Merry Christmas Eve, dear friend. I hope you have a very Merry Christmas as well as a very memorable one as well. Without further ado, let's find out what happened on This Day In The History Of Music. Enjoy the read. 1.) On this day in 1815, Karol Kurpiński's melodramatic opera "The Reward, or the Revival of the Polish Kingdom" premieres at the Warsaw Opera. 2.) On this day in 1818, the Christmas carol "Silent Night" was composed by Franz Xaver Gruber and was first sung at St Nicholas Parish Church in Oberndorf, Austria. 3.) On this day in 1853, William Henry Fry's "Santa Claus: Christmas Symphony" premiere performance by conductor Louis Antoine Jullien's orchestra at Metropolitan Hall, NYC. 4.) On this day in 1920, Enrico Caruso gave his last public performance with the Metropolitan Opera in NYC. Born into poverty in Naples, Enrico Caruso was the eighteenth child born in his family and the first to survive into adulthood. He went on to become the most famous Italian tenor of his generation and one of the first singers to achieve international fame through the new technology of recording sound. Caruso made his opera debut in Naples in 1894 before moving to Milan and performing all over Europe. His fame grew further in 1902 after performing in Giacomo Puccini's "La Bohèmee" in Monte Carlo and debuting at London's Covent Garden alongside Nellie Melba in Giuseppe Verdi's "Rigoletto". Caruso debuted at New York's Metropolitan Opera in 1903 and went on to open each season in New York for the next 17 years. However, it was his more than 200 recordings that have made his voice immortal and known worldwide. His recording of Canio's aria from the opera "Pagliacci" was the first million-seller, and the commercial success of his recordings helped establish the future of the industry. 5.) On this day in 1965, The Beatles had the No.1 album in the US for the third Christmas in a row. Rubber Soul was at the top of the LP chart, following Beatles For Sale in 1964 and With The Beatles in 1963. The Fab Four would repeat this feat in 1968 with The Beatles (The White Album ) and again in 1969 with Abbey Road. 6.) On this day in 1970, Walt Disney releases animated musical "The Aristocats," featuring the voices of Phil Harris, Eva Gabor, Hermione Baddeley, Sterling Holloway, and Scatman Crothers. 7.) On this day in 1976, The Eagles' sixth album, Hotel California, spent the first of eight non-consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard chart. The band's first LP with Joe Walsh and last with bassist Randy Meisner, which has now sold over 34 million copies worldwide. Some of the album was recorded at Criteria Studios, Miami. While the band was recording, Black Sabbath were recording Technical Ecstasy in an adjacent studio, and The Eagles were forced to stop recording on numerous occasions because Black Sabbath were too loud and the sound was coming through the wall. (Side Note: On This Day makes no mention of this event in music's history.) 8.) On this day in 1977, The Bee Gees started a three-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'How Deep Is Your Love', the group's 4th US No.1. It stayed in the top 10 for 17 weeks, giving it the longest chart run in history, a No.3 in the UK. (Side Note: On This Day makes no mention of this event in music's history) 9.) On this day in 1988, American glam metal band Poison started a three-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn.' Bret Michaels from the band said the inspiration for the song came from a night when he was in a laundromat in Dallas waiting for his clothes to dry, and called his girlfriend on a pay phone. Michaels said he heard a male voice in the background and was devastated; he said he went into the laundromat and wrote 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn' as a result. (Side Note: On This Day makes no mention of this event in music's history) 10.) On this day in 1988, Nirvana started recording their first album, 'Bleach,' using a $600 loan from an old school friend. The album's working title was Too Many Humans. It was renamed Bleach after Cobain found an AIDS prevention poster while Nirvana was driving through San Francisco. The poster advised heroin addicts to bleach their needles before use. 11.) On this day in 1994, Pearl Jam went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Vitalogy'. Their third studio album was first released on vinyl record, followed by a release in other formats two weeks later. 