... and more December 26 birthdays –
Bashful Brother Oswald (aka Beecher Kirby, 1911) – Country musician,
Roy Acuff’s Smoky Mountain Boys.
Abdul “Duke” Fakir (1935) – The Four Tops.
Bob Carpenter (1946) – keyboardist for The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
Paul Quinn (1951) – guitarist for Saxon.
Henning Schmitz (1953) – keyboardist for Kraftwerk.
Steve Witherington (1953) – drummer for Ace.
Dana Baldinger (1963) – bassist for Popinjays.
Lars Ulrich (1963) – drummer for Metallica.
J. (aka Jay Yuenger, 1966) – guitarist for White Zombie.
Peter Klett (1968) – guitarist for Candlebox.
Chris Daughtry (1979) – Daughtry.
December 26 R.I.P. –
Lowman Pauling (1973) – seizure. Age 47. The "5" Royales ("Dedicated
To The One I Love").
Curtis Mayfield (1999) – complications from paralysis and diabetes.
Age 57.
Pirkle Lee Moses (2000) – Age 63. The El Dorados.
Teena Marie (2010) – natural causes. Age 54. Singer/songwriter.
Bernard Wilson (2010) – heart attack, stroke. Age 64. Harold Melvin &
The Blue Notes.
Sam Rivers (2011) – pneumonia. Age 88. Jazz multi-instrumentalist.
December 26 album releases –
Warren Zevon – Stand In The Fire (1980)
Kreator – Past Life Trauma (1985-1992) (2000)
December 26 events –
1926 – Nashville’s WSM Barn Dance begins regular Saturday night
broadcasts.
1955 – Bill Haley and His Comets release their single, “See You Later,
Alligator” b/w “The Paper Boy (On Main St., USA).”
1957 – Alan Freed’s Christmas Show Of Stars begins a 12-night run at
the Paramount Theatre in New York, featuring Fats Domino, Jerry Lee
Lewis, Buddy Holly and The Crickets, The Everly Brothers, The Rays,
Paul Anka, and Danny and The Juniors.
1957 – Patti Page and The Four Esquires appear on American Bandstand.
1958 – Musical parodist Stan Freberg presents the Hemophilia
Foundation of Southern California with a check for $1,000 from the
proceeds from his anti-commercialist song "Green Chri$tma$" of the
previous winter.
1960 – Ray Charles records “From The Heart,” “I've Got News For You”
and other tracks at Van Gelder Recording Studio in Hackensack, New
Jersey.
1961 – Jay and The Americans record “She Cried.”
1963 – The Beatles release their first Capitol single, “I Want To Hold
Your Hand” b/w “I Saw Her Standing There.”
1963 – Stevie Wonder arrives in England for appearances on the TV
shows Ready, Steady, Go! and Thank Your Lucky Stars.
1964 – The Rolling Stones take out an ad in the New Musical Express
wishing hairdressers a Happy Christmas.
1965 – Paul McCartney crashes his moped during a night time ride to
his Aunt Bett’s house, chipping his front tooth and needing several
stitches in his upper lip.
1966 – Jimi Hendrix writes “Purple Haze” backstage at the Upper Cut
club in London.
1966 – John Lennon appears as Dan the lavatory door man on the comedy
show Not Only… But Also. The segment was filmed on Broadwick Street on
November 27.
1967 – The Dave Brubeck Quartet disbands.
1967 – The Monkees record their second version of “Valleri.”
1968 – Led Zeppelin opens for Spirit, The MC5 and Vanilla Fudge at the
Auditorium Arena in Denver.
1979 – Queen is the only act to play on the first night of the
Concerts For The People Of Kampuchea at the Hammersmith Odeon in
London.
1988 – Pogues singer Shane MacGowan is arrested for smashing a shop’s
plate glass window in a drunken rage.
2006 – Michael Jackson files a lawsuit against his former accountants,
claiming they withdrew $2.5 million a year from his bank accounts but
did not properly pay his bills.
