On This Day in Music: December 11

On December 11 in music history, 48 artists were born, 23 died and 6 other milestones happened, among them Big Mama Thornton (1926), Sam Cooke (1964) and The Beatles (1967).

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Highlights

December 11

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Standout moments for this date.

Big Mama Thornton

Big Mama Thornton, blues singer (Ball & Chain, Stronger than Dirt) was born

Sam Cooke

Sam Cooke, Clarksdale, Mississippi, US musician ('A Change is Gonna Come') shot to death at 33

The Beatles

Beatles' Apple Music signs its 1st group-Grapefruit

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift released the album 'Evermore'

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Born on December 11

Big Mama Thornton

Big Mama Thornton, blues singer (Ball & Chain, Stronger than Dirt) was born

Booker T Jones

Booker T Jones, US organist (Booker T & MGs-Green Onions) [or Nov 12] was born

Brenda Lee

Brenda Lee, [Brenda Mae Tarpley], Lithonia Ga, singer (I'm Sorry) was born

Carl Friedrich Zelter

Carl Friedrich Zelter, composer was born

Carlos Gardel

Carlos Gardel, tango singer (d. 1935) was born

Charles Wesley

Charles Wesley, composer was born

Cosy Sheridan

Cosy Sheridan, American singer was born

Curtis Williams

Curtis Williams, rocker was born

DJ Yella

DJ Yella, American DJ and music producer (N.W.A) was born

David Ashley White

David Ashley White, composer was born

David Gates

David Gates, Tulsa Ok, rock vocalist (Bread-Baby I'm A Want You) was born

David Schools

David Schools, American musician (Widespread Panic) was born

Dámaso Pérez Prado

Dámaso Pérez Prado, Cuban-born bandleader (d. 1989) was born

Elliott Cook Carter Jr

Elliott Cook Carter Jr, NYC, composer (Tom & Lily), (d. 2012) was born

Enrico Macias

Enrico Macias, Algerian-born French singer was born

Ernst Henrik Ellberg

Ernst Henrik Ellberg, composer was born

Gina Miele

Gina Miele, American singer and actress was born

Grigoris Bithikotsis

Grigoris Bithikotsis, Greek singer (d. 2005) was born

Hector Berlioz

Hector Berlioz, French composer (d. 1869) was born

Jermaine Jackson

Jermaine Jackson, Gary Indiana, singer (Jackson 5-ABC) was born

Johann Georg Weichenberger

Johann Georg Weichenberger, composer was born

Jon Brion

Jon Brion, American musician/record producer was born

Julian Edwards

Julian Edwards, composer was born

Justin Currie

Justin Currie, Scottish rock vocalist/bassist (Del Amitri) was born

Koos van de Griend

Koos van de Griend, composer was born

Leo Ornstein

Leo Ornstein, Kremenchug Russia, composer (Bio in Sonata Form) was born

Leon Lai

Leon Lai, Hong Kong Cantonese singer/actor was born

Leonard Friedman

Leonard Friedman, violinist was born

Manuel Cardoso

Manuel Cardoso, composer was born

McCoy Tyner

McCoy Tyner, American jazz pianist was born

Mieczyslaw Karlowicz

Mieczyslaw Karlowicz, composer was born

Natalia Gordienko

Natalia Gordienko, Moldovan singer and dancer was born

Nele Karajlić

Nele Karajlić, Bosnian singer was born

Nikki Sixx

Nikki Sixx, American musician (Mötley Crüe) was born

Noel Rosa

Noel Rosa, Brazilian songwriter (d. 1937) was born

Norbert Rosseau

Norbert Rosseau, composer was born

Paul Haslinger

Paul Haslinger, Austrian-born composer was born

Pietro Coppola

Pietro Coppola, composer was born

Rachel Portman

Rachel Portman, English film composer was born

Rita Moreno

Rita Moreno, [Rosita Dolores Alverío], Humacao, Puerto Rico, singer, dancer and actress (West Side Story) was born

Robert Pickett

Robert Pickett, rocker was born

Rogier van Otterloo

Rogier van Otterloo, Dutch composer/conductor was born

Stamatis Spanoudakis

Stamatis Spanoudakis, Greek composer was born

Terry Sharpe

Terry Sharpe, rocker (The Adventures, Starjets-Starjets) was born

Whitney Eugene Thayer

Whitney Eugene Thayer, composer was born

Yoh Miyamori

Yoh Miyamori, Japanese musician (Orange Range) was born

Yury Nikolayevich Golitsin

Yury Nikolayevich Golitsin, composer was born

Zacky Vengeance

Zacky Vengeance, American musician (Avenged Sevenfold) was born

Died on December 11

Angelo Badalamenti

Angelo Badalamenti died

Beryl Cunningham

Beryl Cunningham died

Christie Hennessy

Christie Hennessy, Irish singer (b. 1945)

Corinne Allal

Corinne Allal died

Francois Henri Joseph Castil-Blaze

Francois Henri Joseph Castil-Blaze, composer, dies at 73

Franz Adolf Syberg

Franz Adolf Syberg, composer, dies at 51

Headman Tshabala

Headman Tshabala, musician (Ladysmith Black Mambazo), slain at 44

Jeffrey Foskett

Jeffrey Foskett died

John George Schetky

John George Schetky, composer, dies at 55

John Heawood

John Heawood, actor singer/choreographer (Pleasure Garden), dies at 75

Kathy Chow

Kathy Chow died

Lee Wiley

Lee Wiley, American jazz singer (b. 1908)

Lynn Strait

Lynn Strait, American singer (Snot) (b. 1968)

M.S. Subbulakshmi

M.S. Subbulakshmi, Indian singer (b. 1916)

Michio Mamiya

Michio Mamiya died

Purushottam Upadhyay

Purushottam Upadhyay died

Ravi Shankar

Ravi Shankar, Indian musician, dies at 92

Richard Stohr

Richard Stohr, composer, dies at 93

Sam Cooke

Sam Cooke, Clarksdale, Mississippi, US musician ('A Change is Gonna Come') shot to death at 33

Szymon Laks

Szymon Laks, composer, dies at 82

Thomas Ball

Thomas Ball, US sculptor/painter/singer, dies at 92

Victor de Sabata

Victor De Sabata, composer, dies at 75

Zahara

Zahara died

Releases & milestones on December 11

Aitana

Aitana released the album '11 Razones'

Cy Coleman

Coleman/Leigh's musical "Wildcat" with Lucille Ball premieres in NYC

Hank Williams

Hank Williams begins to record on Sterling label

Jack Harlow

Jack Harlow released the album 'Thats What They All Say'

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift released the album 'Evermore'

The Beatles

Beatles' Apple Music signs its 1st group-Grapefruit

More standout moments in December →