ON THIS DAY IN MUSIC

December 15th

1943 - Fats Waller

American jazz pianist, organist, composer, singer, and comedic entertainer Fats Waller died of pneumonia on a train trip near Kansas City, Missouri. Waller wrote many songs including 'Ain't Misbehavin', 'Your Feet's Too Big' and 'The Reefer Song'. In 1926 Waller was kidnapped at gunpoint in Chicago and driven to a club owned by gangster Al Capone. Inside the club he was ordered to perform at what turned out to be a surprise birthday party for the gangster. He enjoyed success touring the United Kingdom and Ireland in the 1930s, appearing on one of the first BBC television broadcasts on September 30, 1938.


1944 - Hank Williams

Hank Williams married Audrey Sheppard, with the ceremony taking place at a filling station. Their son, Randall Hank Williams would achieve fame in his own right as Hank Williams Jr., who was born on May 26, 1949. The marriage ended in divorce on May 29, 1952.

1944 - Glenn Miller

American big-band musician, arranger, composer, and bandleader Glenn Miller was killed when his aircraft disappeared in bad weather over the English Channel while traveling to entertain US troops in France during World War II. Miller was the best-selling recording artist from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best-known big bands. In just four years Glenn Miller scored 23 No.1 hits. Miller's recordings include 'In the Mood', 'Moonlight Serenade', 'Pennsylvania 6-5000', and 'Chattanooga Choo Choo'. Come on you gotta hit it!

1956 - Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley gave his final performance on Louisiana Hayride, a live radio program that was broadcast on KWKH in Shreveport, Louisiana. Presley made 50 appearances on the show. At the end of the show, Horace Logan first made the now legendary phrase ‘Elvis has left the building’.

1962 - The Beatles

The Beatles played two separate shows at the same venue, the Majestic Ballroom in Birkenhead, Merseyside. First they played a standard Majestic booking then at midnight, the first-ever "Mersey Beat" poll awards show took place. As poll winners, The Beatles closed the show (at 4:00 am).

1969 - John Lennon

John Lennon played what would be his final ever gig in the UK when he appeared at The Lyceum Ballroom, London, with the Plastic Ono Band in a UNICEF 'Peace For Christmas' benefit. George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Delaney and Bonnie, Billy Preston and The Who's drummer, Keith Moon also took part.

1977 - Johnny Rotten

The Sex Pistols were refused entry into the USA two days before a scheduled NBC TV appearance. Johnny Rotten because of a drugs conviction, Paul Cook & Sid Vicious because of 'moral turpitude' and Steve Jones because of his criminal record.

1979 - Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd started a five week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Another Prick In The Wall (Part 2)' their only UK chart topper. The song, which was also the final No.1 single of the 1970s, received a Grammy nomination for Best Performance by a Rock Duo or Group, but Floyd lost to Bob Seger's 'Against the Wind'.

1984 - Bob Geldof

Do They Know It's Christmas? by Band Aid entered the UK chart at No.1 and stayed at the top for five weeks. It became the biggest selling UK single of all time with sales over 3 and a half million. Band Aid was masterminded by Boomtown Rats singer Bob Geldof, who had been moved by a TV news story of famine in Ethiopia. Geldof discussed it with friend Midge Ure of Ultravox and they had the idea of raising funds with a one-off charity single featuring the cream of the current pop world although it is said Geldof's wife, Paula Yates, became much of the driving force to contact their friends and organise contacting folk to be involved. Ure took Geldof's lyrics, and created the melody and backing track for the record which went on to feature Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Paul Young, Culture Club, George Michael, Sting, Bono, Phil Collins, Paul Weller, Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt of Status Quo and Bananarama who all appeared on the recording. The single alone raised over $24 million (USD)

1988 - James Brown

Soul singer James Brown was sentenced to six years in prison for various offences including possession of weapons aggravated assault and resisting arrest. Brown had had several run-ins with the law during the summer of 1988 that landed him on probation, but this reckless spree resulted in numerous criminal charges, including assault and battery with intent to kill.

1990 - Rod Stewart

Rod Stewart married New Zealand model Rachel Hunter in Beverly Hills. Stewart was quoted as saying 'I Found the Girl that I Want, I won't be putting my banana in anybody's fruit bowl from now on'. They split in 1999. Not that he has a type or anything . . . . 

Rachel Hunter

With the current Mrs Stewart, Penny

and with four exes! Only one missing . . . . I think

1997 - Spice Girls

'Spice World The Movie', featuring The Spice Girls premiered at The Empire, Leicester Sq, London. The following year it was nominated for the 'worst film' at the Golden Raspberry Awards. It's got Michael Barrymore in it!

1999 - Boy George

Boy George was knocked unconscious when a mirror ball fell on his head during a show in Dorset, England.

