Today in Music History for Feb. 28:
In 1929, Montreal-born Wilfrid Pelletier became a regular conductor at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, a position he held until 1950.
In 1942, Brian Jones, guitarist with "The Rolling Stones," was born in Cheltenham, England. Jones began playing with Alexis Korner's "Blues Incorporated" in the early 1960s, and it was then that he met Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. The three began to play on their own and by 1962, were calling themselves "The Rolling Stones," after a Muddy Waters song. With the addition of bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts in 1963, "The Rolling Stones" were complete. By their third single, "It's All Over Now," the band was a sensation in Britain. In late 1964, they had their first top-10 hit in North America, "Time is on My Side." During the British invasion of 1964, they were promoted as rock 'n' roll's bad boys, an image that remained with them for decades. By the late '60s, they were billing themselves as the "World's Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band." In June 1969, Brian Jones announced he was leaving the group because of musical differences. He said he was going to form his own band, but less than a month later, was found dead in the swimming pool at his home. The coroner's verdict -- death by misadventure.
In 1961, Quebec pop singer Rene Simard was born in Chicoutimi. He had his first hits when he was only 10 years old -- "Ava Maria" and "L'Oiseau." As one critic noted, Simard's boy soprano appealed equally to young girls who wanted to marry him and older women who wanted to mother him. In 1975, Simard began to try to capture an English-speaking audience as well, appearing on major TV shows in the U.S. with stars such as Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Andy Williams. Simard was host of his own show on the CBC English TV network from 1977 to '79. Among his major hits of the decade was "Bienvenue a Montreal (Welcome to Montreal)," the theme song of the 1976 Montreal Olympics.
In 1966, the Cavern Club, the Liverpool nightspot where "The Beatles" began their climb to fame, was closed because of mounting debts. The stage upon which the "Fab Four" performed more than 300 times, beginning in 1961, was cut into small sections and sold as souvenirs.
In 1968, Frankie Lymon, who fronted the 1950s group "The Teenagers," died of a heroin overdose in New York City. Their big hit was "Why Do Fools Fall In Love."
In 1974, pop singer Bobby Bloom shot himself through the head with a derringer in his motel room in Hollywood, Calif. His biggest hit was "Montego Bay."
In 1984, singer Michael Jackson won a record eight Grammy Awards on the strength of his album "Thriller." Jackson's Pepsi commercial -- the one in which he was injured when his hair caught fire -- premiered that day on MTV. Jackson lost to Sting of "The Police" in the Song of the Year category, when "Every Breath You Take" won the award.
In 1984, Joseph Canzano, lead singer of the 1960s pop group "The Duprees," died at age 40. He was billed as "Joey Vann with the Duprees."
In 1985, David Byron, lead singer of the British hard rock band "Uriah Heep," died at age 38.
In 1986, the British pop duo "Wham!" announced they were breaking up. George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley said they were going their separate ways after selling more than 30 million copies of such hits as "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go," "Careless Whisper" and "Edge of Heaven." Michael said he would continue writing songs and singing while Ridgeley said he wanted an acting career.
In 1986, Yoko Ono's disastrous "Starpeace" tour opened in Brussels. Only 300 of the 1,200 opening-night seats were filled.
In 1987, Hank Snow, Wilf Carter and Tommy Hunter were among the first seven people inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Edmonton.
In 1989, Sebastian Bach, the Toronto-born lead singer of the heavy metal band "Skid Row," spent the night in jail in Hampton, Va., for using abusive and violent language on stage.
In 1990, Paul McCartney returned to Japan for the first time since he was expelled for marijuana possession 10 years earlier.
In 1994, Canadian singer Celine Dion made her New York debut at Town Hall. Reviews were mixed.
In 1996, Canadian singer Alanis Morissette won four major Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Rock Album of the Year for "Jagged Little Pill." She also picked up trophies for Best Rock Song and Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, both for her single "You Oughta Know." Canadians picked up a total of 11 Grammys, including two by Joni Mitchell for her album "Turbulent Indigo."
In 2000, "The Pretenders" played a concert in their hometown of Akron, Ohio, for the first time.
In 2005, opening arguments began in Michael Jackson's child molestation trial. He was later acquitted.
In 2008, singer-keyboardist Mike Smith of "The Dave Clark Five" died of pneumonia in London, less than two weeks before the band was to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was 64.
In 2010, Tom "T-Bone" Wolk, the mainstay bassist of "Hall & Oates" for nearly 30 years, died of an apparent heart attack. He was 58. He joined "Hall & Oates" in 1981. He was also a member of the "Saturday Night Live" house band from 1986-92 and performed with numerous other musicians, including Carly Simon, Billy Joel and Avril Lavigne.
In 2012, Muslim-majority Malaysia banned a planned concert by Erykah Badu after a photograph appeared showing the Grammy-winning R&B singer with the Arabic word for Allah written on her body.
In 2012, Irish alt-rock quartet "The Cranberries" released "Roses," the band's first studio album in more than 10 years.
In 2016, British singer Sam Smith's "Writing's on the Wall," from the James Bond film "Sceptre," won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Director Asif Kapadia's "Amy," an intimate look at the life of late singer Amy Winehouse, won Best Feature Documentary.
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The Canadian Press
