What Happened Today In Music

December 17th

1960 - The Beatles

Returning from Hamburg, The Beatles appeared at the Casbah Coffee Club in Liverpool. Chas Newby joined The Beatles on bass guitar (to replace Stuart Sutcliffe, who had remained in Hamburg), a position he would hold for only two weeks and four performances. When Newby bowed out to return to college, Paul McCartney became The Beatles' bass player.

1962 - Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan arrived in England for the first time; he played his first UK date the following night at the Troubadour Club in London.

1963 - The Beatles

James Carroll at WWDC in Washington, DC, became the first disc jockey to broadcast a Beatles record on American radio. Carroll played 'I Want To Hold Your Hand', which he had obtained from his stewardess girlfriend, who brought the single back from the UK. Due to listener demand, the song was played daily, every hour. Since it hadn't been released yet in the States, Capitol Records initially considered court action, but instead released the single earlier than planned.

1968 - The Who

The Who played their Xmas party at the The Marquee ClubLondon. Also on the bill was a new group called Yes. Members 15 shillings, ($1.80) or £1 ($2.40) on the night. Other acts appearing at the club this month included Joe Cocker, Free and Led Zeppelin.

1971 - David Bowie

David Bowie released his fourth album Hunky Dory, which was the first to feature all the members of the band that would become known the following year as Ziggy Stardust's Spiders From Mars. Two singles were released from the album: 'Changes' / 'Andy Warhol' in January 1972 and 'Life on Mars' which was released late June 1973. Bowie himself considered the album to be one of the most important in his career.

1973 - Slade

Slade were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Merry Xmas Everybody' their sixth chart topper. It has been released during every decade since 1973, and has been covered by numerous artists. In a 2007 poll, 'Merry Xmas Everybody' was voted the UK's most popular Christmas song.

1977 - George Harrison

George Harrison played an unannounced live set for the regulars at his local pub in Henley-On-Thames near his home in the UK.

1982 - Big Joe Williams

American Delta blues musician and songwriter Big Joe Williams died in Macon, Mississippi aged 79. Wrote 'Baby Please Don't Go', a 1965 UK Top 10 for Them, (featuring Van Morrison).

1982 - Karen Carpenter

Karen Carpenter made her last live appearance with The Carpenters when she performed in Sherman, California. Carpenter suffered from anorexia nervosa, the eating disorder which was a little-known illness at the time. She died at the age of 32 from heart failure, on February 4, 1983 caused by complications related to her illness.

1983 - Duran Duran

Culture Club, Duran Duran and The Police all appeared on the children's UK TV show Saturday Superstore.

1994 - The Four Seasons

A remixed version of The Four Seasons' "December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)" re-entered the US Hot 100, where it stayed for another 27 weeks, just as it did when it first charted in 1976. The combined run will establish a record for the longest total chart appearance in US chart history.

1995 - Frank Zappa

A statue of the late Frank Zappa was unveiled in Vilnius, the capital of the Republic Of Lithuania. It had been organised by Zappa fan club President Saulius Pauksty.

1999 - Grover Washington

American jazz-funk, soul-jazz saxophonist Grover Washington Jr died of a heart attack aged 56. He collapsed in the green room after taping four songs for The Early Show, at CBS Studios in New York City, He released over 20 solo albums and featured on the 1981 Bill Withers hit ‘Just The Two of Us.’

2004 - Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie Presley agreed to sell 85% of his estate to businessman Robert Sillerman in a deal worth $100m. Sillerman would run Presley's Memphis home Graceland, and own Elvis' name and the rights to all revenue from his music and films. In the deal Lisa Marie would retain possession of Graceland and many of her father's ‘personal effects.’

2005 - U2

U2 had the top-grossing tour of 2005, according to Billboard. More than three million people watched the band's sell-out 90-date Vertigo tour which grossed $260m (£146.6m). The Eagles, took $117m (£66m) from 77 shows and Neil Diamond grossed more than $71m (£40m). Kenny Chesney was fourth with $63m (£35.5m), Paul McCartney $60m (£33.8m), Rod Stewart with $49m (£27m), Elton John with $45.5m (£25.6m), Dave Matthews Band with $45m (£25.3m), Jimmy Buffett with $41m (£23m) and Green Day with $36.5m (£20.5m).

2006 - Denis Payton

English saxophonist Denis Payton died. Member of Dave Clark Five who had the 1964 UK No.1 single 'Glad All Over', 1965 US No.1 single 'Over And Over', plus over 15 other UK top 40 singles.

2010 - Captain Beefheart

Captain Beefheart died aged 69 from complications from multiple sclerosis. The American musician, singer-songwriter, artist and poet born Don Glen Vliet in Glendale, California recorded 13 studio albums.

2010 - Paul McCartney

Sir Paul McCartney performed an intimate lunchtime gig at the 100 Club on London's Oxford Street, the historic music venue threatened with closure. Around 300 fans were treated to a set lasting almost two hours, in what was McCartney’s smallest gig in the UK for nearly 10 years. A campaign to keep the 100 Club open had attracted support from Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie and Sir Mick Jagger.

