TODAY IN MUSIC HISTORY: NWA arrested

In 1813, composer Richard Wagner was born in Leipzig, Germany.

In 1955, police in Bridgeport, Conn., cancelled a dance that featured Fats Domino. Authorities were worried that rock ‘n’ roll music could cause a riot.

In 1958, singer Jerry Lee Lewis announced his marriage to his 13-yearold cousin, Myra, as he arrived in London. The resulting controversy caused Lewis to be booed off stage and forced the cancellation of all but three of the 37 scheduled concerts on his British tour. It would take years for Lewis’ career to recover.

In 1966, Bruce Springsteen and his band, “The Castiles,” recorded two songs co-written by Springsteen. The recordings, Springsteen’s first, were never released. He and “The Castiles” did, however, perform several dates at New York’s “Cafe Wha” the following year.

In 1979, “Cheap Trick’s” “Live at Budokan” LP was certified gold in the U.S. It eventually sold more than one million copies, delaying the release of the followup album, “Dream Police.”

In 1989, independent record promoter Ralph Tashjian became the first person ever convicted under the U.S. payola law. He pleaded guilty in Los Angeles to distributing cash and cocaine to a radio station in order to get airplay on records by Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello and Laura Branigan. The artists did not know of Tashjian’s illegal activities.

In 1992, members of the rap group “NWA” were arrested after a brawl in a New Orleans hotel lobby. Police on horseback were brought in to control the fighting, which involved about 50 people. Police said the battle started when some of the rappers and their entourage were denied entry to the hotel because they didn’t have passes.

In 1992, Ringo Starr released “Time Takes Time,” his first studio album in nine years. To promote it, Starr toured with an all-star band that included his son Zak on drums, along with Burton Cummings, Dave Edmunds and Todd Rundgren.

In 1993, more than 40,000 fans packed a heavily-secured park along Tel Aviv’s beachfront to see “Guns N’ Roses” kick off a 15-country European tour. Tickets were $43 — the highest ever price for a rock concert in Israel.

In 1996, Garth Brooks celebrated his 60 millionth album sold with a 1960s themed party in Nashville. The Recording Industry Association of America said Brooks was the bestselling country artist of all-time, and second to “The Beatles” among all artists in the U.S.

In 2005, “Mamma Mia!,” the longest-running show in the 98-year history of Toronto’s Royal Alexandra Theatre, ended after 2,044 performances and $200 million in ticket sales.