Friday, December 27, 2013

DECEMBER ANNIVERSARIES

DECEMBER 31
  • 1967 – The Youth International Party, popularly known as the "Yippies", is founded.
  • 1961 - The Pendletones made their live debut using their new name, the Beach Boys, when they appeared at Long Beach Civic Auditorium, California, at the Ritchie Valens Memorial Dance, headlined by Ike & Tina Turner
  • 1963 - The Kinks made their live debut at the Lotus House Restaurant, London
  • 1982 - Closed: Max's Kansas City in New York City.
  • 1985 - Ricky Nelson was killed when his charted light aircraft crashein Texas.

DECEMBER 30 
  • 1948 – The Cole Porter Broadway musical, Kiss Me, Kate (1,077 performances), opens at the New Century Theatre and becomes the first show to win the Best Musical Tony Award.
  • 1969 - Peter Tork left The Monkees.
  • 1978 - Disbanded: Emerson Lake and Palmer.
  • 1999 - George Harrison was stabbed in the chest when an intruder broke into their his home in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. Harrison's wife, Olivia, hit the attacker with a poker and a heavy lamp.
DECEMBER 29 
  • 1914 – A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, the first novel by James Joyce, is serialized in The Egoist.
  • 1949 – KC2XAK of Bridgeport, Connecticut becomes the first Ultra high frequency (UHF) television station to operate a daily schedule.
  • 1966 - UK TV debut for The Jimi Hendrix Experience on 'Top Of The Pops.'
  • 1967 - Dave Mason quits the band Traffic (For the first time).
  • 1980 - Died: Tim Hardin, of a heroin overdose
DECEMBER 28 
  • 1971 - George Harrison was at No.1 on the US singles chart with "My Sweet Lord" b/w "Isn't It A Pity"
  • 1978 - At the age of 27, Big Star guitarist Chris Bell was killed after his car crashed into a telephone pole.
  • 1993 - Married: Canadian singer Shania Twain and record producer Mutt Lange.
DECEMBER 27 
  • 1831 – Charles Darwin embarks on his journey aboard the HMS Beagle, during which he will begin to formulate the theory of evolution.
  • 1927 – Show Boat, considered to be the first true American musical play, opens at the Ziegfeld Theatre on Broadway.
  • 1932 – Radio City Music Hall, "Showplace of the Nation,"  opens in New York, New York.
DECEMBER 26
  • 1871 – Gilbert and Sullivan collaborate for the first time, on their lost opera, Thespis. It does modestly well, but the two would not collaborate again for four years.
  • 1919 – Babe Ruth of the Boston Red Sox is sold to the New York Yankees by owner Harry Frazee.
  • 1963 – The Beatles' first Capitol 45, "I Want to Hold Your Hand" b/w "I Saw Her Standing There", are released in the United States.

DECEMBER 25
  • 1815 – The Handel and Haydn Society, oldest continuously performing arts organization in the United States, gives its first performance.
  • 1968 - Led Zeppelin arrive in the U.S. for their first stateside tour.
  • Died on Christmas Day: 1995 – Dean Martin, 1998 – Bryan MacLean, 2005 – Birgit Nilsson, 2006 – James Brown, 2008 – Eartha Kitt, 2009 – Vic Chesnutt, 2011 – Jim Sherwood.

DECEMBER 24
  • 1826 – The Eggnog Riot at the United States Military Academy begins that night, wrapping up the following morning.
  • 1851 – Library of Congress burns.
  • 1871 – Aida opens in Cairo, Egypt.
  • 1906 – Radio: Reginald Fessenden transmits the first radio broadcast; consisting of a poetry reading, a violin solo, and a speech.
  • 1913 – The Italian Hall disaster ("1913 Massacre") in Calumet, Michigan, results in the death of 73 Christmas party goers held by striking mine workers, including 59 children.
  • 1954 - Singer Johnny Ace accidentally shot himself dead backstage at the City Auditorium in Houston, Texas.


DECEMBER 23
  • 1964 - While on tour, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys had a nervous breakdown during a flight from Los Angeles to Houston

