Events in Music
Film Premiere
Dec 8 "On the Town", the film adaptation of the Broadway musical, starring Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Ann Miller and Vera-Ellen, premieres
- Dec 8 Jule Styne and Leo Robin's musical "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", starring Carol Channing, opens at Ziegfeld Theater, NYC; runs for 740 performances
Musical Finale
Dec 17 Marc Blitzstein' s musical drama "Regina", based on Lillian Hellman's play "The Little Foxes", closes at 46th St Theatre, NYC. after 56 performances and 2 Tony Awards
Theatrical Finale
Dec 17 Tennessee Williams' stage drama "A Streetcar Named Desire", starring Jessica Tandy, Marlon Brando, and Kim Hunter, and directed by Elia Kazan closes at Ethel Barrymore Theatre, NYC, after 855 performances, winning a Tony Award and a Pulitzer Prize
Music History
Dec 20 Maurice Ravel and John Cranko's ballet "Beauty And The Beast" premieres
Birthdays in Music
- Dec 3 Mickey Thomas, American rock vocalist (Jefferson Starship - "Jane"; Starship -"Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now"), born in Cairo, Georgia
- Dec 5 Enrico Pieranunzi, Italian classically trained jazz pianist, and composer, born in Rome, Italy
- Dec 6 Linda Creed, American singer and songwriter ("The Greatest Love Of All"; "You Make Me Feel Brand New"), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1986) [1]
Tom Waits (73 years old)
Dec 7 American singer-songwriter, pianist (Small Change; Blue Valentine; "Jersey Girl"), and actor (Ironweed; Down By Law), born in Pomona, California
- Dec 8 Ray Shulman, Scottish progressive rock bassist, songwriter (Gentle Giant), and record producer (The Sugarcubes), born in Portsmouth, England (d. 2023)
- Dec 10 Ismail "Pops" Mohamed, South African jazz multi-instrumentalist and producer, born in Benoni, Gauteng, South Africa
- Dec 13 Mark Elf, American Jazz guitarist (Trickynometry), and educator, born in Queens, New York City
- Dec 13 Randy Owen, American country music star (Alabama - "Mountain Music"), born in Fort Payne, Alabama
- Dec 13 Tom Verlaine [Miller], American rock guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist (Television - "Marquee Moon"), born in Denville, New Jersey (d. 2023)
- Dec 14 Cliff Williams, English rock bassist (AC/DC), born in Romford, Essex, England
- Dec 15 Don Johnson, American actor (Miami Vice - "Sonny Crockett"; Nash Bridges), and pop singer ("Heartbeat"), born in Flatt Creek, Missouri
- Dec 16 Billy Gibbons, American blues-rock guitarist (Moving Sidewalks; ZZ Top - "Cheap Sunglasses"; "Legs"), born in Houston, Texas
- Dec 16 Sugar Blue [Jimmie Whiting], American touring and session blues harmonica player (Louisiana Red; Rolling Stones), born in Harlem, New York City
- Dec 17 Paul Rodgers, English-Canadian rock singer and musician (Bad Company - "Feel Like Makin' Love", "Rock and Roll Fantasy"; The Firm; + Queen), born in Middlesbrough, England
- Dec 19 Lenny White, American jazz-fusion drummer (Return to Forever), born in Queens, New York City
- Dec 19 Sebastian [Knud Torben Christensen], Danish musician and composer, born in Sønderborg, Denmark
Maurice Gibb (1949-2003)
Dec 22 English rock-pop-disco singer-songwriter and bassist (Bee Gees - Saturday Night Fever), born in Douglas, Isle of Man
- Dec 22 Michael Osborne, American rock guitarist and vocalist (Axe), born in Florida (d. 1984)
Robin Gibb (1949-2012)
Dec 22 English rock-pop-disco singer-songwriter and producer (Bee Gees - Saturday Night Fever), born in Douglas, Isle of Man
- Dec 23 Luther Grosvenor, English rock musician (Spooky Tooth), born in Evesham, United Kingdom
- Dec 23 [Steven] Adrian Belew, American new wave and progressive rock singer and guitarist (Frank Zappa; David Bowie; King Crimson, 1981-2009; The Bears), born in Covington, Kentucky
- Dec 24 Ray Colcord III, American film & television composer, born in NYC, New York (d. 2016)
- Dec 25 Joe Louis Walker, American electric blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, born in San Francisco, California
- Dec 25 Simone [Bittencourt de Oliveira], Brazilian pop-samba singer born in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
- Dec 26 George Winston, American pop-instrumental pianist and composer (Autumn; December; Winter Into Spring), born in Hart, Michigan
- Dec 26 Ira Newborn, American orchestra leader (Manhattan Transfer), born in NYC, New York
- Dec 30 Bruce Fairbairn, Canadian musician and record producer (Loverboy; Bon Jovi; Aerosmith), born in Vancouver, British Columbia (d. 1999)
- Dec 31 Sara K. [Wooldridge], American musician (Gypsy Alley), born in Dallas, Texas
Deaths in Music
- Dec 2 Albert Ammons, American jazz, blues, and boogie-woogie pianist, dies at 42
Lead Belly (1888-1949)
Dec 6 American blues 12-string guitarist (Rock Island Line), dies of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at 64
Composers
Drummers
Guitarists
Pianists
Singers
Songwriters