This date in musical history: February 8
In 1960, the US Congress opened hearings on payola, whereby a radio station or its employees, usually a disc jockey, accept payment for broadcasting records. Among those accused were DJs Alan Freed and Dick Clark.
Clark was called the most influential person in the popular music industry because of his interests in music publishing and record companies. But he denied any wrongdoing and escaped the inquiry virtually unscathed.
Alan Freed was not so fortunate. He had few friends in the music business because of his practice of playing records by black artists rather than white cover versions. When the investigation started, Freed was blackballed. And when he finally came to trial in 1962, he was a broken man. Freed pleaded guilty to two counts of commercial bribery, was fined $300 and received a suspended sentence. He never worked in radio again and died in January 1965.
Congress eventually outlawed payola, and the offence was punishable by a maximum $10,000 fine. But the significance of payola was greatly diminished by this time because of the growth of Top-40 radio. Disc jockeys were governed by a rigid playlist and were not allowed to choose their own music.
PHOTO: Dick Clark survived the payola scandal to become one of the most celebrated icons in the music industry.
Other musical milestones on this date:
In 1934, the Hart House Glee Club gave its first concert at the University of Toronto. The choir performed annually in the Hart House Sunday evening concert series from 1935 until 1970. The glee club made many tours of Ontario before disbanding in 1972.
In 1952, Webb Pierce entered the Billboard country chart for the first time with "Wondering." Pierce dominated the country charts in the 1950's with his pure honky-tonk sound. Between 1952 and '62, he placed 44 songs on the Billboard chart, 38 of which made the top ten. Pierce's influence can be heard in the music of such contemporary country artists as Ricky Skaggs and Dwight Yoakam.
In 1959, the Cantata Singers of Vancouver made their debut in Bach's "Mass in B-Minor" at Christ Church Cathedral. The 40-voice mixed choir was founded the previous year by Hugh McLean, who remained their conductor until 1967.
In 1969, the rock supergroup Blind Faith was formed by Steve Winwood from Traffic, Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker of Cream, and Rick Grech of Family. They made their debut at a free concert in London's Hyde Park before 100,000 people. Blind Faith toured the US and made only one album before breaking up.
In 1971, "Eat the Document," a film starring and edited by Bob Dylan, was shown at the New York Academy of Music. Made for ABC TV in 1967, and consisting mainly of clips from Dylan's 1966 British tour with The Band, it was never aired. The proceeds from the academy screening went to a citizens' group battling strip mining.
In 1973, New York dairy farmer Max Yasgur, whose 600-acre farm, was the site of the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival in 1969, died of a heart attack in Florida. The three-day festival attracted about 400,000 people to hear such performers as Santana, Jimi Hendrix and the Jefferson Airplane. Yasgur's farm was turned into mud by the huge crowd, many of whom got in free when security couldn't handle the mass of people.
Also on this date in 1973, Carly Simon received a gold record for her single "You're So Vain," which had reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 the previous year. The song was said to have been inspired by either actor Warren Beatty or Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones. Jagger appears on the record as a backup vocalist.
In 1980, David and Angela Bowie were divorced. Bowie met the American-born Angela Barnett at a London club and they were married in March 1970. Their son, Zowie Bowie, was born in 1971.
In 1982, singer Olivia Newton-John was host for a one-hour ABC TV special, "Let's Get Physical," based on her hit record.
In 1986, the musical "Evita" ended its eight-year run in London. The show earned 32-million dollars and was performed 2,913 times during its run at the Prince Edward Theatre. Based on the life of former Argentine President Juan Peron and his wife, Eva, the show remained popular even at the height of the Falklands War between Britain and Argentina in 1982.
In 1988, the Who reunited for a 25th anniversary performance at the British Record Industry Awards in London. Their five-song set ran overtime on the TV show, preventing Rick Astley from accepting his best single award for "Never Gonna Give You Up."
In 1990, 1960's rock 'n' roller Del Shannon killed himself at his home in Santa Clarita, California. He was 50. His body, a rifle nearby, was found by his wife. Shannon's first and biggest hit was "Runaway," which went to number one in North America in 1961. His other top 20 singles included "Hats Off to Larry," "Little Town Flirt" and "Keep Searchin' (We'll Follow the Sun)."
Also on this date in 1990, Canada's Daniel Lanois capped a nine-country European tour with a concert before a star-studded audience at London's Royal Festival Hall. One of rock's leading record producers, Lanois was touring in support of his first album, "Acadie." In the London audience were some of his most famous associates, including Peter Gabriel, composer Brian Eno and U2 guitarist Dave (The Edge) Evans.
In 1994, composer and bandleader Raymond Scott died in Van Nuys, California, at age 85. He was best known for his late-1930's, jazz-flavored vignettes which bore titles like "Dinner Music for a Pack of Hungry Cannibals" and "Reckless Night on Board an Ocean Liner." Warner Brothers music director Carl Stalling used many of Scott's tunes in the Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Roadrunner and Porky Pig cartoons. Scott's "In an Eighteenth-Century Drawing Room," taken from a Mozart piece, was a big hit in the late '30s, as was his theme song, "The Toy Trumpet."
In 1996, bandleader Mercer Ellington, the son of Duke Ellington, died of heart failure in Copenhagen. He was 76. Ellington had led the Duke Ellington Orchestra since his father's death in 1974. Mercer Ellington also wrote the jazz standard "Things Ain't What They Used to Be," which his father's orchestra recorded.
Born on this date:
In 1899, blues guitarist and singer Lonnie Johnson was born in New Orleans. More respected for his playing than his singing, Johnson developed his distinctive style as early as 1927 when he recorded with Louis Armstrong's Hot Five. Johnson's 1948 recording of "Tomorrow Night" was very popular, spending seven weeks on Billboard's rhythm-and-blues chart, and even making the top 20 of the pop chart. From the mid-1960's, he spent much of his time in Toronto. Lonnie Johnson suffered a stroke after a serious accident in 1969, and died the following year.
In 1922, Canadian baritone Morley Meredith, in Winnipeg.
In 1932, Boston Pops conductor John Williams.
In 1946, Adolpho (Fito) de la Parra, drummer with the blues-rock group Canned Heat.
In 1948, country singer Dan Seals; and Ron Tyson of the Temptations.
In 1950, Ted Turner, an original member of the '70s rock group Wishbone Ash.
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