Today in Music History for May 4:
In 1905, honky tonk singer Al Dexter was born in Jacksonville, Texas. He perfected his style in the oil-boom dance halls of East Texas. And he recorded one of the first songs to have the word "honky tonk" in its title, "Honky Tonk Blues." Dexter, who died in 1984, is best known as the composer of the wartime hit, "Pistol Packin' Mama."
In 1928, Canadian jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson was born in Montreal. He went to the U.S. at age 20, playing in the big bands of Boyd Raeburn, Jimmy Dorsey, Charlie Barnett and Stan Kenton. Ferguson won the "Down Beat" magazine readers poll for trumpet from 1950-52. He later formed his own big band, which moved in a jazz-rock direction. Ferguson's recording of "Gonna Fly Now," the theme from "Rocky," was a major 1977 hit. He died on Aug. 23, 2006.
In 1952, Joe L. Frank, the agent who helped get such country stars as Roy Acuff and Ernest Tubb on the Grand Ole Opry, died. He was 52. He had a great deal to do with building the Opry's popularity and was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
In 1957, "The Alan Freed Show" debuted on ABC-TV. The legendary disc jockey's rock 'n' roll variety show was cancelled some months later, after black teenage singer Frankie Lymon was shown dancing with a white girl.
In 1957, Gene Vincent and his band, "The Bluecaps," were flown from California to Nashville to record "Be-Bop-A-Lula" and "Woman Love." Capitol Records was so anxious to match RCA's success with Elvis Presley that they had Vincent's record in the shops within two weeks. Although "Be-Bop-A-Lula" was a giant hit, Vincent's career was basically over by the next year. He died in 1971 following a seizure brought on by a bleeding ulcer.
In 1959, the first Grammy Awards were presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Record of the Year and Song of the Year was "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu" -- better known as "Volare" -- by Domenico Modugno. Henry Mancini won the Album of the Year award for "The Music From Peter Gunn" and "The Kingston Trio" won the first country Grammy for "Tom Dooley."
In 1964, "The Moody Blues" were formed in Birmingham, England, the brainchild of singer Denny Laine. He recruited Mike Pinder, Ray Thomas, Graham Edge and Clint Warwick. "Go Now" was a worldwide hit in 1965. The group reorganized in 1967 with a new lead vocalist, Justin Hayward, and a lush, orchestral sound. Their hits have included "Nights in White Satin," "Tuesday Afternoon" and "Ride My See-Saw."
In 1968, model Twiggy saw 18-year-old singer Mary Hopkin on the BBC-TV show "Opportunity Knocks." Twiggy mentioned Hopkin to Paul McCartney, who signed her to "The Beatles'" Apple label. McCartney supervised Hopkin's first recording sessions, which produced the hit "Those Were the Days."
In 1970, Neil Young wrote "Ohio" after four Kent State University students were killed by U.S. National Guardsmen.
In 1977, Canadian singer-songwriter Jesse Winchester made his U.S. debut at the Bottom Line nightclub in New York City. Winchester had come to Canada in 1967 to evade the draft and became a Canadian citizen in 1973. He was not able to return to his native country until the amnesty for draft evaders was declared in 1977.
In 1986, the Toronto-based acapella group, "The Nylons," performed on "The Tonight Show." Guest host Gerry Shandling said the group "left their instruments with their lost luggage."
In 1987, Chicago bluesman Paul Butterfield, who brought the blues to a generation of rock fans in the 1960s, was found dead in his Los Angeles home. He was 44. An autopsy showed he died of an overdose of several drugs, including heroin. Butterfield was among the first young white musicians to venture into black clubs on Chicago's South Side. He learned his amplified harmonica style directly from such blues harp greats as Little Walter, Junior Wells and Big Walter Horton. Butterfield's searing harmonica solos and soulful vocals, and the guitar work of Elvin Bishop and Mike Bloomfield, were the highlights of "The Paul Butterfield Blues Band," formed in 1963. After playing their own set at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, the band backed Bob Dylan in his first performance with electric instruments. The concert outraged folk music purists. "The Paul Butterfield Blues Band" was credited with paving the way for such British blues groups as "Cream." Butterfield began a somewhat sporadic solo career after the band broke up in 1972.
In 1997, Paul Vincent, manager for New Brunswick-born pop star Roch Voisine, was found dead in his Montreal apartment. He was 46. Police said there were no signs of foul play but seized cocaine, hashish and marijuana from a bedroom safe. He had pleaded guilty a month earlier to cocaine and hashish possession charges. Vincent left his estate to Voisine, who denied a report it was worth as much as $30 million.
In 2010, at the Tony Awards nomination news conference, "American Idiot" (a stage version of Green Day's 2004 album) and "Bon Jovi" keyboardist David Bryan's "Memphis" were both nominated for best musical. ("Memphis" ended up winning).
In 2011, entertainer Marie Osmond remarried her first husband, Stephen Craig, at a Mormon temple in Las Vegas. The couple first married in 1982 but divorced three years later.
In 2012, "Rush" and concert pianist Janina Fialkowska were among the recipients of the Governor General's Performing Arts Award, the country's highest artistic honour.
In 2012, Adam Yauch, the gravelly voiced rapper who co-founded the seminal hip-hop group "Beastie Boys," died at age 47. He had been diagnosed with a cancerous salivary gland in 2009. He hadn't performed in public since 2009 and was absent when the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April. In a 25-year span that covered four No. 1 albums and more than 40 million records sold, the "Beastie Boys" played both prankster and pioneer, a groundbreaking act that helped bring hip-hop to the mainstream.
In 2016, Elvin Bishop, Eddy Clearwater, Jimmy Johnson, John Mayall and the Memphis Jug Band were inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in Memphis, Tenn.
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The Canadian Press
