TODAY IN HISTORY – DECEMBER 15th
1919 - Born this day, Max Yasgur, owner of the farm where the 1969 Woodstock festival was held.
1922 - Born this day, Alan Freed, disc jockey. Born in Pennsylvania. Introduced the term "rock-n-roll". Died in 1965.
1939 - Born on this day, Cindy Birdsong, The Supremes, (joined in 1967, 1969 UK No.3 single 'I'm Gonna make You Love Me'). Labelle, (1975 US No.1 & UK No.17, single 'Lady Marmalade').
1942 - Born on this day, Dave Clark, Dave Clark Five, (1964 UK No.1 single 'Glad All Over', 1965 US No.1 single 'Over And Over', plus over 15 other UK Top 40 singles).
1943 - American jazz musician, singer and composer, Fats Waller died of pneumonia on a train trip near Kansas City, Missouri. 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.
1944 - Died this day, Glenn Miller, US band leader/jazz composer, aged 40. As World War II (WWII) raged, news spread of the loss of an airplane somewhere over the English Channel between England and Paris. On board the ill-fated aircraft was Major Glenn Miller on his way to lead his Air Force Band in a Christmas concert.
1949 - Born this day, Don Johnson [Wayne], in Flatt Creek, Missouri, actor, (Miami Vice, Harrad Experiment), singer, 1986 US No.5 and UK No.46 single Heartbeat.
1955 - Born this day, Paul Simonon, rock musician, bassist, (Clash: White Riot, Tommy Gun, London Calling, Bankrobber, Rock The Casbah, Should I Stay Or Should I Go, I Fought The Law, Havana 3 AM).
1967 - The Beach Boys met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Paris and learned transcendental meditation.
1969 - John Lennon made what would be his final ever gig in the UK. The Peace For Christmas charity concert for UNICEF at The Lyceum Ballroom in London, featured John Lennon, George Harrison, Eric Clapton and Keith Moon.
1973 - Charlie Rich started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with the country & western ballad 'The Most Beautiful Girl', the singers only No.1 single, was also a No.2 hit in the UK.
1977 - 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 and Sid Vicious because of 'moral turpitude' and Steve Jones because of his criminal record.
1979 - Pink Floyd started a five week run at No.1 in the UK with the single Another Brick In The Wall, eventually becoming the Christmas No.1 for 1979.
1984 - Do They Know It's Christmas by Band Aid entered the chart at No.1 and stayed at the top for 5 weeks, becoming the biggest selling single of all time in the UK (at this time), with sales of over 3 and a half million.
1988 - Soul singer James Brown was sentenced to six years in prison for various offences including possession of weapons and resisting arrest.
1990 - Rock singer Rod Stewart married New Zealand super model Rachel Hunter in Beverly Hills, he was quoted 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.
1990 - Abba singer Agnetha Faltskog married Swedish surgeon Tomas Sonnenfeld.
1994 - Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora married actress Heather Locklear. The couple divorced in 2006.
1998 - A stagehand filed a $3 million lawsuit against the pop group Backstreet Boys, contending he was injured by a 50-pound cannon that fell on his head. Michael Barrett, 22, was seeking damages from the five-member group for injuries and emotional distress. Barrett, of Alexandria, was working backstage at Nissan Pavilion after a concert on 16 July. A line suspending the cannon - a stage prop that fires confetti - was untied after the show, 'causing it to descend to the stage below at great speed', according to the lawsuit.
1999 - Posh Spice Victoria Beckham knocked a crazed fan to the ground after he tried to grab her baby son Brooklyn as she left Harrods in London.
2000 - An intruder who broke into George Harrison's home and stabbed the ex-Beatle was found not guilty by reason of insanity.
2001 - Joe Walsh was given an honourary Doctorate of Music from Kent State University in Ohio.
2003 - 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.
2006 - The co-founder of Atlantic Records Ahmet Ertegun died, aged 83. Ertegun who founded Atlantic Records with Herb Abramson in 1947 helped make Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin stars and signed the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin in the early 70s. He suffered a head injury when he fell at a Rolling Stones concert at New York's Beacon Theatre in October, and died after slipping into a coma.
