BORN THIS WEEK IN ROCK HISTORY
BLUES/SOUL/JAZZ
Art Neville: December 17, 1937 (keyboard, The Meters)
Paul Butterfield: December 17, 1942 (vocals and harmonica, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band)
Maurice White: December 19, 1941 (vocals, Earth, Wind. & Fire)
Harmonica Slim: December 21, 1934 (blues harmonica player)
Paco De Lucia: December 21, 1947 (Flamenco Guitarist)
ROCK
Jim Hodder: December 17, 1947 (drums, Steely Dan)
Paul Rodgers: December 17, 1949 (vocals, Free & Bad Company)
Chas Chandler: December 18, 1938 (bass, The Animals)
Sam Andrew: December 18, 1941 (guitar, Big Brother and the Holding Company)
Keith Richards: December 18, 1943 (guitar, The Rolling Stones)
Elliot Easton: December 18, 1953 (guitar, The Cars)
Peter Criss: December 20, 1945 (drums, KISS)
Chris Robinson: December 20, 1966 (singer, Black Crowes)
Frank Zappa: December 21, 1940 (Guitar and Vocals, The Mothers of Invention)
James Gurley: December 22, 1939 (guitar, Big Brother and the Holding Company)
Richard Parry: December 22, 1942 (sax, Pink Floyd)
Adrian Belew: December 23, 1949 (guitar, King Crimson)
Eddie Vedder: December 23, 1964 (vocals, Pearl Jam)
DIED THIS WEEK IN ROCK HISTORY
BLUES/SOUL/JAZZ
Big Joe Williams: December 17, 1982 (Delta blues vocalist, guitarist, composer)
Jimmy Nolen: December 18, 1983 (guitarist, James Brown)
Blind Lemon Jefferson: December 19, 1929 (blues and gospel singer, songwriter, and musician).
Albert King: December 21, 1992 (blues guitarist and vocalist)
Ma Rainey: December 22, 1939 (blues vocalist)
Joe Cocker: December 22, 2014 (blues-rock vocalist)
Eddie Hazel: December 23, 1992 (guitar, Parliament-Funkadelic)
Oscar Peterson: December 23, 2007 (jazz pianist)
ROCK
Captain Beef heart: December 17, 2010 (singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist).
James Gurley: December 20, 2009 (guitar, Big Brother and the Holding Company)
Jimmy McCracklin: December 20, 2012 (blues pianist)
MUSIC RELEASES AND TOP OF THE CHARTS:
Pink Floyd release “Careful With That Axe, Eugene” on December 17, 1968.
David Bowie drops his fourth studio album “Hunky Dory”: December 17, 1971
Sly and the Family Stone hit #1 with “There’s a Riot Going On”: December 18, 1971
A Day at the Races by Queen goes gold: December 18, 1976
John Lennon’s “(Just Like) Starting Over” hits #1 on the U.K. charts: December 20, 1980
The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” goes gold: December 21, 1966
The Rolling Stones release Their Satanic Majesties Request: December 21, 1967
Traffic’s John Barleycorn Must Die goes gold: December 21, 1970
Harry Chapin’s “Cats in the Cradle” hits #1: December 21, 1974
The Doobie Brothers release “Black Water”: December 21, 1974
Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” returns to #1 in UK after Freddie Mercury’s death: December 21, 1991
Joni Mitchell’s For the Roses goes gold: December 22, 1972
Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band’s Live Bullet goes gold: December 22, 1976
“Raindrops Keep Falling On my Head” is certified Gold: December 23, 1966
THIS WEEK IN ROCK HISTORY!
The Who perform what is supposedly their last concert, during their “farewell tour”, in Toronto. As it turns out, it’s not their last: December 17, 1982
On his 38th birthday, Keith Richards is playing with The Rolling Stones at a show in Hampton, Virginia, when a fan rushes the stage. Keith sees him coming and hits him with his guitar. As security intervenes, Richards straps his guitar back on and continues playing: December 18, 1981
Alice Cooper opens a restaurant in Phoenix called Cooper’s town. At the opening, Cooper performs with his original bandmates Michael Bruce and Neil Smith. The three hadn’t played together in 24 years. On the restaurant’s menu: Welcome to My Nightmare Chili. Sounds delicious! December 18, 1998
During a Rolling Stones concert in Hampton, VA, a fan climbed onto the stage and rushed Keith Richards and Mick Jagger. To stop him, Richards took out his Telecaster and hit the man with it. A security guard escorted the fan out. Then Keith went right on playing: December 18, 1981
Carl Perkins records his song “Blue Suede Shoes”. He had written it two days prior. It would go on to become a famous cover by Elvis Presley: December 19, 1955
Ronnie Wood exits the band The Faces and joins The Rolling Stones: December 19, 1975
Jethro Tull is formed: December 20, 1967
Joe Walsh officially joins The Eagles: December 20, 1974
John Lennon’s hit single “(Just Like) Starting Over” becomes his first ever #1 hit as a solo artist in the UK. Lennon was murdered just 12 days before this achievement: December 20, 1980
Crosby, Stills & Nash perform together live for the very first time: December 21, 1968
Janis Joplin, now a solo artist, makes her live solo debut at a function for Stax/Volt. Booker T. & the MG’s also play at the event: December 21, 1968
Elvis Presley and President Nixon have a temporarily secret meeting in the White House about drug policy: December 21, 1970
The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Pink Floyd, The Who, and Eric Burdon & The Animals all play the “Christmas on Earth Continued” festival at The Olympia, London. John Peel DJ’d the event, which went all-night and included a paddling pool, a movie theatre, and light shows: December 22, 1967
Gregg Allman of The Allman Brothers Band makes his film acting debut in the film Rush: December 22, 1991
Elton John has a first meeting with who would eventually be his star writing and producing team: December 23, 1969
A psychedelic club opens in London with Pink Floyd being the house band: December 23, 1966
The Beach Boys make their live debut: December 23, 1961