12.) On this day in 2021, LadBaby made chart history when his song 'Sausage Rolls for Everyone', a sausage roll-themed parody of Ed Sheeran and Elton John's No.1 single 'Merry Christmas' and also featuring Sheeran and John, debuted at No.1 on the UK Singles Chart. It gave the Nottingham-born YouTuber and musician his fourth consecutive Christmas No.1 single. LadBaby became only the second act in history, after The Beatles, to secure four Christmas No.1 singles, but was the very first to achieve four consecutive Christmas chart-toppers, surpassing the records of both The Beatles and The Spice Girls. Born On This Day In The Music World: 1.) Born on this day in 1625, Johann Rudolph Ahle, German organist, composer, and music theorist, born in Mühlhausen, Electorate of Saxony, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1673) 2.) Born on this day in 1719, Johann Christoph Altnikol, German organist, bass singer, composer, and J.S. Bach's son-in-law and copyist, born in Berna bei Seidenberg, Oberlausitz (now Sulików, Poland) (d. 1759) 3.) Born on this day in 1893, Harry Warren [Salvatore Guaragna], American composer and lyricist ("Lullaby of Broadway", "You'll Never Know", "Chattanooga Choo Choo"), born in New York City (d. 1981) 4.) Born on this day in 1918, Dave Bartholomew, American R&B, rock, and jazz musician, composer, producer, and songwriter ("I Hear You Knocking"; "Ain't That A Shame"; "Walkin' To New Orleans"), born in Edgard, Louisiana (d. 2019) 5.) Born on this day in 1924, American pop and R&B singer Lee Dorsey, who had the 1966 US & UK No.8 single 'Working In The Coalmine'. Dorsey developed emphysema and died on December 1, 1986, in New Orleans, at the age of 61. 6.) Born on this day in 1940, Janet Carroll [Thiese], American stage and screen character actress (Risky Business; Murphy Brown), and jazz singer, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2012) 7.) Born on this day in 1944, English bass guitarist Tab Martin. He was a member of the Tornados (their 1962 instrumental ‘Telstar’ was the first British rock song to be a No.1 single in the United States), The Peddlers, and also founded the Joe Meek instrumental band the Saints. Martin was known for his technique of playing his bass in an upright fashion. 8.) Born on this day in 1945, Lemmy, English musician, singer, and songwriter who founded and fronted the rock band Motorhead. Lemmy played in several rock groups in the 1960s, including the Rockin' Vickers and worked as a roadie for Jimi Hendrix and the Nice, before joining the space rock band Hawkwind in 1971, singing lead on their hit 'Silver Machine'. He died on 28 December 2015 following a short battle with an extremely aggressive cancer. 9.) Born on this day in 1963, American musician Mary Ramsey. She is a member of folk rock duo John & Mary and lead singer and violist for the American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs. Ramsey has also worked with other well-known artists such as Jackson Browne, Goo Goo Dolls, Billy Bragg, Warren Zevon, Alex Chilton, and Ani DiFranco. 10.) Born on this day in 1971, American pop singer, songwriter, and actor Ricky Martin. He began appearing in television commercials at age nine and began his musical career at twelve, as a member of the Puerto Rican boy band Menudo. As a solo artist, he scored the 1999 US & UK No.1 single 'Livin' La Vida Loca' which topped the charts in more than 20 countries. Martin is one of the best-selling Latin music artists of all time, having sold over 70 million records worldwide. He has scored 11 Billboard Hot Latin Songs No.1 songs and won two Grammy Awards. 11.) Born on this day in 1981, Dima Bilan, Russian singer-songwriter ("Believe"; "Never Let You Go"), born in Ust-Dzheguta, Russia. 12.) Born on this day in 1991, Louis Tomlinson from English-Irish pop boy band One Direction, who formed after finishing third in the seventh series of The X Factor in 2010. Scored the 2011 UK No.1 single 'What Makes You Beautiful' and the 2013 No.1 'One Way or Another (Teenage Kicks)'. Have a wonderful Christmas Eve, and a very happy and Merry Christmas. Take care, and GOD bless.
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