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Today in Music History

April, 12

  • 2000 Mavericks drummer Paul Deakin undergoes open-heart valve replacement surgery. The procedure repairs a faulty valve caused by a birth defect.
  • 1999 Boxcar Willie dies of leukemia in Branson, Mo. He is 67. The country singer, born Lecil Travis Martin, adopted the “Boxcar” persona due to his love of railroads.
  • 1999 Country music crossover queen Shania Twain becomes the only female artist in music history to reach 10 million units sold with back-to-back album releases. Twain’s third Mercury Records release “Come On Over” is certified 10 times platinum and is granted a Diamond Award by the RIAA.
  • 1998 Music industry veteran James B. Conkling, who helped launch Warner Bros. Records and the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, dies at Sutter Oaks Alzheimer’s Hospital in Sacramento, Calif. He is 83.
  • 1990 Soul singer James Brown is transferred from prison to a South Carolina work release center after serving 15 months for aggravated assault.
  • 1987 No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: “I Knew You Were Waiting (for Me),” Aretha Franklin & George Michael. The song is Michael’s fourth No. 1 song and Franklin’s first in almost 20 years.
  • 1973 The film “That’ll Be the Day,” starring David Essex and Ringo Starr, premieres in London.
  • 1966 No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: “(You’re My) Soul and Inspiration,” The Righteous Brothers.
  • 1961 Ray Charles wins four Grammys, including Best Male Vocal Performance for “Georgia on My Mind.”
  • 1954 Bill Haley & His Comets’ first session for Decca Records produces “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock.” The success of this song is considered by many to mark the beginning of the rock era. It tops Billboard’s singles chart for eight weeks and is inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1982.
  • 1944 John Kay (Joachim Krauledat) of Steppenwolf is born in Tilsit, Germany. The group’s biggest hit is the 1968 No. 2 song “Born to Be Wild.”
  • 1940 Jazz artist Herbie Hancock is born. He wins an Academy Award in 1987 for the score to “Round Midnight.”