The Internet is finally back up and running! I was getting worried
there.
... and a couple more December 16 birthdays –
Noel Coward (1899) – playwright/composer (“Mad Dogs And Englishmen”).
Karl Denver (1931) – Scottish singer (“Wimoweh”).
Billy Gibbons (1949) – ZZ Top.
Steven Irvine (1959) – drummer for Lloyd Cole and The Commotions.
Christopher Thorn (1968) – guitarist for Blind Melon.
December 16 R.I.P. –
Sylvester James (1988) – AIDS. Age 41. Disco/soul singer ("You Make Me
Feel (Mighty Real)").
Nicolette Larson (1997) – cerebral edema due to liver failure. Age 45.
Singer ("Lotta Love").
Stuart Adamson (2001) – suicide. Age 43. Big Country.
Gary Stewart (2003) – suicide. Age 59. Country singer/songwriter
("She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles)").
Haleloke (2004) – Age 82. Singer on The Arthur Godfrey Show.
Freddie Perren (2004) – complications from a stroke. Age 61.
Songwriter (“Boogie Fever”).
Dan Fogelberg (2007) – prostate cancer. Age 56.
December 16 album releases –
Doris Day – Love Him (1963)
Bobby Womack and J.J. Johnson – Across 10th Street (Soundtrack) (1972)
Neil Diamond – You Don’t Bring Me Flowers (1978)
Kraftwerk – Electric Café (1986)
December 16 events –
1907 – The first ever vocal music performance is broadcast on radio
airwaves when Eugenia Farrar sings a song called "Do You Really Want
To Hurt Me?" from the Navy Yard in Brooklyn.
1940 – Bing Crosby, with his brother Bob Crosby and His Orchestra,
records “New San Antonio Rose.”
1954 – Bill Hayes records "The Ballad Of Davy Crockett:" one of three
versions to appear on the Billboard pop chart in 1955.
1957 – Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps appear an American Bandstand.
1964 – The Dave Clark 5, The Isley Brothers, The Newbeats, Adam Faith
and Kelly Garrett all appear on Shindig!
1965 – Peter and Gordon record "Woman," written by Paul McCartney
under the pseudonym Bernard Webb.
1965 – The Yardbirds, Jackie Lee, The Pretty Things, Lulu and The
Luvvers, Georgie Fame, Gloria Jones and Unit 4+2 all appear on
Shindig!
1966 – The Jimi Hendrix Experience releases their single, “Hey Joe” b/
w “Stone Free” in the UK.
1967 – The Rolling Stones announce that Marianne Faithfull is the
first signing to their new Mother Earth record label. Oddly, it takes
three more years to get the label off the ground, and by then the name
is changed to Rolling Stones Records.
1967 – The Lemon Pipers release their single “Green Tambourine” b/w
“No Help From Me.”
1970 – Five singles and five albums by Creedence Clearwater Revival
are certified gold in the U.S. - the singles being “Down On The
Corner,” “Lookin’ Out My Back Door,” “Travelin' Band,” “Bad Moon
Rising” and “Up Around The Bend.” The LPs are Cosmo's Factory, Willy
And The Poor Boys, Green River, Bayou Country and their debut album,
Creedence Clearwater Revival.
1971 – Frank Zappa's movie 200 Motels opens at London's Piccadilly
Classic Cinema.
1971 – Don McLean’s “American Pie” hits the Billboard Hot 100.
1973 – Stephen Stills is found to be the father of a child, Justin
Stills, after Harriet Tunis of Mill Valley, California files a
paternity suit.
1974 – Ian Hunter quits Mott The Hoople.
1974 – John Lennon releases his single. “#9 Dream” b/w “What You Got.”
1981 – Ray Charles receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
1983 – The Who officially disband for the first time.
1991 – Chubby Checker sues McDonald's for $14 million after the
restaurant chain uses a sound-alike voice in a Canadian commercial for
their french fries.
1993 – St. Louis radio station KEZK becomes the first to ban Michael
Jackson records from its playlist after recent allegations of child
sexual abuse.
1993 – MTV airs Nirvana Unplugged for the first time: one month after
it was filmed.
2000 – Brad Paisley is invited to join the Grand Ole Opry.
2002 – Liza Minnelli and then-husband David Gest file a $23 million
dollar lawsuit against VH1, MTV Networks, Viacom and Remote
Productions for breach of contract when the plans are dropped for a
reality show centered on their lives.
2003 – Michael Jackson is arrested, jailed, then released after
posting $3 million bail on child abuse charges.
2003 – Country singer Wynonna pleads guilty in court to drunk driving
and is sentenced to 11 months and 29 days in jail, though the sentence
is suspended to an equal amount of time on probation. She also loses
her driver's license for one year, has to perform 200 hours of
community service, and has to pay the $1,000 in court fees.
2004 – Detroit recording studio, Studio 8, goes up for sale on eBay.
2004 – Gold and silver Black Sabbath discs are discovered stolen from
the Kent home of Ozzy Osbourne's former manager Patrick Meehan.
2005 – The surviving Beatles and relatives of the band's late members
begin legal action against EMI to get royalties allegedly worth £30
million, claiming EMI owes record royalties to their company Apple
Corps.
2006 – Paul McCartney announces he has left EMI after 45 years and has
signed a deal with Starbucks’ Hear Music.
2010 – Paul McCartney is the musical guest on NBC’s Saturday Night
Live, performing “Jet,” “Band On The Run,” “Get Back,” “A Day In The
Life” and “Give Peace A Chance.”
2011 – An ultra-rare Beatles VI in-store promotional poster sells on
eBay for $6,300. Seventeen bids are placed on the 20x28 inch rarity
which proclaims “Beatles VI Is Here!” printed in block letters across
the top of the black-and-white photo of the Fab Four, with album art
of the first five records printed along the bottom edge.