DECEMBER 22
  • 2002 - Former Clash singer and guitarist Joe Strummer (John Graham Mellor) died of a suspected heart attack aged 50.
DECEMBER 21
  • 1969 - The Supremes made their last TV appearance together with Diana Ross on 'The Ed Sullivan show', singing their last No.1 'Someday We'll Be Together.'
  • 1970 - Elvis Presley visits President Richard Nixon at the White House.
  • 2005 - Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish became the first gay celebrities to register their relationship as a civil partnership.
  • 2012 - Paul Simon performed his classic track The Sound of Silence at the funeral of a teacher who died in the school shooting in Connecticut on 14 December of this year.
DECEMBER 20
  • 1967 - Folk singer Joan Baez was sentenced to 45 days in prison after being arrested during an anti-war demonstration.
DECEMBER 19
  • 1957 - Elvis Presley had his draft notice served on him for the US Army.
  • 1969 - Mick Jagger was fined £200 plus 50 guineas costs at Marlborough Magistrates Court for illegal possession of cannabis.
DECEMBER 18
  • 1966 - Tara Browne was killed when driving at high speed in his Lotus Elan after it collided with a parked lorry in South Kensington, London
  • 1971 - Divorced: Jerry Lee Lewis and his wife Myra.
  • 1983 - Rolling Stones' guitarist Keith Richards married 27-year old Patti Hansen on his 40th birthday.
DECEMBER 17
  • 1962 - Bob Dylan arrived in England for the first time.
  • 1963 - James Carroll at WWDC in Washington, D.C.
  • 1971 - David Bowie released his fourth album Hunky Dory, became the first disc jockey to broadcast a Beatles record on American radio.
  • 1977 - The first record buyer to receive a Gold Disc -Mr. David Ackroyd -for purchasing the one-millionth copy of Wings' 'Mull Of Kintyre', by Wings in the UK.
  • 1977 - George Harrison played an unannounced live set for the regulars at his local pub in Henley-On-Thames near his home in the UK.

DECEMBER 16
  • 1965 - The Beatles' single, 'Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out,' became their ninth UK No.1 and their third Christmas chart topper in a row.
  • 1966 - The Jimi Hendrix Experience's debut single,'Hey Joe', was released in the UK on Polydor records.
  • 1971 - Frank Zappa's movie, '200 Motels,'opened at London's Piccadilly Classic Cinema in the UK.
  • 1974 - Rolling Stones' guitarist Mick Taylor announced he was leaving the band after five and a half years.
DECEMBER 15
  • 1944 - Hank Williams married Audrey Sheppard
  • 1969 - John Lennon's final gig in the UK: UNICEF 'Peace For Christmas' benefit.
  • 1977 - The Sex Pistols were refused entry into the USA two days before a scheduled NBC TV appearance.
 
DECEMBER 14
  • 1962 - Bill Wyman made his live debut with The Rollin' (sic)Stones.
  • 1969 - The Jackson Five made their first network television appearance in the US when they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show.

DECEMBER 13
  • 1966 - Jimi Hendrix made his TV debut on ITV's 'Ready Steady Go!' (Marc Bolan was also on the show).
  • 1974 - George Jones leaves Tammy Wynette permanently
DECEMBER 12
  • 1957 - Jerry Lee Lewis secretly marries his 13-year-old cousin Myra Brown in Hernando, Mississippi, though he is not yet divorced from his second wife.
  • 1955 - Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley all appeared at the National Guard Armory, Armory, Mississippi.
  • 1970 - The Doors, with Jim Morrison, played what would be their last ever live show when they played at the Warehouse in New Orleans.
  • 2003 - Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stone became a Sir after being knighted by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace.

DECEMBER 11
  • 1934 – Bill Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, takes his last drink and enters treatment for the last time.
  • 1964 - Soul singer Sam Cooke was shot dead at the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles, California
  • 1968 – The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, featuring the Rolling Stones, Jethro Tull, the Who, Taj Mahal, Marianne Faithfull, and the Dirty Mac (John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards on bass, Mitch Mitchell, with Yoko Ono), is filmed in Wembley, London.
  • 1982 - The Jam played their last ever gig as a band when they appeared in Brighton, England.


DECEMBER 10
  • 1684 – Isaac Newton's derivation of Kepler's laws from his theory of gravity, contained in the paper De motu corporum in gyrum, is read to the Royal Society by Edmund Halley.
  • 1884 – Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is published for the first time.
  • 1927 – The phrase "Grand Ole Opry" is used for the first time on-air.
  • 1949 - Fats Domino recorded his first tracks for Imperial Records.
  • 1965 – The Grateful Dead's first concert performance under this new name.
  • 1967 - Otis Redding was killed in a plane crash, aged 26.
  • 1971 - Playing the first of two scheduled nights at London's Rainbow Theatre, Frank Zappa was pushed off stage by jealous boyfriend Trevor Howell.
  • 1973 - The CBGB Club (Country, BlueGrass, and Blues), opened in the lower eastside of New York City.
  • 1999 - Rick Danko died in his sleep at his home near Woodstock, New York
  • 2005 - Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood marry at their home in Owasso, Oklahoma.
DECEMBER 9
  • 1935 – Walter Liggett, American newspaper editor and muckraker, is killed in a gangland murder.
  • 1958 – The John Birch Society is founded in the United States.
  • 1966 - Supergroup Cream released their debut studio album 'Fresh Cream' in the U.K.
  • 1967 - The Doors appeared at the New Haven Arena, New Haven, Connecticut. Before the show a policeman found singer Jim Morrison making out with an 18 year-old girl in a backstage shower and after an argument the policeman sprays mace in Morrison’s face. Morrison tells the story of the backstage episode on stage, taunts the police. They drag him off the stage and arrest him.
  • 1992 - George Harrison was the recipient of the first Century Award, presented by Tom Petty at the third Billboard Music Awards in Universal City, California.
  • 1996 - Faron Young shoots himself in the head in Nashville, apparently distraught over his slumping career. He dies a day later.
  • 2005 - The movie "Brokeback Mountain" opens in theaters.
 
