December 31st

1967 - American songwriter and producer Bert Berns died of heart failure aged 38. He wrote many classic songs including 'Twist And Shout', 'Hang On Sloopy', ‘Here Comes the Night’, ‘I Want Candy’ and 'Brown Eyed Girl'.

1975 - Casablanca Records throws a single release party for Donna Summer's "Love to Love You Baby" on her 23rd birthday. Casablanca head Neil Bogart orders a Los Angeles bakery to bake a life-size replica of Summer. In cake. There's another hitch. The party's in New York. Bogart pays for two first-class air tickets to have the cake shipped to Manhattan's Penta Club, and even has a freezer ambulance waiting at the airport to ferry the treat to the party.

1982 - Guitarist with The E Street Band, Miami Steve Van Zandt married Maureen Santora in New Jersey. Best man was Bruce Springsteen.

1999 - John Fogerty sues his lawyer. He alleges that he was provided with incompetent legal advice during a 1985 copyright infringement lawsuit during which he was accused of plagiarizing himself.

 

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