1964 - The Who, until recently The High Numbers, perform their first gig under the new name at London's Marquee Club, promising what the posters famously call "Maximum R&B."
1972 - Produced by Don Kirshner, the TV series In Concert debuts on ABC as a competitor to NBC's Midnight Special. The series was a showcase for bands of the era to be taped "in concert" and then broadcast on ABC on Friday nights. Guests on the first episode include Chuck Berry, Alice Cooper, Blood, Sweat & Tears, The Allman Brothers Band, and Poco.
1991 - Queen frontman Freddie Mercury died of complications from AIDS at his home in London's Holland park at age 45, just one day after he publicly announced he was HIV positive. Combining an outrageously flamboyant stage persona with an immense talent for writing catchy and complex songs -- in addition to possessing one of the greatest voices (4 octave) in modern music -- Freddie Mercury remains one of rock’s all-time greatest entertainers.(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
1993 - Bluesman Albert Collins, dies at age 61. The "Master of the Telecaster", "The Iceman," his guitar playing was highly influential, totally original, making an impression on Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jeff Beck, Johnny Winter, and Robert Cray. He also became known for his "guitar walks" through the audience. Albert can be seen in a cameo appearance in the 1987 comedy Adventures in Babysitting (performing "Babysitting Blues" with the cast).
2015 - The only copy of Wu-Tang Clan's new double album Once Upon A Time In Shaolin is sold at auction. The buyer is not Wu-Tang obsessive Quentin Tarantino as many hoped, but Martin Shkreli, a 32-year-old pharmaceutical executive notorious for buying a drug company and raising the price of their AIDS drug Daraprim from $13.50 to $750 per pill. On December 17, Shkreli is arrested on charges of securities fraud and gets out on bail. In 2018, he is sentenced to seven years in prison for defrauding investors.
Birthdays:
Donald "Duck" Dunn, bassist for Booker T and the MG's and the Blues Brothers, was born today in 1941.
Wayne Jackson, American soul and R&B trumpet player in the Mar-Keys, and the house band at Stax Records and later as one of The Memphis Horns , was born today in 1941. Jackson played on 52 No.1 songs, supporting Elvis Presley, Neil Diamond, Otis Redding, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, Peter Gabriel and the Doobie Brothers.
Pete Best, the original drummer for The Beatles, is 80.
ELO drummer Bev Bevan is 77.
Blondie drummer Clem Burke is 67.
John Squire of The Stone Roses is 59.
On this Day In Music History is sourced from This Day in Music, Song Facts and Wikipedia.