Today in Music History for Feb. 10:
In 1939, singer Roberta Flack was born in Asheville, N.C. She had a half-dozen ballad hits in the 1970s, including three No. 1 -- "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," "Killing Me Softly With His Song" and "Feel Like Makin' Love." Flack returned to the top-10 in 1991 with "Set the Night to Music," a duet with Maxi Priest.
In 1940, Kenny Rankin, a brilliant pop vocalist and highly regarded musician-songwriter whose stylings ranged from jazz to pop to the world music influences, was born in New York. He first gained acclaim as one of the guitarists on Bob Dylan's landmark 1965 album, "Bringing It All Back Home," in which Dylan moved firmly from an all-acoustic folk music sound to an electric mixture of pop and rock 'n' roll. Rankin wrote and recorded the pop standard "Peaceful" and also wrote "In The Name of Love," which was recorded by Peggy Lee, and "Haven't We Met," performed by Carmen McRae and Mel Torme. He died on June 7, 2009, of complications related to lung cancer.
In 1942, the first gold disc ever awarded to an artist was presented to "The Glenn Miller Orchestra" by RCA Victor during a radio broadcast. The presentation was for Miller's recording of "Chattanooga Choo-Choo," which sold more than 1.2 million copies on the Bluebird label. The award was not solid gold -- it was merely gold-laquered.
In 1968, "The Beatles" severed all their American business connections, including their fan club. All their business affairs were moved to their newly-formed Apple Corps Ltd. The mismanagement of this company was in large part responsible for the breakup of group.
In 1975, record producer Phil Spector was severely burned when his car crashed and burst into flames. It was his second serious auto accident within a year. Spector's spokespeople would give few details, saying only that he suffered multiple head and body injuries, and that the accident occurred somewhere between Los Angeles and Phoenix.
In 1985, "Tears Are Not Enough," the contribution of Canadian recording artists to African famine relief, was recorded at Manta Sound in Toronto under the name "Northern Lights." The song was written by Bryan Adams and his regular songwriting partner, Jim Vallance. Adams' performance of the song at the Live Aid concert in July 1985 was marred by a satellite blackout.
In 1987, one of the Soviet Union's top rock bands, "Autograph," played in Quebec City as part of its first North American tour.
In 1989, a Nashville judge appointed a lawyer to look after the affairs of Barry Sadler, the former U.S. army sergeant who had a No. 1 hit in 1966 with "Ballad of the Green Berets." Sadler had suffered brain damage when he was shot in a taxi in Guatemala in the fall of 1988. He died about a year later.
In 1990, Paula Abdul's "Forever Your Girl" became the first album to generate six No. 1 singles when "Opposites Attract" hit the top of the Billboard chart. Also, Abdul became the first female artist to have an album stay in the top-10 for over 50 weeks.
In 1991, Kevin Costner, Donny Osmond, Meryl Streep and Mike Tyson were among dozens of celebrities who gathered in Burbank, Calif., to record a tribute to U.S. troops in the Persian Gulf. The song, "Voices That Care," was composed and produced by Canadian David Foster.
In 1992, "New Kids On The Block" filed a slander suit against a former producer, who claimed they didn't do much singing on the "Hangin' Tough" album or during "New Kids" concerts. The producer, Gregory McPherson, later retracted his allegation.
In 1992, Vince Neil was fired as lead singer of "Motley Crue." (They reunited in 1997 and completed a farewell tour on Dec. 31, 2015.)
In 1993, Michael Jackson, in a live TV interview with Oprah Winfrey, said he had an inherited disorder that causes skin pigmentation to fade. He denied altering most of his face, but did admit to minor cosmetic surgery. Jackson also said he found comfort in the company of children and animals that he missed in a friendless, workaholic childhood.
In 1995, rapper Dr. Dre was sentenced to five months probation for drunk driving.
In 1996, Canadian country singer Shania Twain drew an estimated crowd of 10,000-20,000 fans for an autograph session at the Mall of America in Minneapolis.
In 1997, Liam Gallagher of the British rock band "Oasis" postponed his marriage to actress Patsy Kensit at the last minute, blaming "obsessive and intrusive media attention." They were married in London two months later, but later divorced.
In 1997, a girl was born to Julie Cypher, then the partner of singer Melissa Etheridge. They later revealed the baby's father was veteran musician David Crosby.
In 1998, Montreal-born songwriter Alex Kramer died in Fairfield, Conn., at age 94. Among his best-known songs are "Candy," "It All Comes Back to Me Now," "Far Away Places" and "High on a Windy Hill."
In 2001, tenor saxophonist Buddy Tate died at age 87. He was a vital part of "The Count Basie Band" of the 1940s, and later led his own band.
In 2006, singer Scott Stapp married former Miss New York Jaclyn Nesheiwat in Miami. The next day, he was arrested on suspicion of being drunk in the Los Angeles International Airport. (However, prosecutors declined to charge him).
In 2008, British soul singer Amy Winehouse captured five trophies at the Grammy Awards.
In 2010, a London gallery opened an art show billed as an exclusive exhibition of Bob Dylan's first paintings on canvas. The paintings were available for sale -- with price tags ranging from C$150,000-C$700,000.
In 2013, fun. won Song of the Year ("We Are Young) and Best New Artist at the 55th Grammys Awards. Toronto rapper Drake won his first, for Rap Album of the Year for "Take Care." "Mumford & Sons" won Album of the Year ("Babel"), and Gotye won Record of the Year for "Somebody That I Used to Know" (featuring Kimbra).
In 2019, Drake surprised many of his fans by showing up to collect his Grammy Award for best rap song — but he had a few choice words for organizers of the glitzy event. The Toronto born hitmaker held his golden trophy in one hand while he acknowledged his turbulent relationship with the Grammys. As he accepted his Grammy, Drake said working in the music industry was like "playing in an opinion-based sport, not a factual based sport." Women and rap triumphed at the Grammys as female acts took home top prizes including album of the year and best new artist, and Childish Gambino made history when his hit "This Is America" became the first rap-based track to win record and song of the year. Kacey Musgraves was one of the big winners - her album "Golden Hour" was named Album of the Year and Country Album of the Year, and she also won the Grammys for Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance. British singer Dua Lipa won best new artist.
In 2019, Canadian-American violinist Lili Haydn picked up her first Grammy as part of the quartet Opium Moon. She shared the best new age album win for the group's self-titled 2018 album. Violinist James Ehnes picked up two Grammy Awards for his contributions to "Kernis." The Brandon, Man.-raised musician was part of the classical violin concerto album, which won best contemporary classical composition. The honour is shared with composer Aaron Jay Kernis. Canadian R&B singer Daniel Caesar won his first Grammy Award. The Toronto-raised musician split the honour with American performer H.E.R. for their song "Best Part."
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The Canadian Press
