22nd December

The 'musical dream play' Bluebell In Fairyland is presented at The Vaudeville Theatre, London, England, UK, during a run of 300 performances.

Ellery's Royal Italian Band plays at The Mechanic's Pavilion, San Francisco, California, USA

Chu Chin Chow, billed as 'A Musical Tale of the East in Fourteen Scenes - Company of 300' is playing at His Majesty's Theatre, London, England, UK, Europe, during a run of 2238 performances.

Société des Phonographes Automatiques Bussoz Frères & de Vère in Paris, France, is granted a patent for a coin-operated phonograph known as a Bussophone.

The Transcontinental Derby Show, a dance marathon with music by Bill Darby's Continentals, opens at the Sport Palace, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

The musical Love From Judy is playing at The Saville Theatre, London, England, UK, during a run of 594 performances. The cast includes Jean Carson (Judy), Linda Gray (Grace), Bill O'Connor (Jervis) and Adelaide Hall (Butterfly) and songs including I Never Dream When I'm Asleep, Dear Daddy Long-Legs, Here We Are and A Touch of Voodoo.

Billed as 'The Fabulous Blind Singing Star', Ray Charles plays the eleventh night in a two-week engagement at The Pelican Club, 301 South Rampart St, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

Blind hit recording artist Al Hibbler allegedly punches a woman on the jaw at a breakfast dance in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Luther Campbell, manager/promoter and member of controversial 90s rap recording stars 2 Live Crew is born in Miami, Florida, USA.

Popular radio deejay Murray The K (Murray Kauffmann) hosts a ten-day long seasonal spectacular at the Academy Of Music, New York City, USA, featuring Gary U.S. Bonds, Timi Yuro, Joey Dee, Bobby Lewis, The Isley Brothers, Jan And Dean, The Crystals, The Belmonts, The Vibrations and The Chantels. Today's show is headlined by Johnny Mathis.

Eddie Cochran enters the UK singles chart at No30 with Jeannie Jeannie Jeannie.

Sam Cooke releases a new single Shake/A Change Is Gonna Come, on RCA Records in the USA.

Marvin Gaye completes recording of Pretty Little Baby for Tamla Records, in Detroit, Michigan, USA.

The Who play at The Marquee Club, Soho, London, England, UK, Europe, supported by The Sneekers.

Dean Martin records In The Chapel In The Moonlight, in the USA.

The Small Faces play in The Locarno, Stevenage, England, UK, Europe.

That Funny Feeling, Bobby Darin's third and final movie with his wife Sandra Dee, opens at cinemas in Mexico, North America.

The musical Hallelujah Baby!, starring Leslie Uggams, is presented at The Martin Beck Theatre, Broadway, New York City, USA, during a run of 293 performances.

Eyes Of Blue and Cliff Charles Blues play at The Middle Earth Club, Covent Garden, London, England, UK, Europe.

Clover and Black Swan play the first of two nights at the Straight Theatre, San Francisco, California, USA.

Crosby, Stills, Nash And Young are working on Stephen Stills' song So Begins The Task at Wally Heider Studios, San Francisco, California, USA.

Wilbur Hatch dies aged 67 in Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA. A pianist and composer working primarily in radio and television, he created music for shows including The Lucy Show, The Whistler, Suspense, Meet Corliss Archer, My Favorite Husband, Broadway Is My Beat, Our Miss Brooks and The Screen Guild Theater.

Buffalo Springfield, The Collectors and Hour Glass play the second of three nights at The Fillmore, San Francisco, California, USA.

Ragtime composer and pianist Zez Confrey, best-remembered for his composition Kitten On The Keys, dies in Lakewood, New Jersey, USA.

Caravan play at The New Victoria Theatre, London, UK.

Rickie Lee Jones records the songs After Hours and On Saturday Afternoons In 1963 live at The Burbank Studios, Los Angeles, California, USA. They will appear on her debut LP.

Sugar Babies - The Burlesque Musical, starring Ann Miller and Mickey Rooney, is presented at The Mark Hellinger Theatre, Broadway, New York City, USA, during a run of 1208 performances.

Bernhard Hugo Goetz shoots four alleged teenage muggers on a No. 2 subway train in Manhattan, New York City, USA. He will be arrested and convicted - but only for illegal possession of a firearm, and will come to symbolize New Yorkers' frustrations with the high crime rates of the early 1980s. The incident will spark a nationwide debate on race and crime in major cities, and will also inspire numerous songs. In 1986, British prog-rock band Pallas will release the song The Executioner [Bernie Goetz A Gun] on their album The Wedge. He will also be listed in the Billy Joel song We Didn't Start the Fire, in Hold On by Lou Reed, Stop That Train by the Beastie Boys, Subway Vigilante by Ronny And The Urban Watchdogs, The Saga of Bernhard Goetz by Otto von Wernherr, and Shoot His Load by Agnostic Front.

Legendary reggae producer and artist Lee 'Scratch' Perry and The Upsetters play at Dingwalls, Camden Town, London, England, UK, Europe.

Popular jazz and blues singer Viola Wells, nicknamed "The Ebony Stick Of Dynamite" and "Miss Rhapsody", dies aged 82 in New York City, USA.

The Lindisfarne Christmas Show is playing at The City Hall, Newcastle, England, UK, Europe.

On their World Infestation tour, Ratt play at Tingley Coliseum, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, supported by Bon Jovi.

On their Killing For a Living Tour, Megadeth play at The Oasis, Sacramento, California, USA.

Kiss play at The Civic Center, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.

Jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis plays the second night of a Christmas/New Year season of shows at The Hyatt Regency Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Dave Matthews And Friends play at The Allstate Arena, Chicago, Illinois, USA, supported by Emmylou Harris.

Luna Halo play at The Abbey Pub, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Funk vocalist Marva Whitney dies aged 68, in Kansas City, Kansas, USA, from complications from pneumonia. Whitney was nicknamed "Soul Sister Number 1" by her frequent collaborator James Brown.

High On Fire play at Slim's, San Francisco, California, USA.

Engelbert Humperdinck and Ron Sexsmith release a Christmas duet single, Something to Hold On To, featuring a children's choir.

Country singer-songwriter Jimmy Work, who composed hits for Kitty Wells, Red Foley, Emmylou Harris and Moe Bandy, as well as recording for Decca and Dot Records, dies aged 94 in Dukedom, Tennessee, USA. The cause of his death is not disclosed.