DECEMBER 8
  • 1813 – Premier of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony.
  • 1961 - "Surfin'," the Beach Boys first single, was released on Candix Records, a small label based in Los Angeles.
  • 1963 - Frank Sinatra, Jr., was kidnapped at gunpoint from a hotel in Lake Tahoe.
  • 1980 – John Lennon is murdered by a deranged fan in front of his home at The Dakota in New York City.
  • 1982 - Marty Robbins dies in Nashville of a heart attack just two months after his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
 
DECEMBER 7
  • 1869 – American outlaw Jesse James commits his first confirmed bank robbery in Gallatin, Missouri.
  • 1930 – W1XAV in Boston, Massachusetts telecasts video from the CBS radio orchestra program, The Fox Trappers. The telecast also includes the first television commercial in the United States, an advertisement for I.J. Fox Furriers, who sponsored the radio show.
  • 1963 - The Singing Nun started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Dominique.'
  • 1964 - Beach Boy Brian Wilson married Marilyn Rovell in L.A.
  • 1967 - Otis Redding went into the studio to record '(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay.'
  • 1967 - The Beatles Apple boutique on 94 Baker Street, London, opened its doors.
  • 1999 – A&M Records, Inc. v. Napster, Inc.: The Recording Industry Association of America sues the peer-to-peer file-sharing service Napster, alleging copyright infringement.

DECEMBER 6
  • 1949 - American blues artist Huddie William Ledbetter (aka Lead Belly) died.
  • 1961, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Pete Best met with Brian Epstein for further discussions about his proposal to manage them.
  • 1964 - The film 'Ferry Cross The Mersey' premiered in London.
  • 1965 - The Rolling Stones record '19th Nervous Breakdown' and 'Mother's Little Helper' at RCA's Hollywood Studios in Los Angeles.
  • 1969 - The Rolling Stones played a free festival at Altamont in California, along with Jefferson Airplane, Santana, The Flying Burrito Brothers and Crosby Stills Nash & Young.
  • 1988 - Recording begins for The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's "Will The Circle Be Unbroken, Volume 2"
  • 1988 - American singer songwriter Roy Orbison died of a heart attack aged 52.
  • 2003 - Elvis Costello married jazz artist Diana Krall in a ceremony at Elton John's UK mansion.

DECEMBER 5
  • 1492 – Christopher Columbus becomes the first European to set foot on the island of Hispaniola (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic).
  • 1766 – In London, James Christie holds his first sale.
  • 1848 – California Gold Rush: In a message to the U.S. Congress, U.S. President James K. Polk confirms that large amounts of gold had been discovered in California.
  • 1955 – E.D. Nixon and Rosa Parks lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
  • 1960 - Paul McCartney and Pete Best were arrested for pinning a condom to a brick wall and then igniting it
  • 1968 - The release of The Rolling Stones’ new album Beggar’s Banquet, was celebrated at a party in London.
  • 2000 - Lost Highway releases the soundtrack to "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"


DECEMBER 4
  • 1956 – The Million Dollar Quartet (Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash) get together at Sun Studios for the first and last time
  • 1971 – The Montreux Casino in Switzerland is set ablaze by someone wielding a flare gun during a Frank Zappa concert; the incident would be noted in the Deep Purple song "Smoke on the Water."
  • 1976 - American guitarist Tommy Bolin (Deep Purple) died from a heroin overdose aged 25
  • 1980 – English rock group Led Zeppelin officially disbands, following the death of drummer John Bonham on September 25th.
  • 1991 – Pan Am goes bankrupt and ceases operations.
  • 1993 - Frank Zappa died of prostrate cancer.
DECEMBER 3
  • 1927 – 'Putting Pants on Philip,' the first Laurel and Hardy film, is released.
  • 1960 – The musical 'Camelot' debuted at the Majestic Theatre on Broadway, and would become associated with the Kennedy administration.
  • 1961 - Brian Epstein invited the members of local Liverpool beat combo The Beatles into his office to discuss the possibility of becoming their manager.
  • 1966 - Ray Charles was given a five year suspended prison sentence and a $10,000 fine after being convicted of possessing heroin and marijuana.
  • 1966 - The Monkees made their live debut at the International Arena, Honolulu.
  • 1969 - The Rolling Stones recorded 'Brown Sugar' at Muscle Shoals studios.
  • 1976 – An assassination attempt is made on Bob Marley. He is shot twice, but plays a concert two days later.
  • 1976 - While being photographed for the forthcoming Pink Floyd Animals album cover, a giant 40ft inflatable pig could be seen floating above London, England after breaking free from its moorings.
  • 1979 - A concert by The Who at The Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, turned to disaster when 11 members of the audience were trampled to death after a stampede to claim unreserved seats
 
DECEMBER 2
  • 1763 – Dedication of the Touro Synagogue, in Newport, Rhode Island, the first synagogue in what will become the United States.
  • 1823 – Monroe Doctrine: In a State of the Union message, U.S. President James Monroe proclaims American neutrality in future European conflicts, and warns European powers not to interfere in the Americas.
  • 1969 - Cindy Birdsong of the Supremes was kidnapped at knifepoint by a maintenance man who worked in the building she lived in. She later escaped unharmed by jumping out of his car on the San Diego freeway. The kidnapper was arrested in Las Vegas four days later.
  • 1983 - MTV aired the full 14-minute version of Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' video for the first time.


