What Happened Today In Music

January 8th

1957 - Bill Haley

Bill Haley & His Comets started the first ever 'rock & roll tour' of Australia, playing two sold out nights in Sydney.

1958 - The Everly Brothers

The Everly Brothers kicked off a 17 date North American tour at the Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. Also on the bill, Buddy Holly, The Rays, Royal Teens, Shepherd Sisters, Paul Anka, Margie Rayburn and
Danny & The Juniors.

1966 - The Beatles

The Beatles started a six week run at No.1 on the US album chart with Rubber Soul the group's seventh US chart topper, which went on to spend 56 weeks on the chart. The group also started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'We Can Work It Out' the group's 11th US No.1 single.

1969 - The Rolling Stones

Mike Jagger and Keith Richards were both barred from an exclusive hotel for wearing "op art" pants and nothing else. They were both asked to leave the Hotel Crillen in Lima, Peru after refusing to change clothes.

1972 - New Seekers

The New Seekers were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing, (in Perfect Harmony'). The song started as a Coca Cola TV ad. It originally included the line, 'I'd like to buy the world a Coke.'

1979 - Rush

Canadian rock band Rush were named the country's official Ambassadors Of Music by the Canadian government.

1991 - Steve Clark

Steve Clark guitarist with Def Leppard, was found dead at his Chelsea flat by his girlfriend, after a night of heavy alcohol consumption combined with prescription drugs. The autopsy revealed he had died from an overdose of codeine and had Valium, morphine and a blood alcohol level of .30, three times the British legal driving limit. In 2007 Clark was ranked No.11 on Classic Rock Magazine's "100 Wildest Guitar Heroes".

1994 - Chaka Demus

Jamaican reggae/rap (ragga) duo Chaka Demus and Pliers were at No.1 in the UK with their version of 'Twist And Shout.' The song was originally recorded (and produced by Phil Spector) by the Top Notes in 1961 and then covered by The Isley Brothers. It was also covered by The Beatles on their first album Please Please Me.

1996 - Madonna

A Los Angeles court found Robert Hoskins guilty of five counts of stalking, assault and making terrorist threats to Madonna. Hoskins had twice scaled the walls of the singer's estate and had threatened to slash her throat from ear to ear.

2000 - Victoria Beckham

It was reported that police foiled a £1 million ($1.7million) kidnap plot to snatch Victoria Beckham and her baby son. The plot was uncovered after a tip off to the police. The gang had planned to kidnap the pair when husband David was away playing football.

2001 - Axl Rose

A woman who believed that Axl Rose communicated with her via telepathy was arrested for stalking the Guns N' Roses singer for a second time. Police detained Karen Jane McNeil after she was spotted loitering outside his house.

2004 - George Harrison

The estate of George Harrison started a $10 million (£5.8 million) legal action against Dr Gilbert Lederman of Staten Island University Hospital, claiming the doctor coerced Harrison to sign souvenirs. The main allegations of the legal action was that Dr Lederman got an extremely sick Harrison to sign his son's guitar and autographs for his two daughters.

2006 - The Strokes

The Strokes went to No.1 on the UK chart with 'First Impressions Of Earth' the bands third album and first No.1.

2010 - Led Zeppelin

Jimmy Page launched a new set of stamps in the UK which featured classic album covers from the last 40 years including Coldplay, Power, Corruption And Lies, New Order, David Bowieand Parklife by Blur.

2014 - Vinyl Sales

It was reported that vinyl record sales had increased 32% in 2013, while CD sales declined 14.5% in the last last year, vinyl sales grew 32% from 4.5 million units sold in 2012 to 6 million sold in 2013, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

2016 - Otis Clay

American R&B and soul singer Otis Clay died aged 73. Clay who started in gospel music scored R&B hits in the late 60s and 70s. He recorded the original version of 'The Only Way Is Up' in 1980 which later became a chart-topping single for Yazz and the Plastic Population.

2016 - David Bowie

David Bowie released his twenty-fifth and final studio album Blackstar, coinciding with his 69th birthday and two days before his death. It became his first and only album to reach No.1 on the Billboard 200 album chart in the US. At the 59th Annual Grammy Awards, the album won awards for Best Alternative Music Album; Best Engineered Album; Best Recording Package, and the title single won Best Rock Performance, and Best Rock Song. The album was also awarded the British Album of the Year award at the 2017 Brit Awards.

2017 - Peter Sarstedt

Northern Indian-born British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Peter Sarstedt died at the age of 75. He was best known for the single 'Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?' which topped the UK Singles Chart in 1969 (and 14 other countries), and won an Ivor Novello Award.

