22 DECEMBER
In Music History
1989 Jordin Sparks is born in Phoenix, Arizona. At age 17, she wins the sixth season of American Idol (2007).
1988 During an interview, Phil Collins jokes about wanting to make a film version of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" with Danny DeVito and Bob Hoskins. DeVito later reads the interview and contacts Phil about actually making the movie. Hoskins also signs on (as well as Kim Basinger as Goldilocks) but the film is never made.
1988 At Wolverhampton Civic Hall in England, Morrissey makes his solo debut. It's closure for his group The Smiths, which broke up a year earlier but never made an official announcement. Anyone wearing either a Morrissey or Smiths shirt is admitted free.
1985 Dennes Boon of the Minutemen is killed in a van accident in Tucson, Arizona, at age 27.
1979 The Concerts For The People Of Kampuchea benefit premieres at London's Hammersmith Odeon, featuring organizer Paul McCartney, The Who, Queen, and an all-star "Rockestra."
1979 Rupert Holmes' "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" hits #1 on the Hot 100. It retains the top spot for two more weeks, becoming the last chart-topper of the '70s and the first of the '80s.
1978 The stage version of Nilsson's musical The Point opens in London, featuring ex-Monkees Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz.
1978 Faces' drummer Kenney Jones joins The Who, replacing Keith Moon, who had died from an accidental overdose of anti-alcoholic medications two months earlier.
1978 Steven Tyler and Cyrinda Foxe have a baby girl named Mia.
1976 Bob Seger earns his first Gold record with the live album Live Bullet.
1976 Isaac Hayes files for bankruptcy.
1972 Mott the Hoople's Ian Hunter writes "All The Way From Memphis" and dedicates it to two of their crew, Leee Childers and Tony Zanetta. And Memphis, Tennessee.
1972 Joni Mitchell's For the Roses album is certified Gold.
1969 John Lennon and Yoko Ono meet with Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and Minister of Health John Munro to discuss drug abuse.
1968 Singer Eric Burdon leaves The Animals for a solo career.
Nikki Sixx Dies But Comes Back To Life
1987After a night of debauchery with Robbin Crosby of Ratt and Slash from Guns N' Roses, Mötley Crüe bass player Nikki Sixx suffers a drug overdose and his heart stops beating. He is declared clinically dead, but comes back to life.
Read more22 DECEMBER
Featured Events
2002 Joe Strummer of The Clash dies of a heart attack at age 50. The Clash are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame a few months later.
1995 Three years after her feature film debut in The Bodyguard, Whitney Houston gives her second acting performance in Forest Whitaker's romantic drama Waiting to Exhale, leading an all-African American cast that includes Angela Bassett and Dennis Haysbert.More
1967 The Graduate, starring Anne Bancroft and newcomer Dustin Hoffman, premieres in US theaters. It spawns a hit soundtrack featuring songs from Simon & Garfunkel, including "Mrs. Robinson."
1958 The Chipmunks hit #1 on the Hot 100 with the squeaky-clean festive favorite "The Chipmunk Song." It's the last Christmas song to top the chart until "All I Want For Christmas Is You" 61 years later in 2019.More
1949 The twins Maurice and Robin Gibb are born in Douglas, Isle Of Man, and raised in Manchester, England. They join older brother Barry to form the Bee Gees.
©2026 Songfacts®, LLC