Today in Music History for Feb. 22:
In 1952, bass singer Don Gerrard, a native of Vancouver, made his debut with the Canadian Opera Company as the Speaker in "The Magic Flute." He moved to England in 1961 to become principal bass of the Sadler's Wells company, but continued to return to Canada to perform.
In 1965, "The Beatles" began filming "Help," their second movie, in the Bahamas. Other scenes were shot in England and Austria. The film opened in North America in August.
In 1969, British glitter-rock band "T. Rex" kicked off a British tour in Manchester. On the same bill, David Bowie, a friend of "T. Rex" leader Marc Bolan, performed a mime act about Tibetan Buddhist monks.
In 1976, Florence Ballard, an original member of "The Supremes," died in Detroit of cardiac arrest at the age of 32. She had either quit or been fired from "The Supremes" in 1967 because of a rivalry with lead singer Diana Ross. Ballard unsuccessfully sued both Ross and Motown Records boss Berry Gordy Jr., alleging she was forced out of the group. Ballard and her three children were living on welfare at the time of her death. She received little or no royalty payments from the eight gold records she made with "The Supremes," and was paid only a weekly allowance during her time with the group.
In 1978, "The Police" starred in a British TV commercial for Wrigley's chewing gum. The ad was made a few months before the band's single "Roxanne" was released in the U.K.
In 1981, Quebec fiddler Ti-Blanc Richard died in Sherbrooke at age 60. He was one of Canada's leading novelty fiddlers, and combined country and traditional Quebec folk music in his repertoire. Richard often used such items as baseball bats and hockey sticks for bows. He made more than a dozen LPs in the 1960s and '70s.
In 1981, the Duke Ellington musical "Sophisticated Ladies," starring Phyllis Hyman, opened on Broadway.
In 1986, singer Bruce Cockburn gave a cheque for $28,000 to the Council of the Haida Nation following two concerts at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver. The Indians were to use the concert proceeds in their fight to stop logging on Lyell Island in the Queen Charlottes.
In 1989, the first rap Grammy went to DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (Will Smith) for "Parents Just Don't Understand" while the first Grammy for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance was given to "Jethro Tull" for their album "Crest of a Knave." Widespread criticism forced organizers to create separate categories for the next awards show.
In 1990, a jury in Los Angeles rejected a $25-million claim that Stevie Wonder's Oscar-winning 1984 song "I Just Called to Say I Love You" was stolen from another songwriter. Lee Chiate alleged Wonder's song, part of the soundtrack for "Woman in Red," was stolen from a song he co-wrote, "I Just Called to Say."
In 1992, all 34,000 seats for two "Grateful Dead" shows at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ont., sold out in 56 minutes. "Deadheads" started lining up a week before the tickets went on sale.
In 1994, violinist Papa John Creach, who became a rock star with "Jefferson Airplane" and "Jefferson Starship," died in Los Angeles at 76. Creach was 53 when a friend introduced him to members of the "Airplane" in 1970. He also played with the "Airplane" spinoff group "Hot Tuna," and released a moderately successful solo album in 1972.
In 1995, Elton John told the British "New Musical Express" magazine that he was hooked on cocaine in the 1980s and used to wash it down with a bottle of whisky a night.
In 1999, "The Tragically Hip" became the first act to play Toronto's Air Canada Centre.
In 2001, rapper Eminem won Grammy awards for Best Rap Solo and Duo Performances and Best Rap Album. Gay and women's groups had protested Eminem's nominations, due to what they called his homophobic and misogynistic lyrics. Other winners included such music veterans as "Steely Dan," "U2" and Joni Mitchell.
In 2004, "Puddle of Mudd" singer Wes Scantlin was arrested in Toledo, Ohio, for allegedly throwing a bottle into an audience and spitting on them while publicly drunk.
In 2005, "Blink-182" announced they were going on hiatus. Four years later at the Grammy Awards, they announced they had reunited.
In 2007, Britney Spears checked into rehab for the third time in a week.
In 2008, singer-actress Jennifer Lopez gave birth to twins, a girl and a boy -- Max and Emme.
In 2009, former "Spice Girl" Melanie Chisholm (Sporty Spice) gave birth to her first child, a daughter, Scarlet.
In 2011, Adele's "21" was released in North America. It went on to sell over 25 million copies worldwide. In 2012, she won the Grammy for Album of the Year and the Juno for International Album of the Year.
In 2011, songwriter Jean Dinning, who wrote the 1959 teen tragedy "Teen Angel," died at age 86. She wrote the song for her brother Mark, who took it to No. 1 in 1960.
In 2011, Grammy-winning reggae singer Buju Banton was convicted of conspiring to set up a cocaine deal in 2009. It was Banton's second trial. A jury deadlocked in his first trial in 2010. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
In 2012, Adele's "21" sat atop the Billboard 200 album chart for the 21st non-consecutive week, surpassing the 1992-93 Whitney Houston-led "The Bodyguard" soundtrack as the longest-running No. 1 album by a woman. Also, she made history as the first female to place three songs in Billboard's Hot 100 top-10 concurrently as a lead artist. ("Set Fire to the Rain," "Rolling in the Deep," and "Someone Like You.")
In 2012, Katy Perry's "Part of Me" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the 20th single to do so in the history of the chart.
In 2013, a Los Angeles judge approved singer Jermaine Jackson's request to change his surname to Jacksun. He sought the change for "artistic reasons" and had nothing to do with a rift in the family over the care of his mother or his brother Michael's children.
In 2015, R&B singer John Legend and rapper Common won the Oscar for Best Original Song for writing ”Glory'' from the film "Selma,'' a movie about the civil rights struggle and Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s role in it.
In 2016, country music singer Sonny James died at a hospice in Nashville. He was 87. During his career, James recorded romantic ballads like "Young Love" (1956) and converted a number of pop and R&B hits into country tunes like "Only the Lonely" and "Only Love Can Break a Heart." He started an impressive run on top of the country charts with 16 consecutive No. 1 songs between 1967 and 1971.
In 2016, Rihanna's "Work," featuring Drake, became her 14th song to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, passing Michael Jackson for third-most No. 1's all-time. She only trails Mariah Carey (18) and The Beatles (20).
In 2019, Jackie Shane, a pioneering black transgender soul singer who packed Toronto nightclubs in the 1960s, died. She was 78. Record label Numero Group, which produced a Grammy-nominated album about Shane that brought her back into the spotlight, confirmed February 22nd that she died in Nashville but the exact date and cause of death were not provided.
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The Canadian Press
