Today in Music History for Jan. 22: In 1935, Sam Cooke, who provided the early foundations of soul music through his mixture of gospel music and secular themes, was born in Chicago. Cooke first gained notice as the lead singer of "The Soul Stirrers" gospel group, then in 1956 began recording pop songs. His "You Send Me" was a No. 1 song in 1957. Cooke hit the top-40 regularly through 1965, with such hits as "Chain Gang," "Shake" and "Twistin' the Night Away." Cooke was shot to death in December 1964, by the female manager of a Los Angeles motel. Another woman had fled from Cooke to the motel office, and there was a confrontation. Cooke's influence can be heard in the singing of such artists as Otis Redding, Al Green and Rod Stewart. In 1959, Buddy Holly made his last recordings in his New York apartment. Among the tunes were "Peggy Sue Got Married" and "Learning the Game." Holly used the same Ampex tape recorder on which he had recorded such hits as "That'll Be the Day" and "Peggy Sue." Holly died in a plane crash almost two weeks later. In 1960, Sam Cooke signed with RCA and began recording bluesier, gospel-inflected songs such as "Chain Gang" and "Bring It On Home to Me." His earlier hits, mainly light ballads and novelty items such as "You Send Me" and "Everybody Likes to Cha Cha," had been on the small Keen label. In 1960, Michael Hutchence, lead singer of the Australian rock band "INXS", was born in Sydney, Australia. The band gained worldwide fame with their 1987 album "Kick," which sold nine million copies. It featured four hit singles, including the chart-topping "Need You Tonight." He hanged himself with a belt in a Sydney hotel room on Nov. 22, 1997. His fellow band members were waiting for him at a rehearsal studio, where they were preparing for a 20th anniversary tour. The coroner ruled his death a suicide and said there were traces of alcohol, cocaine and Prozac in his blood. In 1963, "Gerry and the Pacemakers" held their first recording sessions. In 1967, "The Supremes" appeared on both the Ed Sullivan and Andy Williams TV shows. In 1967, "The Rolling Stones" refused to go on the revolving stage during the finale of the British TV show "Sunday Night at the London Palladium." The incident caused a great scandal in Britain at the time. In 1969, Glen Campbell received his first gold record, for "Wichita Lineman." In 1971, Jim Hendrix's father established a memorial foundation for his son. The foundation provided music scholarships for five music students at Washington State. Jimi had died the previous September, the victim of what appeared to be an accidental overdose of barbituates. In 1971, the Joe Cocker film "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" premiered in London. The movie was a documentary of Cocker's tour of the same name and featured performances by Cocker, Leon Russell and Rita Coolidge. In 1990, "Guns N' Roses" guitarist Slash swore while accepting American Music Awards for his band. Viewers complained to ABC, which had broadcast the show live. The network apologized. In 1994, Victor Lombardo, the last of the four Lombardo brothers who helped put together Guy Lombardo's Royal Canadians in London, Ont., in the early 1920s, died in Boca Raton, Fla. He was 82. Lombardo's Royal Canadians were famed for their New Year's Eve broadcasts, which always ended with the band's theme song, "Auld Lang Syne." In 1996, Canadian singer Joni Mitchell and French composer Pierre Boulez shared Sweden's Polar music prize. Mitchell was the first woman to win one of the annual awards from the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. In 1997, R&B singer Ron Holden, best known for his 1960 top-10 single "Love You So," died in Mexico at age 57. "Love You So" was his only hit, reaching No. 7 on the Billboard chart. In 1998, singer Toni Braxton filed for bankruptcy, listing liabilities of more than $1 million. In 1998, Elton John told a news conference in Miami that he was "not going to go around the world being a professional mourner." John raised millions for charity with his reworked "Candle in the Wind '97" as a tribute to Princess Diana. He said he wouldn't perform the song again. Two months before Diana died in an August 1997 car crash in Paris, John's friend, fashion designer Gianni Versace, was murdered in Miami. In 2001, Toronto radio station 1050 CHUM, which gave birth to rock 'n' roll in Canada, turned off the music and switched to an all-sports format. It later went back to playing music. In 2002, "Lord Pretender," considered the last of the great 1930s calypso musicians, died at his home in Trinidad at age 84. In 2004, Grammy winning composer, arranger and trumpeter Billy May died of heart failure at his home in California. He was 87. May won a Grammy in 1958 for his album "Big Fat Brass," and his command of styles extended from swing to the mambo. He joined Charlie Barnet's orchestra in 1938 as an arranger and trumpeter. He arranged the Ray Noble song "Cherokee," which became Barnet's signature tune and one of the biggest hits of the swing era. He later joined Glen Miller's band, where he arranged the standards "Take the 'A' Train" and "Serenade in Blue" and gained attention for his trumpet work on Miller's version of "American Patrol." In the '50s, he worked on Frank Sinatra's "Come Fly With Me" album. In 2009, Canadian indie rockers "Arcade Fire" played a private concert for the staff of recently inaugurated U.S. President Barack Obama. The band, featuring members from Montreal and Texas, had performed at voter-registration events for Obama. In 2010, Canadian networks aired a star-studded one-hour benefit show in support of Haitian earthquake relief, ahead of Hollywood's own telethon. The English and French language Canadian efforts raised more than $20 million combined, with Ottawa matching the amount. The U.S. raised US$61 million, which did not include the sales of the musical performances on iTunes. In 2011, Toronto's Justin Nozuka won the Francophone Group/Duo of the Year Award at the N.R.J. Music Awards in France for his collaboration with French vocalist Zaho on the song "Heartless." In 2013, Colombian singer Shakira (Mebarak) and soccer star Gerard Pique welcomed their first child, son Milan Pique Mebarak. In 2014, Bruce Springsteen's "High Hopes" debuted atop the Billboard 200 Albums chart. It was his 11th No. 1 album and broke a tie with Elvis Presley for third-most, trailing only rapper Jay Z (13) and "The Beatles" (19). ---- The Canadian Press

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