Today in Music History for Jan. 6:
In 1924, bluegrass legend and banjo pioneer Earl Scruggs was born in Shelby, N.C. He helped profoundly change country music with Bill Monroe in the 1940s, and with guitarist Lester Flatt in the 1950s and '60s weaved themselves into the fabric of American culture. In 1985, "Flatt & Scruggs" were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Scruggs died on March 28, 2012.
In 1946, guitarist Syd Barrett, the founder of "Pink Floyd," was born in Cambridge, England. "Pink Floyd" was the first of the British psychedelic groups and went on to become one of the world's most popular bands. Barrett, however, left after the band's first album. He died on July 7, 2006 of pancreatic cancer.
In 1957, Elvis Presley made his last 20-minute appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show," performing seven numbers. Among them were "Peace in the Valley" and "My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again." Sullivan called Presley a "fine boy" and said he was easy to work with.
In 1964, "The Rolling Stones" began their first tour on which they headlined, at a London theatre sharing the stage with "The Ronettes" and Marty Wilde.
In 1971, Neil Young returned to sa国际传媒 for the first time since becoming a major star, playing three concerts in Vancouver. It was a big year for Young. He was named Best Male Singer and Best Composer, and his "After the Goldrush" was named Best Album of the Year in a poll by readers of Melody Maker magazine.
In 1977, EMI cancelled its contract with the "Sex Pistols," only three months after signing the band.
In 1980, Georgeanna Tillman Gordon, formerly of the Motown group, "The Marvelettes," died in Detroit of lupus disease at the age of 46. She had left "The Marvelettes" in 1963 after they recorded their two biggest hits, "Please Mr. Postman" and "Playboy."
In 1986, a judge in Dallas denied David Crosby's request to enter a drug treatment program. He ordered the rock singer to remain in jail pending completion of his appeals on drug and firearms convictions. Crosby was sentenced to five years in prison in 1983.
In 1987, singer Elton John underwent exploratory throat surgery in Sydney, Australia. A biopsy revealed a non-malignant lesion.
In 1993, trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, one of the towering figures in modern jazz, died in Englewood, N.J., at age 75. Gillespie -- along with saxophonist Charlie "Bird" Parker, pianists Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk, and drummer Max Roach -- helped develop the bebop school of jazz during all-night jam sessions in New York during the 1940s. He was later instrumental in merging Latin rhythms with mainstream jazz. Gillespie was also one of the most recognizable jazz figures -- with his balloon cheeks and bent trumpet. He said another musician tripped over his trumpet stand and bent the bell upward at a 45-degree angle. Gillespie liked the sound and used bent horns from then on. In 1953, he took part in one of the most famous jazz concerts in history -- a show recorded at Massey Hall in Toronto that also featured Parker, Powell, Roach and bassist Charles Mingus.
In 1993, bass guitarist Bill Wyman told a British TV interviewer that he had quit "The Rolling Stones." Wyman, at 55, was the oldest member of "The Stones." He said he decided to leave to concentrate on his other music and business interests.
In 1994, Harold Lucas, the founder of "The Clovers," died in Washington, D.C. He was about 70 years old. "The Clovers" were the most successful R&B group of the 1950s with such hits as "Don't You Know I Love You," "Fool, Fool, Fool" and "Love Potion No. 9."
In 1996, James Brown's wife, Adrienne Brown, died two days after undergoing lyposuction. She was 47.
In 1996, Chubby Wise, the fiddler who co-wrote the bluegrass anthem "Orange Blossom Special," died in Glen St. Mary, Fla. He was 80.
In 1999, French jazz pianist Michel Petrucciani died in a New York hospital at age 36. Petrucciani, who was only three feet tall, suffered from a bone disease which stunts growth and makes bones brittle.
In 2001, Canadian opera singer Victor Braun died at age 65 in Ulm, Germany, of a neurodegenerative disorder. The Windsor, Ont.-native sang his first solo role in a 1957 Canadian Opera Company production of "Tosca." Braun's victory in the 1963 Vienna International Mozart Competition led to baritone roles at such leading opera houses as La Scala, Covent Garden and the Metropolitan Opera.
In 2005, singer Pink married motorcross racer Carey Hart in Costa Rica. They separated, but later reunited.
In 2006, Lou Rawls, the velvet-voiced singer who started as a church choir boy and went on to record such classic tunes as "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine," died of cancer. He was 72.
In 2009, Ron Asheton, a lead guitarist and later a bassist with Iggy Pop's punk band "The Stooges," was found dead at age 60 in his home in Ann Arbour, Mich.
In 2009, British singer Amy Winehouse dropped her appeal in a Norwegian drug case and accepted a fine for illegal marijuana possession in 2007.
In 2010, country music stars Taylor Swift and Keith Urban won for Favourite Female and Male Artists respectively at the People's Choice Awards.
In 2012, singer Jason Derulo broke one of his vertebra while practicing an acrobatic move for his concerts. He was forced to call off the tour and wear a neck brace for the next few months.
In 2016, Canadian musicians fared well at the fan-voted People's Choice Awards held in Los Angeles. Shawn Mendes won Favorite Breakout Artist, The Weeknd won Favorite R&B Artist and Justin Bieber won Favorite Song for "What Do You Mean?"
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The Canadian Press