On This Day in Music: December 16

Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix Experience releases its 1st single, "Hey Joe," in the UK

The Beatles

Beatles release "Everywhere it's Christmas" in UK

1946 Birth

Benny Andersson

Benny Andersson, Stockholm Sweden, singer (ABBA-Money! Money! Money!) was born

1981 Birth

Flo Rida

Flo Rida, American rapper was born

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Born on December 16

1926 Birth

Alfred Koerppen

Alfred Koerppen, composer was born

1981 Birth

Anna Sedokova

Anna Sedokova, Ukrainian singer was born

1943 Birth

Anthony 'Tony' Hicks

Anthony 'Tony' Hicks, Nelson Lancashire, British rock guitarist (The Hollies) was born

1847 Birth

Augusta Mary Anne Holmes

Augusta Mary Anne Holmes, composer was born

1975 Birth

Benjamin Kowalewicz

Benjamin Kowalewicz, Canadian musician (Billy Talent) was born

1946 Birth

Benny Andersson

Benny Andersson, Stockholm Sweden, singer (ABBA-Money! Money! Money!) was born

1949 Birth

Billy Gibbons

Billy Gibbons, Houston Texas, jazz/rock guitarist (Moving Sidewalks, ZZ Top) was born

1822 Birth

Charles Edward Horsley

Charles Edward Horsley, composer was born

1922 Birth

Cy Leslie

Cy Leslie, American music and video executive (d. 2008) was born

1940 Birth

Dimitri van Toren

Dimitri van Toren, Dutch vocalist/composer was born

1748 Birth

Ferdinand-Philippe-Joseph Staes

Ferdinand-Philippe-Joseph Staes, composer was born

1981 Birth

Flo Rida

Flo Rida, American rapper was born

1775 Birth

Francois-Adrien Boieldieu

Francois-Adrien Boieldieu, composer was born

1734 Birth

Georg Peter Weimar

Georg Peter Weimar, composer was born

1915 Birth

Georgy Sviridov

Georgy Sviridov, Soviet neoromantic composer (The Blizzard, Time, Forward!) was born

1652 Birth

Giovanni Maria Casini

Giovanni Maria Casini, composer was born

1777 Birth

Janos Fusz

Janos Fusz, composer was born

1963 Birth

Jeff Carson

Jeff Carson, American singer was born

1937 Birth

Jim Glaser

Jim Glaser, Spalding Neb, singer (Glaser Bros-Getting to Me Again) was born

1937 Birth

Joe Farrell

Joe Farrell, rocker was born

1944 Birth

John Abercrombie

John Abercrombie, rocker was born

1978 Birth

Kaine

Kaine, American rapper (Ying Yang Twins) was born

1770 Birth

Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven, Bonn, Germany, composer (5th Symphony, Ode to Joy), (d. 1827) was born

