EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY JANUARY 8 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day January 8 in 1954 – Trumpeter Eddie Calvert topped the UK Singles chart with an instrumental rendition of the nostalgic German song ‘Oh, mein Papa’. He was at No.1 for nine consecutive weeks.
1966 – With their sixth studio album ‘Rubber Soul’, The Beatles started a six-week stint at the top of the US Billboard 200 chart. They also reached No.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 with ‘We Can Work It Out’ on this day.
1969 – The comedy music group The Scaffold topped the UK Singles chart with ‘Lily the Pink’ on this day January 8 in music history. The song also reached No.1 in Australia and Ireland and was a Top 10 hit in six other countries.
1972 – Pop group New Seekers started a four-week stint at No.1 on the UK Singles chart with ‘I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)’.
1977 – With their fifth studio album ‘A Day at the Races’, rock band Queen went to number one in the UK on this day January 8.
1977 – Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. reached the top spot on the US Billboard 200 with ‘You Don’t Have to be a Star (To Be in My Show)’.
1991 – English guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist Stephen “Steve” Clark died on this day January 8 at the age of 30 from a drug and alcohol overdose. Best remembered for his work with the hard rock band Def Leppard.
1994 – With their rendition of ‘Twist & Shout’, the reggae duo Chaka Demus & Pliers featuring Jack Radics & Taxi Gang topped the UK Singles chart.
1994 – British boy band Take That scored their first domestic number one album with ‘Everything Changes’ on this day January 8 in music history.
2000 – American rapper DMX went to number one on the US Billboard 200 with his third studio album ‘…And Then There Was X’.
2005 – The winner of the first series of the X Factor – Steve Brookstein reached No.1 in the UK on this day January 8 with his version of Phil Collins‘ hit single ‘Against All Odds’.
2005 – Rapper Eminem started a two-week run at number one on the US Albums chart with his fifth studio release ‘Encore’.
2011 – With ‘Grenade’, singer-songwriter Bruno Mars scored his third number one single in the US on this day January 8. The song was an international hit and it reached No.1 in fourteen other countries.
2011 – Barbadian singer Rihanna started a three-week stint at number one in the UK with her fifth studio album ‘Loud’.
2012 – American blues musician Dave Alexander also known by his stage name Omar Shariff died on this day January 8, aged 73.
2014 – American singer Reather Dixon died at the age of 69. Best remembered as a founding member of the R&B girl group The Bobbettes.
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2015 – American gospel singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, producer, and arranger Andraé Crouch died on this day January 8 in music history, aged 72.
2016 – On his 69th birthday, David Bowie released his 26th and final studio album ‘Blackstar’, only two days before dying of liver cancer. Combined with the tragic news of his death, the album gained a lot of traction worldwide and it went to number one in twenty-three countries, including the US where it became his first LP to top the Billboard 200 chart.
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2016 – American soul and R&B music singer Otis Clay died on this day January 8 at the age of 73. Best remembered for songs such as ‘Tryin’ to Live M Life Without You’ and ‘She’s About a Mover’.
2017 – British singer-songwriter and instrumentalist Peter Sarstedt died at the age of 75. Best remembered for his 1969 chart-topping single ‘Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)’.
BORN ON THIS DAY JANUARY 8 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1923 – American jazz pianist, composer and arranger Robert “Bobby” Tucker was born in Morristown, New Jersey on this day January 8 in music history.
1928 – Country music guitarist Luther Perkins was born on this day in Como, Mississippi. Best known as a member of Johnny Cash’s backup band the Tennessee Three.
1935 – The “King of Rock and Roll’ – Elvis Presley was born on this day January 8 in Tupelo, Mississippi. He’s the best-selling solo music artist of all time with over 500 million records sold worldwide.
1937 – Welsh singer Shirley Bassey was born in Cardiff. Best known for being the vocalist on three James Bond movie theme songs. She’s also the first artist to score a Top 4o album in the UK in seven consecutive decades.
1942 – American drummer and vocalist John Petersen was born on this day January 8 in Rudyard, Michigan. Best known for his work with the bands The Beau Brummels and Harpers Bizarre.
1944 – Bass guitarist, vocalist, and founding member of the rock band The Nice, Keith “Lee” Jackson was born in Newcastle, England.
1946 – Guitarist, vocalist, and co-founder of the blues rock band The Doors, Robert “Robby” Krieger was born on this day January 8 in Los Angeles, California.
1947 – British guitarist and songwriter Terence “Terry” Sylvester was born in Liverpool, England. He rose to fame as a member of the bands The Swinging Blue Jeans and The Hollies.
1947 – Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist David Bowie was born David Robert Jones in London, England on this day January 8 in music history.
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1949 – American guitarist Bill Harkleroad also known by his stage name Zoot Horn Rollo was born in Palmdale, California. He came to prominence for his work with Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band.
1955 – Founding member and frontman of the rock and Loverboy, Mike Reno was born Michael Rynoski on this day January 8 in New Westminster, Canada.
1959 – Australian multi-instrumentalist Paul Hester was born on this day in Melbourne. Best known as a member of the bands Crowded House and Split Enz.
1973 – Drummer and founding member of the heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch, Jeremy Spencer was born in Oakland City, Indiana on this day January 8 in music history.
1976 – American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jennifer “Jenny” Lewis was born in San Fernando Valley, California. Best known for co-founding and fronting the indie rock band Rio Kiley.
2000 – American singer and actress Noah Cyrus was born on this day January 8 in Nashville, Tennessee. She’s the daughter of country musician Billy Ray and the sister of singer Miley Cyrus.