EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY DECEMBER 20 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day December 20 in 1962 – Family music band The Osmonds made their TV debut on The Andy Williams Show where the brothers performed ‘I’m A Ding Dong Daddy From Dumas’.
1969 – With their rendition of John Denver‘s song ‘Leaving on a Jet Plane’, Peter, Paul and Mary topped the US Billboard Hot 100. Also a chart-topper in Canada and a No.2 hit in the UK.
1969 – Australian entertainer Rolf Harris started a six-week stint at the top of the UK Singles chart with his rendition of the 1902 song ‘Two Little Boys’ on this day December 20 in music history.
1969 – With their 10th studio release ‘Let It Bleed’, the Rolling Stones went to number one on the UK Albums chart. Also a chart-topper in the Netherlands, and a Top 5 hit in Canada, Sweden, Australia, the US, Norway, and Germany.
1973 – American musician and actor Robert Cassotto better known professionally as Bobby Darin died on this day December 20 during a heart surgery, aged 37. Best remembered for songs such as ‘Splish Splash’, ‘Mack the Knife’, ‘Beyond the Sea’, and ‘Dream Lover’.
1980 – Two weeks after his assassination, John Lennon scored his first solo number one single in the UK with ‘(Just Like) Starting Over’.
20 John Lennon Quotes to Remember him by
1986 – Pop rock band the Bangles scored their first number one single in the United States on this day December 20 in music history with ‘Walk Like an Egyptian’ which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks straight. The song was also a hit worldwide peaking at No.1 in seven other countries.
The Bangles – Walk Like an Egyptian
1986 – Indie band the Housemartins topped the UK Singles chart with their rendition of the Isley-Jasper-Isley song ‘Caravan of Love’.
1999 – Canadian country musician Clarence “Hank” Snow died on this day December 20 at the age of 85. Best remembered for his prolific five-decades long career and the impressive 140 albums recorded.
2003 – With her second studio album ‘The Diary of Alicia Keys’, singer Alicia Keys reached the top spot on the US Billboard 200 chart.
2003 – Singer and songwriter Dido went to number one in the UK with her second studio album ‘Life for Rent’ on this day December 20.
2003 – With their version of the Black Sabbath song ‘Changes’, Ozzy and Kelly Osbourne became the first father-and-daughter duo since Frank and Nancy Sinatra to top the UK Singles chart.
10 Crazy Facts About Ozzy Osbourne
2008 – The number one album in the United States on this day December 20 was Britney Spears‘ sixth studio LP ‘Circus’.
2009 – Lead guitarist of the psychedelic-rock band Big Brother and the Holding Company – James Martin Curley died at the age of 69 from a heart attack.
2014 – The number one single in the UK on this day December 20 in music history was ‘Uptown Funk’ by the producer Mark Ronson and singer Bruno Mars.
2014 – With his second studio album ‘x’ (pronounced ‘multiply’), Ed Sheeran hit number one in the UK for the first of three consecutive weeks.
2017 – The cast of the musical film ‘The Greatest Showman’ started a seven-week stint at No.1 in the UK on this day December 20 with the eponymous soundtrack album.
BORN ON THIS DAY DECEMBER 20 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1930 – American blues music guitarist, singer, and songwriter Auburn “Pat” Hare was born in Cherry Valley, Arkansas on this day December 20 in music history.
1936 – Singer and songwriter Judith “Judy” Henske was born on this day in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Best known for her rendition of ‘High Flying Bird’.
1939 – American soul singer Kim Weston was born on this day December 20 in Detroit, Michigan. Best known for the song ‘Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)’ and for her duet with Marvin Gaye ‘It Takes Two’.
1939 – Influential bluegrass banjoist and steel guitar player William Bradford “Bill” Keith was born in Boston, Massachusetts.
1941 – Folk music singer-songwriter and instrumentalist Michael Hurley was born on this day December 20 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
1944 – American jazz-rock drummer and record producer Robert “Bobby” Colomby was born in Manhattan, New York City. Best known as a founding member of the band Blood, Sweat & Tears.
1945 – Founding member, drummer, and vocalist of the rock band Kiss, George Peter Criscuola also known professionally as Peter Criss was born on this day in Brooklyn, New York.
1947 – Rock and jazz bassist Douglas “Doug” Lubahn was born on this day December 20 in music history. Best known as an original member of the band Clear Light and for his work with The Doors.
1947 – English-Australian singer and songwriter Stephen “Stevie” Wright was born on this day in Leeds, England. He rose to fame as the lead singer of the rock band The Easybeats.
1948 – English musician, record producer, and audio engineer Alan Parsons was born on this day December 20 in Willesden, London. Best known for his work on some of the commercially most successful albums such as ‘Abbey Road’, ‘ Let it Be’, and ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’, and for fronting his own group The Alan Parsons Project.
1957 – British folk-rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Stephen William Bragg also known as Billy Bragg was born in Barking, England.
1959 – American musician and attorney Jacqueline Fuchs also known as Jackie Fox was born on this day December 20 in Los Angeles, California. She rose to fame as the bass guitarist of the rock band the Runaways.
1966 – Co-founder and frontman of the rock band The Black Crowes, Christopher Robinson was born in Marietta, Georgia.
1982 – American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist David Cook was born on this day December 20 in Houston, Texas.
1990 – American singer-songwriter Joanna Levesque also known by her stage name JoJo was born in Brattleboro, Vermont.
1997 – Japanese singer and songwriter Suzuka Nakamoto also known as Su-metal was born in Hiroshima, Japan on this day December 20 in music history. She came to prominence as a member of the band Babymetal.