December 25
Soul music lost its godfather on Christmas Day in 2006 when James Brown died at 73, ending the life of the hardest working man in show business whose funk innovations and electrifying performances made him one of the most influential musicians in American history… Rock and roll suffered one of its most tragic accidents today in 1954 when Johnny Ace shot himself backstage at Houston's City Auditorium at 25 while playing Russian roulette, the R&B crooner's "Pledging My Love" becoming a posthumous hit after his senseless death… We remember Margaritaville's mayor Jimmy Buffett on his birthday today in 1946, the Christmas baby whose island escapism and Parrothead following created a lifestyle brand before his death in 2023 ended five decades of celebrating beach bum philosophy… Entertainment lost one of its smoothest crooners on this day in 1995 when Dean Martin died at 78, ending the life of the Rat Pack member whose laid-back style and seemi...
