EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY DECEMBER 6 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day December 6 in 1949 – American folk and blues music singer and multi-instrumentalist Huddie William Ledbetter also known as Lead Belly died at the age of 61.
1967 – The Beatles hit number one on the UK Singles chart with ‘Hello, Goodbye’ for the first of seven consecutive weeks. It also became a chart-topper in eleven other countries, including the US.
1968 – The Rolling Stones released their ninth studio album ‘Beggars Banquet’ through Decca Records on this day December 6 in music history. The album was a Top 5 hit on both sides of the Atlantic.
1969 – With ‘Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye’, pop rock group Steam started a two-week run at No.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
1971 – Heavy metal pioneers Deep Purple began recording their sixth studio album ‘Machine Head’ on this day December 6. The album was released on 25 March 1972 and it went on to top the charts in eight countries worldwide. It also became the band’s most commercially successful release.
10 Fun Facts About Deep Purple
1980 – Barbra Streisand returned to number one on the US Billboard 200 chart with her twenty-second studio album ‘Guilty’ which was produced by Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees.
1986 – The number one single in the United States on this day December 6 was ‘The Next Time I Fall’ by Peter Cetera and Amy Grant.
1986 – Swedish rock band Europe topped the UK Singles chart with ‘The Final Countdown’. The song was a big hit worldwide and it peaked at No.1 in 24 other countries as well.
1988 – American R&B and jazz guitarist Bill Harris died on this day December 6, aged 63. Best remembered for his work with the group The Clovers.
1988 – American singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Orbison died from a heart attack at the age of 52. Best remembered for hit songs such as ‘Oh, Pretty Woman’, ‘In Dreams’, ‘Only the Lonely’, ‘Crying’, ‘Running Scared’, etc.
1997 – With their seventh studio album ‘Reload’, heavy metal band Metallica reached the top spot on the US Billboard 200 on this day December 6 in music history. The album also became a chart-topper in Austria, Finland, Germany, New Zealand, Sweden, and Norway.
2003 – Irish boy band Westlife hit number one on the UK Albums chart with their fourth studio release ‘Turnaround’.
2003 – The number one single in the United States on this day December 6 was ‘Stand Up’ by Ludacris featuring Shawnna.
2003 – Singer-songwriter Will Young scored his fourth chart-topping single in the United Kingdom with ‘Leave Right Now’.
2003 – With her fourth studio release ‘In the Zone’, Britney Spears topped the US Albums chart on this day December 6.
2008 – American rock band The Killers reached the top of the UK Albums chart with their third studio release ‘Day & Age’.
2008 – Boy band Take That scored their eleventh number one single in the UK with ‘Greatest Day’ on this day December 6.
Take That – Greatest Day
2008 – With her third solo studio album ‘I Am… Sasha Fierce’, Beyonce reached the top spot on the US Billboard 200 chart. It also reached No.1 in Australia, Croatia, Ireland, and Poland, while in the UK it peaked at No.2.
2011 – American singer and songwriter Darrow Brown also known professionally as Dobie Gray died on this day December 6 in music history, aged 71. Best remembered for the hit songs ‘Drift Away’ and ‘The ‘In’ Crowd’.
2014 – British musician Olly Murs scored his third consecutive domestic chart-topping album with ‘Never Been Better’.
2014 – With their fourth studio album ‘Four’, boy band One Direction reached the top spot on the US Billboard 200 chart on this day December 6.
2014 – Six years later on the same day, boy band Take That scored their twelfth number one single in the UK with ‘These Days’.
2018 – Singer-songwriter, guitarist, and co-founder of the punk rock band Buzzcocks, Peter McNeish also known as Pete Shelley died on this day December 6, aged 63.
BORN ON THIS DAY DECEMBER 6 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1920 – American jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader David Brubeck was born in Concord, California on this day December 6 in music history.
1936 – British jazz saxophonist, composer, and bandleader William “Bill” Ashton was born on this day in Blackpool, England.
1940 – Double bassist, singer, and songwriter Jay Leonhart was born on this day December 6 in Baltimore, Maryland.
1942 – Multi-instrumentalist and founding member of the band Bread, Robert “Robb” Royer was born in Los Angeles, California.
1943 – British singer and songwriter Keith West was born Keith Hopkins on this day December 6 in Dagenham, England. Best known for the hit single ‘Excerpt from A Teenage Opera’.
1943 – Singer-songwriter and keyboardist Michael “Mike” Smith was born in Edmonton, England. He rose to fame as a member of the band The Dave Clark Five (DC5).
1944 – English singer, songwriter, and record producer Jonathan King was born Kenneth George King in London on this day December 6 in music history.
1947 – Czech jazz bassist and songwriter Miroslav Vitoush was born on this day in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Best known as a founding member of the band Weather Report.
1955 – British drummer, producer, and songwriter Richard “Rick” Buckler was born on this day December 6 in Woking, England. Best known for his work with the band The Jam.
1956 – Founding member, lead guitarist, and songwriter of the rock band R.E.M., Peter Buck was born in Berkeley, California.
1956 – American guitarist Randall “Randy” Rhoads was born on this day December 6 in Santa Monica, California. Best known as the co-founder of the heavy metal band Quiet Riot and also for his work with Ozzy Osbourne.
1961 – Multi-instrumentalist David Lovering was born in Winchester, Massachusetts. He came to prominence as the drummer of the rock band Pixies.
1962 – Record producer, multi-instrumentalist, singer and one half of the musical duo Everything but the Girl, Benjamin “Ben” Watt was born on this day December 6 in London, England.
1969 – Vocalist, guitarist, and co-founder of the shoegaze band Ride, Mark Gardener was born in Oxford, England.
1970 – Swedish musician Ulf Ekbeg nicknamed Buddha was born in Gothenburg on this day December 6 in music history. Best known as a founding member of the pop group Ace of Base.