This Day in Music History
February 26

Copyright © 2006-2024 Ken Polsson
internet e-mail: ken@kpolsson.com
URL: http://kpolsson.com/thisday/music/
(this URL will automatically re-direct to the file containing a single day's events)

What happened in history on this day: February 26?

On February 26 in ...

  • 1917 - The Original Dixieland Jass Band records the first ever jazz record for the Victor Talking Machine Company in New York.
  • 1954 - Michigan Representative Ruth Thompson (Republican) introduces legislation to ban mailing "obscene, lewd, lascivious or filthy" phonograph (rock and roll) records.
  • 1983 - Michael Jackson's Thriller album goes to number one on chart and stays there for 37 weeks.
  • 1985 - CBS live telecasts the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences presentation of the 27th Annual Grammy Awards.
    • Record of the Year: Tina Turner for "What's Love Got To Do With It";
    • Album of the Year: Lionel Richie and James Anthony Carmichael for "Can't Slow Down";
    • Song of the Year: Graham Lyle and Terry Britten for "What's Love Got To Do With It";
    • Best New Artist: Cyndi Lauper;
    • Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female: Tina Turner for "What's Love Got To Do With It";
    • Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male: Phil Collins for "Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now)";
    • Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: The Pointer Sisters for "Jump (For My Love)";
    • Best Pop Instrumental Performance: Ray Parker, Jr. for "Ghostbusters";
    • Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female: Tina Turner for "Better Be Good To Me";
    • Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male: Bruce Springsteen for "Dancing In The Dark";
    • Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: Prince and The Revolution for "Purple Rain - Music From The Motion Picture";
    • Best Rock Instrumental Performance: Yes for "Cinema";
    • Best Rhythm and Blues Vocal Performance, Female: Chaka Khan for "I Feel For You";
    • Best Rhythm and Blues Vocal Performance, Male: Billy Ocean for "Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run)";
    • Best Rhythm and Blues Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: James Ingram and Michael McDonald for "Yah Mo B There";
    • Best Rhythm and Blues Instrumental Performance: Herbie Hancock for "Sound System";
    • Best Rhythm and Blues Song: Prince for "I Feel For You";
    • Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Vocal or Instrumental: Pat Metheny Group for "First Circle";
    • Best Country Vocal Performance, Female: Emmylou Harris for "In My Dreams";
    • Best Country Vocal Performance, Male: Merle Haggard for "That's The Way Love Goes";
    • Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: The Judds for "Mama He's Crazy";
    • Best Country Instrumental Performance: Ricky Skaggs for "Wheel Hoss";
    • Best Country Song: Steve Goodman for "City Of New Orleans";
    • Best Gospel Performance, Female: Amy Grant for "Angels";
    • Best Gospel Performance, Male: Michael W. Smith for "Michael W. Smith";
    • Best Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group: Debby Boone and Phil Driscoll for "Keep The Flame Burning";
    • Best Soul Gospel Performance, Female: Shirley Caesar for "Sailin'";
    • Best Soul Gospel Performance, Male: Andrae Crouch for "Always Remember";
    • Best Soul Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group: Shirley Caesar and Al Green for "Sailin' On The Sea Of Your Love";
    • Best Inspirational Performance: Donna Summer for "Forgive Me";
    • Best Latin Pop Performance: Placido Domingo for "Always In My Heart (Siempre En Mi Corazon)";
    • Best Tropical Latin Performance: Eddie Palmieri for "Palo Pa Rumba";
