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 seemingly effortless charm made him one of the 20th century's most beloved performers…

 

Pop lost one of its most gifted voices on this day in 2016 when George Michael died at 53, the Wham! frontman and solo superstar whose death on Christmas Day was particularly poignant given his hit "Last Christmas" that plays endlessly each holiday season…

 

Jazz's most exuberant showman Cab Calloway was born on this day in 1907, the hi-de-ho man whose Cotton Club performances and "Minnie the Mopcher" made him one of the swing era's biggest stars before his death in 1994…

 

The Jimi Hendrix Experience's melodic bassist Noel Redding was born on this day in 1945, the British musician whose solid foundation allowed Hendrix's guitar pyrotechnics to soar before his death in 2003 at 57 ended a career forever defined by those three years…

 

Entertainment lost a purring seductress on this day in 2008 when Eartha Kitt died at her Connecticut home at 81, ending the life of the singer-actress whose feline sexuality and "Santa Baby" made her one of the most distinctive performers of her generation…

 

British pop's most ethereal voice Dido was born today in 1971, the singer whose collaboration with Eminem on "Stan" and solo hit "Thank You" brought trip-hop sensibilities to mainstream audiences in the early 2000s…

 

Synth-pop royalty Annie Lennox was born today in 1954, the Eurythmics' powerhouse vocalist whose androgynous image and soul-influenced voice made her one of the 1980s' most distinctive and successful artists across five decades of music.