December 16

Births

1770: Ludwig Van Beethoven (Composer)

1945: Tony Hicks (Lead Guitar & Vocals for The Hollies)

1946: Benny Andersson (Keyboards & Vocals for ABBA)

1949: Billy Gibbons (Guitar & Lead Vocals for ZZ Top)

1971: Michael McCary (Vocals for Boyz II Men)

1971: Paul Van Dyk (Matthias Pau) (DJ)

1978: Kaine (Eric Jackson) (Rapper in Ying Yang Twins)

1979: Flo Rida (Tramar Dillard) (Rapper)

Events

1956: Elvis Presley leaves the Louisiana Hayride after 50 appearances on the radio show. Broadcast from KWKH in Shreveport, LA, the weekly broadcast made country music stars of several unknowns.

1969: As part of their new campaign against the war in Vietnam, John Lennon and Yoko Ono place stark black-and-white billboards in eleven international cities proclaiming "WAR IS OVER!" and then, in smaller type, "If You Want It. Happy Christmas From John And Yoko."

1973: Stephen Stills is found to be the father of a child, Justin Stills, birthed by a Mill Valley, CA, resident Harriet B. Tunis. The US documentary series Trauma: Life in the ER devotes an episode to Justin after he is seriously injured in a 1997 snowboarding accident.

1974: Guitarist Mick Taylor, who replaced Rolling Stones founder Brian Jones before his death in 1969, announces he's leaving the group. A little over a year later, he'll be replaced by former Faces guitarist Ron Wood.

1974: Glam legends Mott The Hoople disband.

1981: Ray Charles is awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6777 Hollywood Blvd.

1983: The Who officially break up -- for the first time.

1988: Disco Singer Sylvester died of complications from AIDS in San Francisco. He was 41 years old.

1991: Chubby Checker sues McDonald's for $14 million after the restaurant mega-chain allegedly uses a soundalike voice in a Canadian commercial for french fries.

1993: St. Louis radio station KEZK becomes the first to ban Michael Jackson records from its playlist after recent allegations of child sexual abuse.

2001: Stuart Adamson, lead singer of Big Country was found dead in Hawaii a month after disappearing from his home in the US. The 43-year old Scottish musician had fought a long battle against alcoholism. His body was found in a hotel room.

2007: Singer / Songwriter Dan Fogelberg died from prostate cancer at age 56.