Wax Museum Radio

Rock and Roll Birthdays

Today's Rock and Roll Birthdays

December 3rd

December 3rd Birthday, Black Sabbath singer and solo artist Ozzy Osbourne is born John Michael Osbourne in 1948 in Aston, Birmingham, England. Osbourne died on July 22nd, 2025 at the age of 76 suffering from Parkinson’s Disease.

December 3rd Birthday, Singer Mickey Thomas from Jefferson Starship and The Elvin Bishop Band, born in 1949 in Cairo, Georgia.

December 3rd Birthday, Mike Stock of the British songwriting and production team Stock Aitken and Waterman is born in Margate, Kent, England in 1951.

December 3rd Birthday, Producer and audio engineer Chris Kimsey, who has worked with hundreds of artists, including The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Peter Frampton, Yes and others, born in Battersea, London, England in 1951.

December 3rd Birthday, Guitarist Duane Roland from Molly Hatchet, born in Jeffersonville, Indiana in 1952. He died on June 19th, 2006 at his home in St. Augustine, Florida of natural causes at the age of 52.

Today In Rock and Roll History

December 3rd

December 3rd, 1965 Parlophone Records release The Beatles’ “We Can Work It Out” b/w “Day Tripper” on 45 in Britain. The “Rubber Soul” album came out in England on the same day where it spent nine weeks at No. 1. After collaborating on the writing of “We Can Work It Out,” John Lennon and Paul McCartney took the song to The Beatles studio session on October 20th where George Harrison suggested the middle section be played in 3/4 time. Completed at EMI on October 29th, “We Can Work It Out” reached No. 1 on January 8th.

December 3rd, 1965 The Who’s first LP “My Generation” is released in Britain. The album reached No. 5 in the UK charts. Sessions for the album were spread out through April October and November recorded with Nicky Hopkins on piano and Shel Talmy producing.

December 3rd, 1965 Keith Richards gets an electric shock and is knocked unconscious when his guitar makes contact with his microphone during the song “The Last Time” at a Rolling Stones show in Sacramento, California.

One the same day, The Rolling Stones began sessions that ended on December 8th at RCA studios in Hollywood with producer Andrew Loog Oldham during which they recorded their next single, “19th Nervous Breakdown.” Released in Britain on February 4th, 1966 and February 12th in the US, the record went to No. 1 in Britain and No. 2 in the US, on March 19th.

December 3rd, 1966 “Winchester Cathedral” by The New Vaudeville Band is the No.1 record in the US.

December 3rd, 1966 Aaron Neville’s “Tell It Like It Is” enters the singles charts on the Par-Lo Records label. Co-written by George Davis and Lee Diamond, session players on the record were George Davis arranging and playing baritone saxophone, Emory Humphrey-Thompson on trumpet, Deacon John on guitar, Alvin “Red” Tyler on tenor saxophone, Willie Tee on piano and June Gardner on drums. The record went to No. 2 on January 28th, 1967.

December 3rd, 1966 The Mamas & The Papas “Words Of Love” enters the singles charts. The song was written by John Phillips and the track was recorded with producer Lou Adler. Featuring Cass Elliot on lead vocals, the mono single, contains a horn section overdub not heard in the stereo mix, extra backing vocals and a more prominent piano. Elliot’s vocals fade out a bit sooner near the end than the version heard on the band’s self-titled second album. The record peaked at No. 5 on January 21st, 1967.

December 3rd, 1966 Herman’s Hermits recording of the Graham Gouldman song “East West” enters the singles charts, produced by Mickie Most. The record peaked at No. 27 on January 14th, 1967.

December 3rd, 1966 New Jersey band The Critters “Bad Misunderstanding” enters the singles charts. The song was co-written by Pete Andreoli and Vinnie Poncia, Jr. “Bad Misunderstanding” was co-produced by Poncia, Artie Ripp and Peter Anders. The record peaked at No. 55 on December 31st.

