7 DECEMBER
In Music History
1985 "Broken Wings" by Mr. Mister hits #1 in the US for the first of two weeks.
1980 Darby Crash (of the Germs) commits suicide at age 22 through an intentional heroin overdose.
1979 Sara Bareilles is born in Eureka, California.
1978 Shirley Bassey is arrested in London for driving under the influence; she gives her name as Shirley Carter.
1974 Carl Douglas' "Kung Fu Fighting" hits #1 in America for the first of two weeks.
1974 Nicole Appleton (of All Saints) is born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
1973 Todd Rundgren performs his hit "Hello It's Me" on The Midnight Special wearing a bizarre, bird-like outfit. Rundgren wrote the song in 1968, and by the time it became a hit, he had moved on to a psychedelic/art rock phase, which explains the incongruent wardrobe selection.
1971 Paul McCartney & Wings release their debut album, Wild Life (UK).
1968 The Grateful Dead play "Rosemary" at Bellarmine College in Louisville, Kentucky. Despite the song being one of the most popular among Deadheads, this is the only time the band plays it live.
1968 Lead singer Eric Burdon announces that The Animals will call it quits by the end of the year. Burdon later joins the band War.
1964 Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys marries Marilyn Rovell. They remain married until 1979 and have two daughters, Carnie and Wendy, who form the group Wilson Phillips.
1963 The Beatles appear as panelists on the BBC show Juke Box Jury to rate records. Elvis' new single, "Kiss Me Quick," is declared a "hit."
1963 Barbara Weathers (of Atlantic Starr) is born in Greensboro, North Carolina.
1962 At a pub in Chelsea, The Rolling Stones hold auditions for a bass player. They decide that Bill Wyman will do, as he has a nice amp. Wyman doesn't tell them that he has a wife and young son.
1958 Tim Butler (bassist for The Psychedelic Furs) is born in Teddington, Middlesex, England.
French Song By Belgian Nun Hits #1 In America
1963The Singing Nun's "Dominique" hits #1 for the first of four weeks.
Read more7 DECEMBER
Featured Events
1998 The Indiana University a cappella group Straight No Chaser perform their zany rendition of "Twelve Days of Christmas" at the school. In 2006, a video of the performance is uploaded to YouTube and goes viral, earning the group a record deal and sending the song to #5 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
1991 Amplified by an innovative video with Macaulay Culkin and morphing, "Black Or White" by Michael Jackson hits #1 in America for the first of seven weeks.More
1979 "Christmas Rappin'" by Kurtis Blow becomes the first rap song released on a major label - Mercury Records. It sells about 400,000 copies and provides the template for his next single, "The Breaks," which becomes the first rap Gold record.
1973 Fleetwood Mac's manager, Clifford Davis, gets fed up with the premature cancellation of a tour and sends out his own version of the group with unknown musicians. It doesn't go well: The new band lasts just a few weeks and the real band wins the rights to their name after years of litigation.
1967 The Beatles' Apple Boutique officially opens its doors at 94 Baker Street in London. Seven months later, they close the boutique and give away the remaining merchandise.
1942 Harry Chapin is born in New York City. The folk rocker debuts in 1972 with the album Heads & Tales, featuring his first hit, "Taxi."
©2024 Songfacts®, LLC