DECEMBER 1
  • 1913 – The Ford Motor Company introduces the first moving assembly line.
  • 1957 - Buddy Holly and the Crickets, and Sam Cooke, appeared on 'The Ed Sullivan Show.' The Crickets performed 'That'll Be The Day' and 'Peggy Sue,'and Cooke performed 'You Send Me'.
  • 1976 - The Sex Pistols appeared on ITV's live early evening 'Today' show. Provoked, guitarist Steve Jones says, 'You dirty bastard...you dirty f*cker...what a f*cking rotter!'
  • 1983 - Neil Young was sued by Geffen Records because his new music for the label was ‘not commercial in nature and musically uncharacteristic of his previous albums’.  

DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS

DECEMBER 31
  • 1869 – Henri Matisse
  • 1905 – Jule Styne
  • 1930 – Odetta
  • 1934 - Charles Weedon Westover (Del Shannon)
  • 1937 – Anthony Hopkins
  • 1942 – Andy Summers
  • 1942 - Robert Quine
  • 1943 – John Denver
  • 1943 – Ben Kingsley
  • 1943 – Pete Quaife
  • 1944 – Taylor Hackford
  • 1947 – Burton Cummings
  • 1948 – Donna Summer
  • 1951 – Tom Hamilton
  • 1953 – Michael Hedges
  • 1958 – Bebe Neuwirth
  • 1959 – Paul Westerberg
 
DECEMBER 30
  • 1865 – Rudyard Kipling
  • 1914 – Bert Parks
  • 1928 – Bo Diddley
  • 1931 – Skeeter Davis
  • 1934 – Del Shannon
  • 1934 – Russ Tamblyn
  • 1935 – Sandy Koufax
  • 1937 – John Hartford
  • 1939 – Felix Pappalardi
  • 1942 – Michael Nesmith
  • 1945 – Davy Jones
  • 1946 – Patti Smith
  • 1946 – Clive Bunker
  • 1947 – Jeff Lynne
  • 1956 – Suzy Bogguss
  • 1959 – Tracey Ullman

DECEMBER 29
  • 1876 – Pau Casals
  • 1914 – Billy Tipton
  • 1936 – Mary Tyler Moore
  • 1941 – Ray Thomas
  • 1942 – Rick Danko
  • 1946 – Marianne Faithfull
  • 1947 – Cozy Powell
  • 1951 – Yvonne Elliman
  • 1961 – Jim Reid
DECEMBER 28
  • 1913 – Lou Jacobi
  • 1915 – Pops Staples
  • 1921 – Johnny Otis
  • 1922 – Stan Lee
  • 1932 – Dorsey Burnette
  • 1934 – Maggie Smith
  • 1946 – Edgar Winter
  • 1948 – Mary Weiss (The Shangri-Las)
  • 1950 – Alex Chilton
  • 1973 – Seth Meyers
 
DECEMBER 27
  • 1822 – Louis Pasteur
  • 1879 – Sydney Greenstreet
  • 1901 – Marlene Dietrich
  • 1906 – Oscar Levant
  • 1931 – Scotty Moore
  • 1943 – Peter Sinfield
  • 1952 – Karla Bonoff
  • 1952 – David Knopfler
  • 1969 – Sarah Vowell
DECEMBER 26
  • 1891 – Henry Miller
  • 1921 – Steve Allen
  • 1927 – Alan King
  • 1933 – Caroll Spinney
  • 1935 – Abdul "Duke" Fakir
  • 1939 – Phil Spector
  • 1951 – John Scofield
  • 1953 – Henning Schmitz
  • 1966 – Jay Farrar
  • 1971 – Jared Leto


DECEMBER 25 
  • 1642 – Isaac Newton
  • 1907 – Cab Calloway
  • 1924 – Rod Serling
  • 1940 – Pete Brown
  • 1944 – Kenny Everett
  • 1945 – Noel Redding
  • 1946 – Jimmy Buffett
  • 1949 – Sissy Spacek
  • 1949 – Joe Louis Walker
  • 1954 – Annie Lennox
  • 1957 – Shane MacGowan
  • 1971 – Dido

DECEMBER 24
  • 1922 – Ava Gardner
  • 1924 – Lee Dorsey
  • 1945 – Lemmy
  • 1946 – Jan Akkerman
  • 1951 – Nick Kent
  • 1968 – Doyle Bramhall II
  • 1971 – Ricky Martin


DECEMBER 23
  • 1929 – Chet Baker
  • 1935 – Esther Phillips
  • 1940 – Jorma Kaukonen
  • 1940 – Eugene Record
  • 1941 – Tim Hardin
  • 1964 – Eddie Vedder
 