December 3rd, 1966 Jimmy Ruffin “I’ve Passed This Way Before” enters the singles charts. Co-written and co-produced by James Dean and William Weatherspoon, sessions for the song were recorded at Motown’s Hitsville USA Studios in Detroit in September and October. Released in England where it became a Top Thirty chart hit, the release there had the song’s spoken word intro removed. The record reached No. 17 on January 28th, 1967.

December 3rd, 1966 “Psychotic Reaction,” the debut album by Count Five, enters the charts. Featuring the hit title track, the record peaked at No. 122 on December 31st.

December 3rd, 1966, Elektra Records release “Hard Lovin’ Loser” by Judy Collins on 45. Produced by Mark Abramson, the studio track was arranged and conducted by Joshua Rifkin. Written by American folksinger Richard Fariña, it was Collins’ first chart single, peaking at No. 97 on January 28th, 1967.

December 3rd, 1970 Apple Records release Billy Preston’s cover version of the George Harrison song “My Sweet Lord” five weeks after Harrison’s original version was issued. Co-produced by Preston and Harrison, the track was recorded at Trident Studios in London with Alan White on drums. Preston’s version of My Sweet Lord” entered the charts in February and peaked at No. 90 on February 27th, 1971.

December 3rd, 1971 A&M Records in Britain release “Benedictus” by Strawbs on 45. The song was written by Dave Cousins and the studio track was produced by Tony Visconti. The track later appeared on the band’s 1972 album “Grave New World.”

December 3rd, 1971 The Montreux Casino caught fire and burned during a show by Frank Zappa And The Mothers of Invention. Deep Purple were the night’s opening act.

December 3rd, 1972 Island Records in Britain release “Islands,” the fourth studio album by King Crimson. The LP was recorded at Command Studios in London from July through October with the band, Robert Fripp, Peter Sinfield, Mel Collins, Ian Wallace and Boz Burrell, producing the sessions. After the record came out in the US in January it reached No. 76 on March 4th, 1972.

December 3rd, 1973 Atlantic Records release “Abandoned Luncheonette” the second album by Hall and Oates. Produced by Arif Mardin, the album would be out for three months before entering the charts in February but wasn’t a big hit until 1975, when Atlantic re-released “She’s Gone” from the LP as a single following the chart success of “Sara Smile” in 1975. The record peaked at No. 33 on November 20th, 1976.

December 3rd, 1973 Apple Records release Ringo Starr’s cover version of the Johnny Burnette hit from 1960, “You’re Sixteen,” out two months later, February 8thin Britain. Co-written by Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman, the record was produced by Richard Perry during sessions that September. The record went to No. 1 in the US on January 26th, No. 4 in Britain.

December 3rd, 1976 The photo shoot for Pink Floyd’s “Animals” LP causes pilots flying around London to beware of a flying pig when the forty-foot inflatable being photographed at Battersea Power Station breaks free. The flying swine reached a height of Eighteen thousand feet before coming down in Kent, England.

December 3rd, 1977 Neil Diamond “Desiree” enters the singles charts. Written by Neil Diamond, the studio track was produced by Four Seasons keyboardist and songwriter Bob Gaudio. “Desiree” peaked at No. 16 on February 11th.

December 3rd, 1977 Steve Martin “Grandmothers Song” enters the singles charts. Written by Martin, the live track was produced by William E. McEuen. The record peaked at No. 72 on December 10th.

December 3rd, 1977 The Ramones “Rockaway Beach” enters the singles charts. Written by the Ramones and co-produced by bassist Tommy Ederlyi, AKA Dee Dee Ramone and Tony Bongioi. The record was the band’s highest charting single, peaking at No. 66 on January 21st, 1979.

December 3rd, 1979 Toto’s “99” enters the singles charts. The song was written by David Paich. Taken from the second Toto album, “Hydra,” the record was co-produced by the band and Tom Knox. The record peaked at No. 26 on March 15th, 1980.

December 3rd, 1979 Eleven fans are trampled and die at Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium when the doors open for a concert by The Who. The band are not told of the deaths until after they played the show.

