay, the record made the British top-10.
In 1979, John Lennon and Yoko Ono took a full-page ad in the Sunday New York Times explaining their whereabouts for the previous five years.
In 1980, David Lee Roth fractured his nose and suffered a concussion when he leaped off Alex Van Halen's drum riser and hit the stage lights. They were recording an Italian TV special in Rome at the time.
In 1987, "U2's" concert in Rome was so loud it touched off an earthquake alarm in the Italian capital. Authorities were flooded with calls from residents in two exclusive neighbourhoods who reported their windows were rattling and their furniture was shaking.
In 1988, "Van Halen's" "Monsters of Rock" touring festival opened with three sellout shows in East Troy, Wis. Other heavy metal bands contributing to the day-long shows were "Scorpions," "Metallica," "Dokken" and "Kingdom Come." More than 1.5 million people attended the 28-show tour.
In 1989, Stevie Wonder dropped in at Solidarity campaign headquarters in Warsaw to offer support for the union's candidates in Polish elections. He sang "I Just Called to Say I Love You," with the audience joining in on the chorus.
In 1989, "Chicago" and "The Beach Boys" toured together for the first time in 14 years, with Brian Wilson joining them on occasion.
In 1992, Cher was forced to postpone her live performance debut in New York City after she came down with bronchitis.
In 1994, the "Eagles" played their first concert in 14 years, kicking off their Hell Freezes Over reunion tour in Irvine, Calif. Naturally their opening song was "Hotel California." The two-and-a-half-hour show ended with two encores capped by "Desperado."
In 1994, Red Rodney, one of the first bop trumpeters after Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis, died in Boynton Beach, Fla., of lung cancer. He was 66. Rodney replaced Davis in saxophonist Charlie Parker's quintet in 1949, and later became known as one of the best jazz improvisers.
In 1998, Elton John performed an open-air concert on the lawns outside the Stormont parliament in Belfast. British Prime Minister Tony Blair had asked John to appear to celebrate the approval of the Northern Ireland peace accord in a referendum five days earlier.
In 1998, eight people were shot at a theatre in Bakersfield, Calif., following a screening of "I Got the Hook-Up," starring and directed by gangsta rapper Master P; police recovered an automatic pistol and a dozen empty shell-casings in the lobby.
In 2003, Luciano Berio, considered Italy's foremost composer of the late 20th century and an enthusiastic explorer of electronic technology in music, died in a Rome hospital. He was 77. Berio also conducted many of the major orchestras in Europe, the United States, Israel and Japan and was particularly noted for innovations in electronic music. He taught courses on electronic music at Columbia University in New York. Along with violinist Yehudi Menuhin, he was awarded a Wolf Prize for the arts in 1990.
In 2009, Gerard Way of "My Chemical Romance" and his wife, "Mindless Self Indulgence" bassist Lyn-Z, welcomed their first child, daughter Bandit Lee Way.
In 2009, Brad Paisley scored his 10th consecutive No. 1 hit when his single "Then" topped the Billboard country singles chart. It put him in the same company as "Alabama," George Strait, Ronnie Milsap, Earl Thomas Conley, Sonny James, Conway Twitty, and Buck Owens as the only country acts in Billboard history to achieve 10 or more consecutive chart-toppers. His next single, "Welcome to the Future," just failed to reach the top spot, bowing at No. 2.
In 2011, rock legend Robbie Robertson was among a group to become members of the Order of Canada.
In 2011, musician Gil Scott-Heron, who helped lay the groundwork for rap by fusing minimalistic percussion, political expression and spoken-word poetry on songs such as "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" but saw his brilliance undermined by a years-long drug addiction, died at age 62.
In 2012, pop singer Lady Gaga cancelled her June 3rd sold-out show in Jakarta, Indonesia, after Islamist hard-liners threatened violence, claiming her sexy clothes and provocative dance moves would corrupt the youth.
In 2017, music legend Gregg Allman, whose bluesy vocals and soulful touch on the Hammond B-3 organ helped propel The Allman Brothers Band to superstardom, died of liver cancer. He was 69. Songs such as "Whipping Post," ''Ramblin' Man" and "Midnight Rider" helped define what came to be known as Southern rock. In 1995, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and was honoured with a lifetime achievement Grammy in 2012.
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The Canadian Press