1919 - Born this day, Max Yasgur, owner of the farm where the 1969 Woodstock festival was held.
1922 - Born this day, Alan Freed, disc jockey. Born in Pennsylvania. Introduced the term "rock-n-roll". Died in 1965.
1939 - Born on this day, Cindy Birdsong, The Supremes, (joined in 1967, 1969 UK No.3 single 'I'm Gonna make You Love Me'). Labelle, (1975 US No.1 & UK No.17, single 'Lady Marmalade').
1942 - Born on this day, Dave Clark, Dave Clark Five, (1964 UK No.1 single 'Glad All Over', 1965 US No.1 single 'Over And Over', plus over 15 other UK Top 40 singles).
1943 - American jazz musician, singer and composer, Fats Waller died of pneumonia on a train trip near Kansas City, Missouri. 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.
1944 - Died this day, Glenn Miller, US band leader/jazz composer, aged 40. As World War II (WWII) raged, news spread of the loss of an airplane somewhere over the English Channel between England and Paris. On board the ill-fated aircraft was Major Glenn Miller on his way to lead his Air Force Band in a Christmas concert.
1949 - Born this day, Don Johnson [Wayne], in Flatt Creek, Missouri, actor, (Miami Vice, Harrad Experiment), singer, 1986 US No.5 and UK No.46 single Heartbeat.
1955 - Born this day, Paul Simonon, rock musician, bassist, (Clash: White Riot, Tommy Gun, London Calling, Bankrobber, Rock The Casbah, Should I Stay Or Should I Go, I Fought The Law, Havana 3 AM).
1967 - The Beach Boys met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Paris and learned transcendental meditation.
1969 - John Lennon made what would be his final ever gig in the UK. The Peace For Christmas charity concert for UNICEF at The Lyceum Ballroom in London, featured John Lennon, George Harrison, Eric Clapton and Keith Moon.
1973 - Charlie Rich started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with the country & western ballad 'The Most Beautiful Girl', the singers only No.1 single, was also a No.2 hit in the UK.
1977 - 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 and Sid Vicious because of 'moral turpitude' and Steve Jones because of his criminal record.
1979 - Pink Floyd started a five week run at No.1 in the UK with the single Another Brick In The Wall, eventually becoming the Christmas No.1 for 1979.
1984 - Do They Know It's Christmas by Band Aid entered the chart at No.1 and stayed at the top for 5 weeks, becoming the biggest selling single of all time in the UK (at this time), with sales of over 3 and a half million.
1988 - Soul singer James Brown was sentenced to six years in prison for various offences including possession of weapons and resisting arrest.
1990 - Rock singer Rod Stewart married New Zealand super model Rachel Hunter in Beverly Hills, he was quoted 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.
1990 - Abba singer Agnetha Faltskog married Swedish surgeon Tomas Sonnenfeld.
1994 - Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora married actress Heather Locklear. The couple divorced in 2006.
1998 - A stagehand filed a $3 million lawsuit against the pop group Backstreet Boys, contending he was injured by a 50-pound cannon that fell on his head. Michael Barrett, 22, was seeking damages from the five-member group for injuries and emotional distress. Barrett, of Alexandria, was working backstage at Nissan Pavilion after a concert on 16 July. A line suspending the cannon - a stage prop that fires confetti - was untied after the show, 'causing it to descend to the stage below at great speed', according to the lawsuit.
1999 - Posh Spice Victoria Beckham knocked a crazed fan to the ground after he tried to grab her baby son Brooklyn as she left Harrods in London.
2000 - An intruder who broke into George Harrison's home and stabbed the ex-Beatle was found not guilty by reason of insanity.
2001 - Joe Walsh was given an honourary Doctorate of Music from Kent State University in Ohio.
2003 - 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.
2006 - The co-founder of Atlantic Records Ahmet Ertegun died, aged 83. Ertegun who founded Atlantic Records with Herb Abramson in 1947 helped make Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin stars and signed the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin in the early 70s. He suffered a head injury when he fell at a Rolling Stones concert at New York's Beacon Theatre in October, and died after slipping into a coma.