Today in Music History ~ 10/8

• 1585 ~ Heinrich Schütz was born in Kostritz, Saxony (Germany). His works (Italian madrigals, an opera, vocal and instrumental pieces) influenced other composers after him, including Johann Sebastian Bach.

• 1895 ~ The Berliner Gramophone Company was founded in Philadelphia. Record players were not too far off in the future.

• 1904 ~ "Little Johnny Jones" opened in Hartford, CT. The show became a hit several times, due in part to a little ditty which became quite popular. Give My Regards to Broadway was penned, as was the entire musical, by the ‘Yankee Doodle Dandy’ himself, George M. Cohan.

• 1918 ~ Kurt Redel, German flutist and conductor

• 1930 ~ Toru Takemitsu, Japanese composer

• 1935 ~ Wedding bells pealed for a singer and a bandleader who tied the knot, making radio history together. The bandleader was Ozzie Nelson and the singer was Harriet Hilliard. They would make the history pages again on this very day in 1944.

• 1941 ~ The Benny Goodman Orchestra recorded Buckle Down Winsocki, with Tom Dix as featured vocalist, on the Columbia label.

• 1941 ~ George Bellamy, Guitarist with The Tornados

• 1942 ~ Buzz (Reese) Clifford, Singer

• 1944 ~ Susan Raye, Singer

• 1944 ~ The first broadcast of The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet was heard on the CBS radio network. The show would continue on radio until 1953 and on ABC~TV from 1952 to 1966. "Hi Mom, Hi Dad, Hi Dave, Hi Ricky."

• 1947 ~ Tony Wilson, Bass, singer with Hot Chocolate

• 1948 ~ Johnny Ramone (Cummings), Guitarist with The Ramones

• 1949 ~ Hamish Stuart, Guitarist, singer with Average White Band

• 1950 ~ Robert ‘Kool’ Bell, Bass guitar, singer with Kool and the Gang

• 1956 ~ Lawrence "a-one and a-two" Welk was doing so well with "da boys inta bant" on ABC-TV, that, after being on the tube for just one year with The Lawrence Welk Show, Welk originated another popular show called Lawrence Welk’s Top Tunes and New Talent.

• 1974 ~ Then Came You, by Dionne Warwicke and The Spinners, went solid gold this day. While the editors are poring over the proper spelling of her name, might we add that due to some superstitious feeling having to do with astrology, the former Ms. Warwick changed her name for good luck to Warwicke. It apparently worked. That is, until she went solo again upon meeting Barry Manilow in the early 1980s. Tunes like I’ll Never Love This Way Again, Deja Vu and hits with Johnny Mathis, Luther Vandross and some friends made it OK to be just Dionne Warwick again.

• 1979 ~ "Sugar Babies", opened at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on Broadway. The star of the hit show was also making his debut on the Great White Way. Mickey Rooney, who had been acting since the 1930s, once again delighted one and all with his performance.

• 1984 ~ Anne Murray won the Country Music Association’s Album of the Year Award this day for A Little Good News. Murray was the first woman to win this award.