    • Best Mexican-American Performance: Luis Miguel and Sheena Easton for "Me Gustas Tal Como Eres";
    • Best Traditional Blues Recording: J.B. Hutto And The New Hawks, John Hammond, Koko Taylor And The Blues Machine, Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson, Stevie Ray Vaughan And Double Trouble, and Sugar Blue for "Blues Explosion";
    • Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording: Elizabeth Cotten for "Elizabeth Cotten Live!";
    • Best Reggae Recording: Black Uhuru for "Anthem";
    • Best Recording for Children: Shel Silverstein and Ron Haffkine for "Where The Sidewalk Ends";
    • Best Comedy Recording: Weird Al Yankovic for "Eat It";
    • Best Spoken Word or Non-musical Recording: Ben Kingsley for "The Words Of Gandhi";
    • Best Instrumental Composition: John Williams for "Olympic Fanfare and Theme", and Randy Newman for "The Natural";
    • Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special: John L. Nelson, Lisa Coleman, Prince, and Wendy Melvoin for "Purple Rain";
    • Best Cast Show Album: Stephen Sondheim and Thomas Z. Shepard for "Sunday In The Park With George";
    • Best Video, Short Form: David Bowie for "David Bowie";
    • Best Video Album: Michael Jackson for "Making Michael Jackson's Thriller";
    • Best Jazz Vocal Performance: Joe Williams for "Nothin' But The Blues";
    • Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist: Wynton Marsalis for "Hot House Flowers";
    • Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group: Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers for "New York Scene";
    • Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band: Count Basie for "88 Basie Street";
    • Best Arrangement on an Instrumental: Jeremy Lubbock and Quincy Jones for "Grace (Gymnastics Theme)";
    • Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s): David Foster and Jeremy Lubbock for "Hard Habit To Break";
    • Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices: Pointer Sisters for "Automatic";
    • Best Album Package: Janet Perr for "She's So Unusual";
    • Best Album Notes: Gunther Schuller and Martin Williams for "Big Band Jazz";
    • Best Historical Album: J.R. Taylor for "Big Band Jazz";
    • Best Engineered Recording - non-classical: Humberto Gatica for "17";
    • Producer of the Year (non-classical): James Anthony Carmichael and Lionel Richie, and David Foster;
    • Best Classical Album: Neville Marriner and John Strauss for "Amadeus";
    • Best Classical Orchestral Recording: Leonard Slatkin and Jay David Saks for "Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 In B Flat";
    • Best Opera Recording: Faith Esham, Julia Migenes, Placido Domingo, Ruggero Raimondi, Lorin Maazel, and Michel Glotz for "Bizet: Carmen";
    • Best Choral Performance (other than opera): James Levine and Margaret Hillis for "Brahms: A German Requiem";
    • Best Classical Performance - Instrumental Soloist or Soloists (with orchestra): Wynton Marsalis for "Wynton Marsalis-Edita Gruberova-Handel, Purcell, Etc,";
    • Best Classical Performance - Instrumental Soloist or Soloists (without orchestra): Yo-Yo Ma for "Bach: The Unaccompanied Cello Suites";
    • Best Chamber Music Performance: The Juilliard String Quartet for "Beethoven: The Late String Quartets";
    • Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance: Jose Van Dam, Jessye Norman, and Heather Harper for "Ravel: Songs Of Maurice Ravel";
    • Best New Classical Composition: Samuel Barber for "Barber: Antony And Cleopatra";
    • Best Engineered Recording, Classical: Paul Goodman for "Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 In B Flat, Op. 100";
    • Classical Producer of the Year: Steven Epstein;
    • Lifetime Achievement Award: Leonard Bernstein.

