On This Day, August 11 in Music History
EVENTS ON AUGUST 11 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day August 11 in 1956 – The soundtrack album to the drama fantasy musical film ‘Carousel’ went to No.1 in the UK.
1960 – With ‘Please Don’t Tease’, Cliff Richard & The Shadows topped the UK Singles chart. Also a chart-topper in India, Ireland, New Zealand, and Norway that year.
1962 – Neil Sedaka topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with ‘Breaking Up Is Hard to Do’ on this day August 11. The song reached the top spot on the singles charts in Canada and New Zealand as well.
1964 – The Beatles began recording ‘Beatles for Sale’, their fourth studio album. They finished recording it on October 26, and released the LP on December 4 the same year. The album became a chart-topper in Australia, Finland, Germany, and the UK.
1979 – Rock band The Knack started a five-week run at No.1 on the US Billboard 200 chart with their debut studio album ‘Get the Knack’ on this day August 11 in music history. Also a chart-topper in Australia and Canada.
1979 – Led Zeppelin performed live for the last time in Britain. They played two concerts at the Knebworth Festival in England, the first show was on August 4.
10 Interesting Facts About Led Zeppelin
1984 – Ray Parker Jr. topped the US Singles chart with ‘Ghostbusters’, the theme song to the film of the same. It was also a chart-topper in Belgium, Canada, France, South Africa, and Spain.
1996 – American musician Mel Taylor died at the age of 62. Best remembered as the longtime drummer for the instrumental rock band The Ventures.
1997 – Boy band Backstreet Boys released their second studio album ‘Backstreet’s Back’. The LP was a huge worldwide hit selling over 10 million copies and it went to No.1 in fourteen countries.
2001 – Boy band NSYNC went to number one in the US with their fourth studio album ‘Celebrity’ on this day August 11 in music history. The album became a chart-topper in Canada and Malaysia that year as well.
2001 – Folk singer-songwriter David Gray topped the UK Albums chart with ‘White Ladder’, his fourth studio release. The album also went to No.1 in Ireland and it became one of the best-selling records of all time in both countries.
2007 – With ‘Beautiful Girls’, Sean Kingston started a four-week run at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Sean Kingston – Beautiful Girls
2008 – American steel guitarist Donald “Don” Helms died on this day August 11 at the age of 81. Best remembered for his work with The Drifting Cowboys.
2011 – American singer and songwriter John Kennedy Oswald also known professionally as Jani Lane died at the age of 47 from acute alcohol poisoning. Best remembered as the frontman of the glam metal band Warrant.
2012 – The Zac Brown Band returned to number one on the US Billboard 200 chart with their third studio album ‘Uncaged’. Also a chart-topper in Canada.
2012 – With his debut studio album ‘Contrast’, pop singer Conor Maynard went to number one in the United Kingdom.
2016 – Indie rock band Viola Beach went to No.1 in the UK with their self-titled debut studio album on this day August 11 in music history. The album was posthumously released after all four bandmembers and the manager, lost their lives in a car accident during their tour in Sweden
2021 – American blues music guitarist, singer, and songwriter Roy Gaines died at the age of 83.
BORN ON AUGUST 11 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1937 – American record producer, songwriter, and arranger Sheldon Talmy was born in Chicago, Illinois. He rose to fame with his work with the likes of The Who, The Kinks, David Bowie, etc.
1940 – Founding member of the rock band Manfred Mann, Michael “Mike” Hugg was born on this day August 11 in Gosport, England.
1943 – Canadian musician James “Jim” Kale was born in Winnipeg on this day August 11 in music history. He rose to fame as a founding member and drummer of the rock band The Guess Who.
1943 – English saxophonist, guitarist, and harmonica player Denis Payton was born in Walthamstow. Best known as a member of the Dave Clark Five band.
1943 – Songwriter and producer Kenneth Gamble was born on this day August 11 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Best known as one half of the songwriting and production team Gamble and Huff who wrote and produced over 170 platinum and gold records.
1949 – American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Eric Carmen was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He came to prominence as the lead vocalist of The Raspberries, and later found fame as a solo artist with hits such as ‘All by Myself’, ‘She Did It’, and ‘Never Gonna Fall in Love Again’.
1950 – American guitarist Erik Brann also known as Erik Braunn was born Rick Davis on this day in Pekin, Illinois. Best known as a member of the rock band Iron Butterfly.
1954 – American guitarist Bryan Bassett was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on this day August 11 in music history. Best known as a member of the funk rock band Wild Cherry.
1954 – Singer-songwriter and musician David Ian “Joe” Jackson was born on this day in Burton. Best known for hit songs such as ‘Steppin’ Out’ and ‘Is She Really Going Out with Him?’.
1962 – Icelandic musician and writer Bragi Olafsson was born on this day in Reykjavik. He rose to fame as a founding member and bassist of the band The Sugarcubes.
1968 – Guitarist and singer-songwriter Charlie Sexton was born on this day August 11 in San Antonio, Texas. Best known for playing with Bob Dylan and for co-founding the blues rock supergroup Arc Angels.
1970 – Founding member of the hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, Ali Shaheed Muhammad was born in Brooklyn, New York.
1981 – Scottish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Alexandria “Sandi” Thom was born in Banff on this day August 11 in music history. She rose to fame with her chart-topping debut single ‘I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)’.