Today in Music History for July 18: In 1903, Canadian soprano Beatrice LaPalme made her Covent Garden debut. She was a last-minute substitute in the role of "Musetta" in a gala performance of "La Boheme" attended by King Edward VII.
Today in Music History for July 18:
In 1903, Canadian soprano Beatrice LaPalme made her Covent Garden debut. She was a last-minute substitute in the role of "Musetta" in a gala performance of "La Boheme" attended by King Edward VII. LaPalme was only the second Quebec singer -- after Emma Albani -- to perform in the world's great opera houses.
In 1941, Martha Reeves, of the Motown group "Martha and the Vandellas," was born in Detroit. The trio -- sort of a harder-sounding "Supremes" -- had a series of hit dance records in the 1960s, including "Heat Wave," "Quicksand" and "Dancing in the Streets," which hit No. 2 in 1964. "Dancing in the Streets" was revived in 1985 as a duet for Mick Jagger and David Bowie. By 1967, when they hit the charts with "Honey Chile" and "Jimmy Mack," the group was being billed as "Martha Reeves and the Vandellas." The trio broke up in 1973 and Martha Reeves went on to a solo career.
In 1953, 18-year-old Elvis Presley visited the Memphis Recording Service to record "My Happiness" as a gift for his mother. The so-called vanity disc, which cost Presley $3.98, was his first recording. It surfaced 37 years later in the RCA compilation album, "Elvis -- the Great Performances."
In 1954, country singer Ricky Skaggs was born in Cordell, Ky. His success heralded a revival of traditional country music in the early 1980s. His first solo LP on a major label, 1981's "Waitin' For the Sun to Shine," produced two No. 1 singles, "I Don't Care" and "Cryin' My Heart Out Over You." Skaggs was recognized by the Nashville music establishment in 1982 when he was named the Country Music Association's top male vocalist and newcomer. His chart-topping singles since then have included "Heartbroke," "Honey (Open That Door)" and "Country Boy."
In 1960, "Hank Ballard and the Midnighters" released "The Twist." The song didn't take off until Chubby Checker covered it later that year.
In 1966, singer Bobby Fuller, leader of "The Bobby Fuller Four," was found dead in his car in Los Angeles. He was 22. Police ruled his death a suicide -- death by asphyxiation -- but it was later revealed that he had been beaten and had ingested gasoline. Only six months earlier, "The Bobby Fuller Four" had been in the top-10 with "I Fought the Law."
In 1974, the U.S. Justice Department ordered John Lennon deported as an undesirable alien because of a previous drug arrest and his association with radical leftists. The U.S. Court of Appeal overturned the deportation order in 1975, and Lennon was granted permanent resident status the following year -- four years before his murder in New York.
In 1980, the rebirth of "The Chipmunks" took place with the release of the "Chipmunk Punk" album. "The Chipmunks" squeaky-voiced novelty records sold more than 30 million copies in the '50s and early '60s. Ross Bagdasarian, also known as David Seville, was the creator of "The Chipmunks." He died in 1972, and "Chipmunk Punk" was produced by his son. The ads declared: "The boys have grown up and they're back with a new sound that'll blow you away."
In 1983, EMI opened its Abbey Road studios to the public. "The Beatles" made many of their recordings there.
In 1988, soul musician Ike Turner was sentenced in Santa Monica, Calif., to one year in jail for possessing and transporting cocaine. Police had stopped the ex-husband of Tina Turner the previous August for driving erratically, and found about six grams of rock cocaine in his car.
In 1988, singer Nico, a cohort of artist Andy Warhol, died of a brain hemorrhage following a bicycle accident on the Mediterranean island of Ibiza. She was 49. In 1967, Nico recorded the cult hit album "The Velvet Underground and Nico." She also toured in Warhol's multimedia show, the "Exploding Plastic Inevitable."
In 1990, Gerry Boulet, singer and keyboardist with the Quebec rock band "Offenbach," died of cancer in Montreal. He was 44.
In 1991, the first "Lollapalooza" tour opened in Phoenix, Ariz. The alternative rock festival was the brainchild of "Jane's Addiction" frontman Perry Farrell. Among the featured artists were "The Henry Rollins Band," "The Butthole Surfers," Ice-T and "Nine Inch Nails." About half a million people attended the tour in the U.S. and Canada.
In 1992, singers Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown were married at Houston's estate in Mendham, N.J. Guests included Dionne Warwick, Patti LaBelle and Gloria Estefan. In April 2007, their divorce was finalized and Houston was granted custody of their teenage daughter.
In 1993, "Rage Against the Machine" appeared on the stage at Lollapalooza in Philadelphia wearing nothing but duct tape over their mouths. They stood there in silence for 25 minutes to protest the Parents' Music Resource Center.
In 1995, Selena's "Dreaming of You" was released, selling 175,000 copies on its first day. The Tejano star was shot to death on March 31 by Yolanda Saldivar, the founder of her fan club.
In 1996, IRS Records, the label which helped lay the groundwork for alternative rock, ceased operations. The company had been in decline for several years. Its ground-breaking acts included "R.E.M," the "Go-Gos" and "The English Beat."
In 2001, the Australian government granted controversial rapper Eminem an entry visa. But he was warned to respect the country's values and multi-cultural society.
In 2009, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys and Carla Bruni-Sarkozy were among the performers at a concert in New York that was part of several "Mandela Day" events marking the South African statesman's 91st birthday.
In 2009, singer Beyonce set aside 2,500 tickets for her show in Detroit to help families hit hard by the auto industry crisis. The tickets were distributed through local social services agencies and Congressman Gary Peters.
In 2010, the three original members of the Canadian folk-pop group "The Grapes of Wrath" - Chris Hooper, Tom Hooper and Kevin Kane - performed together for the first time since an acrimonious split in 1992, at the Surrey Fusion Festival in Surrey, B.C.
In 2011, rapper/actor Ja Rule was sentenced to 28 months in federal prison for failing to pay taxes on more than $3 million that he earned between 2004-06. He was already serving a two-year sentence after he pleaded guilty in December to attempted criminal weapon possession.
In 2012, '60s teen idol Bobby Rydell, 70, was released from a Philadelphia hospital after having undergone a liver and kidney transplant a week prior.
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The Canadian Press
