Today in Music History for Nov. 26:
In 1933, singer-actor Robert Goulet was born in Lawrence, Mass. He moved to Edmonton while in his teens, and was a semifinalist on CBC TV's "Pick the Stars" in 1952. His big break came in 1960 with the role of Sir Lancelot in Lerner and Loewe's "Camelot." The musical opened in Toronto, later moving to Broadway. Goulet received a Grammy Award in 1962 as best new artist, and in 1970 received a Tony Award for his performance as Jacques in the Broadway musical "The Happy Time." Goulet's recordings include the hits "What Kind of Fool Am I" from 1962 and "My Love Forgive Me" from 1964. His career since the 1960s had included nightclub engagements, stage musicals, movies and TV appearances. He died on Oct. 30, 2007.
In 1938, Tina Turner, one of the legendary performers in rock and soul music, was born Annie Mae Bullock in Brownsville, Tenn. She joined "Ike Turner and The Kings of Rhythm" in 1956, and the couple married two years later. They first recorded as Ike and Tina Turner in 1960, hitting the pop and soul charts with "A Fool in Love." Other hits during the '60s included "It's Gonna Work Out Fine" and "Poor Fool." Ike and Tina Turner's success continued in the early '70s with cover versions of songs such as "Come Together" and "Proud Mary." The couple divorced in 1976. Their stormy marriage is chronicled in Tina's autobiography. Tina began a comeback in 1981, which culminated three years later with the success of her album "Private Dancer." The followup album, "Break Every Rule," also proved to be a big hit. Tina Turner announced her retirement from live performances in 1988 but resumed concert appearances after a couple of years. Acting credits include the film version of "The Who's" "Tommy" in 1975 and 1985's "Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome." Tina also sang the title song of the 1995 James Bond movie "GoldenEye."
In 1945, bass guitarist John McVie, a founding member of "Fleetwood Mac," was born in London. McVie, Peter Green and Mick Fleetwood put together "Fleetwood Mac" in 1967 after they left "John Mayall's Bluesbreakers." "Fleetwood Mac" began as a blues band, but the group's direction changed with the departure of Green in 1970. The band became more pop oriented, a trend that intensified when the duo of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined in 1974. The following year, "Fleetwood Mac's" self-titled album sold four-million copies. And 1977's "Rumours" became one of the biggest-selling albums of all time -- more than 40 million copies worldwide. "Fleetwood Mac" came back in a big way in 1987 when their LP "Tango in the Night" went to the top of the charts. And in 2003, the group debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard charts with the album, "Say You Will."
In 1949, Canadian bass Denis Harbour made his Metropolitan Opera debut as the jailer in "Tosca." Harbour, born in Oka, Que. in 1917, was with the Met for the 1949-50 season, during which he participated in an NBC broadcast of a concert performance of "Aida," conducted by Toscanini.
In 1956, trombonist and bandleader Tommy Dorsey died In Greenwich, Conn., at the age of 51. He choked to death from a combination of prescription drugs, liquor and a heavy meal. Dorsey led one of the most popular dance bands of the 1930s and '40s, and was responsible for such million-sellers hits as "Marie," "I'll Never Smile Again" and "There Are Such Things." Frank Sinatra developed into a major star while with the Dorsey orchestra in the early 1940s. Tommy's brother, Jimmy, also was a dance band leader, but their feuding kept them apart from 1935 to 1953. Elvis Presley was introduced to the American TV audience in 1956 on the Dorsey Brothers' "Stage Show."
In 1962, "The Beatles" recorded "Please Please Me."
In 1968, the blues-rock trio "Cream" played its farewell concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The event was captured on film as "Goodbye Cream." The supergroup had sold 15 million albums in a little over three years. Guitarist Eric Clapton and drummer Ginger Baker went on to form the short-lived group "Blind Faith," while bass guitarist Jack Bruce began a solo career.
In 1973, John Rostill, former bassist with Britain's top instrumental group, "The Shadows," was electrocuted by his guitar at his home studio in London. He was 31. Rostill's body was discovered by another member of "The Shadows," Bruce Welch. Rostill and Welch were co-authors of several of Olivia Newton-John's biggest hits, including "Let Me Be There" and "If You Love Me Let Me Know."