Born Today In Music

January 8th

1935 - Elvis Presley

American singer, musician and actor Elvis Aaron Presley, the King of rock 'n' roll. He had his first No.1 in 1956 with the US No.1 & UK No.2 single 'Heartbreak Hotel'. His first UK No.1 single was in 1957, with 'All Shook Up'. Presley went on to have over 100 US and UK Top 40 singles from 1956 - 2006. Presley is one of the most celebrated and influential musicians of the 20th century, with estimated record sales of around 600 million units worldwide. Elvis Presley died on August 16th 1977.

1937 - Shirley Bassey

Welsh singer Shirley Bassey. In January 1959, Bassey became the first Welsh person to gain a No. 1 single and later had the 1970 UK No.4 single with a cover of The Beatles George Harrison song 'Something' as well as hits with the James Bond themes 'Goldfinger' (1964) 'Diamonds are Forever', (1971) and Moonraker (1979). 

1941 - Anthony Gourdine

Anthony Gourdine from Little Anthony and the Imperials who had the 1958 US No.4 single 'Tears On My Pillow', which was The Imperials' first million-seller. The song has been extensively covered, including a No.1 in the UK Singles Chart version by Kylie Minogue in January 1990.

1942 - John Petersen

John Petersen, drums, The Beau Brummels, (1965 US No.8 single, 'Just A Little').

1943 - Lee Jackson

Lee Jackson, bass, vocals, from English progressive rock band The Nice, who had the 1968 UK hit single an instrumental rearrangement of Leonard Bernstein's 'America'.

1943 - Marcus Hutson

Marcus Hutson, singer with American group The Whispers who had the 1980 UK No.2 & US No.19 single 'And The Beat Goes On'.

1945 - Terry Sylvester

Terry Sylvester, guitar, vocals, Swinging Blue Jeans, The Hollies, (joined in 1969). Had the 1972 US No.2 single 'Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress', 1988 UK No.1 single 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother', first released in 1969.

1946 - Robert Krieger

Robert Krieger, guitarist with The Doors, (1967 US No.1 & UK No.49 single with ‘Light My Fire’ and a 1971 US No.14 & UK No.22 single ‘Riders On The Storm’).

1947 - David Bowie

David Bowie English singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, painter and actor. His first UK Top 40 single was the 1969 'Space Oddity' which became a UK No.1 in 1975, plus over 50 other UK Top 40 hits including five No.1's. Bowie has also scored two US No.1 singles, the 1975 'Fame' and 1983 'Let's Dance'. His music and stagecraft significantly influencing popular music and during his lifetime, his record sales, estimated at 140 million worldwide, made him one of the world's best-selling music artists. Bowie died from liver cancer at his New York home on 10 January 2016.

1948 - Paul King

Paul King, Mungo Jerry, who had the 1970 UK No.1 & US No.3 single 'In The Summertime' as well as the hits 'Baby Jump' and 'Lady Rose'.

1958 - Steve Garvey

Steve Garvey bass guitarist of the English punk band Buzzcockswho had the 1978 UK No.12 single 'Ever Fallen In Love, With Someone You Shouldn't've'.

1959 - Paul Hester

Paul Hester, drums, Crowded House, (1992 UK No.7 single 'Weather With You'). Hester died on 26th March 2005 aged 46, after he "attempted suicide" and died from strangulation after being found hanged in a park in Melbourne, Australia.

1966 - Andrew Patrick Wood

Andrew Patrick Wood, American musician best known as the lead singer for grunge bands Malfunkshun and Mother Love Bone, cited as "founding fathers" of the Seattle's grunge movement. Wood died on March 19th 1990.

1969 - Jeff Abercrombie

Jeff Abercrombie, bassist with American band Fuel.

1969 - R Kelly

R. Kelly, American singer, writer, producer, (1994 US No.1 single 'Bump N' Grind', 1997 UK No.1 single 'I Believe I Can Fly'). On July 11, 2019, Kelly was arrested on federal charges alleging sex crimes, human trafficking, child pornography, racketeering, and obstruction of justice.

1971 - Karen Poole

Karen Poole, singer, songwriter with Alisha's Attic who had the 1996 UK No.14 'I Am I Feel'. She is the daughter of 60s musician Brian Poole.

1973 - Sean Paul

Jamaican dancehall recording artist and producer Sean Paul, (2003 US No.1 & UK No.4 single 'Get Busy'). Paul has also been featured in many other singles including chart-toppers 'Baby Boy' by Beyoncé, 'What About Us' by The Saturdays, 'Rockabye' by Clean Bandit and 'Cheap Thrills' by Sia.