Music History for
December 31


Today's:


1894 - Composer Ernest John Moeran was born.

1903 - Composer Nathan Milstein was born.

1923 - Singer Eddie Cantor opened in the lead role of "Kid Boots."

1929 - Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians played "Auld Lang Syne" as a New Year's Eve song for the first time.

1940 - As a result of a dispute between the radio networks and ASCAP (the American Society of Composers and Publishers), the radio industry was prevented from playing any ASCAP-licensed music. The ban lasted for ten months.

1961 - The Beach Boys played a show under this name for the first time at a Ritchie Valens memorial concert in Long Beach, CA.

1969 - Jimi Hendrix introduced his new Band of Gypsys at a show at the Fillmore East in New York. Parts of that show and the show on January 1 were recorded and later released as the live album "Band of Gypsys."

1970 - Paul McCartney filed a suit to dissolve the Beatles.
Today in Beatles History

1975 - Elvis Presley performed for 60,000 fans at the Silverdome, in Pontiac, MI. He set a world record for earning $800,000 for a single concert by a single artist.
Today in Elvis History

1976 - The Cars gave their debut performance at Pease Air Force Base, Portsmouth, NH.







1978 - Bauhaus gave their performance debut in England.

1981 - MTV hosted the first New Year's Eve Rock and Roll Ball.

1983 - MTV completed its first profitable quarter.

1984 - Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen lost his left arm in an auto accident in England.

1985 - Ricky Nelson and six others died in an airplane crash near DeKalb, TX. A fire had broken out on the plane.

1986 - At a birthday party for Don Henley, Gary Hart and Donna Rice met each other.

1993 - Barbra Streisand performed her first paid concert in 22 years at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas, NV.

1999 - "Rave Un2 The Joy 2000" was aired. Prince had recorded the show on December 18, 1999 at Paisley Park Studios.

2002 - 50 Cent and four other men were arrested and charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon. Police had found two guns in the vehicle the men were riding in.

2015 - In Los Angeles, CA, Mötley Crüe performed what was billed as the last show of their last tour.