Today in Music History for Nov. 14:
In 1900, American composer Aaron Copland, famed for using jazz and folk tunes in his works, was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. His many ballets include "Billy the Kid," "Rodeo" and "Appalachian Spring." His major orchestral works are "El Salon Mexico" and "The Third Symphony." Copland also composed music for such film classics as "Of Mice and Men" in 1939 and "Our Town" in 1940. He died Dec. 2, 1990.
In 1922, the BBC began sending out its first daily radio program from Alexandra Palace in London.
In 1940, Freddie Garrity, leader of the 1960s British pop group "Freddie and the Dreamers," was born in Manchester, England. Garrity, a former milkman, jumped around and acted silly on stage while the rest of the band adopted a more serious pose. "Freddie and the Dreamers" big North American hit was "I'm Telling You Now" which topped the Billboard chart in 1965. Garrity's antics inspired Chubby Checker's recording of "Let's Do the Freddie," which "Freddie and the Dreamers" then waxed themselves, taking it into the Billboard top-20. He died May 19, 2006.
In 1942, the British music paper New Musical Express began printing record sales charts.
In 1943, conductor Leonard Bernstein became an overnight star at the age of 25. Bernstein was an assistant to New York Philharmonic conductor Bruno Walter, who was ill for an afternoon concert at Carnegie Hall. Bernstein was summoned to fill in, and his extraordinary performance landed him on the front page of the next day's "New York Times."
In 1960, Elvis Presley's "It's Now or Never" became the fastest-selling single in British history, selling 780,000 copies in its first week.
In 1962, conductor Douglas Clarke, who led the Montreal Orchestra, the forerunner to the Montreal Symphony, died in Warwick, England. Clarke conducted the Montreal Orchestra from 1930-41. He's credited with introducing many classical works to Montreal audiences, and he conducted the Canadian premiere of Rachmaninoff's "Variations on a Theme of Paganini."
In 1980, Pat Benatar's first top-10 single, "Hit Me With Your Best Shot," peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard chart. The hit was taken from Benatar's million-selling album "Crimes of Passion."
In 1984, reggae star Keith Hudson died in New York City of lung cancer at the age of 38.
In 1986, Dame Joan Sutherland celebrated the 25th anniversary of her Metropolitan Opera debut by starring in a revival of Bellini's "I Puritani" at the Met.
In 1987, singer Kate Smith was buried in Lake Placid, N.Y. -- nearly a year and a-half after she died. A dispute over the size of her mausoleum, constructed of pink granite, was the cause of the delay. Smith died on June 17, 1986 at the age of 79 after several years of poor health.
In 1991, two people were stabbed and more than 50 were arrested at a Wellington, New Zealand concert by "AC/DC." It was the next-to-last show on the band's 150-date world tour.
In 1991, the premiere of Michael Jackson's video "Black and White" caused outrage among some TV viewers in the U.S. and Canada. Jackson announced the following day the video was being cut to remove a segment in which he smashed a car with a crowbar and grabbed his crotch several times. Jackson said it upset him to think "Black or White" could influence any child or adult to destructive behaviour, either sexual or violent.
In 1996, a show of slides and other material on the death of Kurt Cobain was cancelled in Montreal after Courtney Love's law firm threatened to sue. The show was to have been the final date in a four-city tour for "Who Killed Kurt Cobain," a multimedia presentation by Love's father, Hank Harrison. Cobain's death by shotgun in 1994 was ruled a suicide -- Harrison questioned that finding.
In 1997, Celine Dion's album, "Let's Talk About Love," was released in Canada and the U.S. It set a Canadian record for first-week sales -- 230,000 copies. Sony Music said one out of every 100 Canadians bought a copy in the first seven days. It remained on the top-10 of charts around the world for months. Sales were buoyed by the inclusion of "My Heart Will Go On," Dion's chart-topping single from the film "Titanic."
In 1999, Gary Glitter was acquitted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old fan. Just hours later, he was ordered jailed for downloading thousands of pornographic pictures of children.
In 2004, Usher was honoured with four trophies at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles, including Favorite Male Soul-R&B Artist, Best Pop-Rock Album, Best Pop-Rock Artist and Best Soul-R&B Album.
In 2009, the Grand Ole Opry and MySpace united to livestream an Opry performance for the first time. Carrie Underwood, Martina McBride, Rodney Atkins, Jake Owen were among the musical acts.
In 2012, Canadian-bred country music starlet Shania Twain arrived on horseback for a two-year headlining gig at Caesars Palace, parading up the Las Vegas Strip with a herd of 40 horses. Her show, "Shania: Still the One," opened on Dec. 1 after an almost decade-long performing hiatus marred by burnout, a painful divorce and physical problems that affected her ability to sing.
In 2015, Jimmy Buffett performed at the opening of the Margaritaville Beach Resort in Hollywood, Fla., his new $150 million attraction that features nearly 350 rooms, eight bars and a spa.
In 2016, Holly Dunn, one of the few female country singers who wrote, produced and sang her own material, died after a battle with ovarian cancer. She was 59. Her hits included "Daddy's Hands," ''Are You Ever Gonna Love Me" and "You Really Had Me Going." She was the Academy of Country Music's Top New Female Vocalist in 1986 and was named most promising newcomer by the Country Music Association the following year.
-----
The Canadian Press