July 29 ~ Today in Music History

today

 

• 1856 ~ Robert Schumann passed away.  Schumann was a German composer and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career as a virtuoso pianist.
More information about Schumann

• 1887 ~ Sigmund Romberg, Hungarian-born American operetta composer, founding member of ASCAP. He was famous for his operettas “Desert Song”, “Maytime” and “Student Prince”

• 1916 ~ Charlie Christian, American guitarist and blues singer

• 1917 ~ Homer (Henry D. Haynes), Comedy singer, duo: Homer and Jethro

• 1925 ~ Mikis Theodorakis, Composer

• 1930 ~ Paul Taylor, Dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Company, New York City Ballet, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Emmy Award-winning choreographer, Kennedy Center Honors in 1992 “…for enhancing the lives of people around the world and enriching the culture of our nation.”

• 1933 ~ Randy Sparks, Folk singer, songwriter with the New Christy Minstrels

• 1935 ~ Peter Schreier, German tenor

• 1946 ~ Neal Doughty, Keyboards with REO Speedwagon

• 1953 ~ Geddy Lee, Bass, singer with Rush

• 1965 ~ The Queen of England attended the premiere of the motion picture, Help!, starring The Beatles. The command performance was held at the London Pavilion. The film later earned first prize at the Rio De Janeiro Film Festival in Brazil.  The Beatles later said the film was shot in a “haze of marijuana”. According to Starr’s interviews in The Beatles Anthology, during the Austrian Alps film shooting, he and McCartney ran off over the hill from the “curling” scene set to smoke a joint.

• 1966 ~ Martina McBride, Country singer

• 1970 ~ Sir John Barbirolli died. He was the British conductor of the Halle Orchestra, and was a famous interpreter of English music, Mahler and Italian opera.

• 1973 ~ Wanya Morris, Rock Singer

• 1974 ~ Singer “Mama” Cass Elliot, American folk-pop singer died.

June 8 ~ Today in Music History

today

 

• 1612 ~ Hans Leo Hassler, Composer, died at the age of 49

• 1722 ~ Jakob Friedrich Kleinknecht, Composer

• 1740 ~ Gabriele Mario Piozzi, Composer

• 1742 ~ Omobono Stradivari, Italian viol maker, son of Antonio, died at the age of 62

• 1753 ~ Nicolas-Marie Dalayrac, Composer

• 1783 ~ Joseph Lincke, Composer

• 1796 ~ Felice de Giardini, Composer, died at the age of 80

• 1805 ~ Luigi Ricci, Composer

• 1810 ~ Robert Schumann, German composer best known for his song cycles and piano music.
Read quotes by and about Schumann
More information about Schumann

• 1812 ~ Spyridon Xyndas, Composer

• 1814 ~ Friedrich Heinrich Himmel, Composer, died at the age of 48

• 1834 ~ George Garrett, Composer

• 1837 ~ Jan Kleczynski, Composer

• 1856 ~ Natalia Janotha, Composer

• 1858 ~ Antonio Nicolau, Spanish Composer and conductor

• 1876 ~ George Sand (Armandine-Aurore-Lucile Dupin), French author and romantic companion of the composer of Chopin, died at the age of 71

• 1881 ~ Prospero Bisquertt, Composer

• 1884 ~ Henry Clay Work, Composer, died at the age of 51

• 1888 ~ Poul Julius Ouscher Schierbeck, Composer

• 1906 ~ Christian Frederik Emil Horneman, Composer, died at the age of 65

• 1908 ~ Johan Lindegren, Composer, died at the age of 66

• 1913 ~ Janos Jagamas, Composer

• 1919 ~ Jacob Fabricius, Composer, died at the age of 78

• 1923 ~ Karel Goeyvaerts, Flemish Composer of Summer Games

• 1926 ~ Anatol Vieru, Composer

• 1927 ~ Paul Whiteman and his orchestra recorded When Day is Done on Victor Records.

• 1928 ~ Jiri Dvoracek, Composer

• 1930 ~ Yannis Ioannidis, Composer

• 1932 ~ Hans Gunter Helms, Composer

• 1936 ~ James Darren (Ercolani), Singer

• 1940 ~ Frederick Shepherd Converse, American Composer, died at the age of 69

• 1940 ~ Sherman Garnes, Rock vocalist with Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers

• 1940 ~ Nancy Sinatra, Singer

• 1942 ~ Chuck Negron, Singer with Three Dog Night

• 1942 ~ Bing Crosby recorded Silent Night

• 1944 ~ “Boz” (William) Scaggs, American rhythm-and-blues singer and songwriter

• 1946 ~ “Lute Song” closed at Plymouth Theater NYC after 142 performances

• 1947 ~ Mick Box, Musician, guitar, songwriter with Uriah Heep

• 1947 ~ Joan La Barbara, Composer

• 1948 ~ Franz Carl Bornschein, Composer, died at the age of 69

• 1949 ~ Emanuel Ax, Polish-born American pianist. He won the Artur Rubinstein Competition in 1974

