Today in Music History for Sept. 27:
In 1920, Canadian impresario Louis-Honore Bourdon presented Enrico Caruso at the Mount Royal Arena in Montreal. It was reported that Bourdon had likely broken the world record at that time for tickets sold for a single concert, taking in more than $28,000. But Bourdon had to pay Caruso more than $20,000 of that.
In 1942, Glenn Miller and his Orchestra performed together for the last time, at the Central Theater in Passaic, N.J., prior to Miller's entry into the Army. In December, 1944, Miller took off in a small plane for France to prepare for the Army-Air Force Band's arrival in that country. The plane disappeared over the English Channel and no trace of it was ever found.
In 1943, Canadian rock singer and guitarist Randy Bachman was born in Winnipeg. He was a founder, with Chad Allan, of "The Guess Who," which was Canada's number-one rock band of the early '70s. But Bachman had departed the band by 1970, just after the release of the album "American Woman." He had recently converted to the Mormon faith, and it was reported he found "The Guess Who's" lifestyle offensive. Bachman made a solo album, then joined with Allan and younger brother Robbie Bachman in a group called "Brave Belt." After two unsuccessful albums, Allan left and Bachman reorganized the band as "Bachman-Turner Overdrive." "BTO's" hard rock sounds proved extremely popular, and the band had sold more than seven million records by 1977. Their hit singles included "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet," which topped the Billboard chart in 1974. Randy Bachman left "BTO" in 1978, and the group disbanded the following year. Bachman reunited with his "Guess Who" mates for a tour in the early '80s and again to perform four songs during the closing ceremonies of the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg. The success of that appearance prompted hugely-successful tours of Canada and the U.S. Bachman and Cummings toured Canada as "Bachman Cummings" in 2006 and 2009.
In 1964, "The Beach Boys" made their first appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show."
In 1972, British rocker Rory Storm and his mother committed suicide by taking overdoses of sleeping pills. Storme and his "Hurricanes" were the biggest group on the Liverpool scene before the success of "The Beatles." Ringo Starr was "The Hurricanes'" drummer. Storme was never able to transfer his British success to North America.
In 1979, Jimmy McCulloch, guitarist with Paul McCartney's group, "Wings," died of drug-related heart failure in London. He was 26. McCulloch joined "Wings" in 1974, and had previously played with Thunderclap Newman and "Stone the Crows."
In 1980, rockabilly band "The Stray Cats" were signed to Arista Records in Britain.
In 1983, country singers Shelly West and Allen Frizzell filed for divorce.
In 1986, Cliff Burton, bass guitarist with the heavy metal group "Metallica," died when the band's tour bus skidded off an icy road in Sweden. He was 24. (Burton was replaced by Jason Newsted.)
In 1986, "The Beatles" song "Twist and Shout" re-entered the pop charts after it was featured in the movies "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "Back to School." It eventually rose to No. 23.
In 1987, "Dolly," a variety series starring Dolly Parton, began its short-lived run on ABC. Despite much tinkering, the show was soon canned.
In 1989, Elton John apologized to 35,000 people at a concert in Toronto's SkyDome (now Rogers Centre) for the poor sound quality in the new $500 million stadium. He told the audience: "I hate to see people spend money in a place like this." John also promised to cut ticket prices in half for his next Toronto appearance.
In 1992, tenor Luciano Pavarotti performed in Modena, Italy, a concert for which the BBC paid big money to broadcast. The BBC later demanded some of that money back after it was discovered that Pavarotti had lip-synched for the entire two-hour event. Confronted with the deception, Pavarotti claimed he didn't have time to rehearse.
In 1993, Canadian jazz saxophonist Fraser MacPherson died in Vancouver of cancer at age 65. He gained international attention for his LP "Fraser -- Live at the Planetarium," recorded with his trio in Vancouver in 1975. It was re-released in the U.S. four years later by the Concord label, for whom MacPherson recorded several other albums.
In 1995, Time Warner announced it was getting out of the gangsta rap business by selling its 50 per cent stake in Interscope Records, the leading label for the hardcore music. Time Warner had been attacked for its interest in Interscope, with critics decrying gangsta rap's lyrics glorifying sex, guns and getting high.
In 2003, entertainer Donald O鈥機onnor, who combined comedy and acrobatics in the show-stopping "Make 鈥橢m Laugh" number in the classic movie "Singin鈥� in the Rain," died at age 78.
In 2010, Ed Wiley Jr., a jazz and blues saxophonist who recorded the 1950 hit "Cry, Cry Baby" and was considered an early influence in rock 'n' roll, died in a Raleigh, N.C. hospital at age 80. He was leaving a church in Garner the previous day when he fell and struck his head.
In 2011, Grammy- and Oscar-winning singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in front of the Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood.
In 2011, the involuntary manslaughter trial of Conrad Murray, the doctor charged in Michael Jackson's 2009 death, began in Los Angeles. The physician was accused of killing the pop superstar with an overdose of the powerful anesthetic propofol. (Murray was found guilty and sentenced to four years in prison.)
In 2011, Johnny Wright, a country music pioneer who had hits as a singer in the duo "Johnnie and Jack" and as a solo artist and guided the career of his wife, Kitty Wells, died at age 97.
In 2011, "INXS" announced that Irish singer-songwriter Ciaran Gribbin was the band's new lead singer, replacing Canadian JD Fortune.
In 2011, at the We Day youth empowerment event in Toronto, Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado said she would donate to the charity the $1 million she was paid to perform in Italy for members of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's family in 2007.
In 2012, Motown record producer and songwriter Frank Wilson died of lung infection complications. He was 71. Wilson, who later became a minister, wrote or co-wrote the hits "Love Child" for Diana Ross and The Supremes, "Chained" for Marvin Gaye and "All I Need" for "The Temptations." He also helped write "You've Made Me So Very Happy," a 1967 top-40 single for Motown's Brenda Holloway that soon became an even bigger hit for "Blood, Sweat and Tears."
In 2021, R. Kelly was convicted in a sex trafficking trial. His accusers testified how he subjected them to perverse and sadistic whims when they were underage girls. A New York City jury of seven men and five women found Kelly guilty on a racketeering charge. Kelly was also convicted of criminal counts accusing him of violating the Mann Act -- making it illegal to take anyone across state lines "for any immoral purpose.''
In 2021, Cadence Weapon won the 2021 Polaris Music Prize for his album "Parallel World.'' The Edmonton-raised rapper's project -- which fuses hip-hop, electronic and grime music -- was selected by an 11-member grand jury as the best Canadian album of the year, based on its artistic merit.
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The Canadian Press
