ON DECEMBER 23^RD

In 1962…While staying in London, Bob Dylan performed at the King and Queen Pub.

In 1964…The Beach Boys made their first appearance on Shindig. The group performed “Little Saint Nick,” “Dance, Dance, Dance,” “Johnny B. Goode” and “Monster Mash.”

In 1966…The BBC aired the last edition of Ready Steady Go! The show had brought audiences such acts as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. The Who, arguably the show’s most popular guest, performed on the final episode.

In 1967…The Jimi Hendrix Experience single “Foxy Lady” was released.

In 1969…Elton John and Bernie Taupin began writing songs together.

In 1974…George Harrison released one of his rare Christmas records, “Ding Dong, Ding Dong.”

In 1977…Cat Stevens converted to Islam and changed his name to Yusuf Islam.

In 1978…England’s Lawn Tennis Association refused to give permission for Queen to perform an open-air concert at Wimbledon.

In 1978…Rod Stewart’s “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” was released.

In 1987…After Roger Waters threatened to get an injunction preventing David Gilmour from touring under the Pink Floyd name, the two signed an agreement that allowed Gilmour to continue under the name Pink Floyd. In return, Waters received a royalty whenever an image from his time with the band was used.

In 1991…James Brown sued the producers of the movie The Commitments, claiming that one of the characters closely resembled him. He lost the case.

In 1999…Police arrested a stalker at George Harrison’s Hawaiian home. The unemployed man appeared to be living in the empty mansion, using the phone, washing machine and ordering pizza.

In 2003…A verbal battle erupted between Aussie rockers Jet and The Strokes. Drummer Chris Cester said the New Yorkers had “lost any credibility from me” after singer Julian Casablancas declared, “Jet makes me not want to make music.”

In 2003…The White Stripes’ Jack White turned himself into the Detroit Police. White was accused of assaulting Von Bondies singer Jason Stollsteimer. He was photographed, fingerprinted, and released on a 100-dollars bond.

In 2003…Ozzy Osbourne was moved from intensive care to a private clinic to recuperate from injuries he sustained after crashing an ATV on his English estate earlier in the month.

In 2005…Foxy Brown was handcuffed in court after sticking her tongue out at the judge. The rapper was finalizing a plea deal in a 2004 assault incident.

ON DECEMBER 24^TH

In 1960…The Philadelphia Orphan’s Court told Chubby Checker that his allowance would be raised from 150 to 200 dollars. Checker, only 19, was still a ward of the court, despite having a huge hit with “The Twist.”

In 1961…The number-one song in the American singles chart was “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” by The Tokens. The South African folk song was also the first African song to reach the top spot.

In 1963…The Beatles kicked off their first series of London Christmas concerts at the Astoria Cinema in Finsbury Park.

In 1964…The Beatles began a second annual series of Christmas concerts at London’s Hammersmith Odeon.

In 1968…Led Zeppelin left Britain to start their first American tour. Robert Plant remembered, “It was Christmas, and Christmas away from home for the English is the end of the world.”

In 1970…Rolling Stone magazine published the first part of an off-the-cuff interview with John Lennon by Jann Wenner. Among Lennon’s pearls was the summary of The Beatles reaction to Yoko Ono: “You sit through 60 sessions with the most big-headed, uptight people on earth and see what it’s f***in’ like, and be insulted just because you love someone… I’ll never forgive them. I don’t care a f***ing s**t about Hare Krishna and God and Paul… I don’t forgive ‘em for that.”

In 1972…Yoko Ono’s ex-husband, Tony Cox, was reported missing with the couple’s daughter, Kyoko.

In 1973…Doobie Brothers guitarist Tom Johnston was arrested in Visalia, California, for marijuana possession.

In 1974…James Taylor, Carly Simon, Linda Ronstadt and Joni Mitchell got into the Christmas spirit by traveling around Los Angeles singing carols.

In 1978…ABBA songwriter Bjorn Ulvaeus announced that he and ABBA singer Agnetha Faltskog were separating.

In 2000…Convicts at a Denver County Jail in Colorado went on the rampage after the VCR broke during a screening of the Jennifer Lopez film The Cell.

In 2002…An autopsy on the late Joe Strummer discovered that the punk hero died of cardiac arrest. Strummer was 50.

In 2005…Iggy Pop was fined by the Swiss city of Lucerne for performing his music too loud at the Blue Balls festival in July. Pop and The Stooges were clocked at 102.5 decibels.

In 2005…Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker became a father again, as wife Shanna Moakler gave birth to seven pound, one ounce daughter Alabama Louella Barker.

ON DECEMBER 25^TH5^Hh

In 1958…Alan Freed organized a Christmas Rock & Roll Spectacular at Manhattan’s Loew’s State Theatre. Among the 17 acts were Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Eddie Cochran, The Moonglows, Jackie Wilson, Frankie Avalon, The Everly Brothers and headliner Johnnie Ray.

In 1959…A young Richard Starkey received his first drum set for Christmas. The 18-year-old apprentice engineer later became famous as Ringo Starr, drummer for The Beatles.

In 1964…Fans who attended one of The Beatles’ London Christmas shows attacked George Harrison’s girlfriend Patti Boyd.

In 1965…George Harrison proposed to Patti Boyd as they drove to a Christmas dinner in London.

In 1967…Paul McCartney became engaged to his girlfriend, the actress Jane Asher; they never married.

In 1971…Billboard published an interview with Grand Funk Railroad manager Terry Knight. He claimed, “We are virtually devoid of radio play in major markets. Our only airplay comes from the ordinary stations that the major markets snicker at.”

In 1981…The inmates of Norfolk Correctional Center outside of Boston were treated to a Christmas concert by The J. Geils Band.

In 1990…James Brown, while serving a prison sentence, performed at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina for American soldiers on a four-day furlough. It was “The Godfather of Soul’s” first gig in two years.

In 1995…Crooner Dean Martin died at age 78. His last number one was 1964′s “Everybody Loves Somebody.”

In 1996…The People vs. Larry Flynt opened in theaters. Courtney Love starred in the film.