• 1950 ~ Alex Van Halen, Drummer with Van Halen, brother of Eddie and Michael

• 1963 ~ Kino Haitsma, pianist/arranger

• 1967 ~ Elliot Griffis, Composer, died at the age of 74

• 1968 ~ Gary Puckett & Union Gap released Lady Will Power

• 1968 ~ Rolling Stones released Jumpin’ Jack Flash

• 1969 ~ Brian Jones left The Rolling Stones

• 1969 ~ Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor replaced Brian Jones

• 1972 ~ Jimmy Rushing, American blues singer, died at the age of 68

• 1973 ~ Eino Mauno Aleksanteri Linnala, Composer, died at the age of 76

• 1979 ~ Louis Salvador Palange, Composer, died at the age of 61

• 1981 ~ Fifteenth Music City News Country Awards went to the Mandrell Sisters

• 1984 ~ Gordon Jacob, Composer, died at the age of 88

• 1990 ~ The post office issued another in its series of Stamps for the Performing Arts, this one honoring Cole Porter

• 1992 ~ Twentysixth Music City News Country Awards went to Alan Jackson and Garth Brooks

• 1995 ~ Sheikh Iman, singer, died at the age of 76

• 1995 ~ “Buttons on Broadway” opened at Ambassador Theater NYC for 40 performances

March 22 ~ Today in Music History

today

. 1687 ~ Jean-Baptiste Lully, French composer, died.  He was an Italian-born French composer, instrumentalist, and dancer who spent most of his life working in the court of Louis XIV of France. He is considered the chief master of the French baroque style.

. 1840 ~ Clara Wieck wrote a letter dated today to Robert Schumann.  Part of it said: “When I heard Liszt for the first time…I was overwhelmed and sobbed aloud, it so shook me.”

. 1842 ~ Carl August Nicolas Rosa, German violinist and composer. In 1873 he founded the Carl Rosa Opera Company.

. 1865 ~ Theophile Ysaye, Belgian composer and pianist

. 1868 ~ Hamish Maccunn, Scottish Romantic composer, conductor and teacher

. 1911 ~ Herman Jadlowker became the first opera singer to perform two major roles in the same day at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City.

. 1920 ~ Fanny Waterman, DBE is a piano teacher, and the founder, Chairman and Artistic Director of the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition. She is also president of the Harrogate International Music Festival.

. 1925 ~ The first Japanese radio station, Tokyo Shibaura, began broadcasting.

. 1930 ~ Stephen Sondheim, American composer and lyricist of musicals
More information about Sondheim

. 1936 ~ Glen Campbell, Singer and studio guitarist

. 1937 ~ Johnny Ferguson, Singer

. 1943 ~ Keith Relf, Recording artist of The Yardbirds

. 1943 ~ George Benson, American jazz and pop guitarist and singer

. 1944 ~ Jeremy Clyde, Singer with Chad & Jeremy

. 1947 ~ Harry Vanda, Guitarist with The Easybeats

. 1948 ~ Andrew Lloyd Webber, British composer
More information about Lloyd Webber

. 1948 ~ Randy Hobbs, Bass with The McCoys

. 1948 ~ The Voice of Firestone was the first commercial radio program to be carried simultaneously on both AM and FM radio stations.

. 1956 ~ Sammy Davis, Jr. starred in the play, Mr. Wonderful, in New York City. The critics were unkind, saying that they didn’t care for the production. Audiences, however, gave it ‘thumbs up’ and the show went on to be one of Broadway’s more popular musicals — catapulting Davis into the limelight. His father had already launched him into the vaudeville spotlight when Sammy was just three years old. By the time he was Mr. Wonderful, Sammy Davis, Jr. had played vaudeville and the nightclub circuit singing and dancing his way to the top over a twenty-eight-year period. He entertained us for sixty-two years! 1956 ~ Perry Como became the first major TV variety-show host to book a rock and roll act on his program. The ‘Incomparable Mr. C.’ booked Carl Perkins for the show and Perkins sang Blue Suede Shoes. 1962 ~ The play, I Can Get It For You Wholesale, opened on Broadway. It featured a 19-year-old named Barbra Streisand. She stopped the show at the famed Shubert Theatre in New York City. Streisand starred as Miss Marmelstein. Audiences kept coming back for more of Barbra for 300 performances.

. 1980 ~ The first CD (compact disc) was put on sale by RCA.  The first major artist to have his entire catalogue converted to CD was David Bowie, whose 15 studio albums were made available by RCA Records in February 1985, along with four greatest hits albums.

. 1980 ~ Pink Floyd started a 4-week run in the #1 slot on the pop charts with their smash, Another Brick in the Wall. When the boys popped open their gold record and threw it on the stereo, they heard Flowers on the Wall by the Statler Brothers.

. 2015 ~ Norman O. Scribner, founder and artistic director of the Choral Arts Society of Washington, one of the region’s preeminent symphonic choirs, died