  • 1997 - CBS live telecasts the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences presentation of the 39th Annual Grammy Awards.
    • Record of the Year: Eric Clapton for "Change The World";
    • Album of the Year: Celine Dion, Aldo Nova, Billy Steinberg, Dan Hill, David Foster, Humberto Gatica, Jean-Jacques Goldman, Jeff Bova, Jim Steinman, John Jones, Ric Wake, Rick Hahn, Rick Nowels, Roy Bittan, and Steven Rinkoff for "Falling Into You";
    • Song of the Year: Gordon Kennedy, Tommy Sims and Wayne Kirkpatrick for "Change The World";
    • Best New Artist: LeAnn Rimes;
    • Best Female Pop Vocal Performance: Toni Braxton for "Un-Break My Heart";
    • Best Male Pop Vocal Performance: Eric Clapton for "Change The World";
    • Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: The Beatles for "Free As A Bird";
    • Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals: Natalie Cole and Nat King Cole for "When I Fall In Love";
    • Best Pop Instrumental Performance: Béla Fleck and The Flecktones for "The Sinister Minister";
    • Best Pop Album: Celine Dion for "Falling Into You";
    • Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance: Tony Bennett for "Here's To The Ladies";
    • Best Female Rock Vocal Performance: Sheryl Crow for "If It Makes You Happy";
    • Best Male Rock Vocal Performance: Beck for "Where It's At";
    • Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: Dave Matthews Band for "So Much To Say";
    • Best Hard Rock Performance: The Smashing Pumpkins for "Bullet With Butterfly Wings";
    • Best Metal Performance: Rage Against The Machine for "Tire Me";
    • Best Rock Instrumental Performance: Jimmie Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, Robert Cray, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Dr. John and Art Neville for "SRV Shuffle";
    • Best Rock Song: Tracy Chapman for "Give Me One Reason";
    • Best Rock Album: Sheryl Crow for "Sheryl Crow";
    • Best Alternative Music Performance: Beck for "Odelay";
    • Best Female Ryhthm and Blues Vocal Performance: Toni Braxton for "You're Makin' Me High";
    • Best Male Ryhthm and Blues Vocal Performance: Luther Vandross for "Your Secret Love";
    • Best Ryhthm and Blues Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: Fugees for "Killing Me Softly With His Song";
    • Best Rhythm and Blues Song: Babyface for "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)";
    • Best Ryhthm and Blues Album: The Tony Rich Project for "Words";
    • Best Rap Solo Performance: LL Cool J for "Hey Lover";
    • Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony for "Tha Crossroads";
    • Best Rap Album: Fugees for "The Score";
    • Best Female Country Vocal Performance: LeAnn Rimes for "Blue";
    • Best Male Country Vocal Performance: Vince Gill for "Worlds Apart";
    • Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group: Brooks and Dunn for "My Maria";
    • Best Country Collaboration with Vocals: Vince Gill Featuring Alison Krauss and Union Station for "High Lonesome Sound";
    • Best Country Instrumental Performance: Chet Atkins for "Jam Man";
    • Best Country Song: Bill Mack for "Blue";
    • Best Country Album: Lyle Lovett, Billy Williams and Lyle Lovett for "The Road To Ensenada";
    • Best Bluegrass Album: Todd Phillips for "True Life Blues - The Songs Of Bill Monroe";
    • Best New Age Album: Enya for "The Memory Of Trees";
    • Best Contemporary Jazz Performance: Wayne Shorter for "High Life";
    • Best Jazz Vocal Performance: Cassandra Wilson for "New Moon Daughter";
    • Best Jazz Instrumental Solo: Michael Brecker for "Cabin Fever";
    • Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual or Group: Michael Brecker for "Tales From The Hudson";
    • Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance: Grover Mitchell for "Live At Manchester Craftsmen's Guild";
    • Best Latin Jazz Performance: Paquito D'Rivera for "Portraits Of Cuba";
    • Best Rock Gospel Album: dc Talk for "Jesus Freak";
    • Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album: Neal Joseph and Norman Miller for "Tribute - The Songs Of Andrae Crouch";
    • Best Southern Gospel, Country Gospel or Bluegrass Gospel Album: Andy Griffith for "I Love To Tell The Story - 25 Timeless Hymns";
    • Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album: Cissy Houston for "Face To Face";
    • Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album: Kirk Franklin and The Family for "Whatcha Lookin' 4";
    • Best Gospel Album by a Choir or Chorus: Shirley Caesar's Outreach Convention Choir for "Just A Word";
    • Best Latin Pop Performance: Enrique Iglesias for "Enrique Iglesias";
    • Best Tropical Latin Performance: Rubén Blades for "La Rosa De Los Vientos";
    • Best Mexican-American/Tejano Music Performance: La Mafia for "Un Millon De Rosas";
    • Best Traditional Blues Album: James Cotton for "Deep In The Blues";
    • Best Contemporary Blues Album: Keb' Mo' for "Just Like You";
    • Best Traditional Folk Album: Pete Seeger for "Pete";
    • Best Contemporary Folk Album: Bruce Springsteen for "The Ghost Of Tom Joad";
    • Best Reggae Album: Bunny Wailer for "Hall Of Fame - A Tribute To Bob Marley's 50th Anniversary";
    • Best World Music Album: The Chieftains for "Santiago";
    • Best Polka Album: Jimmy Sturr for "Polka! All Night Long";
    • Best Musical Album for Children: Linda Ronstadt and George Massenburg for "Dedicated To The One I Love";
    • Best Spoken Word Album for Children: David Holt, Steven Heller and Virginia Callaway for "Stellaluna";
    • Best Spoken Word or Non-musical Album: Hillary Rodham Clinton for "It Takes A Village";
    • Best Spoken Comedy Album: Al Franken for "Rush Limbaugh Is A Big Fat Idiot";
    • Best Musical Show Album: Bill Whelan for "Riverdance";
    • Best Instrumental Composition: Herbie Hancock for "Manhattan (Island Of Lights And Love)";
    • Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television: David Arnold for "Independence Day";
    • Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television: Diane Warren for "Because You Loved Me";
    • Best Instrumental Arrangement: Michael Kamen for "An American Symphony (Mr. Holland's Opus)";
    • Best Instrumental Arrangement with Accompanying Vocal(s): Alan Broadbent and David Foster for "When I Fall In Love";
    • Best Recording Package: Andy Engel and Tommy Steele for "Ultra-Lounge (Leopard Skin Sampler)";
    • Best Recording Package - Boxed: Arnold Levine and Chika Azuma for "The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings";
    • Best Album Notes: Bill Kirchner, Bob Belden, George Avakian and Phil Schaap for "The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings";
    • Best Historical Album: Bob Belden, Phil Schaap, Mark Wilder and Phil Schaap for "The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings";
    • Best Engineered Album - Non-classical: Al Schmitt, Bruce Swedien, Francis Buckley and Tommy Vicari for "Q's Jook Joint";
    • Producer of the Year: Babyface;
    • Best Classical Engineered Recording: Lawrence Rock and William Hoekstra for "Copland: Dance Symphony; Short Symphony; Organ Symphony";
    • Classical Producer of the Year: Joanna Nickrenz for "Joanna Nickrenz";
    • Best Classical Album: Leonard Slatkin and Joanna Nickrenz for "Corigliano: Of Rage And Remembrance";
    • Best Orchestral Performance: Michael Tilson Thomas for "Prokofiev: Romeo And Juliet (Scenes From The Ballet)";
    • Best Opera Recording: Richard Hickox, Philip Langridge, Alan Opie and Janice Watson for "Britten: Peter Grimes";
    • Best Choral Performance: Andrew Litton, Neville Creed, and David Hill for "Walton: Belshazzar's Feast";
    • Best Instrumental Soloist(s) performance (with orchestra): Yefim Bronfman for "Bartók: The Three Piano Concertos";
    • Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without orchestra): Earl Wild for "The Romantic Master - Works Of Saint-Saens, Handel";
    • Best Chamber Music Performance: Cleveland Quartet for "Corigliano: String Quartet";
    • Best Small Ensemble Performance (with or without conductor): Pierre Boulez and Ensemble Intercontemporain for "Boulez: ...Explosante-Fixe...";
    • Best Classical Vocal Performance: Bryn Terfel for "Opera Arias - Works Of Mozart, Wagner, Borodin";
    • Best Classical Contemporary Composition: John Corigliano for "Corigliano: String Quartet";
    • Best Music Video, Short Form: The Beatles, Joe Pytka, and Vincent Joliet for "Free As A Bird";
    • Best Music Video, Long Form: The Beatles, Bob Smeaton, Geoff Wonfor, Chips Chipperfield and Neil Aspinall for "The Beatles Anthology".

