EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY DECEMBER 8 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day December 8 in 1956 – Guy Mitchell started a nine-week stint at the top of the US Singles chart with ‘Singing the Blues’.
1967 – The Rolling Stones released their eighth studio album ‘Their Satanic Majesties Request’. The album received mixed reviews but it still became a chart-topper in Australia and France, and it made the Top 3 in the UK and US.
1973 – Rock band Roxy Music scored their first number one album in the UK with ‘Stranded’ on this day December 8 in music history.
1975 – New Zealand bassist Gary Thain died at the age of 27 of a heroin overdose. Best remembered for his work with the rock band Uriah Heep.
1976 – Rock band the Eagles released their fifth studio album ‘Hotel California’ through Asylum Records on this day December 8. It become one of the best-selling albums of all time with over 30 million copies sold worldwide.
1979 – With ‘Babe’, rock band Styx scored their first and only number one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song reached No.1 in Canada and South Africa as well.
1979 – Rock band The Police scored their second number one single in the United Kingdom with ‘Walking on the Moon’ on this day December 8.
1979 – With his compilation album ‘Greatest Hits, Vo. 1’, Rod Stewart started a five-week run at number one on the UK Albums chart. It also peaked at No.1 in Australia and New Zealand.
1980 – John Lennon was murdered by a lunatic outside his apartment building in New York City at the age of 40 on this day December 8.
1981 – American blues harmonica player and singer Walter “Shakey” Horton also known as Big Walter died at the age of 60.
1982 – Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Martin Robinson also known professionally as Marty Robbins died on this day December 8, aged 57.
1984 – New wave band Frankie Goes to Hollywood scored their third and final number one single in the UK with ‘The Power of Love’.
1984 – Pop rock duo Hall & Oates scored their sixth and last number one single in the US with ‘Out of Touch’ on this day December 8 in music history.
1984 – English drummer Nicholas Dingley also known by his stage name Razzle died in a car accident at the age of 24. He was the passenger in a car driven by Mötley Crüe’s frontman Vince Neil.
1990 – With ‘Because I Love You (The Postman Song)’, Stevie B hit number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 on this day December 8 for the first of four consecutive weeks.
2001 – Singer-songwriter Daniel Bedingfield reached number one in the UK with his debut single ‘Gotta Get Thru This’.
Daniel Bedingfield – Gotta Get Thru This
2001 – Rock band Creed started a huge eight-week stint at the top of the US Albums chart with their third studio LP ‘Weathered’ on this day December 8.
2004 – Co-founder and guitarist of the heavy metal band Pantera, Darrell Abbott also known as Dimebag Darrell was murdered by a deranged fan during a show in Columbus, Ohio.
2007 – With his fourth studio album ‘Noël’, Josh Groban hit No.1 on the US Billboard 200 chart for the first of five weeks straight.
2012 – The number one album in the UK on this day December 8 in music history was ‘Right Place Right Time’ by Olly Murs, his third studio LP.
2012 – Twenty-eight years later on the same day, singer Gabrielle Aplin topped the UK Singles chart with her rendition of the Frankie Goes to Hollywood song ‘The Power of Love’.
2012 – With her seventh studio album ‘Unapologetic’, Rihanna reached number one in the US on this day December 8.
2019 – American rapper, songwriter, and singer Jarad Higgins better known by his stage name Juice Wrld died at the age of 21 from an overdose.
2021 – American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and bandleader Barry Doyle Harris died on this day December 8 at the age of 91.
2021 – Bass guitarist and one half of the musical duo Sly and Robbie, Robert “Robbie” Shakespeare died at the age of 68.
BORN ON THIS DAY DECEMBER 8 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1922 – American jazz clarinetist Sol Yaged was born in Brooklyn, New York City on this day December 8 in music history.
1925 – American jazz and soul music musician James “Jimmy” Smith was born on this day in Norristown, Pennsylvania.
1925 – Singer, actor and producer Samuel “Sammy” Davis Jr. was born on this day December 8 in New York City. Best known for songs such as ‘The Candy Man’, ‘I’ve Gotta Be Me’, ‘Something’s Gotta Give’, etc.
1939 – Soul music singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jerry Butler was born in Sunflower, Mississippi. He rose to fame as the lead singer of The Impressions.
1941 – British drummer Robert “Bobby” Elliott was born on this day December 8 in Burnley, England. Best known as a member of the pop rock band The Hollies.
1942 – Reggae music singer-songwriter and instrumentalist Frederick Nathaniel Hibbert also known as Toots Hibbert was born in Kingston, Jamaica. Best known as the frontman of the band Toots and the Maytals.
1943 – Co-founder and frontman of the rock band The Doors, James “Jim” Morrison was born in Melbourne, Florida on this day December 8 in music history.
10 Interesting Jim Morrison Facts
1944 – American drummer Michael “Mike” Botts was born in Oakland, California. Best known for his work with the rock band Bread.
1947 – Singer-songwriter, guitarist, and co-founder of the Allman Brothers Band, Gregg Allman was born on this day December 8 in Nashville, Tennessee.
1949 – Multi-instrumentalist and co-founder of the rock band Gentle Giant, Raymond Shulman was born in Portsmouth, England.
1950 – Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Dan Hartman was born on this day December 8 in West Hanover Township, Pennsylvania.
1955 – Prolific multi-genre bass guitarist, songwriter, and producer Nathan East was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1956 – Multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Warren Cuccurullo was born on this day December 8 in Brooklyn, New York. Best known for his work with the bands Missing Persons and Duran Duran.
1957 – English guitarist Philip “Phil” Collen was born in London. He came to prominence as a member of the hard rock band Def Leppard.
1959 – English musician Paul Rutherford was born in Liverpool on this day December 8 in music history. Best known as a member of the synth-pop band Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
1962 – Heavy metal guitarist Martin “Marty” Friedman was born in Washington, D.C. Best known for playing with Megadeth from 1990 until 2000.
1966 – Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sinead O’Connor also known as Shuhada Sadaqat was born on this day December 8 in Glenageary, Ireland.
1966 – Rapper Richard William Stephen Shaw also known by his stage name Bushwick Bill was born in Kingston, Jamaica. Best known as a member of the hip hop group Geto Boys.
1973 – Frontman of the heavy metal bands Slipknot and Stone Sour, Corey Taylor was born on this day December 8 in Des Moines, Iowa.
1982 – Rapper, singer, and songwriter Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj was born in Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago.
1982 – Grammy Award-winning R&B and soul music singer Chrisette Michele was born in Central Islip, New York on this day December 8 in music history.