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JULY
July 1 1979: Filming wraps on "Carny". The film was conceived by and stars The Band's Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm, along with Jodie Foster and Elisha Cooke Jr. 1980: "Oh Canada" is proclaimed our National Anthem, officially. 1981: Steppenwolf bassist Rushton Moreve dies in a car crash in Los Angeles at the age of 32. 1991: Bootsauce releases THE BROWN ALBUM in the US. 1992: In a ceremony in Paris,Roch Voisine is decorated as a Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by France's ambassador to Canada. Later that night he premieres a new song co-written with David Foster, who joins him for the first live performance of "I'll Always Be There." 1992: Kim Mitchell, The Tragically Hip, The Jeff Healey Band, Crash Test Dummies, Colin James, 54-40, Lee Aaron, Sass Jordan and Chrissy Steele all play St. John's, Ottaw and Vancouver in the same day, part of Molson's and MCA Concerts' Great Canadian Party. 2001: The Stampeders are among the performers at an all Canadian show in Dartmouth, NS. On their playlist is "Gator Road," the B-side to "Sweet City Woman" and a song they hadn't performed live in 30 years. This makes it highly sought after in the bootlegs circle.
July 2 2005: Neil Young and Bryan Adams are among the Canadians performing during “Live 8,” a festival designed to bring awareness to African poverty. That portion of the festival is seen in an Ontario corn field. 2007: A lawsuit is filed by The Rubinoos, claiming Avril Lavigne ripped off their 1979 song "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" when she wrote her hit "Girlfriend."
July 3
July 4 1977: April Wine backs up The Rolling Stones for a show in Buffalo, NY.
July 5 1992: Helix axeman Paul Hackman dies on the road in a tour bus accident.
July 6
July 7
July 8 2007: Gordon Lightfoot headlines the venerable Mariposa Folk Festival, in his hometown of Orillia, ON.
July 9 1974: Neil Young reunites with Crosby Stills & Nash at a show in Seattle, WA.
July 10 1953: Rik Emmett is born in Toronto, as Rick Emmett. He would shorten the spelling of his first name after it was misspelled on Triumph's debut album anyway. 1968: 'MUSIC FROM THE BIG PINK, The Band's evocative debut album recorded in a farm house near Woodstock, NY is released. It charts no higher than #30 but sells steadily and becomes an acknowledged classic. 1971: "Signs" is released by Five Man Electrical Band. It goes on to top the Canadian charts and becomes the band's biggest single. July 11 1979: Los Angeles' Bruin Theatre hosts the premiere of "Rust Never Sleeps", a concert film directed by Neil Young and featuring Crazy Horse. 2004: 3 Canadian rocker chicks played the Prince's Trust Concert in London's Hyde Park, Avril Lavigne, Alanis Morisette and Nelly Furtado.
July 12
July 13 1959: Paul Anka's "Lonely Boy" reaches number on the Billboard charts, where it remains for four weeks. 1993: At the All-Star baseball game in Baltimore, Rush's Geddy Lee, a big Jays fan, sings "Oh Canada." 2004: Goddo's self titled debut, AN ACT OF GODDO and WHO CARES? are all re-released on CD on Bullseye Canada, same time as the new album, KINGS OF THE STONED AGE.
July 14 1979: Joni Mitchell's collaboration with jazz bass player and bandleader Charles Mingus, simply titled Mingus, is released a half-year after his death.
July 15 2004: The Frank open for Default on the opening night of the 3-day BIG A$$ Border Bash in Cold Lake, AB. 2006: Local sensations Jawanamon play in Cold Lake in front of hundreds of screaming fans, where they back up Tupelo Honey and Default.
July 16 1975: Neil Young's TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT lp is released. It's inspired by and dedicated to a pair of musical acquaintances who died of drug overdoses. One look at the album cover tells anyone he might have been doing something those days himself. 2004: Loverboy headlines the second night of the Big A$$ Border Bash in Cold Lake, AB. The all-Canadian festival is generally regarded as one of the best in the country for years, and is highlighted when The Stampeders's encore is interrupted by a mistimed Air Force skydiver demo.
July 17
July 18 1995: Neil Young forms Vapor Records with his manager, Elliot Roberts.
July 18 2007: Kim Mitchell holds a CD release party at Toronto's Hard Rock Cafe for AIN'T LIFE AMAZING, his first new studio release since '99's KIMOSABE.
July 20 1974: Andy Kim releases "Rock Me Gently," his biggest single success.
July 21 1988: The Parachute Club plays its final concert on July 21 at Toronto's Ontario Place. 1990: Bryan Adams, Joni Mitchell and The Band are among those performing in Roger Waters' performance of The Wall, at the site of the Berlin Wall. 1999: MP3.com goes public with an IPO. The stock price soars, making spokesperson Alanis Morissette worth nearly $42 million. She later sells off a portion of her holding in the company after the stock's value dips. 2005: Merqury, a Queen tribute act featuring Canadian Johnny Zatylny headline The Great Canadian Patio Party in Cold Lake, AB with Thunderstruck, argued as Canada's best AC/DC knockoff.
July 23 1954: The Crew Cuts reached the top spot of the Billboard pop singles chart with "Sh-Boom", a song that many consider to be the premier forerunner of 1950s Rock and Roll. The tune stayed at the top for seven weeks. 1963: Neil Young's first band The Esquires cut their first recording session in Winnipeg.
July 25 1969: New York's Fillmore East is the scene as Neil Young appears with Crosby, Stills and Nash for the first time. 1987: Dan Hill releases "Can't We Try" 1994: Neil Young releases SLEEPS WITH ANGELS. The record's harder-edged sound nods to Seattle grunge-rockers and pays tribute to the late Kurt Cobain.
July 27 1974: Paul Anka releases "You're Having My Baby," a duet with Odia Coates. 1991: Bryan Adams tops Billboard's charts with "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)" from the Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves soundtrack. It also becomes the first British chart topper by a Canadian. 2001: Bill Wade, drummer for Moxy dies of cancer. 2003: Shania Twain performs at Hutchinson Field in Chicago, her first concert in the United States since releasing her album UP. Amazingly, she still has a hot bod after having the kid, and the show becomes a live DVD.
July 28 1975: Bachman Turner Overdrive kick off their first Canadian tour in Regina, SK. 1989: The Anne Murray Centre opens in her hometown of Springhill, NS.
July 29 2005: Lee Aaron releases her BEAUTIFUL THING disc.
July 30 2003: Toronto hosts a one-day festival to revive the city's tourism industry following an outbreak of the SARS virus. Featured performers include Rush, along with Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Justin Timberlake and close to a dozen others. An estimated 450,000 people attend.
July 31 1968: The Newport Pop Festival begins in Costa Mesa, California. 100,000 fans come out to hear Steppenwolf, along with Sonny & Cher, Tiny Tim, Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead, The Byrds, Iron Butterfly and The Animals.
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