Today in Music History for Jan. 29:
In 1925, Lois Marshall, one of Canada's leading sopranos in the 1950s and '60s, was born in Toronto. She died of cancer on Feb. 19, 1997.
In 1947, David Byron, lead singer of ``Uriah Heep,'' was born in Essex, England. The band's blend of heavy metal and art rock kept them on the charts for much of the 1970s. Their 1971 album ``Look at Yourself'' brought them success in both Britain and North America. Byron was fired from the group in 1976 and his replacement was John Lawton. ``Uriah Heep'' disbanded in 1978, then reformed in 1982. Byron died on Feb. 28, 1985.
In 1958, Challenge Records released the single ``Tequila'' by ``The Champs.''
In 1962, ``Peter, Paul and Mary'' signed a record deal with Warner Brothers.
In 1966, Canadian avant-garde composer Pierre Mercure died in a traffic accident near Avallon, France. He was 38. In 1952, Mercure, already an established composer, became the CBC's first producer of TV music programs. He began exploring electronic music in the late 1950s, and in 1961, organized the International Week of Today's Music, a world-class symposium on music and the visual arts held in Montreal.
In 1971, New York music business financier Allen Klein was found guilty on 10 counts of evading U.S. income taxes. His conviction was upheld on appeal. Klein once controlled the finances of both ``The Beatles'' and ``The Rolling Stones.'' The Fab Four, apparently over Paul McCartney's objections, hired Klein in 1969 to try to rescue their ailing Apple Corps Ltd., which was losing thousands of pounds a week. The tangled business affairs of Apple, and Klein's failure to solve them, are cited as one reason for ``The Beatles''' breakup.
In 1983, Stevie Nicks of ``Fleetwood Mac'' wed Kim Anderson outside her Los Angeles home at sunset. They divorced the next year.
In 1988, Canadian rock band ``Prism,'' which faded in 1983 after earlier hit records and a Juno award, staged a reunion at the 86 Street club in Vancouver. The reunion group featured three of the original members -- Lindsay Mitchell, Rocket Norton and Al Harlow. Prism was formed in 1977 and produced such hit records as ``Armageddon,'' ``Spaceship Superstar'' and ``Night to Remember.'' It won the Juno for Group of the Year in 1980 and served as a springboard for writers such as Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance.
In 1992, Willie Dixon, probably the most important figure in Chicago blues, died in Burbank, Calif., at age 76. He was a songwriter, producer and bass player for Chess Records in the 1950s, backing, writing and arranging for the likes of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry. He was also an important link between blues and rock, with both ``The Rolling Stones'' and ``The Doors'' covering his ``Little Red Rooster,'' Elvis Presley and ``The Everly Brothers'' recording ``My Babe'' and ``Led Zeppelin'' waxing ``I Can't Quit You Baby.'' Dixon's other blues classics included ``I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man'' and ``Wang Dang Doodle.'' He released both an album and an autobiography titled ``I Am the Blues.''
In 1994, the 14-year-old son of former ``Supreme'' Mary Wilson died when the Jeep she was driving hit a freeway median and overturned in Barstow, Calif. Wilson was only slightly hurt. She was the only member to stay with the group from its beginning in 1959 to its breakup in 1977.
In 1996, the London production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's ``Cats'' became, at the time, the world's longest-running musical with 6,138 performances. It had opened at the New London Theatre in 1981. The previous record was held by the Broadway production of ``A Chorus Line.''
In 1996, Canadian country singer Shania Twain was named Best New Country Artist at the American Music Awards. Garth Brooks was named Artist of the Year, but refused to accept his trophy. He told the audience he didn't believe in the concept of the award. At Brooks' suggestion, the Artist of the Year award became a ``travelling trophy,'' with the winner getting to keep or publicly display the trophy for a year.
In 1998, Paul Simon's musical ``The Capeman'' premiered on Broadway with Marc Anthony in the title role. Most critics liked Simon's music but had nothing good to say about the play itself. The $11-million production went through three directors before opening three weeks behind schedule. The musical was about the life of a Puerto Rican gang member who killed two other teens in 1959. It closed after 68 performances.
In 1998, singer Bobby Brown began sobbing in a Florida courtroom after being convicted of drunk driving. His wife, Whitney Houston, also cried as the verdict was read. Brown was sentenced to five days in jail, fined $500,000 and ordered to undergo 30 days of drug and alcohol rehab. He broke four ribs and a foot when he crashed Houston's leased Porsche into some hedges and a street sign near Fort Lauderdale in August 1996.
In 2006, Bryan Adams played a benefit concert in Karachi, Pakistan, to raise money for victims of the Oct. 8, 2005 earthquake that killed more than 87,000 people in northern Pakistan.
In 2009, British singer-songwriter John Martyn, born Iain David McGeachy, died at age 60. The skilled guitarist and earthy vocalist was influenced by folk, blues and jazz. He performed with _ and was admired by _ musicians like Eric Clapton, Phil Collins and ``Pink Floyd's'' David Gilmour.
In 2009, jazz saxophonist Hank Crawford, who served as musical director for Ray Charles in the 1950s and early '60s before embarking on a solo career, died at age 74.
In 2010, the late Roy Orbison, represented by his widow and two sons, got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Orbison died in 1988.
In 2010, Neil Young was honoured as the Grammys' MusiCares Person of the Year for his contributions to music and to charities. Elton John, James Taylor, Keith Urban, John Fogerty, Sheryl Crow, Stephen Stiils, David Crosby and Graham Nash were among the night's performers.
In 2011, opera star Dame Margaret Price, considered one of the world's leading sopranos, died at her home in Wales at age 69. She enjoyed a long career thrilling audiences in the world's best known opera houses, including the Royal Opera House in London, and others in Paris, New York, Vienna and Munich. She had retired in 1999.
In 2012, Camilla Williams, believed to be the first African-American woman to appear with a major U.S. opera company, died at age 92. She debuted with the New York City Opera on May 15, 1946, nearly nine years before Marian Anderson became the first African-American singer to appear at New York's more prestigious Metropolitan Opera.
In 2013, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the organization behind the Juno Awards, launched Juno TV (www.junotv.ca), a new website that will promote and celebrate Canadian music year-round.
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The Canadian Press