On New Year’s Eve in 1948, Donna Summer was born in Boston, Massachusetts. She made her mark in 1975 with her debut single, which hit No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot 100. To celebrate the release, she performed at a New York disco on this day in 1975. Casablanca Records even brought in a huge cake shaped like her to honor the occasion. In the late 1970s, Summer made history by scoring four number-one singles on the Hot 100 in just over a year, including hits like “,” “,” and “.”
Here are some notable music events from December 31:
1971: The Band performed at the New York Academy of Music with a full horn section. This was their fourth show at the venue that week.
1978: Bauhaus had their first show at the Cromwell pub in Wellingborough, UK, marking the start of their journey. They would later achieve two Top 40 UK singles.
1978: The Grateful Dead played an unforgettable show at Bill Graham’s Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, which would be the venue’s last concert. Other acts included The Blues Brothers and New Riders of the Purple Sage.
2015: Mötley Crüe claimed to have their farewell show at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, featuring hits like “,” “,” “,” and “.” However, they toured again in 2022.
On the industry side, December 31 also saw some significant changes:
1970: Paul McCartney sued his Beatles bandmates to dissolve the group after they appointed a new manager against his wishes.
2002: 50 Cent was arrested with four others for weapon possession near New York City’s Copacabana nightclub.
