On This Day in Music: December 20

On December 20 in music history, 44 artists were born, 31 died and 7 other milestones happened, among them Billy Bragg (1958), Peter Criss [George Peter John Criscuola] (1945) and SZA (2024).

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Highlights

December 20

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Standout moments for this date.

Billy Bragg

Billy Bragg, British rocker (It Says Here, Ideology) was born

Peter Criss [George Peter John Criscuola]

Peter Criss [George Peter John Criscuola], Brooklyn NY, American drummer and singer (Kiss) was born

SZA

SZA released the album 'Lana'

"Little" Stevie Wright

"Little" Stevie Wright, rocker (Easybeats) was born

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Born on December 20

"Little" Stevie Wright

"Little" Stevie Wright, rocker (Easybeats) was born

Achille Peri

Achille Peri, composer was born

Adrián Varela

Adrián Varela, Mexican singer was born

Agatha N "Kim" Weston

Agatha N "Kim" Weston, US gospel/singer (It Takes Two) was born

Alex Chllton

Alex Chllton, rocker was born

Anders Odden

Anders Odden, Norwegian musician was born

Anna Vissi

Anna Vissi, Greek-Cypriot singer was born

Billy Bragg

Billy Bragg, British rocker (It Says Here, Ideology) was born

Bozidar Sirola

Bozidar Sirola, composer was born

Charles Donald Adams

Charles Donald Adams, singer was born

Chris Edwards

Chris Edwards, British musician (Kasabian) was born

Chris Robinson

Chris Robinson, Atlanta, rocker (Black Crowes-Shake Your Money Maker) was born

Christoph Schultze

Christoph Schultze, composer was born

David Cook

David Cook, American singer, winner of American Idol. was born

David Tavaré

David Tavaré, Spanish singer was born

Die

Die, Japanese musician (Dir en grey) was born

Domingo Julio Gomez Garcia

Domingo Julio Gomez Garcia, composer was born

Ed Kuepper

Ed Kuepper, German/Australian, singer/songwriter (Saints) was born

Fini Valdemar Henriques

Fini Valdemar Henriques, composer was born

Franz Xaver Thomas Pokorny

Franz Xaver Thomas Pokorny, composer was born

Friedrich Karl Kuhmstedt

Friedrich Karl Kuhmstedt, composer was born

Gigliola Cinquetti

Gigliola Cinquetti, Italian singer was born

Gilbert Montagné

Gilbert Montagné, French musician was born

Giovanni Battista Gagliano

Giovanni Battista Gagliano, composer was born

Giulio Cesare Brero

Giulio Cesare Brero, composer was born

Guillaume-Perre-Antoine Gatayes

Guillaume-Perre-Antoine Gatayes, composer was born

Henry Kimball Hadley

Henry Kimball Hadley, composer was born

JoJo

JoJo, American singer was born

John Harris Harbison

John Harris Harbison, Orange NJ, composer was born

Klaus Schweizer

Klaus Schweizer, composer was born

Larry Willis

Larry Willis, rock keyboardist (Blood, Sweat & Tears) was born

Lorenzo Perosi

Lorenzo Perosi, Italian composer was born

Mike Watt

Mike Watt, US bassist (Rockband Firehose) was born

Mohammad Fouad

Mohammad Fouad, Arab singer and actor was born

Myrra Malmberg

Myrra Malmberg, Swedish singer was born

Othon Joseph Vandenbroek

Othon Joseph Vandenbroek, composer was born

Paul Francis Webster

Paul Francis Webster, songwriter (d. 1984) was born

Paul Melissus

Paul Melissus [Paul Schede], German poet/composer was born

Peter Criss [George Peter John Criscuola]

Peter Criss [George Peter John Criscuola], Brooklyn NY, American drummer and singer (Kiss) was born

Pietro Raimondi

Pietro Raimondi, composer was born

Robert Colomby

Robert Colomby, NYC, rock drummer (Blood Sweat & Tears-When I Die) was born

Saukrates

Saukrates, Canadian rapper was born

Vagn Holmboe

Vagn Holmboe, composer was born

Vlastimir Nikolovski

Vlastimir Nikolovski, composer was born

Died on December 20

Andre Jolivet

Andre Jolivet, French composer (L'eunuque), dies at 69

Antonio Francisco Jawer Jose Soler

Antonio Francisco Jawer Jose Soler, Sp composer (Fandango), dies at 54

Artur Rubinstein

Artur Rubinstein, pianist (My Young Years), dies in Geneva at 95

Bax Brod

Bax Brod, composer, dies at 84

Benjamin Ipavec

Benjamin Ipavec, composer, dies at 79

Bobby Darin

Bobby Darin, singer (Mack the Knife), dies of heart failure at 37

David Traugott Nicolai

David Traugott Nicolai, composer, dies at 66

Emilis Melngailis

Emilis Melngailis, composer, dies at 80

Erik William Gustav Leidzen

Erik William Gustav Leidzen, composer, dies at 68

Fanny Waterman

Fanny Waterman died

Gavriil Musicescu

Gavriil Musicescu, composer, dies at 56

Gian Francesco Fortunati

Gian Francesco Fortunati, composer, dies at 75

Guy Claude Burger

Guy Claude Burger died

Hank Snow

Hank Snow, Canadian singer (b. 1914)

Helena Zeťová

Helena Zeťová died

Jean Gilbert

Jean Gilbert, [Max Winterfield], German composer, dies at 63

Jimmy McCracklin

Jimmy McCracklin, American pianist, dies from diabetes and hypertension at 91

Johannes Lupi

Johannes Lupi, Flemish composer

Joseph Legros

Joseph Legros, composer, dies at 54

Louis-Luc Loiseau de Persuis

Louis-Luc Loiseau de Persuis, composer, dies at 50

Luboš Andršt

Luboš Andršt died

Luis Abraham Delgadillo

Luis Abraham Delgadillo, composer, dies at 75

Manuel Giro

Manuel Giro, composer, dies at 68

Michał Urbaniak

Michał Urbaniak died

Paul Constantinescu

Paul Constantinescu, composer, dies at 54

Rukhshana

Rukhshana died

Sugar Pie DeSanto

Sugar Pie DeSanto died

Thomas Newman

Thomas Newman, actor/composer (Cape Fear), dies of heart attack at 60

Torben Ulrich

Torben Ulrich died

Vincent Lopez

Vincent Lopez, orchestra leader (Welcome Aboard), dies at 76

William Wallace Gilchrist

William Wallace Gilchrist, composer, dies at 70

Releases & milestones on December 20

Franz Schubert

Franz Schubert's "Ballet-Musik aus Rosamunde," premieres in Vienna

Giulio Caccini

Ottario Rinuccini/Giulio Caccini's opera "Euridice" published

Harry Krieger

Harry Krieger/Tom Eyen's musical "Dreamgirls" premieres in NYC

Johann Sebastian Bach

33 unknown Bach keyboard works found in Yale library

Richard Adler

"Music Is" opens at St James Theater NYC for 8 performances

SZA

SZA released the album 'Lana'

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Dmitri Shostakovitch's opera "Katerina Ismailova" premieres in Moscow

More standout moments in December →