ON THIS DAY IN MUSIC

CHRISTMAS EVE!

December 24th

1965 - The Beatles

The Beatles had the No.1 album in the US for the third Christmas in a row. Rubber Soul was at the top of the LP chart, following Beatles For Sale in 1964 and With The Beatles in 1963. The Fab Four would repeat this feat again in 1968 with The Beatles (The White Album) and again in 1969, with Abbey Road.

1967 - Bee Gees

The Bee Gees performed their Christmas special 'live' from Liverpool Cathedral, England which was broadcast on UK TV.

1972 - David Bowie

On the second UK leg of his 182 date Ziggy Stardust Tour, David Bowie played the second of two nights at the Rainbow Theatre, London. This tour had the classic Spiders From Mars line up of Mick Ronson on guitar, vocals, Trevor Bolder, bass and Mick "Woody" Woodmansey on drums.

1973 - Doobie Brothers

Tom Johnson of the Doobie Brothers was arrested in Visalia, California and charged with possession of marijuana. His court date is set for January 10th, the same day the band's new LP is to be released. The album is ironically titled "What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits". Guess the clue was always in the name . . . . . 

1977 - Sex Pistols

The Sex Pistols played their last ever UK gig, (until 1996), before splitting, at Ivanhoes in Huddersfield. It was a charity performance before an audience of mainly children.

1988 - Nirvana

Nirvana started recording their first album 'Bleach' using a $600 loan from an old school friend.

2003 - Jack White

Jack White of The White Stripes turned himself in to Detroit police to face aggravated assault charges stemming from a bar room altercation in which he allegedly attacked Jason Stollsteimer of The Von Bondies. White was also fingerprinted and formally booked on the charges before he was released on bail.

2005 - Foxy Brown
Rapper Foxy Brown was handcuffed and threatened with jail after she stuck her tongue out at a New York judge who asked her to stop chewing gum. Judge Melissa Jackson told the singer, she had showed disrespect to the court. Brown was in court on charges of assaulting two nail salon workers during a row over payment.

2012 - Ray Collins

American musician Ray Collins died aged 76. Collins was the lead vocalist on early Mothers of Invention albums, including Freak Out!, Absolutely Free, and Cruising with Ruben & the Jets and continued to contribute to other Frank Zappa projects through the mid-1970s.

Frank and Ray - PoPsie Randolph/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

2016 - Rick Parfitt

Status Quo guitarist Rick Parfitt died in hospital in Marbella, Spain aged 68. He died from a severe infection after going to hospital, following complications to a shoulder injury. His partnership with Francis Rossi became the core of Status Quo, one of Britain's most enduring bands. Status Quo had over 60 chart hits in the UK, more than any other rock band, including "Pictures of Matchstick Men" in 1967, "Whatever You Want" in 1979 and "In the Army Now" in 2010. Twenty-two of these reached the Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart. In July 1985 the band opened Live Aid at Wembley Stadium with "Rockin' All Over the World".

BIRTHDAYS

1946 - Jan Akkerman

Jan Akkerman, guitarist with Dutch rock band Focus who had the 1973 UK No.4 single 'Sylvia', and the 1973 US No. 9 single 'Hocus Pocus'. Saw the band at the Oxford Town Hall as memory serves and we loved this Focus . . . 

1945 - Lemmy

Lemmy, English musician, singer, and songwriter who founded and fronted the rock band Motorhead. Lemmy played in several rock groups in the 1960s, including the Rockin' Vickers and worked as a roadie for Jimi Hendrix and the Nice, before joining the space rock band Hawkwind in 1971, singing lead on their hit 'Silver Machine'. He died on 28 December 2015 following a short battle with an extremely aggressive cancer.

There is only ONE song to play on Lemmy's birthday!


1924 - Lee Dorsey

Lee Dorsey, US singer, (1966 US & UK No.8 single 'Working In The Coalmine').

with thanks and acknowledgments to On This Day In Music