Today in Music History for April 29:
In 1899, jazz musician, composer and bandleader Edward Kennedy (Duke) Ellington was born in Washington, D.C. He made his first professional appearance as a jazz pianist in 1916, and two years later formed his first band. After appearances in Harlem nightclubs, Duke Ellington's orchestra became one of the most famous jazz bands, and remained so for more than 50 years. Some of Ellington's best-known songs include "Take the A Train," "Mood Indigo," "Solitude" and "Sophisticated Lady." He also wrote a number of concert works including "Creole Rhapsody" and "Black, Brown and Beige." Duke Ellington died in 1974.
In 1928, Carl Gardner, lead singer of "The Coasters," was born in Los Angeles. Despite numerous changes in personnel, "The Coasters" were on the charts constantly from 1957-61, with such hits as "Yakety Yak," "Charlie Brown" and "Poison Ivy."
In 1935, blues singer and pianist Leroy Carr died at age 30 in Indianapolis of alcohol abuse. Carr, accompanied by guitarist Scrapper Blackwell, recorded a number of slow, gently rhythmic blues tunes in the late '20s and early '30s. The most famous of these is "How Long-How Long Blues."
In 1947, Tommy James, lead singer of "Tommy James and the Shondells," was born in Dayton, Ohio. They were one of the most successful American pop groups of the late '60s, with 12 top-30 hits, beginning with 1966's "Hanky Panky." The group's sound evolved from bubblegum to psychedelic by the time of their 1969 hit recording of "Crystal Blue Persuasion."
In 1962, Jerry Lee Lewis returned successfully to Britain. He'd been hounded out of the country four years earlier after it was revealed he had married his 13-year-old cousin, Myra Gale Brown.
In 1963, Andrew Loog Oldham signed "The Rolling Stones" to a management contract. He had seen them perform the previous night at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond, England.
In 1967, blues singer J.B. Lenoir died of a heart attack after being hit by a car in Urbana, Ill. He was 38. Lenoir heavily influenced British bluesman John Mayall, who recorded a tribute to him on one of his albums.
In 1967, Aretha Franklin released the single "Respect."
In 1968, Frankie Lymon, lead singer of the '50s doo-wop group "Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers," was found dead of a drug overdose in a friend's New York apartment. He was 25. Lymon was only 12 when the group was formed in 1955. Their first record, "Why Do Fools Fall In Love," was written by Lymon and Herman Santiago, another member of the group. The song was a big hit in 1956.
In 1970, George Harrison announced plans to begin recording his first post-Beatles solo LP. It would develop into the three-record set "All Things Must Pass." Harrison was still insisting "The Beatles" would eventually reunite.
In 1972, New York Mayor John Lindsay intervened in the immigration proceedings against John Lennon. He called the U.S. government's bid to deport Lennon a grave injustice, given Lennon's contributions to music and art. Lennon received permanent resident status in the U.S. in 1976.
In 1976, security guards forcibly removed Bruce Springsteen from Graceland mansion in Memphis when he attempted to visit Elvis Presley.
In 1977, "The Temptations," the most successful male vocal group of the '60s and early '70s, left Motown Records after 17 years. They signed with Atlantic, for whom they recorded two unsuccessful disco albums. They were then lured back to Motown by Berry Gordy Jr.
In 1988, Eric Clapton and his wife, Patti Boyd, filed divorce papers in London. Boyd blamed Clapton's affair with an Italian TV personality, who bore Clapton's child. Clapton and Boyd had been married nine years. She was previously married to George Harrison.
In 1989, hundreds of fans turned up without tickets for a "Grateful Dead" concert in Irvine, Calif. Some tried to force their way into the show and several police officers were hit with flying objects.
In 1989, Porter Wagoner joined Dolly Parton on stage for the first time since their 1976 split. The duet sold out four shows at Parton's Dollywood theme park in Tennessee.
In 1990, 13 people were hospitalized after thousands of fans tried to get into a sold-out "New Kids on the Block" show in Brighton, England. More than 350 people, most of them teenage girls, were treated for hysteria and hyperventilation.
In 1992, singer Sheena Easton fell sick and fainted during a matinee performance of the Broadway musical "Man of La Mancha." Her understudy, Joan Susswein-Barber, finished the show to a standing ovation.
In 1992, singer Paula Abdul and actor Emilio Estevez were married in a judge's chambers in Santa Monica, Calif. They divorced in 1994.
In 1993, "Smashing Pumpkins" released their "Siamese Dream" album.
In 1998, "Aerosmith" lead singer Steven Tyler banged his knee with the base of his microphone stand during a show in Anchorage, Alaska. He completed the gig using the stand as a crutch, but the injury forced the group to postpone 14 North American shows.
In 1998, a high school principal in Irmo, S.C., cancelled a free concert by the Grammy-winning "Indigo Girls" after parents complained about the lesbian singing duo. There were several other similar cancellations. The Irmo show went ahead on May 7 after the "Indigo Girls" rented an auditorium in nearby Columbia. Two-thousand students turned out.
In 2008, Madonna released "Hard Candy," her 11th studio album and last for Warner Bros. It marked the end of their 25-year recording history. In October 2007, she signed a 10-year deal with Live Nation for nearly $125 million that gave the company an all-encompassing stake in her music.
In 2009, Tony Bennett donated a watercolour he made of longtime friend Duke Ellington to the Smithsonian museum, the 110th anniversary of the jazz great's birth. The painting depicts Ellington with a bouquet of pink roses in the background. The jazz musician made a habit of sending Bennett a dozen roses when he wrote a new tune, in hopes Bennett would record the piece.
In 2010, Taylor Swift, Elton John, Lady Gaga, Prince and Lea Michele of "Glee" were the only musical artists named on Time Magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Another person in the music industry also made the list, Simon Cowell of "American Idol."
In 2010, "Sugar Ray" singer Mark McGrath's fiancee, Carin Kingsland, gave birth to twins -- a boy (Lydon Edward) and a girl (Hartley Grace).
In 2010, Latino music icons Gloria and Emilio Estefan received a star on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars. It was the 48th star for the walk and its first awarded to a married couple.
In 2010, pop star Shakira released the official World Cup anthem "Waka Waka - Time For Africa." The song, which is a collaboration with South African band "Freshlyground," did not hit the right note with soccer fans in the host country.
In 2015, Zac Brown Band joined Bon Jovi as the only acts to have No. 1's on both the Billboard country airplay chart and the mainstream rock chart when their collaboration with Chris Cornell of Soundgarden, "Heavy is the Head," topped the mainstream rock chart.
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The Canadian Press