This Date In Music History-December 22

Birthdays:

Barry Jenkins - Animals (1944)

Robin and the late Maurice Gibb - Bee Gees (1949)

Rick Nielsen - Cheap Trick (1950)

Jordin Brianna Sparks - Winner of the sixth season of American Idol (1989)


They Are Missed:

Richard James Edwards - Manic Street Preachers (1968) - Disappeared on February 1, 1995, after leaving his car at a service station by The Severn Bridge, near Bristol, England. He was declared presumed deceased in November 2008.

Joe Strummer, vocalist and guitarist of the pioneering punk band the Clash, was found dead in his home in southwest England in 2002. An autopsy later reveals that Strummer died of a sudden cardiac arrest. Strummer was 50.

Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees died on January 12, 2003 of a heart attack.

American songwriter Dennis Linde died in 2006 (age 63) from a rare lung disease. Linde wrote one of Elvis Presley's last major hits, "Burning Love" and also wrote "Goodbye Earl" for the Dixie Chicks, and "Callin' Baton Rouge" for Garth Brooks.

Joe Ames of the Ames Brothers ("The Naughty Lady Of Shady Lane") died of a heart attack at his home in Germany in 2007.


History:

In 1956, Elvis Presley had the most charting records the year with 17. Billboard reported Pat Boone was next with five, followed by Fats Domino, Little Richard and the Platters with three each.

Today in 1958, "The Chipmunk Song," by the Chipmunks topped the charts and stayed there for 4 weeks.

The Rebels' instrumental "Wild Weekend" was released on Swan Records in 1962. It makes it to #8 on the pop chart.

In 1962, the Tornadoes' "Telstar" became the first record by a British group to top the American pop chart. The song was inspired by the launching of the Telstar commu-satellite in July.

The Dave Clark Five scored their only US #1 single in 1963 with "Over And Over."



In an article in the New York Times in 1968, New York Philharmonic Orchestra conductor Leonard Bernstein expresses his enthusiasm for the New York Rock and Roll Ensemble, a group whose repertoire includes both rock and classical music.

Eric Burdon left the Animals in 1968.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono met for one hour with Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in Ottawa in 1969. Earlier in the day, they saw the Minister of Health, John Munro and discussed drug abuse.

Elton John started a two-week run at #1 on the US album chart in 1973 with "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," it also had a eight week run at #1 on the UK chart.



Ike and Tina Turner were robbed of $86,000 in 1975 when a suitcase containing concert receipts went missing.

In 1976, Bob Seger began his breakthrough to stardom as his album, Live Bullet, goes gold. The album features in-concert versions of "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man," "Beautiful Loser," "Get Out of Denver," "Travelin' Man" and "Katmandu."

Faces drummer Kenney Jones became the Who's drummer in 1978, replacing the late Keith Moon who died two months earlier.

Rupert Holmes started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1979 with "Escape, (The Pina Colada Song)."

Sotheby's in London held a rock & roll auction in 1981. Though the majority of the stuff was sold for far more than expected, an enameled Abbey Road street sign went for $600, an autographed program from the Beatles Royal Command Performance sold for $2,000, $2,000 for a letter of introduction from Buddy Holly to Decca Records. John and Cynthia Lennon’s marriage certificate was sold for $850 and an autographed program from the world premiere of the Beatles film "Help!" brought in $2,100. Other items were disapointing. For example, a jacket once worn by Tom Jones only brought in $12.

Duran Duran peaks at #2 on the Hot 100 in 1984 with "Wild Boys." Two former wild boys, Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, masquerading as the Honeydrippers land at #4 with a remake of Phil Phillips' lame "Sea Of Love."

Madonna started a six-week run at #1 in the US charts in 1984 with 'Like A Virgin', her first US #1.

In 1987, Nikki Sixx from Motley Crue was pronounced 'dead on arrival' in an ambulance when his heart stopped beating for two minutes. Sixx was given two shots of adrenaline in his chest to revive him. Fellow band members were prematurely informed of his death.

In 2005, Janet Jackson was the most-searched name during 2005 according to Google, the singer topped a list of searches with people looking for pictures from her infamous ‘wardrobe malfunction’ at the 2004 Super Bowl when she exposed her right breast.

A cassette tape of a "drunk" John Lennon recording a cover version of a rock 'n' roll song sold at auction in Los Angeles for $30,000 in 2008. The six-minute recording, made in autumn 1973, is of Lennon performing Lloyd Price's Just Because. "Debauched lyrics" improvised by "a drunk Lennon" include "just a little cocaine will set me right", and, "I wanna take all them new singers, Carol and the other one with the nipples, I wanna take 'em and hold 'em tight,"

Perfect for last-minute Christmas shopping: Mudvayne issue their self-titled album in 2009. The CD comes in the regular jewel box and deluxe packaging. The latter uses black light ink technology for the cover art and poster. "What anyone else thinks should have no bearing on what any individual thinks about this work," says Mudvayne bassist Ryan Martinie.

In 2009, The Flaming Lips digitally release their version of Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side Of The Moon,” one of the all-time classic albums. The Lips’ work is officially titled “The Flaming Lips And Stardeath And White Dwarfs With Henry Rollins And Peaches Doing The Dark Side Of The Moon.” It’s initially an iTunes exclusive.