Today in Music History for April 16:
In 1924, pianist, composer and orchestra leader Henry Mancini was born in Cleveland. After six years as a pianist-arranger with ``The Glenn Miller-Tex Beneke Orchestra,'' Mancini joined the Universal International Studios music department in 1952. Following work on more than 100 films, he left in 1958 for an illustrious career as an independent composer and arranger. Mancini's classics included ``Moon River,'' ``Days of Wine and Roses'' and the themes from the ``Peter Gunn'' TV show and ``The Pink Panther'' movies. His 90-plus albums included 1969's million-selling ``Love Theme From Romeo and Juliet,'' on which he played piano. Mancini died of cancer on June 14, 1994.
In 1929, '50s pop and R&B singer Roy Hamilton was born in Cleveland. Audiences regularly stormed the stage when he performed hits such as ``You'll Never Walk Alone'' and ``Unchained Melody,'' which was the top R&B song of 1955. Hamilton died of a heart attack on July 20, 1969.
In 1939, Dusty Springfield, Britain's leading female vocalist of the mid-'60s, was born Mary Isobel Catherine O'Brien in London. She took her stage name from a folk group called ``The Springfields,'' which she formed with her brother Tom. After the group broke up in 1963, Dusty's solo career included such hits as ``I Only Want to Be With You'' and ``You Don't Have to Say You Love Me.'' In 1988, Springfield combined with the ``Pet Shop Boys'' on the top-10 hit, ``What Have I Done To Deserve This?'' She died of breast cancer at her home in England on March 2, 1999 and was named to the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame that same year.
In 1962, Bob Dylan debuted his song ``Blowin' in the Wind'' at Gerde's Folk City in New York.
In 1964, ``The Rolling Stones'' self-titled debut album was released in Britain. It sold more than 200,000 copies and topped the British chart for 12 weeks. (A slightly different version debuted in the U.S. a month-and-a-half later).
In 1965, ``The Hollies'' began their first U.S. tour in New York. It wasn't until the following year that the group cracked the U.S. top-10 with ``Bus Stop.''
In 1972, the orchestral rock ensemble known as ``Electric Light Orchestra'' played its first live show at the Reading Festival in England. Their 1971 debut album featured guest soloists from the London Symphony Orchestra.
In 1973, Paul McCartney starred in his first TV special, titled after his given name, ``James Paul McCartney.''
In 1980, film composer and conductor Morris Stoloff died at the age of 81. He was musical director of Columbia Pictures for more than two decades, beginning in 1936. Stoloff won three Academy Awards, and his 1956 recording of ``Moonglow'' and ``Theme From Picnic'' topped the Billboard chart for three weeks.
In 1987, twist king Chubby Checker, jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and conductor Leopold Stokowski were among the first 10 inductees of the Philadelphia Music Foundation Hall of Fame. Also honoured for making their mark on music in Philadelphia were singers Bessie Smith, Pearl Bailey, Mario Lanza and Bobby Rydell, jazz saxophonist John Coltrane and rock 'n' roll pioneer Bill Haley.
In 1990, more than 72,000 fans gathered at London's Wembley Stadium for a concert honouring recently-freed African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela. The crowd heard from Mandela as well as such performers as Bonnie Raitt, Neil Young and Tracy Chapman. George Duke and Canadian producer Daniel Lanois conducted two superbands.
In 1992, crooner Andy Russell died in Phoenix of complications from a stroke. He was 72. His hits in the 1940s included ``Besame Mucho,'' ``Laughing on the Outside'' and the ``Anniversary Song.''
In 1997, country singer Janis Gill of ``Sweethearts of the Rodeo'' filed for divorce from country singer Vince Gill, after 17 years of marriage.
In 1998, during her first live performance in 15 years, Joni Mitchell and Icelandic singer Bjork sang Cole Porter's ``What is This Thing Called Love?'' It was part of former Eagle Don Henley's annual Walden Woods benefit in Los Angeles. Ten major contemporary female artists -- including Paula Cole, Sheryl Crow and Gwen Stefani -- performed jazz and pop standards.
In 1999, Skip Spence, a founding member of ``Jefferson Airplane,'' died of cancer in San Francisco. He was 52. Spence had long battled alcoholism, schizophrenia and periods of homelessness. The Windsor, Ont.-native was a key part of the San Francisco music scene in the '60s, starting out as a drummer with the ``Airplane.'' He left in 1966 to found the group ``Moby Grape'' and return to his original instrument, the guitar.
In 2007, country singer Carrie Underwood's hit ``Before He Cheats'' won Video of the Year, Female Video and Best Video Director at the fan-voted CMT Music Awards.
In 1999, Bad Boy Entertainment impresario Sean ``Puffy'' Combs and two others were alleged to have beaten another rap executive in a dispute over a music video. Combs pleaded guilty to harassment and was ordered to attend an anger-management class.
In 2010, Devon Clifford, drummer for the Canadian dance-rockers ``You Say Party! We Say Die!'' collapsed on stage during a show in Vancouver. He was rushed to hospital but died on April 18 from complications from a massive brain hemorrhage. (In June, the band announced that they would continue on as ``You Say Party'')
In 2010, in his first performance since colon cancer surgery on March 2, Placido Domingo portrayed Verdi's hero ``Simon Boccanegra,'' at Milan's famed La Scala opera house.
In 2010, newly reunited ``Soundgarden'' played its first show since 1997, at the Showbox at the Market in its hometown of Seattle. They played under the anagram ``Nude Dragons'' and fans were treated to an 18-song set.
In 2010, country music star Alan Jackson received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 2013, Rita MacNeil, a singer-songwriter from Big Pond, N.S., whose powerful voice explored genres from country, to folk, to gospel, died following complications from surgery. She was 68. She recorded more than 24 albums during her career and won the first of three Junos in 1987 at the age of 42 as Most Promising Female Vocalist. MacNeil was named a Member of the Order of Canada and awarded the Order of Nova Scotia.
In 2013, Canadian-born gospel singer George Beverly Shea, the booming baritone who sang to millions of Christians at evangelist Billy Graham's crusades during a decades-long career, died at the age of 104. He won a Grammy for Best Gospel Recording in 1965 for his album ``Southland Favorites,'' and received one in 2011 for lifetime achievement.
In 2014, Australian rockers AC/DC announced that rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young, 61, was taking a break because of ill health. Young co-founded the iconic rock band in 1973. (In September, the band said he would not be returning and his family later revealed that he was battling dementia. His nephew Stevie Young joined the band as his replacement. Young died on Nov. 18, 2017.)
In 2018, Cardi B's ``Invasion of Privacy'' debuted atop the Billboard 200 album chart. She also set a record for the largest on-demand audio streaming week ever for an album by a woman, with 202.6 million streams, beating previous record-holder, Beyonce's ``Lemonade,'' which streamed 115.2 million times in its first week in 2016.
In 2018, revered rapper Kendrick Lamar won the Pulitzer Prize for music, the first non-classical or jazz work to win the prestigious prize, for his raw and powerful Grammy-winning album ``DAMN.''
In 2023, after 35 years, "The Phantom of the Opera'' ended its Broadway run. Original star Sarah Brightman took to the stage alongside the current cast and crew members for a reprise of "The Music of the Night".
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The Canadian Press