December 1:

Born:     Billy Paul (1934)

             Lou Rawls (1935)

             Sandy Nelson (1938)

             John Paul Densmore, The Doors (1944)

             Bette Midler (1945)

Events:   "Magical Mystery Tour" is released by The Beatles. (1967)

December 2:

December 3:

Born:     Andy Williams (1928)

             Ozzy Osbourne (1948)

December 4:

Born:     Freddy Cannon (1940)

             Chris Hillman, The Byrds (1942)

            Dennis Wilson, The Beach Boys (1944)

December 5:

Born:     Walt Disney (1901)

             Little Richard (1932)

Events:   The Beatles open the Apple Boutique. (1968)

              "Beggar's Banquet" by The Rolling Stones is released; they throw one to celebrate. (1968)

December 6:

Born:     Dave Brubeck (1920)

             Mike Smith, Dave Clark Five (1943)

             Jonathan King (1944)

Events:   The Rolling Stones concert at Altamont, California, results in the death of a fan by a Hells Angels beating which was caused by "protection for the band." (1969)

December 7:

Events:   "I Want To Hold Your Hand" enters the singles charts at No. 1 for The Beatles in United Kingdom. (1963)

December 8:

Born:     Sammy Davis Jr. (1925)

             Jerry Butler (1939)

             Jim Morrison (1943)

             Graham Knight, Marmalade (1946)

             Gregg Allman (1947)

Events:   John Lennon is assassinated. (1980)

December 9:

Born:     Sam Strain, Little Anthony and the Imperials, (1940)

Events:   Marty Robbins, who had recorded over 500 songs dies.  (1982)

              Roy Orbison dies. (1988)

December 10:

Born:     Chad Stuart, Chad and Jeremy (1943)

Events:   Otis Redding and three members of the Bar-kays die in a plane crash. (1967)

December 11:

Born:     Brenda Lee (1944

             Jermaine Jackson (1954) 

Events:   Sam Cooke was shot by mistake and dies. (1964)

December 12:

Born:     Dionne Warwick (1941)

             Mike Pinder, The Moody Blues (1942)

Events:   "Promised Land" is released by Chuck Berry. (1964)

              Ike Turner, ex-husband of Tina Turner dies (2007)

December 13:

Born:     Tony Gomez, The Foundations (1940)

Events:   "Alice's Restaurant" by Arlo Guthrie is released. (1969)

              Zal Yanovsky, Lovin' Spoonful dies of congestive heart failure. (2002)

December 14:

Born:     Charlie "Silver Fox" Rich (1932)

             Joyce Vincent, Dawn (1946)

             Patty Duke (1946)

Events:   Dinah Washington dies of a drug overdose. (1963)

December 15:

Born:   Allan Freed (1922)

           Cindy Birdsong, The Supremes (1939)

           Dave Clark, Dave Clark Five (1942)

Events:   Walt Disney dies. (1966)

December 16:

Born:     Tony Hicks, The Hollies (1945)

December 17:

Events:  Denis Payton,  the saxophonist, also played the guitar and harmonica for the Dave Clark Five, dies      after a long battle with cancer (2006) 

December 18:

Born:     Cas Chandler, The Animals (1938)

             Keith Richard (1943)

December 19:

Born:     Zal Yanovsky, Lovin' Spoonful (1944)

             John McEuen, The Dirt Band (1945)

December 20:

Born:     Bobby Colomby, Blood, Sweat and Tears (1944)

            Peter Criss, Kiss (1947

Events:   Bobby Darin dies during heart surgery. (1973)

December 21:

Born:     Carl Wilson, The Beach Boys (1946)

             Frank [Francis Vincent] Zappa (1940)

Events:   "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man" charts, Bob Seger's first hit. (1968)

              Crosy, Stills and Nash begin their musical relationship in Los Angeles. (1968)

December 22:

Born:     Robin Gibb, The Bee Gees (1949)

             Maurice Gibb, The Bee Gees (1949)

Events:   "Telstar" by The Tornadoes, becomes the first record by an English band to hit No. 1 on the charts in the United States. (1962)

December 23:

Born:     Esther Phillips (1935)

             Jorma Kaukonen, Hot Tuna (1940)

             Ron Busby, Iron Butterfly (1945)

             Johnny Contardo, Sha Na Na (1951)

Events:   Jack Webb of Dragnet fame dies from heart failure. (1982)

December 24:

Born:     Cab Calloway (1907)

             Lee Dorsey (1924)

December 25:

Born:     Billy Horton, Silhouettes (1937)

             O'Kelly Isley (1939)

            Henry Vestine, Canned Heat (1944)

            Jimmy Buffett (1946)

Events:  Paul McCartney and Jane Asher announce their engagement. (1967)

             Dean Martin dies. (1995)

             James Brown dies. (2006)

December 26:

Born:     Phil Spector (1939)

Events:   The movie, Magical Mystery Tour, by The Beatles, premieres on BBC-TV, in black and white. (1967)

December 27:

Born:     Leslie McGuire, Gerry and the Pacemakers (1941)

             Michael Pinder, The Moody Blues (1941)

             Pete Quaife, The Kinks (1943)

             Mick Jones, Foreigner (1947)

December 28:

Born:     Dorsey Burnette (1932)

             Bobby Comstock (1943)

             Edgar Winter (1947)

             Alex Chilton, The Box Tops (1950)

Events:   Dennis Wilson, The Beach Boys drowns. (1983)

December 29:

Born:     Ray Thomas, The Moody Blues (1942)

             Yvonne Elliman (1951)

Events:   Tim Hardin dies of a drug overdose. (1980)

December 30:

Born:     Bo Diddley [Ellis McDaniels] (1928)    

             Skeeter Davis (1931)

             Del Shannon (1939)

             Davy Jones, The Monkees (1946)

December 31:

Born:     John Denver (1943)

             Patti Smith (1946)

             Burton Cummings (1947)

             Donna Summer (1948)

            Tony Hamilton, Aerosmith (1948)

Events:   The Beach Boys give their first show with that name: they were Carl and The Passions. (1961)

              Jimi Hendrix and Band of Gypsies [Buddy Miles and Buddy Cox] premiere at the Fillmore East and release a live LP of the show which is regarded as one of the best ever. (1969)

             Rick Nelson dies in a plane crash. (1985)