December 27

 

Southern rock lost one of its pioneers today in 2008 when Delaney Bramlett died in Los Angeles at 69 from complications after gallbladder surgery, ending the life of the Delaney & Bonnie founder whose band served as finishing school for Eric Clapton, Duane Allman, and countless others…

 

Hollywood and music royalty was lost today in 2016 when Carrie Fisher died from cardiac arrest in Los Angeles at 60, ending the life of Princess Leia actress and Paul Simon's former wife whose brief marriage to the singer-songwriter inspired some of his most personal work…

 

Hard rock's British architect Mick Jones was born on this day in 1944, the Foreigner guitarist and songwriter whose arena anthems like "Cold as Ice" and "I Want to Know What Love Is" made the band one of the late 1970s' most commercially successful acts…

 

Singer-songwriter sophistication found one of its purest voices when Karla Bonoff was born on this day in 1951, the California musician whose compositions became hits for Linda Ronstadt while her own recordings showcased her elegant melodies and literate lyrics…

 

American songwriting lost one of its greatest craftsmen today in 1981 when Hoagy Carmichael died at 82, ending the life of the composer-pianist whose "Georgia on My Mind," "Stardust," and dozens of other standards defined the Great American Songbook…

 

Entertainment history was made today in 1932 when Radio City Music Hall opened in New York City as the world's largest indoor theater, the Art Deco palace that would host countless musical performances and become synonymous with the Rockettes and spectacular stage shows.