EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY DECEMBER 9 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day December 9 in 1962 – Female singing group The Supremes released their debut studio album ‘Meet the Supremes’ through Motown Records.
1966 – Rock supergroup Cream released their debut studio album ‘Fresh Cream’ through Reaction Records. The album reached No.6 in the UK and it peaked at No.39 in the US.
1967 – Jim Morrison was arrested while performing at a show in New Haven because he informed the audience that a policeman assaulted him before the concert for making out with a girl backstage. This infuriated the policeman and arrested the singer on stage.
1972 – With their eight studio album ‘Seventh Sojourn’, rock band The Moody Blues reached number one on the US Billboard 200 on this day December 9 in music history. The album also reached No.1 in Canada and was a No.5 hit in the UK.
1972 – Australian singer Helen Reddy topped the US Singles chart with ‘I Am Woman’ on this day December 9. It also became a chart-topper in Canada.
1978 – Euro-Caribbean group Boney M. hit number one on the UK Singles chart with ‘Mary’s Boy Child/ Oh My Lord’ for the first of four consecutive weeks. Also a chart-topper in Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland.
1978 – The number one single in the United States on this day December 9 was ‘Le Freak’ by the disco/funk band Chic. The song was an international hit and it also reached the top of the charts in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
1981 – Founding member and lead singer of The Orioles, Earlington Carl Tilghman also known as Sonny Tim died on this day December 9, aged 53 of heart failure.
1989 – With ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’, Billy Joel scored his third number one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
1995 – Michael Jackson started a six-week stint at the top of the UK Singles chart with ‘Earth Song’ on this day December 9 in music history.
1995 – With their greatest hits compilation album ‘Anthology 1’, The Beatles hit No.1 on the US Billboard 200 for the first of three consecutive weeks. It also became a chart-topper in Australia, the Netherlands, Canada, France, Germany, and New Zealand, while in the UK it peaked at No.2.
The Beatles – Free as a Bird
2000 – British pop group S Club 7 scored their second domestic chart-topping single with ‘Never Had a Dream Come True’ on this day December 9.
2000 – Boy band Backstreet Boys went to number one on the US Albums chart with their fourth studio release ‘Black & Blue’ for the first of two weeks. The album also peaked at No.1 in Canada, Germany, Malaysia, Spain, and Switzerland.
2005 – American drummer Michael “Mike” Botts died on this day December 9 at the age of 61. Best remembered as a member of the soft rock band Bread.
2006 – After a decade-long hiatus, boy band Take That went to number one on the UK Albums chart with their comeback fourth studio LP ‘Beautiful World’ which topped the chart for six weeks straight.
2006 – With his ninth studio album ‘Kingdom Come’, rapper Jay-Z scored his seventh consecutive chart-topper on the US Billboard 200 chart on this day December 9 in music history.
2014 – Bass singer, songwriter and founding member of The Manhattans, Winfred “Blue” Lovett died at the age of 78.
2019 – Swedish singer and one half of the pop rock duo Roxette, Marie Fredriksson died on this day December 9, aged 61 after a long battle with cancer.
2021 – Reggae musician and founding member of the group Black Uhuru, Rudolph “Garth” Dennis died at the age of 72.
BORN ON THIS DAY DECEMBER 9 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1906 – American tenor saxophonist and bandleader Frederick “Freddy” Martin was born in Cleveland, Ohio on this day December 9 in music history.
1932 – Jazz, R&B, funk, and soul music trumpeter and singer Donaldson “Donald” Byrd was born on this day in Detroit, Michigan.
1934 – American blues music singer, songwriter, and harmonica player Junior Wells was born Amos Wells Blakemore Jr in West Memphis, Arkansas on this day December 9.
1939 – R&B singer Samuel “Sammy” Strain was born in Brooklyn, New York City. Best known for his work with The O’Jays and Little Anthony and the Imperials.
1941 – Multi-genre singer-songwriter and guitarist Daniel “Dan” Hicks was born on this day December 9 in Little Rock, Arkansas.
1943 – American jazz trumpeter, arranger, composer, and educator Jimmy Owens was born on this day in New York City.
1946 – Bass guitarist and songwriter Dennis Dunaway was born in Cottage Grove, Oregon on this day December 9 in music history. He rose to fame as a member of the band Alice Cooper.
1958 – Founding member and bass guitarist of the rock band Crowded House, Nicholas “Nick” Seymour was born in Benalla, Australia.
1964 – Guitarist and founding member of the metal band Rammstein, Paul Landers was born Heiko Paul Hiersche on this day December 9 in East Berlin, East Germany.
1968 – Multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter Brian Bell was born on this day in Iowa City, Iowa. Best known as a member of the bands Weezer, Space Twins, and The Relationships.
1969 – Singer-songwriter and instrumentalist Jakob Dylan was born on this day December 9 in New York City. He came to prominence as the frontman of the band The Wallflowers. He’s also the son of musician Bob Dylan.
1971 – British DJ, producer, and composer Geoffrey Barrow was born in Walton in Gordano, England. Best known for his work with the groups Portishead, Beak, and Quakers.
1972 – German-American musician Frank Edwin Wright also known professionally as Tre Cool was born in Frankfurt, Germany on this day December 9 in music history. He rose to fame as a member of the rock band Green Day.
1974 – Jamaica-American rapper Germaine Williams also known by his stage name Canibus was born in Kingston, Jamaica.
1977 – English multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and record producer Imogen Heap was born on this day December 9 in London.
1996 – American K-pop singer Alexandra Christine Schneiderman also known as AleXa was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma.