On This Day in Music: December 15

On December 15 in music history, 44 artists were born, 31 died and 6 other milestones happened, among them The Beatles (1967), Cindy Birdsong (1939) and Rufus Thomas (2001).

Pick a date, get a soundtrack

The soundtrack for December 15

Choose a date

Open in Spotify

Tomorrow's day in music →

Highlights

December 15

View all

Standout moments for this date.

The Beatles

Beatles release "Christmas Time is Here Again"

Cindy Birdsong

Cindy Birdsong, Camden NJ, rock vocalist (Labelle-Rainbow, Supremes) was born

Rufus Thomas

Rufus Thomas, American musician (b. 1917)

Glenn Miller

Glenn Miller, US band leader/jazz composer, dies at 40

Loading events...

Born on December 15

A. P. (Alvin) Carter

A. P. (Alvin) Carter, Virginia, American musician (Carter Family) was born

August Freyer

August Freyer, composer was born

Auguste Emmanuel Vaucorbeil

Auguste Emmanuel Vaucorbeil, composer was born

Carmine Appice

Carmine Appice, NYC, musician (Have You Heard, Keep on Rolling) was born

Christoph Demantius

Christoph Demantius, composer was born

Cindy Birdsong

Cindy Birdsong, Camden NJ, rock vocalist (Labelle-Rainbow, Supremes) was born

Dave Clark

Dave Clark, London England, rock drummer (Dave Clark 5-Glad All Over) was born

David Guion

David Guion, composer was born

Doug Phelps

Doug Phelps, Leachville Ar, singer (Ky Headhunters-Davy Crockett) was born

Edward Stephen

Edward Stephen, composer was born

Elaine Barkin

Elaine Barkin, composer was born

Eugeniusz Pankiewicz

Eugeniusz Pankiewicz, composer was born

Ferenc Farkas

Ferenc Farkas, composer was born

Fernando Remacha

Fernando Remacha, composer was born

Francesco D'Arcais

Francesco D'Arcais, composer was born

Friedrich Gottlieb Schwencke

Friedrich Gottlieb Schwencke, composer was born

Friedrich Niggli

Friedrich Niggli, composer was born

Harry Ray

Harry Ray, Hackensack NJ, rock vocalist (Ray, Goodman, Brown) was born

Henry Gadsby

Henry Gadsby, composer was born

Ida Haendel

Ida Haendel, Polish violinist/author (Woman with Violin) was born

Igor Stuhec

Igor Stuhec, composer was born

Isidor Dannstrom

Isidor Dannstrom, composer was born

Jerry Wallace

Jerry Wallace, American singer was born

Jesse Belvin

Jesse Belvin, Texarkana Arkansas, rock vocalist (Mr Easy) was born

John H. Hammond

John H. Hammond, NYC, American rock/jazz musician (I Can Tell, So Many Roads) was born

Jose Maria Castro

Jose Maria Castro, composer was born

Joshua Third

Joshua Third, British Guitarist in The Horrors. was born

Ken Knox

Ken Knox, rock vocalist (Chairmen of the Board) was born

Kermit Bloomgarden

Kermit Bloomgarden, producer (Diary of Anne Frank, Music Man) was born

Lucas Osiander

Lucas Osiander, composer was born

Ludwig Ernst

Ludwig Ernst, composer was born

Mark Jansen

Mark Jansen, Dutch guitarist (Epica) was born

Michel-Richard Delalande

Michel-Richard Delalande, composer was born

Najoua Belyzel

Najoua Belyzel, French singer was born

Nicolaus A Huber

Nicolaus A Huber, composer was born

Paul Simonon

Paul Simonon, English pop bassist (Clash-Havana 3 AM) was born

Philippe-Jacques Pfeffinger

Philippe-Jacques Pfeffinger, composer was born

Pongrac Kacsoh

Pongrac Kacsoh, composer was born

Ronnie Radke

Ronnie Radke, American singer (Escape the Fate) was born

Rudolf von Laban

Rudolf von Laban, Czech/German choreographer (modern dance) was born

Samuel Besler

Samuel Besler, composer was born

Sergio Pizzorno

Sergio Pizzorno, English guitarist (Kasabian) was born

Tim Reynolds

Tim Reynolds, Wiesbaden, Germany, guitarist (Dave Matthews Band) was born

Walter Werzowa

Walter Werzowa, Austrian composer was born

Died on December 15

Ankaralı Turgut

Ankaralı Turgut died

Anna Rusticano

Anna Rusticano died

Anup Ghoshal

Anup Ghoshal died

Charles Balmer

Charles Balmer, composer, dies at 75

Elias Alvares Lobo

Elias Alvares Lobo, composer, dies at 67

Erich Walter Sternberg

Erich Walter Sternberg, composer, dies at 83

Ferenc Verseghy

Ferenc Verseghy, composer, dies at 65

Francisco Kröpfl

Francisco Kröpfl died

Francisco Tarrega y Eixea

Francisco Tarrega y Eixea, composer, dies at 57

Glenn Miller

Glenn Miller, US band leader/jazz composer, dies at 40

Gordon Frederic Norton

Gordon Frederic Norton, composer, dies at 77

Gualtiero Sanelli

Gualtiero Sanelli, composer, dies at 45

Guy Marchand

Guy Marchand died

Hans de Jong

Hans de Jong, musician/conductor (Amsterdams Vrouwenkoor), dies at 86

Harry Tobias

Harry Tobias, songwriter, dies at 99

Herbert Eimert

Herbert Eimert, German composer (Glockenspiel), dies at 75

Horatio Luro

Horatio Luro, US horse trainer (Northern Dancer), dies at 90

James Geoffrey Cutcliffe Hepburn

James Geoffrey Cutcliffe Hepburn, tap-dancer/socialist, dies at 88

Joe Ely

Joe Ely died

Joseph Franz Maximilian Lobkowitz

Joseph Franz Maximilian Lobkowitz, composer, dies at 44

Joseph Martin Kraus

Joseph Martin Kraus, composer, dies at 36

Kishio Hirao

Kishio Hirao, composer, dies at 46

Manuel Jeronimo Romero de Avila

Manuel Jeronimo Romero de Avila, composer, dies at 62

Mukhtar Ashrafi

Mukhtar Ashrafi, composer, dies at 63

Oqtay Radjabov

Oqtay Radjabov died

Orest Alexandrovich Evlahkov

Orest Alexandrovich Evlahkov, composer, dies at 61

Robert Muller-Hartmann

Robert Muller-Hartmann, composer, dies at 66

Rufus Thomas

Rufus Thomas, American musician (b. 1917)

Thomas W "Fats" Waller

Thomas W "Fats" Waller, jazz pianist (Hot Chocolate), dies at 39 in KC Missouri

Wanda Young

Wanda Young died

Zakir Hussain

Zakir Hussain died

Releases & milestones on December 15

Glenn Miller

Bandleader, Major Glenn Miller, lost over English Channel

John Taylor

D Heneker & J Taylor's musical "Charlie Girl," premieres in London

John Williams

John Williams final appearance as conductor of Boston Pops

Simon Franglen

Simon Franglen released the album 'Avatar: The Way of Water (soundtrack)'

The Beatles

Beatles release "Christmas Time is Here Again"

Therion

Therion released the album 'Leviathan III'

More standout moments in December →