1999 - Malcolm McLaren

Former Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren announced that he was running for the Mayor of London. He said he would be campaigning for brothels, pot shops and boozing in libraries. "I changed London with the Sex Pistols, I can change London as Mayor."

2001 - Rufus Thomas

American funk and soul singer Rufus Thomas died of heart failure aged 84. He began his career as a tap dancer, vaudeville performer, and master of ceremonies in the 1930s. He later worked as a disc jockey on radio station WDIA in Memphis. He recorded on Sun Records in the 1950s and on Stax Records in the 1960s and 1970s. Thomas scored the 1963 US No.10 single 'Walking The Dog' and the 1970 UK No.18 & US No.28 single 'Do The Funky Chicken' and the 1970 hit ‘(Do the) Push and Pull (1970). A street is named in his honour, just off Beale Street in Memphis.

2002 - Elton John

Blue featuring Elton John went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word.' Previously a No.11 hit for Elton in 1976. It gave Elton only his 5th No 1 after over 30 years of hits.

2003 - Courtney Love

Courtney Love was sentenced to 18 months in drug rehabilitation after she admitted being under the influence of cocaine and opiates. She was banned from taking non-prescription drugs, drinking alcohol or being in places that serve alcohol.

2008 - Madonna

Madonna paid former husband Guy Ritchie around £50m as part of their divorce settlement. The singers US spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg told The Associated Press the figure included the value of the couple's Ashcombe home in England, and the financial part of the settlement had been worked out but custody of the couple's children had yet to be finalised. It's interesting but I don't think I can find a single photo of them together where Ritchie looks happy. 
Until he marries someone else!

2010 - Pink Floyd

Various Pink Floyd items were sold at an Entertainment Memorabilia auction by Bonhams in Knightsbridge London. A demo pressing of the single 'Point Me To The Sky/Careful With That Axe Eugene' sold for £720. Pink Floyd signatures, in various blue marker pens on four separate pieces of paper mounted and framed together with a copy of 'Dark Side Of The Moon' sold for £624.00 and a demo pressing of the single by Syd Barrett 'Octopus' / 'Golden Hair' from 1969, misspelt 'Barratt' corrected in ink on A-side, sold for £300.




2014 - Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift was at No.1 on the US album chart with her fifth studio album 1989. The album eventually became the best-selling album of 2014 in the US market and had sold over 5.7 million copies by the end of 2015, while selling 9.5 million worldwide. Seven singles have been released from the set. . . . . .still not sure about this lassie but then I am not her demogrpahic I guess . . . . my two year old granddaughter likes her!

BIRTHDAYS

1956 - Kit Hain

Kit Hain, English musician and songwriter. She formed the British pop-rock duo Marshall Hain well known for their 1978 hit 'Dancing In The City'.

again bought when it came out . . . . it may have been more to do with Kit but . . . . . . great voice

1947 - Bob Berryhill

American guitarist Bob Berryhill from The Surfaris who had the 1963 US No.2 & UK No.3 single 'Wipe Out.' I recall this very well and think my brother must have bought the single and we all tried to learn the major riff, I tried to keep up tapping with the drummer . . . . . . . I was ten

1946 - Carmine Appice

Carmine Appice, drummer, Vanilla Fudge, (1968 US No.6 single 'You Keep Me Hangin' On'). Also a member of Beck, Bogart and Appice and the Rod Stewart band. WE loved this single . . . . . . 

1942 - Dave Clark

English musician, songwriter, record producer and entrepreneur Dave Clark, from English pop rock band, Dave Clark Five, who scored the 1964 UK No.1 single 'Glad All Over', and the 1965 US No.1 single 'Over And Over' , plus over 15 other UK top 40 singles.

1939 - Cindy Birdsong

Cindy Birdsong, American singer The Supremes joined in 1968, when she replaced co-founding member Florence Ballard. Birdsong had previouly been a member of Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles.

1921 - Alan Freed

Alan Freed, American DJ.  He became internationally known for promoting the mix of blues, country, rhythm and blues music on the radio in the United States and Europe under the name of rock and roll and it is largely accepted he coined the term His career was destroyed by the payola scandal that hit the broadcasting industry in the early 1960s Freed's career ended when it was shown that he had accepted payola (payments from record companies to play specific records not then illegal actually but made so in 1960 as a result), a practice that was highly controversial at the time. There was also a conflict of interest, that he had taken songwriting co-credits (most notably on Chuck Berry's "Maybellene"), which entitled him to receive part of a song's royalties. His career was over and he was fired from television and radio. Freed died 20th January 1965.

1919 - Max Yasgur

Max Yasgur, owner of the Bethel New York state farm where the 1969 Woodstock festival was held. Yasgur died of a heart attack on 8th February 1973 aged 53.





with thanks to On This Day In Music