Richard Pryor
Dec 1 Richard Pryor, American comedian and actor (Lady Sings the Blues, Stir Crazy), born in Peoria, Illinois (d. 2005)

Richard Pryor
- Dec 6 Jay Leonhart, American session and touring jazz and pop double bassist and songwriter (The Bass Lesson), born in Baltimore, Maryland
- Dec 9 Sammy Strain, American singer (Imperials-Hurt So Bad), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Dec 12 Dionne Warwick, American singer (Solid Gold, Way to San Jose), born in East Orange, New Jersey
- Dec 16 Dimitri van Toren, Dutch singer-songwriter, born in Breda, Netherlands (d. 2015)
- Dec 19 Phil Ochs, American anti-war folk singer (Joe Hill, War is Over), born in El Paso, Texas (d. 1976)
- Dec 20 Larry Willis, American jazz pianist & composer, born in NYC, New York
- Dec 21 Tony Rivers [Thompson], British pop singer and vocal arranger (Harmony Grass; Cliff Richard), born in Shildon, England
- Dec 21 Frank Zappa, American rocker, composer, activist and filmmaker (Mothers of Invention, Hot Rats), born in Baltimore, Maryland (d. 1993)
- Dec 21 Paul [Ray Hildebrand], American singer (Paul & Paula), born in Joshua, Texas
- Dec 23 Eugene Record, American musician (Chi Lites-Give it Away), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2005)
- Dec 23 Jorma Kaukonen, American rock guitarist (Jefferson Airplane; Hot Tuna), born in Washington, D.C.
- Dec 25 Peter Brown, rocker, born in Chicago, Illinois
- Dec 25 Pete Brown, English musician and songwriter (Cream), born in Ashtead, Surrey
- Dec 28 Alvin Singleton, American composer ("After Fallen Crumbs"; "Shadows", born in Brooklyn, New York City
- Dec 28 Lonnie Liston Smith, American jazz piano and keyboard player (Cosmic Echoes, Magic Lady), born in Richmond, Virginia,
- Dec 28 Neon Park [Martin Muller], American illustrator of album covers (Little Feat; Frank Zappa), born in Berkeley, California (d. 1993)
- Dec 29 Peter Koelewijn, Dutch rock musician and songwriter ("Get Off That Roof"), born in Eindhoven, Netherlands
- Dec 31 Mani Neumeier, German musician (Guru Guru), born in Munich, Germany
- Dec 31 Bobby Notkoff, American rock and blues violinist (Crazy Horse; The Rockets), born in New York City (d. 2018) [1]
About December 1940
How Old? 80 years old
Generation: Silent Generation
Leap Year: Yes
Chinese Zodiac: Dragon
Star Signs: Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21), Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19)