Miscellaneous December

December 1951 RPM Records release “3 O’Clock Blues” backed with “That Ain’t The Way To Do It,” the first single by B. B. King. Both songs were written by B.B. King. Johnny Ace played piano on the track.

December 1953 Specialty Records release “The Things I Used To Do” backed with “Well, I Done Got Over It” by Guitar Slim and His Band on 45. The tracks were recorded at Cosimo Matassa’s J&M Studio in New Orleans with John Vincent producing. The songs were arranged by Ray Charles, who plays piano on the sessions. Both tracks were written by Guitar Slim, credited to his real name, Eddie Jones. Slim was seriously injured in an automobile accident at the time “The Things I Used To Do” was the No. 1 R&B single in the country.

December 1959 Checker Records release the Bo Diddley album “Have Guitar Will Travel.”

December 1963 Daytone Records release “Hurricane” backed with “Sweet Love” by Conrad and The Hurricanes on 45. The tracks were taped at PAL Studios in Cucamonga, California. Both songs were written by Ed Sigarlaki and produced by Frank Zappa and Dave Aerni using the aliases Curry, Ivan. The single was reissued on Era Records in June 1964 with the A&B sides reversed.

December 1964 Fantasy Records release “Don’t Tell Me No Lies” backed with “Little Girl (Does Your Mama Know?),” the first record by The Golliwogs on 45. Both sides were co-written by Tom and John Fogerty, using the names Rann Wild and Toby Green. The Golliwogs renamed themselves Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1967.

December 1965 Sue Records release “The New Breed (pts. 1&2)” by Ike Turner and His Kings Of Rhythm on 45. The instrumental was written by Ike Turner and co-produced by he and Tinas Turner.

December 1968 Verve Forecast Records release “Reason To Believe” by Tim Hardin on 45. The song was a No. 62 hit for Rod Stewart when it was released as the first single from Stewarts “Every Picture Tells A Story” LP in 1971.

December 1968 Island Records in Britain release “What We Did On Our Holidays,” the second album by Fairport Convention, their first to feature singer and songwriter Sandy Denny. Produced by Joe Boyd, the record was released in America with a different cover and a self-titled name.

December 1969 Mercury Records release “Earth” backed with “Step On Me” by Smile at 45. The A-side was written by singer and bassist Tim Staffell. “Step On Me” was co-written by Staffell and guitarist Brian May. Drummer Roger Taylor and May changed the name of the band to Queen when Staffell quit the group and they hired singer Freddie Mercury.

December 1969 Island Records in Britain release the Joe Boyd produced “Liege And Lief” album by Fairport Convention. The record was issued in America on A&M Records the following July. A No. 17 hit in England, it was Fairport’s third album of 1969 and their first following the road accident that killed drummer Martin Lamble.

December 1970 The Famous Charisma Label in Britain release “H To He Who Am The Only One,” the third album by Van der Graaf Generator. The LP was recorded at Trident Studios in London with John Anthony producing. Dunhill Records in the US issued the album in February 1971. Robert Fripp of King Crimson played guitar on the track “The Emperor And His War Room.”

December 1972 Epic records release “R.E.O. T.W.O.,” the second studio LP by REO Speedwagon. Initial sessions for the LP were recorded in Nashville, then moved to The Record Plant in Los Angeles. The album was co-produced by Paul Leka and Billy Rose II.

December 1972 United Artists Records release The Move compilation “Splits Ends.” The tracks drew mostly from the band’s previous album “Message From The Country” as well as earlier group singles.

December 1974 Atlantic Records release “Can’t Stop The Music (He Played It Much Too Long)” by Hall and Oates on 45. Written by John Oates, the record was produced by Todd Rundgren at Secret Sound Studios in New York City.

December 1987 Barking Pumpkin Records release Frank Zappa “Old Masters Box Three.” The set completed a trio of archival reissues of the original albums Zappa recorded with The Mothers Of Invention. The release featured the albums “Waka/Jawaka,” “The Grand Wazoo,” “Over-Nite Sensation,” “Apostrophe (‘),” “Roxy And Elsewhere,” “One Size Fits All,” “Bongo Fury” and “Zoot Allures”.