DECEMBER 22
  • 1915 – Barbara Billingsley
  • 1917 – Gene Rayburn
  • 1919 – Lil Green
  • 1921 – Hawkshaw Hawkins
  • 1942 – Jerry Koosman
  • 1944 – Barry Jenkins (The Animals)
  • 1949 – Maurice and Robin Gibb
  • 1960 – Jean-Michel Basquiat

DECEMBER 21
  • 1922 – Paul Winchell
  • 1930 - Billy Faier
  • 1937 – Jane Fonda
  • 1940 – Frank Zappa
  • 1942 – Carla Thomas
  • 1943 – Albert Lee
  • 1946 – Carl Wilson
  • 1953 – Betty Wright
DECEMBER 20
  • 1948 – Alan Parsons
  • 1948 – Stevie Wright (The Easybeats)
  • 1957 – Billy Bragg

DECEMBER 19
  • 1918 – Professor Longhair
  • 1940 – Phil Ochs
  • 1944 – Alvin Lee
  • 1944 – Zal Yanovsky
  • 1945 – John McEuen
  • 1957 – Kevin McHale
  • 1958 – Limahl
 
DECEMBER 18
  • 1879 – Paul Klee
  • 1886 – Ty Cobb
  • 1916 – Betty Grable
  • 1917 – Ossie Davis
  • 1938 – Chas Chandler
  • 1943 – Keith Richards
  • 1946 – Steve Biko
  • 1946 – Steven Spielberg
  • 1948 – Bill Nelson

DECEMBER 17 
  • 1894 – Arthur Fiedler
  • 1903 – Ray Noble
  • 1936 – Tommy Steele
  • 1939 – Eddie Kendricks
  • 1942 – Paul Butterfield
  • 1943 – Ron Geesin
  • 1946 – Eugene Levy
  • 1949 – Paul Rodgers
  • 1958 – Mike Mills

DECEMBER 16
  • 1770 – Ludwig van Beethoven
  • 1775 – Jane Austen
  • 1899 – Noël Coward
  • 1917 – Arthur C. Clarke
  • 1928 – Philip K. Dick
  • 1945 – Tony Hicks
  • 1946 – Benny Andersson
  • 1949 – Billy Gibbons
  • 1951 – Robben Ford
  • 1961 – Bill Hicks
 
DECEMBER 15 
  • 1911 – Stan Kenton
  • 1919 – Max Yasgur
  • 1921 – Alan Freed
  • 1933 – Tim Conway
  • 1939 – Cindy Birdsong
  • 1942 – Dave Clark
  • 1946 – Carmine Appice
  • 1955 – Paul Simonon

DECEMBER 14 
  • 1908 – Morey Amsterdam
  • 1911 – Spike Jones
  • 1922 – Don Hewitt
  • 1938 – Hal Williams
  • 1946 – Jane Birkin
  • 1946 – Patty Duke
  • 1946 – Michael Ovitz
  • 1946 – Joyce Vincent Wilson (Tony Orlando and Dawn)
  • 1949 – Bill Buckner
  • 1958 – Mike Scott
  • 1958 – Spider Stacy
 
DECEMBER 13
  • 1818 – Mary Todd Lincoln
  • 1903 – Carlos Montoya
  • 1925 – Dick Van Dyke
  • 1929 – Christopher Plummer
  • 1934 – Richard D. Zanuck
  • 1948 – Lester Bangs
  • 1948 – Jeff Baxter
  • 1948 – Ted Nugent
  • 1949 – Tom Verlaine
  • 1954 – Steve Forbert
  • 1957 – Steve Buscemi
  • 1957 – Morris Day
DECEMBER 12
  • 1893 – Edward G. Robinson
  • 1915 – Frank Sinatra
  • 1918 – Joe Williams
  • 1923 – Bob Barker
  • 1924 – Ed Koch
  • 1929 – John Osborne
  • 1930 – Bill Beutel
  • 1931 – Lionel Blair
  • 1937 – Buford Pusser
  • 1940 – Dionne Warwick
  • 1943 – Dickey Betts
  • 1943 – Grover Washington, Jr.
  • 1944 – Rob Tyner
  • 1945 – Tony Williams
  • 1952 – Cathy Rigby
  • 1953 – Bruce Kulick
  • 1957 – Sheila E.
  • 1972 – Hank Williams III


DECEMBER 11
  • 1908 – Elliott Carter
  • 1912 – Carlo Ponti
  • 1926 – Big Mama Thornton
  • 1931 – Rita Moreno
  • 1938 – McCoy Tyner
  • 1939 – Tom Hayden
  • 1940 – David Gates
  • 1940 – Donna Mills
  • 1943 – John Kerry
  • 1944 - Brenda Mae Tarpley (aka Brenda Lee)
  • 1947 – Teri Garr
  • 1958 – Nikki Sixx
DECEMBER 10
  • 1822 – César Franck
  • 1830 – Emily Dickinson
  • 1851 – Melvil Dewey
  • 1911 – Chet Huntley
  • 1923 – Harold Gould
  • 1927 – Agnes Nixon
  • 1941 – Chad Stuart
  • 1957 – Paul Hardcastle
  • 1965 – J Mascis
  • 1972 – Donavon Frankenreiter
  • 1974 – Meg White
 
