On December 28th, 1968, the first big East Coast rock festival opened in Miami. Performers at the Miami Pop Festival included Chuck Berry, Country Joe and the Fish and Richie Havens.

In 1976, bluesman Freddie King died in Dallas at age 42. He was a major influence on British rockers like Eric Clapton.

In 1983, Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson drowned while swimming in the harbor at Marina Del Rey, California. He was 39.

In 1991, nine people were killed at a charity basketball game at City College in New York that featured Run DMC and LL Cool J. The victims were crushed when the crowd surged to get into the gym where the game was to be played.

In 1993, country singer Shania Twain married producer Mutt Lange. They have since divorced.

In 1996, actor Ken Wahl was arrested for allegedly threatening a bartender with a hunting knife in Los Angeles.

In 2005, the body of singer-bassist Barry Cowsill of The Cowsills was found on a New Orleans wharf. He had been missing since Hurricane Katrina three months earlier. Cowsill was 51.

 

Today’s birthdays: Comic book creator Stan Lee (“Spider-Man,” ”The Incredible Hulk”) is 90. Actor Martin Milner (“Adam 12,” ”Route 66″) is 81. Actress Nichelle Nichols (“Star Trek”) is 80. Actress Maggie Smith (“Harry Potter”) is 78. Saxophonist Charles Neville of the Neville Brothers is 74. Singer-keyboardist Edgar Winter is 66. Actor Denzel Washington is 58. Country singer Joe Diffie is 54. Drummer Mike McGuire of Shenandoah is 54. Country singer-guitarist Marty Roe of Diamond Rio is 52. Actor Malcolm Gets (“Caroline in the City”) is 48. Comedian Seth Meyers (“Saturday Night Live”) is 39. Actor Brendan Hines (“Lie To Me”) is 36. Singer John Legend is 34. Actress Sienna Miller is 31. Actress Mackenzie Rosman (“7th Heaven”) is 23. “American Idol” runner-up David Archuleta is 22.