December 22

Births

1944: Barry Jenkins (Drummer for The Animals)

1948: Rick Nielsen (Guitar for Cheap Trick)

1949: Maurice & Robin Gibb (Singers in The Bee Gees)

1960: Luke (Luther Campbell) (Rapper in 2 Live Crew)

1972: Vanessa Paradis (Singer)

1989: Jordin Sparks (Singer)

Events

1956: Billboard announces that Elvis Presley has notched seventeen chart hits this year alone. (Pat Boone only manages five.)

1963: The Dave Clark Five scored their only US No.1 single with 'Over And Over', a No.5 in the UK.

1966: Acting on an earlier order from John Lennon, producer George Martin and engineer Geoff Emerick manage to adjust the tape speeds of two completely different versions of "Strawberry Fields Forever" in order to create the track we know today.

1968: Singer Eric Burdon leaves the Animals for a solo career.

1969: John Lennon and Yoko Ono meet with Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and Minister of Health John Munro to discuss drug abuse.

1975: Ike and Tina Turner's suitcase, containing $86,000 in concert receipts, is stolen.

1976: Singer Isaac Hayes files for bankruptcy.

1978: Faces' drummer Kenney Jones joins the Who, replacing Keith Moon, who had died from an accidental overdose of anti-alcoholic medications two months earlier.

1979: The Concerts For The People Of Kampuchea benefit premieres at London's Hammersmith Odeon, featuring organizer Paul McCartney, the Who, Queen, and an all-star "Rockestra."

1981: A Sotheby's auction in London features an enameled Abbey Road street sign ($600), an autographed program from the Beatles' Royal Command Performance ($2,000), a letter of introduction from Buddy Holly to Decca Records (also $2,000), the marriage certificate of John Lennon and first wife Cynthia ($850), an autographed program from the world premiere of the Beatles' movie Help! ($2,100) and, a jacket once worn by Tom Jones ($12).

1987: Nikki Sixx from Motley Crue was pronounced 'dead on arrival' in an ambulance when his heart stopped beating for two minutes. Sixx was given two shots of adrenaline in his chest to revive him. Fellow band members were prematurely informed of his death.

1988: The Smiths played their farewell gig at Wolverhampton Civic Hall, (without guitarist Johnny Marr). To gain entrance to the gig fans had to wear a Smiths or Morrissey T- shirt.

1991: Gregg Allman makes his acting debut as a drug kingpin in the movie Rush.

1994: Martina McBride delivers her first baby, a 6-pound, 4-ounce girl, Delaney Katharine.

2000: Madonna married film director Guy Ritchie at Skibo Castle, Scotland. Celebrities attending the wedding included Jon Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, Sting and fashion designers Donatella Versace, Jean Paul Gaultier and Stellla McCartney. The couple divorced in Nov 2008.

2002: Former Clash singer and guitarist Joe Strummer (John Graham Mellor) died of a suspected heart attack aged 50.