MERRY CHRISTMAS
1954, Bing Crosby's ‘White Christmas’ entered the Billboard Pop chart for the eleventh time. Bing's rendition has sold over 100 million copies around the world, with at least 50 million sales as singles. It was the largest selling single in music history until it was surpassed by Elton John's ‘Candle in the Wind 1997’.
1958, the first day of a 10 day residency in Alan Freeds Christmas rock n' roll spectacular in New York with Chuck Berry, Frankie Avalon, Dion, Jackie Wilson, Eddie Cochran, Bo Diddley and The Everly Brothers.
1964, Beatles fans attacked George Harrison's girlfriend Patti Boyd as they arrived at London's Hammersmith Odeon for that night's Beatles concert.
1964, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, The Miracles, Stevie Wonder and The Marvelettes all appeared at The Fox Theatre, Brooklyn, New York.
1965, The Beatles 6th album 'Rubber Soul' started a nine-week run at No.1 on the UK chart. It spent a total of 42 week's on the UK chart and was also a No.1 in the US.
1968, Led Zeppelin arrived in the United States for the very first time in preparation of their debut North American tour. The group were paid an average of $1,500 for each show.
1976, The Eagles started a eight-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Hotel California.'
1981, Michael Jackson phoned Paul McCartney and suggested they write and record together, the first result being ‘The Girl Is Mine’. The song was a US No.2 & UK No.8 in 1982.
1982, David Bowie had a No.3 UK hit with a duet with Bing Crosby, 'Peace On Earth - Little Drummer Boy.'
1995, American singer, actor and TV host Dean Martin died. Had the 1956 UK & US No.1 single 'Memories Are Made Of This' plus over 15 other UK Top 40 singles including ‘That's Amore‘, ‘Everybody Loves Somebody‘, ‘Mambo Italiano‘. In 1965, Martin launched his weekly NBC comedy-variety series, The Dean Martin Show.
1998, Bryan MacLean, guitarist with Love, died of a heart attack aged 62 while having Christmas dinner with a young fan who was researching a book about the band. Love had the 1966 US No.33 single '7 And 7 Is', and the 1968 album 'Forever Changes'.
2006, James Brown, the ‘Godfather of Soul’, died at the age of 73 after being diagnosed with severe pneumonia. Brown went to his dentist in Atlanta the previous day who told him something was wrong, and sent him to a doctor immediately. His hits included ‘Papa's Got a Brand New Bag‘, ‘I Got You (I Feel Good)‘, and ‘Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine, Pt. 1‘. Brown was married four times, at the age of 16, was arrested for theft and served 3 years in prison. In 1988, Brown was arrested following a high-speed car chase on along the Georgia-South Carolina state border. He was convicted of carrying an unlicensed pistol and assaulting a police officer and was sentenced to six years in prison.
2008, American actress, singer, and cabaret star Eartha Kitt died from colon cancer at her Weston, Connecticut home at the age of 81. Best known for her 1953 Christmas song ‘Santa Baby.‘
Happy Rock-n-Roll Birthdays to...
1937, O'Kelly Isley, The Isley Brothers, died March 31, 1986
1940, Phil Spector
1940, Pete Brown
1944, Henry Vestine, Canned Heat, died October 20, 1997
1945, Noel Redding, Jimi Hendrix Experience, died May 11, 2003
1946, Jimmy Buffett
1948, Barbara Mandrell
1954, Annie Lennox
1954, Robin Campbell, UB40
1957, Shane MacGowan, The Pogues
1971, Dido
1972, Josh Freese, Nine Inch Nails
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