  • 1997 - Geddy Lee, Neil Peart, and Alex Lifeson of Canadian music group Rush become the first rock musicians to be inducted into the Order of Canada.

Births on February 26

  • 1879 - Birth of Frank Bridge; English violinist/composer/conductor/tutor of B Britten.
  • 1902 - Birth of Rudolf Moralt; German conductor (Vienna Philharmonic).
  • 1928 - Birth of Antoine "Fats" Domino in New Orleans, Louisiana; rhythm and blues pianist/singer ("Blueberry Hill").
  • 1930 - Birth of Lazar Berman in Leningrad, Russia; pianist (Budapest third place-1956).
  • 1932 - Birth of Johnny Cash in Kingsdale, Arkansas, USA; country singer (Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two - "I Walk the Line" (1956), "Ring of Fire", "A Boy Named Sue", "Folsom Prison Blues").
  • 1943 - Birth of Paul Cotton in Los Angeles, California, USA; rocker (Poco).
  • 1945 - Birth of Bob Hite in Torrance, California, USA; rock musician (Canned Heat - "On the Road Again", "Going Up the Country", "Let's Work Together").
  • 1945 - Birth of Mitch Ryder; rocker (Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels - "Devil With the Blue Dress").
  • 1947 - Birth of Sandi Shaw [Sandra Goodrich] in Dagenham, Essex, England; rocker ("Always Something There To Remind Me").
  • 1950 - Birth of Jonathan Cain in Chicago, Illinois, USA; rock guitarist/keyboardist (Journey, Bad English, Babys).
  • 1953 - Birth of Michael Bolton in New Haven, Connecticut, USA; rock vocalist ("How Am I Supposed To Live Without You", "That's What Love Is All About").
  • 1953 - Birth of Jim Crichton; bassist-keyboardist (Saga - "Wind Him Up", "On the Loose").
  • 1972 - Birth of Rico Wade; rhythm and blues singer (Society of Soul).
  • 1975 - Birth of Kyle Norman; singer (Jagged Edge).

Deaths on February 26

  • 1981 - Howard Hanson, American composer/conductor (Nordic), dies at age 84 (born 1896).
  • 1982 - Gabor Szabo, Hungarian jazz pianist (Perfect Circle), dies at age 45.
  • 1990 - Death of Cornelius Gunter at age 53, shot twice in the head in his car in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; musician (Coasters, Poison Ivy).
  • 1990 - Scott Jarvis, musician (Great Expectations), dies.

vvv advertisement vvv

^^^ advertisement ^^^

You can pick a particular day to view that day's events in history.

Bookmark this URL:   http://kpolsson.com/thisday/music/   and revisit each day. (this URL will automatically re-direct to the file containing the current day's events)

Or, visit my Timelines of History page.

Copyright © 2006-2024 Ken Polsson (email: ken@kpolsson.com).
URL: http://kpolsson.com/thisday/music/
Link to Ken P's home page.


vvv advertisement vvv

^^^ advertisement ^^^
History Timelines Postage Stamps Today in History
PCs Video Games Timeline Today
Amiga World Silly This Day
Apple Space Coins Sports
Commodore 64 Impacts Corvettes Disney
Processors Sports Cruise Ships USA
Corvettes Gambling Disney Music
World War II Weather Errors PC and Game
Sweden Earthquakes Novelties TV and Movies
A&W USA Births Finder Anniversaries
A&W Canada Deaths
Postage Stamps Dow Jones Coins Chevrolet Corvettes
Walt Disney Co. Television Timeline: Canada Timeline
Disneyland Cruise Ships Timeline: USA Racing Success
Walt Disney World Oak Island Timeline: World On Stamps
Disney Cruise Line Killing JFK Novelties Pop Culture
Canada coins On Stamps
USA coins Other
World coins Mug Shots(A&W)
Stuff For Sale

Privacy Policy

kpolsson.com does not collect or share personal information. I have better things to do. There are links to advertiser sites that are beyond my control, from which I may receive a placement fee or a sale commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.