August 17, 2004 - Singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg revealed that he was battling prostate cancer. He took time off from his career to focus on his health and family. Sadly on December 16, 2007, he passed away after battling cancer for three years.
August 18, 1785 - Prominent piano teacher Friedrich Wieck was born in Saxony. He was the father and teacher of Clara Wieck Schumann; he also taught Hans Von Bulow and Robert Schumann.
August 19, 1918 - While still serving as a Sergeant in the US Army, Irving Berlin's musical Yip Yip Yaphank debuted at the Century Theater in New York. He received the Army's Medal of Merit in 1945 and the Freedom Medal in 1977, among other accolades.
August 20, 1960 - Singer Connie Francis began filming her first movie, Where The Boys Are, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Her other movies include Follow the Boys, Looking for Love and When the Boys Meet the Girls.
August 21, 1961 - Patsy Cline recorded the song "Crazy." The said song was written by Willie Nelson and climbed the country music charts to #2.
August 22 - On this day in 1599, composer Luca Marenzio died in Rome. Also on this day in 1862, composer Claude DeBussy was born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France. And on this day in 1928, composer Karlheinz Stockhausen was born in Mödrath, near Cologne, Germany.
August 23, 1899 - Dwight Hamilton Baldwin, a violin and reed organ teacher, died. In 1862 Baldwin opened a music store in Cincinnati, Ohio but the first Baldwin piano (an upright) was introduced in 1891.
August 24, 1974 - Paul Anka's "(You're) Having My Baby" was on top of the charts. Aside from being a singer-songwriter, Anka also appeared on several movies including The Longest Day for which he wrote the title song that earned him an Academy Award nomination.
August 25, 1918 - Composer Leonard Bernstein was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts. In 1953, he became the first American to conduct at La Scala in Milan. Among his works are the musicals West Side Story, On the Town, Wonderful Town and Candide.
August 26, 1958 - Composer Ralph Vaughan Williams died in London. He collected English folk songs and these greatly influenced his compositions.
August 27 - On this day in 1521, composer Josquin Desprez died in Condé-sur-L'Escaut. Also on this day in 1611, composer Tomas Luis de Victoria passed away. On this day in 1886, composer Rebecca Clarke was born in Harrow, a suburb of London, England. She is especially known for her chamber music; she also wrote songs and solo pieces. And on this day in 1988, "Fast Car," one of the songs in Tracy Chapman's debut album, climbed to #6.
August 28, 1850 - The opera "Lohengrin" by Richard Wagner premiered at Weimar, Germany. The Festival Theatre (The Festpielhaus) in Bayreuth was built by Gottfried Semper based on Wagner's specifications and is still being used to stage Wagner's operas.
August 29 - On this day in 1920, Charlie "Bird" Parker was born in Kansas City, Kansas. He influenced the development of "bop" in the 1940s and was one of the greatest improvising soloists in jazz. Also on this day in 1924, Queen of the Blues Dinah Washington was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Her songs include "Cold, Cold Heart," "What A Diff'rence A Day Makes" and “A Rockin’ Good Way."
August 30, 1959 - Singer-songwriter Carole King married her songwriting partner Gerry Goffin in New York City. Carole and Gerry came out with their first hit in 1961 with the song "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" recorded by the Shirelles. This was followed by another hit, "Take Good Care of My Baby." The couple went on to write another hit song titled "Locomotion" for Little Eva Boyd, their babysitter.
August 31, 1879 - Composer Alma Schindler was born in Vienna, Austria. She wrote songs (lieders) often based on poems written by such poets as Heine and Rilke. She is also said to have composed instrumental pieces. Only 14 of her songs were ever published with 3 more songs discovered after her death.
Special Celebrations in August
Rock For Life Week - August 4 to 7
National Duran Duran Appreciation Day - August 10
Vinyl Record Day - August 12