DECEMBER 9
  • 1608 – John Milton
  • 1897 – Hermione Gingold
  • 1911 – Lee J. Cobb
  • 1916 – Kirk Douglas
  • 1922 – Redd Foxx
  • 1925 – Dina Merrill
  • 1927 – Pierre Henry
  • 1928 – Dick Van Patten
  • 1929 – John Cassavetes
  • 1930 – Buck Henry
  • 1931 – William Reynolds
  • 1932 – Donald Byrd
  • 1934 – Judi Dench
  • 1934 – Junior Wells
  • 1941 – Beau Bridges
  • 1941 – Dan Hicks
  • 1944 – Neil Innes
  • 1946 – Dennis Dunaway
  • 1950 – Joan Armatrading
  • 1957 – Donny Osmond
  • 1969 – Jakob Dylan
  • 1972 – Tré Cool
DECEMBER 8
  • 1765 – Eli Whitney
  • 1865 – Jean Sibelius
  • 1886 – Diego Rivera
  • 1894 – James Thurber
  • 1913 – Delmore Schwartz
  • 1922 – Lucian Freud
  • 1922 – Jean Ritchie
  • 1925 – Sammy Davis, Jr.
  • 1925 – Jimmy Smith
  • 1933 – Flip Wilson
  • 1936 – David Carradine
  • 1939 – Jerry Butler
  • 1939 – James Galway
  • 1941 – Bobby Elliott
  • 1943 – Jim Morrison
  • 1947 – Gregg Allman
  • 1950 – Dan Hartman
  • 1953 – Kim Basinger
  • 1953 – Sam Kinison
  • 1955 – Kasim Sulton
  • 1956 – Warren Cuccurullo
  • 1966 – Sinéad O'Connor
 
DECEMBER 7
  • 1910 – Louis Prima
  • 1915 – Eli Wallach
  • 1923 – Ted Knight
  • 1928 – Noam Chomsky
  • 1932 – Ellen Burstyn
  • 1942 – Harry Chapin
  • 1949 – Tom Waits
  • 1956 – Larry Bird

DECEMBER 6
  • 1896 – Ira Gershwin
  • 1900 – Agnes Moorehead
  • 1920 – Dave Brubeck
  • 1924 – Wally Cox
  • 1955 – Rick Buckler
  • 1955 – Steven Wright
  • 1956 – Peter Buck
  • 1956 – Randy Rhoads
  • 1962 – Ben Watt
  • 1967 – Judd Apatow
  • 1971 – Ryan White
 
DECEMBER 5
  • 1906 – Otto Preminger
  • 1912 – Sonny Boy Williamson II
  • 1932 – Little Richard
  • 1934 – Joan Didion
  • 1938 – JJ Cale
  • 1946 – Andy Kim
  • 1947 – Jim Messina
  • 1947 – Rick Wills
  • 1965 – John Rzeznik
 
DECEMBER 4
  • 1934 – Wink Martindale
  • 1939 – Freddy Cannon
  • 1944 – Chris Hillman
  • 1944 – Anna McGarrigle
  • 1944 – Dennis Wilson
  • 1947 – Terry Woods
  • 1948 – Southside Johnny
  • 1949 – Jeff Bridges
  • 1951 – Gary Rossington
  • 1955 – Cassandra Wilson
  • 1966 – Fred Armisen
DECEMBER 3
  • 1911 – Nino Rota
  • 1925 – Ferlin Husky
  • 1927 – Andy Williams
  • 1930 – Jean-Luc Godard
  • 1931 – Jaye P. Morgan
  • 1948 – Ozzy Osbourne
  • 1949 – Mickey Thomas
  • 1960 – Daryl Hannah
  • 1963 – Scott Ian
DECEMBER 2
  • 1923 – Maria Callas
  • 1925 – Julie Harris
  • 1945 – Penelope Spheeris
  • 1946 – Gianni Versace
  • 1960 – Rick Savage
  • 1973 – Monica Seles
  • 1978 – Nelly Furtado
  • 1981 – Britney Spears


DECEMBER 1
  • 1933 – Lou Rawls
  • 1934 – Billy Paul
  • 1935 – Woody Allen
  • 1938 – Sandy Nelson
  • 1940 – Richard Pryor
  • 1944 – Eric Bloom
  • 1944 – John Densmore
  • 1945 – Bette Midler
  • 1946 – Gilbert O'Sullivan
  • 1951 – Jaco Pastorius
  • 1956 – Julee Cruise
  • 1958 – Lisa Fischer
  • 1959 – Billy Childish
  • 1970 – Sarah Silverman

