Music Almanac: December 5

Birthdays

• 1912 - Sonny Boy Williamson (d. 1965)
• 1932 - Little Richard (born Richard Penniman) (80)
• 1938 - J.J. Cale (74)
• 1946 or 1952 - Andy Kim (60 or 66)
• 1947 - Jim Messina (Buffalo Springfield, Poco, Loggins & Messina) (65)
• 1952 - Bobby Barth (Axe, Blackfoot) (60)
• 1960 - Les Nemes (Haircut 100) (52)
• 1960 - Jack Russell (Great White) (52)
• 1963 - Ty England (49)
• 1965 - John Reznick (Goo Goo Dolls) (47)
• 1967 - Gary Allan (45)
• 1968 - Glen Graham (Blind Melon) (44)
• 1971 - Craig Gill (Inspirial Carpets) (41)
• 1980 - Zainam Higgins (Cleopatra) (32)

Deaths

• 1987 - “Fat” Larry James (Fat Larry's Band) - Heart attack (38)
• 1993 - Douglas Hopkins (Gin Blossoms) - Suicide (32)

On This Day

• 1956 - Alan Freed's film Rock Rock Rock was released. Appearing in the film with lead Tuesday Weld (whose singing was dubbed by Connie Francis) were Chuck Berry, the Moonglows, the Flamingos, the Johnny Burnette Trio, Lavern Baker and Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers.
• 1959 - Gene Vincent met English TV producer Jack Good who convinced him to take an the image of an outlaw, wearing all black clothes.
• 1961 - Ray Charles was arrested for drug possession in Indianapolis, IN.
• 1965 - The Beatles played their hometown of Liverpool for the last time.
• 1968 - A release party for the Rolling Stones' album Beggars Banquet ends with a huge food fight with record company executives (especially those that nixed the band's toilet seat cover) receiving the brunt of the custard pies.
• 1968 - Graham Nash quit the Hollies.
• 1969 - Peter Grant, manager of Led Zeppelin, stops Atlantic Records from releasing Whole Lotta Love as a single in the U.K. because they want to cut out the center section of the song.
• 1980 - John Lennon gave his final interview to Jonathan Cott of Rolling Stone.
• 1987 - The Jesus and Mary Chain were banned from a CBS-TV music show after they refused to change their name for the broadcast to JANC.
• 1997 - Carl Hunter, manager of Ray Charles, is arrested in Nagoya, Japan on suspicion of marijuana possession.
• 1997 - Toni Braxton sued LaFace Records trying to break her 1989 record contract.
• 2004 - Elton John was a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors.

Released

• 1953 - A Sunday Kind of Love - Harptones (single)