1983: The teenage heartthrob of the Beach Boys, Dennis Wilson, passed away this day in California. He drowned while diving off the pier at Marina Del Ray while trying to retrieve mementos he had tossed overboard from his yacht three years earlier. He was 39.

1971: Completing a comeback that began with dates singing at supper clubs in small towns, Sonny & Cher debut their variety show on CBS-TV.

1966: While waiting to go on stage for a show at London’s Uppercut Club, Jimi Hendrix gets a sudden idea for a song. Grabbing a scrap of paper, he hastily scribbles out the lyrics to a tune he calls “Purple Haze.”

Merry Christmas!

1959: On Christmas morning, apprentice electrician, 18-year old Richard Starkey of Liverpool gets his first set of drums for Christmas. Richard will soon be performing in Liverpool’s burgeoning music scene under the stage name Ringo Starr.

1974: To celebrate Christmas Eve, singers James Taylor, Carly Simon, Linda Ronstadt and Joni Mitchell go caroling door-to-door in suburban Los Angeles. No word if anyone offered them cocoa and cookies for their efforts.

1959: Chuck Berry is arrested in his hometown of St. Louis. It turns out he drove a young girl from Mexico to his hometown. He claims he was hiring the girl to be a hatcheck girl at the night club he owns. Two problems: The girl is only 14 years old. She also has a record as a prostitute.

Berry is sentenced to five years in prison for a violation of the Mann Act, prohibiting the transportation of a minor across state lines “for immoral purposes.”

Berry ends up serving less than four years.

1978: Kenney Jones joins the Who, replacing the group’s original drummer, the late Keith Moon.

1970: Elvis Presley visits the White House to have President Nixon make him an honorary deputy of the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. Presley pledges his unwavering help in fighting the war on drugs. At the time, the Irony of this moment is lost on all of us.

1975: A former member of the James Gang and already a successful solo artist, Joe Walsh joins the Eagles, replacing Bernie Leadon, who left after the band decided to pursue a more rock sound.

 Good decision, as their first album with Walsh and more rock, Hotel California, goes on to become the best-selling LP in the group’s long, mega-successful career.

1956: On this day and for the entire week, Elvis Presley singles hold 10 chart positions on Billboard's Hot 100. This record will stand for nearly 8 years until (we’re sure you guessed it) the Beatles land 14 singles on the same chart in 1964.