DECEMBER 4

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
1944 - Chris Hillman, guitarist, bassist, mandolin player, singer and member of the bands The Desert Rose Band, The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Byrds, and Capitol Records band McGuinn, Clark and Hillman, is born in Los Angeles, California
1944 - Dennis Carl Wilson, songwriter, singer, and drummer with the Capitol Records band The Beach Boys, is born either in Inglewood or Hawthorne, California. If anyone knows for sure which city Dennis was born in, please leave a comment.
1955 - L. Scott Folks, A&R man for Capitol Records, is born in New York City, New York

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1944 - Capitol Records artist Martha Tilton, along with future Capitol Records artist and actress Jane Russell and actress Toni Seven, appear and sign autographs at the "World's First Pin-Up Exhibition" at the Hollywood Canteen in Hollywood, California
1949 - Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely's Capitol Records single "Slipping Around" is #4 on the U.S. Pop singles charts
1952 - Merle Travis records the track "Louisiana Boogie" for Capitol Records
1953 - Tenor saxophonist Bud Freeman, with Dick Cary on piano, George Barnes on guitar, Jack Lesberg on bass, and Don Lamond on drums, records the tracks "Margo's Seal", "I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plans", "I Could Write A Book", and "Blues For Tenor" (aka "Dorsey Brothers Blues"), in New York City for his self-titled Capitol Records 10" album that is part of Capitol's "Classics In Jazz" series.
1961 - The Lettermen's Capitol Records single "When I Fall In Love" enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1966 - The Beach Boy's Capitol Records single "Good Vibrations" is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1967 - Capitol Records releases The Beach Boys' album "Wild Honey"
1968 - Buck Owens and Susan Raye record the track "We're Gonna Get Together" for Capitol Records
1972 - Apple Records releases Wings' single "Hi Hi Hi" with "C Moon" on the flip side which is distributed by Capitol Records in the United States on a custom red label
1981 - Merle Haggard's Capitol Records single "My Favorite Memory" is #4 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1983 - Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson's Capitol Records single "Say Say Say" is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1993 - Frank Zappa (born Frank Vincent Zappa), singer, songwriter, composer, band leader, conductor, record producer and owner of the Barking Pumpkin Records label (whose releases were distributed by Capitol Records from 1984-1987), dies of cancer at his home in Laurel Canyon, California at age 52

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1927 - Future Capitol Records artist Duke Ellington’s first big band opens the famed Cotton Club in Harlem where it will play until 1932
1955 - Cassandra Wilson, singer, guitarist, and Blue Note Records artist, is born in Jackson, Mississippi. Blue Note is currently owned by Capitol Records parent company EMI.
1957 - Bariton saxophonist Gerry Mulligan (with Lee Konitz on alto saxophone; Allen Eager and Zoot Sims on alto and tenor saxophones; Al Cohn on tenor and baritone saxophone; Freddie Green on guitar; Henry Grimes on bass; and Dave Bailey on drums) begins two straight days of sessions in New York City, New York, recording tracks arranged by Bill Holman with producer Richard Bock for the Pacific Jazz album "The Gerry Mulligan Songbook". The Pacific Jazz catalog is currently owned by Capitol Records parent company EMI Music and manufactured and distributed by Capitol Records.
1971 - Don McLean's United Artists Records single "American Pie", which on the 45 is split into "Part 1" and "Part 2", enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. EMI Music, Capitol Records parent company, currently owns the United Artists catalog.
1961 - Scepter Records releases The Shirelles' single "Baby It's You" which will later be recorded by the Capitol Records group The Beatles and performed by them during live concerts
1988 - In Akron, Ohio, Virgin Records America artist Roy Orbison performs his last concert. Virgin Records America is currently owned by EMI Music, the parent company of Capitol Records.
1989 - Paula Abdul's Virgin Records America single "(It’s Just) The Way That You Love Me" is #3 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. Virgin Records America's catalog is currently owned by EMI Music, Capitol Record's parent company.
1991 - Virgin Records America artist Paula Abdul is awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Virgin Records America is currently owned by EMI Music, the parent company of Capitol Records.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1967 - Bert Lahr, character actor in burlesque, vaudeville, Broadway stage, motion pictures and television, dies at age 72 of pneumonia in New York City in the middle of filming "The Night They Raided Minksy's" and is later buried in Field Cemetery, Flushing, Queens, New York