Good Wednesday morning, welcome to This Day In The History Of Music. Enjoy the read. 1). On this day in 1842, Nabucco (Italian pronunciation: [naˈbukko]; short for Nabucodonosor [naˌbukoˈdɔːnozor]~[naˌbukodonoˈzɔr], English Nebuchadnezzar) is an Italian-language opera in four acts composed in 1841 by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Temistocle Solera, but it did not appear until March 9th, 1842. 2). On this day in 1868, Hamlet is a grand opera in five acts of 1868 by the French composer Ambroise Thomas, with a libretto by Michel Carré and Jules Barbier based on a French adaptation by Alexandre Dumas, père, and Paul Meurice of William Shakespeare's play Hamlet. 3). On this day in1959, "Charlie Brown" is a popular Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller song that was a top-ten hit for The Coasters in the spring of 1959. It went to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, while "Venus" by Frankie Avalon was at No. 1. It was the first of three top-ten hits for the Coasters that year. It is best known for the phrase, "Why's everybody always pickin' on me". 4). On this day in 1961, The Supremes released two singles, "I Want A Guy" and "Never Again". The Supremes were an American female singing group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful American vocal group, with 12 number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. Most of these hits were written and produced by Motown's main songwriting and production team, Holland–Dozier–Holland. At their peak in the mid-1960s, the Supremes rivaled the Beatles in worldwide popularity, and it is said that their breakthrough made it possible for future African American R&B and soul musicians to find mainstream success. Billboard ranked The Supremes as the 16th greatest Hot 100 artist of all time. 5). On this day in 1966, The Beach Boys started recording the Brian Wilson and Tony Asher penned song 'God Only Knows', which when released in May 1966 was the eighth track on the group's album Pet Sounds. It became a UK No.2 single in 1966 and the B-side of 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' when released in the US. 6). On this day in 1968, Bob Dylan started a ten-week run at No.1 on the UK chart with John Wesley Harding. The album marked Dylan's return to acoustic music after three albums of electric rock music and was exceptionally well received by critics, also reaching No.2 on the US charts. The commercial performance was considered remarkable, considering that Dylan had made Columbia Records release the album without much publicity. 7). On this day in 1971, Led Zeppelin appeared at Leeds University, Leeds, England, during their 'Back To The Clubs' tour. This was the first tour that saw Zeppelin performing 'Stairway To Heaven', 'Black Dog' and 'Going To California.' 8). On this day in 1975, Actor Telly Savalas was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with his version of the David Gates (from Bread) song 'If'. Savalas was currently high in the TV ratings playing the policeman Kojak. He also co-starred in the WWII movie "Kelly's Heros". 9). On this day in 1981, Former Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant played a secret gig at Keele University, England with his new band The Honey Drippers. 10). On this day in 1985, REO Speedwagon started a three-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Can't Fight This Feeling', which made No.16 in the UK. 11). On this day in 1987, U2 released their fifth studio album The Joshua Tree which features the singles 'Where The Streets Have No Name', and 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For'. The album became the fastest-selling in UK history and the first album to sell over a million CDs, spending a total of 201 weeks on the UK chart. It topped the charts in over 20 countries and became U2's first US No.1 album. 12). On this day in 1997, Notorious BIG was gunned down and killed as he left a party at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. Born Christopher Wallace the rapper was pronounced dead on arrival at Cedars Sinai Hospital. He was 24 years old. 13). On this day in 2005, 53-year-old Danny Joe Brown, the original lead singer of Molly Hatchet, died from renal failure due to complications from diabetes. Brown was the frontman for the band's self-titled album in 1978, which went Platinum. 14). On this day in 2007, Brad Delp lead singer of US rock band Boston committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning at his home in the New Hampshire town of Atkinson. He died from the smoke of two charcoal grills he’d lit inside his sealed master bathroom. He was found by police lying on a pillow on his bathroom floor with a note paper-clipped to his shirt which read: "Mr. Brad Delp. I am a lonely soul." Boston had the 1977 UK No.22 single 'More Than A Feeling' and the 1986 US No.1 single 'Amanda.' 15). On this day in 2020, American record producer Keith Olsen died at age 74. He worked with many artists including Rick Springfield, Fleetwood Mac, Ozzy Osbourne, the Grateful Dead, Whitesnake, Pat Benatar, Heart, Santana, Foreigner, Scorpions, Magnum, Journey, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Joe Walsh, and Eric Burdon & the Animals. 16). Born on this day in 1910, Samuel Osmond Barber II was an American composer, pianist, conductor, baritone, and music educator, and one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century. The music critic Donal Henahan stated, "Probably no other American composer has ever enjoyed such early, such persistent and such long-lasting acclaim. Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings is one of the most recognizable pieces of classical music in the world. It's become America's semi-official music for mourning, used at Franklin Delano Roosevelt's funeral and after JFK's assassination. But somewhere along the way, it went from an anthem of sadness to one of joy. It was also the movie soundtrack for Platoon, which is considered to be the best Vietnam War movie ever made. 17). Born on this day in 1930, Randolph Denard Ornette Coleman was an American jazz saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter, and composer known as a principal founder of the free jazz genre, a term derived from his 1960 album Free Jazz: Ornette Coleman won the Pulitzer Prize for music yesterday for his 2006 album, "Sound Grammar," the first jazz work to be bestowed with the honor. The alto saxophonist and visionary who led the free jazz movement in the 1950s and 1960s won the Pulitzer at age 77 for his first live recording in 20 years. 18). Born on this day in 1948, Chris Thompson, singer with Manfred Mann's Earth Band, had the 1976 US No.1 & UK No.6 single 'Blinded By The Light'. 19). Born on this day in 1980, American Rapper Chingy [Howard Bailey, Jr.] Chingy began writing lyrics when he was 9 and was recording raps at 10. He was originally known as H Thugz and was in the St. Louis group Without Warning on 49 Productions with M.G.D. & Mysphit. They recorded "What's Poppin Off" together, which became a local hit. H Thugz and Augustin also recorded a music video for the song. H Thugz later chose the alias Chingy, a slang term for money. 20). Born on this day in 1987, Shad Gregory Moss better known by his stage name Bow Wow (formerly Lil' Bow Wow), is an American rapper and actor. His career began upon being discovered by rapper Snoop Dogg in the late 1990s, eventually being brought to record producer Jermaine Dupri and signed to So So Def Recordings. As Lil' Bow Wow, he released his first album at age 13, Beware of Dog, in 2000, which was followed by Doggy Bag a year later. In 2003, Bow Wow released his third album Unleashed, which was the first album released after dropping the "Lil'" from his stage name, and the first not to be released by So So Def. His next album, Wanted (2005), spawned his two highest-charting singles, "Let Me Hold You" (featuring Omarion) and "Like You" (featuring Ciara). In September 2015, Bow Wow signed a management deal with Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Records. 21). Born on this day in 1993, Suga (Min Yoon-gi), South Korean singer, songwriter, with the boy band BTS. They became the first Korean act to top the US Billboard chart with their studio album Love Yourself: Tear (2018). BTS also became the fastest group since The Beatles to earn four US No.1 albums, doing so in less than two years. They became the first Asian act to chart a No.1 song in the US since Kyu Sakamoto with ‘Sukiyaki’ (1963). Have a great Wednesday, take care, and stay safe.
... View more