... and more December 15 birthdays –
John Hammond (1910) – record producer, talent scout.
Stan Kenton (1911)
Edwin “Buddy” Cole (1916) – Jazz session pianist for Columbia Records.
Max Yasgur (1919) – Woodstock farmer.
Thomas Durden (1919) – songwriter/lyricist (“Heartbreak Hotel”).
Jerry Wallace (1928) – Country/pop singer ("If You Leave Me Tonight
I'll Cry").
Ernest Ashworth (1928) – Country music singer (“Talk Back Trembling
Lips”).
Jesse Belvin (1932) – songwriter ("Earth Angel").
Margaret Ann Rich (1933) – songwriter ("Field Of Yellow Daisys").
Harry Ray (1946) – The Moments.
Don Johnson (1949) – actor/singer/songwriter (“Heartbeat”).
Tim Reynolds (1957) – touring guitarist with The Dave Matthews Band.December 15 R.I.P. – Jackie Brenston (1979) – heart attack. Age 49. R&B singer (“Rocket 88”). Rufus Thomas (2001) – heart failure. Age 84. Davey Graham (2008) – lung cancer. Age 68. British folk guitarist. Sean Byrne (2008) – cirrhosis of the liver. Age 62. Guitarist for The Count Five. December 15 album releases – The Beatles – Beatles ’65 (1964) U.S. The Who – The Who Sell Out (1967) The Rascals – See (1969) Creedence Clearwater Revival – Pendulum (1970) Status Quo – Piledriver (1972) Parliament – Mothership Connection (1975) Marvin Gaye – Here, My Dear (1978) Sid Vicious – Sid Sings (1979) The Steve Miller Band – Living In The 20th Century (1987) Dr. Dre – The Chronic (1992) December 15 events – 1941 – Lena Horne records “Stormy Weather” in Hollywood for the Victor label. 1944 – Hank Williams marries Audrey Sheppard. It is her second marriage and his first. 1944 – U.S. Army Major and bandleader Glenn Miller's single-engine plane disappears in thick fog somewhere over the English Channel. The fate of Miller and his passengers, en route to play a Christmas concert in Paris with his Air Force band, has never been determined. Miller is listed as “missing in action.” 1955 – Johnny Cash releases his single, “Folsom Prison Blues” b/w “So Doggone Lonesome” on Sun Records. 1956 – Elvis Presley makes his last appearance on the Louisiana Hayride. 1957 – Mitch Miller and Sammy Davis, Jr. blast rock and roll, calling it “the comic books of music,” in a syndicated radio talk show hosted by Davis. Also on the show is MGM label president Arnold Maxim who disagrees, stating he sees no end to the fad in the near future. 1958 – Billboard's year-end review declares Domenico Modugno's "Volare" 1958's biggest-selling pop song, and gives R&B honors to Chuck Willis' "Hang Up My Rock & Roll Shoes." LP honors go to the My Fair Lady original cast recording, and EP honors to Elvis Presley's Jailhouse Rock. 1959 – The Everly Brothers record “Let It Be Me” at Bell Sound in New York City. 1962 – The Beatles play two shows at the Majestic Ballroom in Birkenhead: the first is a regular gig, but the second is for the Mersey Beat poll awards, which begins at midnight and has the group closing the show at 4 AM the next morning. 1963 – Al Hirt performs “Java” on The Ed Sullivan Show. 1964 – Glenn Yarbrough records "Baby The Rain Must Fall" at RCA Studios in Hollywood. 1964 – Dusty Springfield is deported from South Africa for performing for a mixed audience. 1966 – At Abbey Road Studios, George Martin records the brass and orchestra sections for “Strawberry Fields Forever,” after which John Lennon records and double-tracks his vocals. Martin makes a rough mix of the song, and four acetates are cut for the group to take home. 1967 – The Beach Boys have a meeting with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at a UNICEF Variety Gala in Paris, France. 1968 – Stevie Wonder and The Brooklyn Bridge appear on The Ed Sullivan Show. 1968 – Jefferson Airplane appears on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, performing their latest single "Crown Of Creation," after which singer Grace Slick - already in partial blackface - gives the fist-in- the-air "black power” salute. 