Rock Mobster Archives: 2013 December 29-31

TUESDAY,  DECEMBER 31, 2013  
  1. Passed Out In A Led Zeppelin Shirt And Photobombed By John Paul Jones And Dave Grohl (Feel Numb)  
  2. Stephen Colbert was in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, and You Missed It (Paste)
  3. Watch Jack White On Charlie Rose (Stereogum) 
  4. God Bless Tiny Tim: Deluxe Expanded Mono Edition Review(TinyTim.org)
  5. Cambridge's Western Front nightclub closes its doors (Wicked Local) 
  6. Ani DiFranco Cancels Retreat Scheduled to Be Held on Former Slave Plantation (WSJ)
  7. A Dylan a Day: “Time Out of Mind” (chris morris's wasted space)  
  8. Paul Westerberg’s solo debut ‘14 Songs’ to receive first-ever vinyl release in 2014 (Slicing Up Eyeballs) 
  9. Home Depot founder worries Pope Francis neither loves nor understands rich Americans (Raw Story)    
MONDAY,  DECEMBER 30 2013 
  1. The Rutles Parody the Beatles (NY Times) 
  2. EXCLUSIVE: LISTEN TO ROSANNE CASH'S "MODERN BLUE"(Esquire)
  3. DEEPER “INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS” (New Yorker)
  4. Access the full English translation at 1972 Leonard Cohen Interview Online For First Time (1 Heck Of A Guy) 

SUNDAY,  DECEMBER 29, 2013   
  1. Photos: Abducted sons return to Los Angeles (Ex-Human Switchboard) (LA Daily News)
  2. Pussy Riot Is No Longer a Band (NY Mag/The Cut) 
  3. KRISTIN HERSH ON 30 YEARS OF THROWING MUSES: The seminal rock band gets older but not soft (Esquire)   
  4. TOMMY JAMES: “THE NEXT FEW YEARS WILL BE VERY INTERESTING” (Oldies Music Blog)  
  5. Tommy James’ new movie, new YouTube channel and new album on vinyl (Goldmine) 
  6. Iron Maiden Did Not Use BitTorrent And Social Media Data To Plan Its Tours - (Blabbermouth)  
  7. Woody Guthrie Really Knew How To Do New Year's Resolutions(Business Insiders)
  8. Life goes in a full circle: Dennis' son Michael Wilson and his wife Samantha welcomed their new son DENNIS into the world yesterday, on the 30th anniversary of Dennis' death. (12/28) (Brian Wilson)  
  9. Grave marker project helps bury the blues (Miami Herald)

Rock Mobster Archives: 2013 December 22-28

SATURDAY,  DECEMBER 28, 2013  
  1. Pussy Riot Face Dumb Questions, Prudish Reporters In Post-Prison Media Frenzy (Stereogum) 
  2. Tom Waits: ‘A Day in Vienna,’ terrific, little-known late 70s TV documentary(Dangerous Minds)  
  3. A Dylan a Day: “MTV Unplugged”  (chris morris's wasted space)  
  4. Discover William Blake’s Hallucinatory Illustrations of John Milton’s Paradise Lost (Open Culture)   
  5. "So, Farewell For Now Spectacular Spinning Songbook" (Elvis Costello)   
  6. New weekly lesson: Texas Flood . Chords and Intro. (Duke Robillard)  
  7. What was Engelbert Humperdinck doing hanging out at Simon Cowell's office on Thursday?  (Noise 11)   
  8. 88 Bill Cunningham Prints From 1968-1976 Coming To New York Historical Society (Gothamist)   
  9. Daughter of Disgraced Financier Writes Open Letter to ‘Wolf of Wall Street ‘(Paste)

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2013   
  1. David Bowie calls up The Clash on BBC Radio 6 Music (Noise 11)  
  2. 'Club 47’ folk documentary, with rare Bob Dylan audio, released on DVD, Blu-Ray (Examiner)
  3. Iron Maiden put pedal to the metal on road to economic recovery: In a London Stock Exchange report, Iron Maiden LLP has been identified among the UK's fastest growing music firms. Using file sharing to track your fan base..? (Guardian) 
  4. Hear a newly unearthed: Talking Heads song from 1976: "We call it 'Theme'" | STREAM: (Slicing Up Eyeballs) 
  5.  JUST CONFIRMED: R O B Y N   H I T C H C O C K  Saturday March 1, 2014  THE OPEN ARTS STAGE THEATER (Mancave NJ)  
  6. 10 Bands Who Banned Photos In 2013 (Stereogum)
  7. Jerry Garcia’s guitars (Dozin)   
  8. Read James Thurber’s original short story, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” from the March 18, 1939 issue (New Yorker) 
  9. Italian Company Apologizes for Controversial ‘12 Years a Slave’ Poster(Variety)
  10.  Stream The Flaming Lips Extremely Rare 2nd Cassette Demo From ’83(Stereogum)  

