December 26th

Musical birthdays today include Four Tops vocalist Abdul 'Duke' Fakir (87), former Plastic People of the Universe multi-instrumentalist Josef Janíček (75), jazz guitarist John Scofield (71), Kraftwerk drummer Henning Schmitz (69), Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich (59), ex-Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt guitarist Jay Farrar (56), former White Zombie guitarist Jay Yuenger (56), Thirty Seconds to Mars lead singer Jared Leto (51), Rise Against lead guitarist Zach Blair (49), and Black Veil Brides lead singer Andy Biersack (32). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Appalachian fiddler Uncle Charlie Osborne, born on this day in 1890... for Belgian chanteuse Régine Zylberberg, born in 1929... for chansonnier Jean Ferrat, born today in 1931... for Phil Spector, who would have been 83 today... for amateur violinist Jack Benny, who died on this date in 1974... for Curtis Mayfield, who passed away in 1999... for Armand Zildjian, founder of the cymbal-manufacturing firm that bore his name, who died in 2002... for 'Ivory Queen of Soul' Teena Marie, who left us in 2010... and for Fontella Bass, who left us today in 2012. 

Also on December 26: Gilbert and Sullivan complete their first collaboration, the operetta Thespis. It will be four years before they work together again (1871)... Beatlemania in America begins as Capitol Records release the single 'I Want to Hold Your Hand/'I Saw Her Standing There'. Meanwhile, Stevie Wonder arrives in London for his debut UK television appearances (1963)... The Rolling Stones place an advertisement in the music paper New Musical Express, wishing barbers and their families a Happy Christmas and apologizing for any negative impact they may have had on their revenues (1964)... While spending the Christmas holidays at his father's home in Cheshire, Paul McCartney crashes the Vespa he is riding and suffers a five-inch cut to his mouth (1965)... John Lennon appears as a men's room attendant in the Peter Cook  and Dudley Moore BBC show 'Not Only... But Also'... The Jimi Hendrix Experience play London's Uppercut Club. Hendrix writes the lyrics to 'Purple Haze' in his dressing room after the gig (1966)... BBC Television broadcast  The Magical Mystery Tour in black and white. The next day, the British press and public alike pronounce the Beatles' latest film an utter disaster. The negative reaction is so strong that a US television deal for showing the movie is cancelled (1967)... Led Zeppelin play their first American gig as the opening act for Vanilla Fudge in Denver, CO. Tickets are $5 (1968)... George Harrison starts a 4-week run at № 1 on the Billboard singles chart with 'My Sweet Lord', making him the first former Beatle to occupy the top spot in the US  as  solo act (1970)... The Sex Pistols record 'God Save the Queen' at Wessex Studios, London (1976)...  The first night of a series of concerts are held at London's Hammersmith Odeon for the People of Kampuchea, featuring Queen, The Clash, The Pretenders, The Who, Elvis Costello and Wings,  among other artists. The  events were organised by Paul McCartney and Kurt Waldheim with the aim of raising money for the victims of war-torn Cambodia... Pink Floyd have the № 1 album in America with The Wall. The LP will stay in the top spot for 15 weeks (1979)... As their single 'Goodbye' goes to the top of the charts, the Spice Girls become the first act to have the № 1 song in the UK at Christmas 3 years in a row since the Beatles from 1963 through 1965 (1998)... Amy Winehouse's second album Back to Black is named as the biggest-selling CD of the year in Britain (2007).