December 19th

Musical birthdays today include harpsichordist William Christie (74), Nitty Gritty Dirt Band guitarist John McEuen (73), ex-Rainbow bassist Jimmy Bain (71), instrumentalist & arranger Walter Murphy (66), former Kajagoogoo lead singer Chris 'Limahl' Hamill (60), Bad Books singer & guitarist Kevin Devine (39), producer & Dear Hunter lead singer Casey Crescenzo (35), and Ordinary Boys bassist Dan Logan (33). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Edith Piaf, born on this day in 1915... for New Orleans bluesman Professor Longhair [né Henry Roy Byrd], born in 1918... for country singer Little Jimmy Dickens, born in 1920... for early do-wop singer Gregory Carroll, who would have been 89 today... for jazz pianist & composer Bobby Timmons, who would have been 83... for Phil Ochs, who would have been 78... for Earth, Wind & Fire founder Maurice White, who would have been 77... for Ten Years After frontman Alvin Lee and Lovin' Spoonful lead guitarist Zal Yanovsky, both of whom would have been 74... for original Byrds drummer Michael Clarke, who died today in 1993... for 10,000 Maniacs lead guitarist Rob Buck and Pops Staples, both of whom passed away on this day in 2000... and for gospel singer Inez Andrews, who left us five years ago. 

Also on December 19: Massenet's opera Hérodiade has its world premiere in Brussels (1862)... Noel Coward's musical 'Pacific 1860' opens in London's West End (1946)...  'The Music Man' opens on Broadway... Elvis Presley receives his draft notice from the US Army (1957)... The Supreme score their third US № 1 of the year with 'Come See about Me' (1964)... Buffalo Springfield appear at the Community Concourse in San Diego, closing the show with a 35-minute jam on the Steven Stills composition 'Bluebird' (1967)... As part of a UK tour, Led Zeppelin appear at The Civic Hall in Exeter, supported by The Empty Vessels, featuring Martin Turner and Steve Upton, who later form Wishbone Ash. Zeppelin are paid £125 for the gig (1968)... Elton John's first US hit, 'Your Song', enters the Billboard Hot 100 (1970)... 
In an interview with The Daily Mail, Sex Pistol Paul Cook's mother says he is no longer welcome at home and that she is going to turn his bedroom into a sitting room (1976)... Elvis Presley's personal physician George Nichopoulos is charged with 'illegally and indiscriminately' prescribing over 12,000 tablets of uppers, downers and painkillers for the star during the 20 months preceding his untimely death. Although he will be acquitted this time, the doctor is charged again in 1980 and in 1992 with similar offences in treating other patients, and is finally stripped of his medical license in July 1995 (1979)... Saturday Night Live gets a double dose of Paul Simon, as the singer is the musical guest, while the senator from Illinois [who is running for the democratic nomination for president] of the same name is the guest host (1987)... Manic Street Preachers open a three-night stand at the Astoria in London, the band's last shows before guitarist and principal songwriter Richey Edwards disappears without a trace the following February (1994)... Former Spice Girl Emma Bunton pays £3,000 for a custom built toilet. The singer ordered the hand-painted porcelain loo complete with hand-crafted toilet paper roll holder for her new £500,000 seaside flat in Brighton (2001)... In NYC, Bruce Springsteen and bandmate Nils Lofgren attend the funeral of their friend, eccentric Wall St. tycoon John Mulheren. Springsteen leads the assembly in Christmas carols, while Lofgren sings 'Wind beneath My Wings' (2003)... Nick Mason steps in to help save Foote's, the historic London music shop where he bought his first ever drum kit. The Pink Floyd drummer, along with the store's sales director Rob Wilson are buying the business [which will now re-open in a new location at 41 Store Street in Bloomsbury] from the family who have owned it since the '30s (2012).