THURSDAY,  DECEMBER 26, 2013  
  1. Tom Rush and heavy folkie friends reunite at Symphony Hall this Saturday ( With Patty Larkin, Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion, and a special performance by the Jim Kweskin Jug Band, featuring an on-stage reunion of Kweskin, Maria Muldaur, Geoff Muldaur and Bill Keith)(Examiner)   
  2. No love lost on Aerosmith at State House Hearing (Patriot Ledger)   
  3. Lou Reed Tribute (Night Two) @ 40 Watt Club 2013-12-21 (Southern Shelter)  
  4. Merry Christmas! (Jorma Kaukonen)    
  5. Harlem Street Singer: Film Review (Hollywood Reporter) 
  6. A Dylan a Day: “Christmas in the Heart” (chris morris's wasted space
  7. Mel Brooks wants you have a very Jewish Christmas (Jerusalem Post) 
  8. 7 Things Every Opening Act Should Do By indie rapper Kosha Dillz(@koshadillz).(Hypebot)

WEDNESDAY,  DECEMBER 25, 2013   
  1. Download: Slicing Up Eyeballs Christmas Mix 2013 — 2 hours of alternative holiday cheer
  2. Watch Bono & Glen Hansard Sing Christmas Songs On The Streets Of Dublin (Stereogum) 
  3. Musicians: Don't Blame Apple or the Internet For Your Problems (The Street)
  4. WOODY ALLEN: STAND-UP COMEDIAN, FILM DIRECTOR, COMIC STRIP CHARACTER (Dangerous Minds) 
  5. Historian Says Bugs Bunny Might be Jewish (Algemeiner) 
  6. Yusef Lateef, Grammy-winning musician, composer, dies at 93(Gazettenet.com)
  7. Enigma codebreaker Alan Turing receives royal pardon: Mathematician lost his job and was given experimental 'chemical castration' after being convicted for homosexual activity in 1952 (Guardian) 
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2013    
  1. We Stood Up, They Walked Free! (Amnesty International)   
  2. Pussy Riot Freed (Stereogum)    
  3. New Bedford singer inspires ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’ (Boston Globe) 
  4. Mom accused of abductions arrested in France; sons in protective custody (Larry Hummel  of Human Switchboard is the father) (Daily News)  
  5. NIGHT FLIGHT: INSIDE LED ZEPPELIN’S PRIVATE JET, 1973(Dangerous Minds)
  6. A Dylan A Day: “Under the Red Sky” (chris morris's wasted space)  
  7. Gnarls Barkley Will Reunite In 2014 (Stereogum)  
  8. The third album by Lucinda Williams will be expanded next month!  (The Second Disc) 
  9. Santana Plans Recording with Homeless Ex-Bandmate (KRON4)
  10. Tom Waits performs in classic Austin City Limits episode from 1978 (PBS) 
  11.  Here's a promo for Jerry Seinfeld's show comedians in cars getting coffee. (Buzzfeed) 
  12. 5 Animals That Look Like Lady Gaga (National Geographic) 
MONDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2013  
  1. Neko Case Covers Robyn Hitchcock's Madonna of the Wasps (Scruffy The Yak)  
  2. PICTURES and thoughts on The Velvet Underground "White Light/White Heat" super deluxe edition (SuperDeluxeEdition) 
  3. Carl Wilson was born 12/20/1946. Following is Brian's rendition of Carl's beautiful song "Heaven" from 2007 (Brian Wilson/Soundcloud))  
  4. Dwight Yoakam’s Plane Makes Emergency Landing After Pilot Reports Fire (The Boot) 
  5. The Five Best Christmas Albums You Never Knew Existed (OC Weekly) 
  6. Proof Every Country Song Was Exactly The Same In 2013 (Buzzword) 
  7. A rare book store’s last chapter (Toronto) (Globe and Mail)   
  8. FYI: Finnish passengers pay for bus rides with gingerbread cookies (Vulture)

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2013  
  1. David Byrne: “Do you really think people are going to keep putting time and effort into this, if no one is making any money?”: The musical genius shares his songwriting secrets, opens up his finances and ponders the future of art and the Web (Salon) 
  2. Episode: Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz Interview/Conversation (WPKN)    
  3. Remarkable Information: Christmas Gifts (Brooklyn Bugle/Tim Sommer)
  4. More than just folk: A fond look back at early-’60s New York from those who were there (Washington Post Style)    
  5. Coen brothers and Bob Dylan went to Zionist summer camp(MondoWeiss)
  6. Dave Van Ronk's Ex-Wife Takes Us Inside Inside Llewyn Davis (Village Voice)  
  7. Rick Danko: The Man Behind the Music (Woodstock Arts)  
  8. Elliott Landy’s Photos of the Band Bring a Slice of Woodstock to Kickstarter (Vanity Fair)   
  9. All you need is love: Paul McCartney and daughter Beatrice stroll hand-in-hand through New York City (Daily Mail UK ) 
  10. John Lennon, 9 others honored with Mercury craters (NBC News Science) 
  11. Stuart Bell's tour diary from Paul’s recent “Out There” dates in Japan(Paul McCartney)  
  12. Searching For Inner Peace? Lydia Lunch Wants to Help (NY Times)   
  13. It's not Christmas without Love (Darlene Love, that is)(Cape Cod Times)  
  14. Keith Richards turns 70! Celebrate with rocker's famed wisdom (Today)