In 1974, Elton John threw a party at the Parkland Hotel in New York for his new protege, 1960s pop star Neil Sedaka. John was instrumental in Sedaka's comeback by issuing three Sedaka albums on his Rocket label.
In 1975, Charles Boykin, a minister in Talahassee, Fla., led his congregation in burning $2,000 worth of rock records. Boykin claimed that 984 out of 1,000 unwed mothers were impregnated with rock music in the background. How he conducted his survey was not recorded.
In 1976, English rock quartet "10CC" broke up. (The band continued on as a duo until 1983. The original four members reunited from 1991-95.)
In 1988, members of "Pink Floyd" watched the launch of a joint Soviet-French space mission from Soviet Central Asia. One of the cosmonauts had requested an advance copy of "Pink Floyd's" live album, "Delicate Sound of Thunder," to play during the flight. The band's David Gilmour said "Pink Floyd" was thrilled to be the first rock group to have their music played in space.
In 1989, more than 45 acts participated in an earthquake relief "Rock-A-Thon" broadcast on public television and in northern California. Three concerts were held in San Francisco, Oakland and Watsonville, the town hit hardest by the quake.
In 1990, MTV, the U.S. music video channel, said it wouldn't play Madonna's video for "Justify My Love." Canada's MuchMusic soon followed suit. MTV deemed the video's fantasy sequence which included bisexuality, mild sadomasochism and exposed female breasts (not Madonna's) too risque for airplay. Warner Reprise Video promptly announced they would release the clip for sale, moving a quarter million copies in the initial shipment.
In 1991, heavy metal rocker Ozzy Osbourne broke his foot while jumping about on stage at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago. He pressed on with several other dates on his "Theatre of Madness" tour but was forced to cancel all shows scheduled for the following month when he developed an infection in his ankle.
In 1994, "Love Me Do," the first "Beatles" record ever to be played on radio, fetched more than C$23,000 at an auction in London. It was a world record price for a commercially produced record. The recording was played by Radio Luxembourg in 1963.
In 1994, "Boyz II Men's" "I'll Make Love To You" was No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the 14th week. That tied the record set by Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You." The two singles became the longest-running No. 1 hits of the rock era, and the longest-running chart-toppers since Francis Craig's "Near You" had a 17-week run in 1947. (In 1995, Mariah Carey and the "Boyz II Men" collaboartion "One Sweet Day" stayed at No. 1 for 16 straight weeks.)
In 1998, rapper and record producer Sean (Puffy) Coombs treated more than 2,000 homeless people in Harlem to Thanksgiving dinner. Rapper Sister Souljah helped organize the event.
In 2003, James Carter, the singer whose version of "Po' Lazarus" was the lead song on the Grammy Award-winning "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack, died of a stroke at the age of 77. Carter, a retired shipping clerk, was unwittingly thrust into the spotlight when producer T-Bone Burnett included "Po' Lazarus" on the "O Brother" soundtrack. Musicologist Alan Lomax had recorded the song in 1959 as Carter worked on a chain gang at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman.
In 2008, Nickelback's "Dark Horse" sold 326,000 in the U.S. to debut at No. 2 on Billboard's 200 Album chart. Only Beyonce's "I AM...SASHA FIERCE" out-sold them. The Canadian rock outfit spent 156 weeks on the chart with its prior album, 2005's "All the Right Reasons."
In 2010, the iconic mother-daughter country music duo of Naomi and Wynnona began "The Judds: The Last Encore Tour" in Green Bay. In 1991, after selling 20 million albums, Naomi was forced to retire after being diagnosed with Hepatitis-C. Wynonna went on to a succesful solo career. After Naomi fully recovered, they reunited for a 30-date tour in 2000.
In 2013, Ian Watkins, former lead singer of British rock band Lostprophets, pleaded guilty to 13 sexual offences, which included sexually touching a one-year-old, encouraging a fan to abuse her child, and making child pornography. He was sentenced to 29 years in prison.
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(The Canadian Press)
The Canadian Press
