December 12

 

American popular music's greatest voice Frank Sinatra was born on this date in 1915 in Hoboken, New Jersey, the skinny kid who would revolutionize singing style with his phrasing and breath control while becoming the 20th century's most iconic entertainer before his death in 1998…

 

The Doors' final chapter with their original lineup closed today in 1970 when they played their last concert with Jim Morrison at the Warehouse in New Orleans, the legendary frontman departing for Paris months later where his death would end the band's classic era forever…

 

Rock and roll's bad boy received royal recognition today in 2003 when Mick Jagger was knighted by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace, the honor dividing fans who saw it as either validation or selling out for the once-rebellious Rolling Stones frontman…

 

Soul music's most complicated legacy ended on this day in 2007 when Ike Turner died at 76 at his San Diego home, the guitarist and producer whose pioneering work was forever overshadowed by his documented abuse of Tina Turner despite his musical innovations…

 

The Rolling Stones lost their unsung hero today in 1985 when original keyboardist Ian Stewart died of a heart attack at 47, the blues purist who had been deemed "not pretty enough" for the band's image but remained their road manager and session player until the end…

 

We remember Allman Brothers Band guitarist Dickey Betts on his birthday today in 1943, the songwriter behind "Ramblin' Man" and "Jessica" whose melodic lead work provided essential counterpoint to Duane Allman's slide guitar before his death in 2024…

 

We honor smooth jazz pioneer Grover Washington Jr. on his birthday today in 1943, the saxophonist whose crossover hits like "Just the Two of Us" brought instrumental R&B to mainstream radio before his fatal heart attack on stage in 1999…

 

Punk ambition reached its peak today in 1980 with the release of The Clash's 'Sandinista!,' the sprawling triple album that proved the band's willingness to experiment with reggae, dub, and world music even as it tested fans' patience with its length.