December 6, 1969 — In what Rolling Stone magazine later calls "rock and roll's all-time worst day," members of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang, hired for security, stab to death an 18-year-old man approaching the stage with a gun as the unaware Rolling Stones perform at the violence-plagued counterculture concert at the Altamont, California, speedway. Three other audience members also die accidentally, two by a hit-and-run car, the third by an LSD-induced drowning in an irrigation canal. Scores are injured at the event, numerous cars are stolen and abandoned, and extensive property damage occurs.

December 8, 1962 — Legendary disc jockey and rock concert promoter Alan Freed appears at his payola trial in New York City and testifies to receiving money from record labels to play their discs on the air. He is found guilty, fined $300, and given six months probation, but the irreparable damage is done to his career.

                           
                             1980 — John Lennon is assassinated at age 40 in the front archway of his New York City apartment building, The Dakota. The gunman, Mark David Chapman, a stocky 25-year-old from Atlanta, assumes a combat stance and fires five shots at Lennon, who staggers and falls dead. The killer sits on the sidewalk and waits for police to arrive. Crowds later gather in front of the building.




December 10, 1955 — Johnny Cash makes his first appearance on the Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport, Louisiana, and meets his future wife, June Carter, daughter of "Mother" Maybelle Carter of the pioneering country music trio the Carter Family. Also on the bill is Elvis Presley, who had performed several times since his debut the previous year.
                                                                                 1959 — The Platters' four male performers are acquitted of drug and morals charges made in August when they were arrested at a Cincinnati, Ohio, hotel on charges of associating with prostitutes. Nevertheless, their professional reputation is damaged by the arrest and U.S radio stations start removing their records from playlists, forcing the group to rely more heavily on European bookings.
                                                                                 1967 — Otis Redding dies at age 26 when his personal Beechcraft plane crashes into Lake Monona near Madison, Wisconsin. (Below) Three members of his road band, the Bar-Kays, also die in the plunge. One month later, his recording of "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" is released, becoming the first #1 record issued after the death of the artist who performed it.

December 11, 1960 — 18-year-old Aretha Franklin makes her concert debut at The Village Vanguard, a prestigious New York City jazz club.
                               1961 — Motown Records scores its first #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart with the Marvelettes' "Please Mr. Postman."
                               1964 — Sam Cooke (below) is shot to death at age 33 in a confrontation with a Los Angeles motel manager. His death is ruled a justifiable homicide after the female manager testifies to a coroner's jury that she shot Cooke in self‑defense when he forced himself into her office and assaulted her. Cooke biographer Peter Guralnik writes that the singer was desperately trying to enter the locked office in search of a girl who was frightened by his aggressive approach in his motel room and ran off with all of his clothes except a sport coat and wallet.