2012 - Adele

Adele was named Billboard's top artist of 2012, while her hit record 21 was named top album of the year in the music magazine's annual review. The 24-year-old became the first to receive both accolades two years in a row. The year's top three songs were 'Gotye's Somebody That I Used to Know', Carly Rae Jepsen's 'Call Me Maybe' and Fun's 'We Are Young'. respectively.

2015 - Liam Gallagher

A London judge said he was concerned at how much Liam Gallagher and his ex-wife Nicole Appleton were spending in a legal dispute over how their assets should be split after it was revealed that the pair had spent over £800,000 on legal fees. Judge O'Dwyer decided their money and property should be divided equally, with each receiving £5.4m.

Born Today In Music

December 17th

1936 - Tommy Steele

English entertainer Tommy Steele. He is regarded as Britain's first teen idol and rock and roll star and had the 1957 UK No.1 single 'Singing The Blues', plus over 20 other UK Top 40 singles. The 1957 Tommy Steele Story was the first album by a UK act to reach No.1 in his native country. 

1937 - Art Neville

Art Neville, vocals, piano, The Neville Brothers, who had the 1989 UK hit 'With God On Our Side'. Art was a founding member of The Meters, whose musical style represents New Orleans funk. He also played on recordings by many notable artists including Labelle (on "Lady Marmalade"), Paul McCartney, Lee Dorsey, Robert Palmer, Dr. John and Professor Longhair. He died on 22 July 2019 aged 81. 

1939 - Eddie Kendricks

American singer Eddie Kendricks who with The Temptations had the 1971 US No.1 & UK No.8 single 'Just My Imagination' and the re-issued 'My Girl' which was a UK No.2 hit in 1992. Died on 5th October 1992.

1942 - Paul Butterfield

Paul Butterfield, blues singer, harmonica player, (1965 album 'Paul Butterfield Blues Band'). Appeared at The Bands, 'Last Waltz'. Died on 4th May 1987.

1943 - David Dee

David Dee, Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich, (1968 UK No.1 single 'Legend Of Xanadu'). Dee died on 9th Jan 2009 at the age of 65, following a three-year battle with cancer. The singer, whose real name was David Harman, was originally a police officer and as a police cadet was called to the scene of the car crash that killed Eddie Cochrane during a UK tour in 1960.

1947 - Jim Hodder

American drummer Jim Hodder, Steely Dan, (1973 US No.11 single 'Reeling In The Years'). He also played drums on Linda Ronstadt's 1974 single 'You're No Good'. Hodder drowned at his home swimming pool on 5th June 1990 aged 42.

1949 - Paul Rodgers

Paul Rodgers, singer, guitarist, Free, (1970 UK No.2 & US No.4 single 'All Right Now'). Bad Company, (1974 UK No.15 single 'Can't Get Enough'). Also a member of The Firm, with Jimmy Page. 

1950 - Carlton Barrett

Carlton Barrett, The Wailers, (1983 UK No.4 single with Bob Marley, Buffalo Soldier', plus 10 other UK Top 40 singles). Barrett was shot dead outside his home on 17th April 1987.

1951 - Wanda Hutchinson

Wanda Hutchinson, The Emotions, (1977 US No.1 & UK No.4 single 'Best Of My Love').

1958 - Mike Mills

Mike Mills, bass, R.E.M. (1991 UK No.6 & US No.10 single 'Shiny Happy People', plus over 20 Top 40 UK singles, 1992 UK No.1 & US No.2 album 'Automatic For The People').

1959 - Bob Stinson

Bob Stinson, guitarist, from American rock band The Replacements, who released the 1984 album Let It Be. Initially a punk rock band, they are considered pioneers of alternative rock. Stinson, a long-term alcoholic and drug addict, died on February 18, 1995

1962 - Sarah Dallin

Sarah Dallin, singer with British female pop group Bananarama who had the 1984 UK No.3 single 'Robert De Niro's Waiting', plus over 20 other UK Top 40 singles, and the 1986 US No.1 single 'Venus' a cover of the Dutch rock band Shocking Blue 1970 hit.

1969 - Micky Quinn

Micky Quinn, bassist from English rock band Supergrass who had the 1995 UK No.2 single 'Alright'. Their 1995 UK No.1 album I Should Coco spent 35 weeks on the UK chart.

1970 - DJ Homicide

DJ Homicide, from American rock band Sugar Ray who had the 1999 UK No. 10 single 'Every Morning'.

1973 - Eddie Fisher

Eddie Fisher, drummer and percussionist in OneRepublic who had the 2013 UK No.1 hit 'Counting Stars'.

1978 - Neil Christopher

Neil Christopher, drummer, from Canadian rock band Three Days Grace. The band has a string of No.1 songs on the Billboard Alternative Songs Chart.

1989 - Taylor York

Taylor York, guitarist, from American rock band Paramore, who had the 2009 UK No.1 album Brand New Eyes and their 2013 self-titled fourth studio album hit No.1 on the US chart.