Today in Music History for Feb. 16:
In 1865, English clergyman Sabine Baring-Gould first published the hymn, "Now the Day is Over." It was based on the text of Prov 3:24: "When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid...and thy sleep shall be sweet."
In 1880, an operetta called "HMS Parliament, or the Lady Who Loved a Government Clerk" premiered in Montreal. The work used composer Arthur Sullivan's music for the famous "HMS Pinafore" with a new libretto by William Henry Fuller, an Englishman who emigrated to Canada about 1870.
In 1935, singer Sonny Bono was born in Detroit. He first gained success as a songwriter, writing the 1963 hit "Needles and Pins" for "The Searchers." In 1964, Bono married his girlfriend Cher, and the couple began recording under the direction of Phil Spector. "Sonny and Cher" scored a million-seller in 1965 with "I Got You Babe." As the duo's string of hits continued, Cher became the main attraction. Following a two-year TV show in the early '70s, Sonny and Cher split, both professionally and personally. In 1988, Sonny became mayor of Palm Springs, Calif. Six years later, he was elected to the U.S. Congress. Bono died in a skiing accident in South Lake Tahoe, Calif., on Jan. 5, 1998.
In 1962, Bobby Vinton recorded the song "Roses are Red." He was in danger of being dropped by Epic Records but still owed them two single sides.
In 1963, Ottawa-born singer Paul Anka married Marie Ann Dezogheb in Paris.
In 1963, "The Beatles" first big hit, "Please, Please Me," reached No. 1 on the British charts. It stayed at the top spot for only one week.
In 1965, the musical "Baker Street," based on the story of Sherlock Holmes, opened on Broadway after two weeks in Toronto. The songs were written by Canadians Marion Grudeff and Ray Jessel.
In 1968, composer and music educator Healey Willan, a dominant figure in Canadian musical life for five decades, died in Toronto at the age of 87. He influenced several generations of Canadian composers, organists, choir directors and singers through his teachings at the Toronto Conservatory and the University of Toronto. Willan composed more than 800 works, many of them religious in nature. It is his church music that is most frequently performed today.
In 1968, John Lennon, George Harrison and their wives travelled to India to study transcendental meditation with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Joining them three days later were Ringo Starr and his wife and Paul McCartney and his then-fiancee, Jane Asher.
In 1969, country singers George Jones and Tammy Wynette were actually married in Ringgold, Ga. -- six months after they had announced they were wed secretly on Aug. 22, 1968. They later divorced.
In 1971, Allan Passaro, the Hell's Angel acquitted of stabbing 18-year-old Meredith Hunter to death at the Altamont Festival in California in 1969, sued the producers of "The Rolling Stones" documentary, "Gimme Shelter," which was shot at the festival. Passaro charged that when Hunter's death was shown repeatedly in the film, his privacy was invaded.
In 1974, Elton John released "Bennie and the Jets." It went on to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 1975, Cher's musical variety series debuted on CBS. It ran until 1976.
In 1977, Ann Ditchburn's ballet, "Mad Shadows," with music by Quebec pianist Andre Gagnon, was premiered by the National Ballet of Canada at the O'Keefe Centre in Toronto.
In 1986, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson starred in the NBC-TV movie "Last Days of Frank and Jesse James."
In 1989, a benefit concert for New York City's homeless, featuring Paul Simon, Ruth Brown and Robin Williams, raised $600,000. Prices for a table, seating 10 people, started at $10,000, and one with a good view of the performance went for $25,000.
In 1990, Canada's k.d. lang was featured on the cover of the first issue of "Entertainment Weekly," published by Time magazine.
In 1990, musician Ike Turner was sentenced in Santa Monica, Calif., to four years in prison on cocaine charges.
In 1992, Japanese officials refused to allow "The Rolling Stones" frontman Mick Jagger into the country because of a marijuana conviction in London more than 20 years earlier. After some negotiations, the justice ministry granted him a special landing permit -- good for 15 days. Jagger was in Japan to promote a movie.
In 1993, Rod Stewart provided the highlight of the annual Brit Awards in London when he invited his former band, "The Faces," on stage to perform with him -- accompanied by former "Rolling Stones" bassist Bill Wyman. Stewart was honoured with a lifetime achievement award.
In 1993, members of "The Vandellas" and "The Marvelettes" sued Motown, claiming the record company failed to pay royalties on such 1960s hits as "Heat Wave" and "Please Mr. Postman."
In 1993, country star Larry Gatlin took over from Mac Davis in the title role of the Broadway musical "The Will Rogers Follies."
In 2007, Britney Spears shaved her head after a salon owner refused to do it for her.
In 2010, 19 people were injured when a surge of Olympic party-goers caused a barricade to collapse during a free concert at Vancouver's David Lam Park during a set by Canadian punk band "Alexisonfire." The rest of the concert was cancelled along with a planned fireworks display.
In 2011, Fox-TV series "Glee" debuted six more songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, giving it 113 songs in total - surpassing Elvis Prelsey (108) for most songs in the chart's 52-year history. (When the show ended its run in 2015, it had 207 appearances). Also, Lady Gaga's "Born This Way," became the chart's 1,000th No. 1 song.
In 2011, 66-year-old British singer Rod Stewart and his wife Penny Lancaster welcomed their second son, Aiden.
In 2013, Tony Sheridan, a British singer who performed with "The Beatles" during their early years in Hamburg, died at age 72. Together they recorded "My Bonnie," released in 1962.
In 2015, singer-songwriter Lesley Gore, who topped the charts in 1963 at age 16 with her epic song of teenage angst "It's My Party" and followed it up with the hits "Judy's Turn to Cry" and the feminist anthem "You Don't Own Me," died of lung cancer. She was 68.
In 2016, the Czech Museum of Music presented a cantata, "A Salute to the Recuperating Ophelia," a rare piece of music written in three parts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Antonio Salieri and an unknown composer, Cornetti, that was considered lost for more than 200 years.
In 2018, Barbara Ann Alston of The Crystals died of the flu at the age of 74. She sang lead on girl group's hit "There's No Other (Like My Baby)" and backup on "Da Doo Ron Ron" and "Then He Kissed Me." Their biggest hit, "He's a Rebel,'' was recorded by Darlene Love and The Blossoms.
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The Canadian Press