1919 Birth

Manke Nelis

Manke Nelis, [Cornelis Pieters], Dutch folk vocalist (Small Yodel Boy) was born

1971 Birth

Michael S McCary

Michael S McCary, [Boss], Phila Pa, rapper (Boyz II Men) was born

1979 Birth

Mihai Trăistariu

Mihai Trăistariu, Romanian singer was born

1975 Birth

Nawo Kawakita

Nawo Kawakita, Japanese drummer (Maximum the Hormone) was born

1971 Birth

Paul van Dyk

Paul van Dyk, German DJ was born

1918 Birth

Pierre Delanoë

Pierre Delanoë, French songwriter and lyricist (d. 2006) was born

1951 Birth

Robben Ford

Robben Ford, American guitarist was born

1910 Birth

Robert Noehren

Robert Noehren, composer was born

1825 Birth

Robert Prescott Stewart

Robert Prescott Stewart, composer was born

1932 Birth

Rodion Konstantinovich Schedrin

Rodion Konstantinovich Schedrin, Moscow, composer (Humpback Horse) was born

1910 Birth

Stanojlo Rajicic

Stanojlo Rajicic, composer was born

1959 Birth

Steven Irvine

Steven Irvine, rock drummer (Lloyd Cole & The Commotions) was born

1946 Birth

Trevor Pinnock

Trevor Pinnock, English conductor and harpsichordist was born

1915 Birth

Turk Murphy

Turk Murphy, American trombonist (d. 1987) was born

1893 Birth

Vladimir Golschmann

Vladimir Golschmann, Paris France, conductor with Immortal Downbeat was born

1923 Birth

Werner Haentjes

Werner Haentjes, composer was born

1882 Birth

Zoltán Kodály

Zoltán Kodály, Hungarian composer (d. 1967) was born

Died on December 16

2025 Death

Abd El Gadir Salim

Abd El Gadir Salim died

Anita Bryant

Anita Bryant died

1978 Death

Blanche Calloway

Blanche Calloway, US singer/dancer/radio hostess, dies at 76

1961 Death

Boris Semyonovich Shekhter

Boris Semyonovich Shekhter, composer, dies at 61

2020 Death

Carl Mann

Carl Mann died

2023 Death

Carlos Lyra

Carlos Lyra died

1961 Death

Cato Engelen-Sewing

Cato Engelen-Sewing, Dutch soprano singer/primadonna, dies at 93

1921 Death

Charles Camille Saint-Saens

Charles Camille Saint-Saens, French composer, dies at 86

2022 Death

Charlie Gracie

Charlie Gracie died

2007 Death

Dan Fogelberg

Dan Fogelberg, American singer/songwriter (b. 1951)

2022 Death

Diana McIntosh

Diana McIntosh died

1833 Death

Friedrich August Kanne

Friedrich August Kanne, composer, dies at 55

2003 Death

Gary Stewart

Gary Stewart, American musician and songwriter (b. 1945)

1781 Death

Georg Simon Lohlein

Georg Simon Lohlein, composer, dies at 56

1944 Death

Glenn Miller

Glenn Miller, US jazz composer/orchestra leader (Danny boy), dies at 40

1852 Death

Henri-Jean Rigel

Henri-Jean Rigel, composer, dies at 80

1927 Death

Hugh Archibald Clarke

Hugh Archibald Clarke, composer, dies at 88

1914 Death

Ivan Zajc

Ivan Zajc, composer, dies at 82

1783 Death

Johann Adolf Hasse

Johann Adolf Hasse, Dutch operatic composer (Sesostrate), dies at 84

1673 Death

Juan de Padilla

Juan de Padilla, composer, dies at 68

1861 Death

Karol Joseph Lipinski

Karol Joseph Lipinski, composer, dies at 71

1790 Death

Ludwig August Lebrun

Ludwig August Lebrun, composer, dies at 38

Naa Amanua

Naa Amanua died

1997 Death

Nicolette Larson

Nicolette Larson, singer (Lotta Love), dies from brain seizure at 45

1995 Death

Nina Verchinina

Nina Verchinina, dancer choreographer/teacher, dies at 85

1950 Death

Otto Vrieslander

Otto Vrieslander, composer, dies at 70

Patricia Johnson

Patricia Johnson died

2021 Death

Pavle Dešpalj

Pavle Dešpalj died

2006 Death

Pnina Salzman

Pnina Salzman, Israeli pianist (b. 1922)

1923 Death

Pongrac Kacsoh

Pongrac Kacsoh, composer, dies at 50

1994 Death

Samuel Lipman

Samuel Lipman, music critic, dies at 60

1870 Death

Stanislaw Duniecki

Stanislaw Duniecki, composer, dies at 31

2001 Death

Stuart Adamson

Stuart Adamson, English-born Scottish musician (The Skids, Big Country) (b. 1958)

1988 Death

Sylvester

Sylvester, American singer (b. 1948)

2006 Death

Taliep Petersen

Taliep Petersen, South African singer and composer (b. 1950)

2021 Death

Terry Uttley

Terry Uttley died

Thomas Berly

Thomas Berly died

1816 Death

Vincenzo Galeotti

Vincenzo Galeotti, [Tomazelli], Ital dancer/choreographer, dies at 73

1940 Death

William Wallace

William Wallace, composer, dies at 80

2023 Death

Óscar Agudelo

Óscar Agudelo died

Releases & milestones on December 16

1950 Event

Benjamin Britten

"Let's Make an Opera" closes at John Golden Theater NYC after 5 perfs

1767 Event

Christoph Willibald Gluck

von Gluck's opera "Alceste" premiers

1926 Event

Darius Milhaud

Darius Milhaud's opera "Le Pauvre Matelot" premieres in Paris

2020 Event

Hans Zimmer

Hans Zimmer released the album 'Wonder Woman 1984 – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'

Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix Experience releases its 1st single, "Hey Joe," in the UK

The Beatles

Beatles release "Everywhere it's Christmas" in UK

1983 Event

The Who

Spokesperson for The Who announces the group is disbanding