December 20th

 Musical birthdays today include composer John Harbison (83), original Blood, Sweat & Tears drummer Bobby Colomby (77), ex-Kiss drummer Peter Criss (76), Alan Parsons (73), former Easybeats lead singer Stevie Wright (73), Billy Bragg (64), Greek Cypriot pop singer Anna Vissi (64), ex-Stooges bassist Mike Watt (64), Black Crowes lead singer Chris Robinson (55), and JoJo (31). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for pianist and singer Yvonne Arnaud, born on this day in 1890... longtime Elton John sideman Guy Babylon, who would have been 63 today... for Bobby Darin, who passed away on this date in 1973... for classical pianist Arthur Rubinstein, who died in 1982... and for country music legend Hank Snow, who left us today in 1999. 

Also on December 20: John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison appear as The Quarry Men at the wedding reception of George's older brother, Harry. The event is held at the Harrison family home at 25 Upton Green, Speke, Liverpool (1958)... The Osmonds appear for the first time on US TV on NBC's The Andy Williams Show. The brothers perform 'I'm A Ding Dong Daddy From Dumas'... The Shostakovich opera Katerina Ismailova premieres in Moscow (1962)... Joan Baez is sentenced to 45 days in prison after being arrested during an anti-war demonstration (1967)... Peter Paul and Mary go to № 1 on the US singles chart with 'Leavin' On A Jet Plane'. John Denver wrote the song in 1966 with the original title of 'Oh Babe I Hate to Go'... In the UK, the Rolling Stones top the album chart with Let It Bleed (1969)... Former James Gang guitarist Joe Walsh officially replaces Bernie Leadon in The Eagles (1974)... The Bangles have the № 1 song in the USA with 'Walk like an Egyptian'... In the UK, the Housemartins are perched atop the charts with 'Caravan of Love', only the second a capella № 1 ever in Britain after 'Only You' by the Flying Pickets (1986)...  Readers of UK Guitar magazine have voted Noel Gallagher the most overrated guitarist of the millennium. Jimi Hendrix is guitarist of the millennium, with Nirvana's 'Nevermind' winning best album (1999)... Tommy Lee brands his ex-wife Pamela Anderson an unfit mother. The drummer files papers with the Los Angeles Superior Court alleging that his sons regularly tell him 'We hate Mommy' and his younger son Brandon has been using the F-word he learned from his mommy (2001)... Matthew Fisher, a founding member of Procol Harum, wins a High Court battle over who wrote the song 'A Whiter Shade of Pale'. Fisher, who played organ on the 1967 hit, argued that he wrote the distinctive organ melody, but Mr Justice Blackburne rules that he is entitled to just 40% of the copyright, (rather than the 50% he was seeking). The court decides that lead singer Gary Brooker's input was more substantial and Fisher's claim for back royalties - of up to £1m - is also rejected. For almost 40 years, the song has been credited to lead singer Gary Brooker and lyricist Keith Reid (2006).