Music Almanac: December 16

Billy Gibbons

Birthdays

• 1922 - Cy Leslie (founder of Pickwick Records) (d. 2008)
• 1931 - Shelby Singleton (d. 2009)
• 1931 - Karl Denver (born Angus Murdo McKenzie) (d. 1998)
• 1937 - Jim Glaser (Glaser Brothers) (75)
• 1945 - Tony Hicks (Hollies) (67)
• 1946 - Benny Andersson (ABBA) (66)
• 1949 - Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top) (63)
• 1951 - Robben Ford (61)
• 1963 - Jeff Carson (49)
• 1968 - Christopher Thorn (Blind Melon) (44)
• 1971 - Michael McCary (Boyz II Men) (41)
• 1971 - Paul van Dyk (41)
• 1975 - Benjamin Kowalewicz (Billy Talent) (37)
• 1978 - Kaine (born Eric Jackson) (Ying Yang Twins) (34)

Deaths

• 1978 - Jenny Lou Carson (first woman to write a number 1 country record) (63)
• 1988 - Sylvester (born Sylvester James) - AIDS (41)
• 1990 - Jackie Mittoo (Skatalites) - Cancer (42)
• 1997 - Nicolette Larson - Liver failure (45)
• 2001 - Stuart Adamson (Skids, Big Country) - Suicide (43)
• 2003 - Gary Stewart - Suicide (59)
• 2004 - Freddie Perren (songwriter, Boogie Fever, I Will Survive) (61)
• 2007 - Dan Fogelberg - Prostate cancer (56)

On This Day

• 1967 - Marianne Faithfull became the first act signed to the Rolling Stones' Mother Earth label.
• 1971 - 200 Motels, the Frank Zappa film, opened in London.
• 1974 - Mick Taylor announced he was leaving the Rolling Stones.
• 1974 - Mott the Hoople broke up.
• 1983 - The Who announced they were splitting.
• 1991 - Chubby Checker sued McDonald's in Canada over their use of an imitation of his voice for a commercial.
• 1999 - A worker was killed when he fell 80 feet while disassembling a set for the Spice Girls.
• 2000 - Brad Paisley was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry.
• 2003 - Michael Jackson was released from jail on $3 million bail after being arrested for child abuse.
• 2005 - Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and the estates of John Lennon and George Harrison sued EMI for royalties estimated at £30m ($45 million).
• 2006 - Paul McCartney left EMI after objecting to how they were handling his music.
• 2010 - Mariah Carey's husband, Nick Cannon, announced that they were expecting twins.

Released

• 1966 - Hey Joe - Jimi Hendrix Experience (U.K. single)
• 1967 - Green Tambourine - Lemon Pipers (single)
• 1971 - American Pie - Don McLean (single)
• 1972 - Hi Hi Hi - Paul McCartney (single)

Broadcasts

• 1965 - The Music of Lennon-McCartney (U.K.) - Beatles, Marianne Faithfull, Cilla Black, Peter & Gordon, Lulu, Billy J. Kramer, Esther Phillips
• 1993 - MTV Unplugged - Nirvana