1932 Singer/actor John Gary is born in Watertown, New York.
1932 Jazz guitarist Ed Bickert (of the Paul Desmond Quartet) is born in Hochfeld, Manitoba, Canada.
1917 Merle Travis, writer and original performer of "Sixteen Tons," is born in Rosewood, Kentucky.
George Harrison succumbs to lung cancer at age 58. His final hours are spent with his wife, son, and musician Ravi Shankar at his side.
Read more2016 Minneapolis-based musicians Lydia Liza and Josiah Lemanski flame a cultural debate about gender roles when they post a reinterpreted version of the Christmas song "Baby It's Cold Outside" with new lyrics: Instead of pressuring her to spend the night, the guy respects her decision to leave and helps her get home safely.More
2014 Taylor Swift replaces herself at #1 on the Hot 100 when "Blank Space" knocks "Shake It Off" from the top spot, making Swift the first female artist to do so.
1986 "You Give Love A Bad Name" by Bon Jovi goes to #1 in the US, giving the group their first big hit. It's written by group leaders Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora along with an outside writer, Desmond Child, whose monster choruses can be heard on "I Was Made For Lovin' You" by Kiss and "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)" by Aerosmith. Bon Jovi's next single is "Livin' On A Prayer," written by the same trio.
1975 Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" hits #1 in the UK and stays for a record nine weeks. In America, it becomes the group's first Top 10 hit when it peaks at #9 on April 24, 1976.
1975 Neil Young records "Like a Hurricane" at the Broken Arrow Ranch in Woodside, California. The song is released a couple years later on American Stars 'n Bars. It remains a fan favorite and concert staple for the remainder of Young's career.
1959 At the second Annual Grammy Awards, Bobby Darin wins for Best New Artist and also takes the award for Record of the Year for "Mack The Knife," which is still at #1 on the Hot 100. This is the first time the event is televised, and also the only time the ceremony is held at the end of the year instead of early the following year, meaning nothing in December 1959 is Grammy eligible. This faux pas is rectified with awards for 1960 given out in early 1961.
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