December 6th

 Musical birthdays today include British National Youth Jazz Orchestra director Bill Ashton (85), former Bread frontman Robb Royer (79), Maze frontman Frankie Beverley (75), jazz bassist & Weather Report founding member Miroslav Vitouš (74), former Jam drummer Rick Buckler (66), ex-R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck (65), ex-Pixies drummer David Lovering (60), Everything but the Girl guitarist Ben Watt (59), and Ace of Base keyboardist Ulf Ekberg (51). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for lyricist Ira Gershwin, born on this day in 1896... for Dave Brubeck, born in 1920... for composer Henryk Górecki, who would have been 88... for Dave Clark Five lead singer Mike Smith, who would have been 78... for heavy metal guitarist Randy Rhoads, who would have been 65... for The Sound lead singer Adrian Borland, who would have been 64... for Lead Belly, who died on this date in 1949... for Roy Orbison, who passed away in 1988... for  Hawkwind guitarist Huw Lloyd-Langton and for Greg Lake, both of whom left us five years ago today.

Also on December 6: Berlioz's opera La Damnation de Faust premieres at the Opéra-Comique in Paris (1846)... John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Pete Best meet again with Brian Epstein to continue discussions about his proposal to manage them. Epstein wants 25% of their gross fees each week. He promises that their bookings will be better organised, more prestigious, and will expand beyond the Liverpool area. He also promises that they will never again play for less than £15, except for Cavern lunchtime sessions, for which he will get their fee doubled to ten pounds. Lennon, as leader of The Beatles, accepts on their behalf (1961)...  During sessions for what will become the 'Freewheelin’ album, Bob Dylan records 'A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall' and versions of 'Hero Blues', 'Whatcha Gonna Do', 'Oxford Town', and 'I Shall Be Free' at Columbia Recording Studio A in NYC (1962)... The Beatles record their first Christmas record for their fan club (1963)... The Rolling Stones record '19th Nervous Breakdown' and 'Mother's Little Helper' at RCA's Hollywood Studios in Los Angeles... The Byrds release the album Turn! Turn! Turn! (1965)... James Taylor releases his eponymous debut album (1968)... Led Zeppelin make their debut on the US singles chart with 'Whole Lotta Love'; it will rise as high as № 4, the first of six Top 40 stateside singles for the group. During the band's career, Zeppelin never release any singles in the UK... The Rolling Stones play a free festival at Altamont, CA, along with  Jefferson Airplane, Santana, The Flying Burrito Brothers and Crosby Stills Nash & Young. As the Stones play, 18-year-old fan Meredith Hunter is stabbed to death  by Hell's Angels hired to provide security at the event. Some reports claim that Hunter was waving a revolver. One other man drowned, two men were killed in a hit-and run accident, and two babies were born (1969)... While reading the morning newspaper in Nice, Keith Richards is surprised to learn that arrest warrants have been issued by  the French police for him and his girlfriend Anita Pallenberg for drug possession (1972)... Paul Simon goes to № 1 with Still Crazy after All These Years, his first solo LP to top the US album chart... The Reverend Charles Boykin of Tallahassee, FL organizes a bonfire of Elton John and Rolling Stones records, claiming they are sinful. Boykin says that he is reacting to the results of a survey showing that 984 of 1,000 local unmarried mothers had sex when listening to rock music (1975)... Jackson Browne releases Running on Empty (1977)... Sex Pistol Sid Vicious smashes a glass in the face of Patti Smith's brother Todd during an altercation at NYC club Hurrah (1978)... In the studio, John Lennon mixes 'Walking on Thin Ice' and also takes time for an interview with British DJ Andy Peebles. Meanwhile, Mark David Chapman arrives in NYC (1980)... Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson are  № 1 on the Billboard single chart with 'Say Say Say' (1983)... Jackson collapses and is treated for dehydration while rehearsing for the HBO special 'Michael Jackson: One Night Only' at the Beacon Theater in New York (1995)... Elvis Costello marries Diana Krall in a ceremony at Elton John's mansion outside of London (2003).