Today in Music History for June 26:
In 1909, Colonel Tom Parker, who managed Elvis Presley for much of his career, was born. Parker took over from Memphis disc jockey Bob Neal in 1955, signing a managerial contract with Presley for one-quarter of the singer's earnings. The contract lasted until well after Presley's death in 1977. In 1983, after 21 months of litigation, Parker turned over most of his interest in Presley's audio and video recordings to RCA and the Presley family in return for a large monetary settlement. Parker died of complications from a stroke on Jan. 21, 1997, in Las Vegas.
In 1964, "It's All Over Now" by "The Rolling Stones" was released. The song, written by American soul singer Bobby Womack, was the first "Stones'" record to reach No. 1 in Britain.
In 1964, the first "Beatles" album on which they wrote all the songs, "A Hard Day's Night," was released in North America.
In 1965, "The Byrds," the group that pioneered folk rock, hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Mr. Tambourine Man," written by Bob Dylan. "The Byrds" had met Dylan six months earlier, and he publicly endorsed the group. The recording of "Mr. Tambourine Man" was actually cut by studio musicians, with guitarist Roger McGuinn the only member of "The Byrds" actually playing on the record. The group did, however, provide the vocals.
In 1971, promoter Bill Graham announced the closing of his Fillmore East and West concert halls in New York and San Francisco. The Fillmore East had operated for three years, and its last concert the following night included performances by "The Beach Boys" and "The Allman Brothers Band." Graham had begun producing rock concerts at the Fillmore West in 1965. The San Francisco club was a prime venue for such psychedelic superstars as the "Grateful Dead" and "Jefferson Airplane."
In 1975, Van McCoy earned his first gold record for "The Hustle."
In 1975, Sonny and Cher Bono's divorce was made final by a court in Santa Monica, Calif. They had married in 1964. Four days after the divorce, Cher married Greg Allman of "The Allman Brothers Band." That marriage lasted only a short time.
In 1977, Elvis Presley gave his last performance at the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis. His final song was "Can't Help Falling in Love." Less than two months later, Presley was found dead in his bathroom at Graceland. The cause of death was at first given as congestive heart failure, but later investigation revealed that drug abuse may have played a part.
In 1980, Ron Wood, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger of "The Rolling Stones" turned up at a New York nightclub for a show by Jim Carroll, a former poet and novelist turned rock singer. Richards joined Carroll on stage to perform "People Who Died," which was a minor hit for Carroll.
In 1986, Steve Winwood made his first U.S. stage appearance in 11 years when he joined Stevie Ray Vaughan for an encore at a New York nightclub.
In 1987, Canadian rock star Corey Hart collapsed from exhaustion following a performance in Sudbury, Ont. The remainder of his Canadian tour was cancelled six days later after his doctors ordered Hart to rest for 10 to 12 weeks.
In 1992, an Oklahoma family sued "Van Halen," claiming the band's fans damaged their property. "Van Halen" put the family's phone number on the cover of their "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" album.
In 1996, "Stone Temple Pilots" lead singer Scott Weiland returned to a drug rehabilitation centre in Pasadena, Calif., one day after leaving without permission. He was serving up to six months for cocaine and heroin possession.
In 1996, "Van Halen" announced that lead singer Sammy Hagar had left the band and that it was working on a greatest hits album with former frontman David Lee Roth. The reunion with Roth would last only a matter of weeks and ended in a public trading of insults. Hagar said he left the band after a decade because of "creative differences." They would later reunite with Roth once more.
In 2001, Edmonton-born music composition instructor and composer Dorothy Cadzow Hokanson died at age 84. Her works ranged from orchestral pieces to music for children's poems.
In 2011, Chris Brown won four trophies at the BET Awards, including Best Male R&B Artist and Best Collaboration ("Look At Me Now" with Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes). Patti LaBelle accepted a special honour while Gladys Knight was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 2018, Bee Gee Barry Gibb, the last surviving member of the fraternal trio, received a knighthood from Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace.
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The Canadian Press