1969 – John Lennon and Yoko Ono launch their War Is Over campaign, having billboards installed with the message, “WAR IS OVER! (IF YOU WANT IT) Happy Christmas from John and Yoko,” in 11 cities around the world, including New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Rome, Athens, Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris , London, Tokyo and Hong Kong. In the evening, UNICEF holds their "Peace For Christmas" charity concert at the Lyceum Ballroom in London, featuring the UK debut of The Plastic Ono Band, as well as The Rascals, Desmond Dekker and The Aces, and Blue Mink and Black Velvet. On this evening, The Plastic Ono Band consists of John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and the majority of the touring Delaney and Bonnie band, including George Harrison, Eric Clapton and Delaney Bramlett on guitars, Bonnie Bramlett on tambourine, Alan White and Jim Gordon on drums, Billy Preston on organ, Klaus Voormann on bass, with Bobby Keys on the sax and Jim Price on trumpet. It will be Lennon's last stage appearance in Britain. 1973 – Jermaine Jackson marries Hazel Gordy, the daughter of Motown founder Berry Gordy. 1973 – Aerosmith and Billy Preston appear on American Bandstand. 1973 – Elvis Presley records “Promised Land” at Stax Studios in Memphis. 1975 – Cat Stevens appears at the Royal Albert Hall in London. 1977 – The Who perform a secret concert for fan club members at London's Shepperton Studios, with the show being filmed for Jeff Stein's upcoming Who documentary The Kids Are Alright. 1977 – The Sex Pistols are refused entry into the U.S. two days before a scheduled appearance on NBC’s Saturday Night Live, citing Johnny Rotten’s drug conviction, Steve Jones’ criminal record, and Paul Cook’s and Sid Vicious’ “moral turpitude.” 1988 – James Brown is sentenced to six and a half years in a South Carolina prison for his interstate car chase and numerous drugs, firearms, and assault offenses. He will serve a little more than two years. 1990 – Rod Stewart marries model Rachel Hunter. 1993 – After 13 years, John Williams makes his final appearance as conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra. 1994 – Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora marries actress Heather Locklear. 1997 – The Spice Girls movie Spice World premieres at the Empire in Leicester Square in London. 1998 – Former Backstreet Boys roadie Michael Barrett files a $3 million lawsuit against the group claiming damages due to a 50 lb. cannon falling on his head during a show. 1998 – Andrew Lloyd Webber is acquitted on plagiarism charges for his theme from The Phantom Of The Opera. 1999 – Boy George is knocked unconscious when a mirror ball falls on his head during a show in Dorset, England. 1999 – Former manager of The Sex Pistols Malcolm McLaren announces he is running for Mayor of London. 2001 – Mike Abram, the man who broke into George Harrison’s home and repeatedly stabbed him on December 30, 1999, is found not guilty by reason of insanity. 2001 – Joe Walsh receives an honorary doctorate of music from Kent State University. 2003 – Courtney Love is sentenced to 18 months in drug rehabilitation after admitting in court to being under the influence of cocaine and opiates when arrested. As part of her sentence, she is banned from taking non-prescription drugs, drinking alcohol or being in places that serve alcohol. 2004 – James Brown undergoes prostate surgery. 2008 – Madonna pays former husband Guy Ritchie more than £50 million as part of their divorce settlement. 2008 – Chuck Berry’s home in St. Louis, where he wrote most of his early hit songs, is added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. 2010 – Various Pink Floyd items are sold at an Entertainment Memorabilia auction by Bonhams in Knightsbridge London, including a demo pressing of the single “Point Me To The Sky” b/w “Careful With That Axe Eugene,” and a demo pressing of the Syd Barrett single “Octopus” b/w “Golden Hair” from 1969.
