Legend: BTD – Born Today OTD – On This Day
| Date | Artist/Group | Description | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| BTD Dec8,1925 | Sammy Davis Jr | #BTD Dec8,1925 #SammyDavis Jr RIP singer, actor, dancer 1954 US #16 "Hey There", 1972 US #1 "The Candy Man", +8 US Top40 singles; in many movies such as "Oceans 11", "Robin and the 7 Hoods" A member of the #RatPack. Saw him live in the 1980s great show | |
| BTD Dec8,1936 | Johnny Gentle | #BTD Dec8,1936 #JohnnyGentle (John Askew) singer, songwriter, guitarist, one of #LarryParnes stable of pop music stars; Parnes used Liverpool groups as backing bands for his artists. Gentle briefly toured Scotland with a Liverpool group called the #SilverBeetles (The #Beatles) | |
| BTD Dec8,1939 | Jerry Butler | #BTD Dec8,1939 #JerryButler Jr lead singer The #Impressions from 1958–1960 & solo 1958 US #11 & UK #3 "For Your Precious Love", 1960 US #7 & UK #1 "He Will Break Your Heart", +14 US and 36 R&B Top40 singles with 2 more #1s. 1991 @rockhall of Fame inductee | |
| BTD Dec8,1939 | James Galway | #BTD Dec8,1939 Sir #JamesGalway flute player from Belfast, nicknamed "The Man With the Golden Flute". 1978 UK #3 single "Annie's Song" Galway one of the world's most well-known flute players. His recordings have sold over 30 million copies #HBday @Sir_J_Galway | |
| BTD Dec8,1942 | Bobby Elliott | #BTD Dec8,1942 #BobbyElliott drummer for The #Hollies 1965 UK #1 "I'm Alive", 1966 UK #5 & US #5 "Bus Stop", 1967 UK #2 & US #7 "Carrie Anne", 1969 UK#3 & US #7 "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" +26 UK and 7 US Top40 singles. 2011 @rock_hall of Fame inductee with the Hollies | |
| BTD Dec8,1943 | Jim Morrison | #BTD Dec8,1943 #JimMorrison RIP songwriter, lyricist, lead singer of The #Doors 1967 US #1 & UK #7 "Light My Fire", 1968 US #1 & UK #15, "Hello, I Love You" +6 US Top40 singles. Considered to be one of the most iconic frontmen. 1993 @rock_hall of Fame inductee with the Doors | |
| BTD Dec8,1944 | Mike Botts | #BTD Dec8,1944 #MikeBotts RIP drummer best known for his work with 1970s rock band #Bread 1970 US #1 & UK #5 single "Make It With You", +11 US Top40 singles; also worked with many artits such as #LindaRonstadt, #OliviaNewton-John, #PeterCetera | |
| BTD Dec8,1946 | Graham Knight | #BTD Dec8,1946 #GrahamKnight vocals, bass guitarist 1966–1973 & 1975–2010 for #Marmalade 1969 UK #1 "Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da", 1969 UK #3 & US #10, +9 UK Top40 singles | |
| BTD Dec8,1947 | Gregg Allman | #BTD Dec8,1947 #GreggAllman (Gregory Allman) RIP singer, songwriter, keyboards, guitarist, co-founder the #AllmanBrothers band 1973 US #2 single "Ramblin Man" and 1990 US Rock #1 "Good Clean Fun" 1995 @rock_hall of Fame inductee with the Allman Brothers @allmanbrothers | |
| BTD Dec8,1949 | Ray Shulman | #BTD Dec8,1949 #RayShulman bass guitarist in #SimonDupree And The Big Sound 1967 UK #9 "Kites" & 1969 UK #34 "For Whom the Bell Tolls"; then evolved into #GentleGiant with his 3 brothers | |
| BTD Dec8,1957 | Phil Collen | #BTD Dec8,1957 #PhilCollen lead guitarist #DefLeppard 1987 UK #6 "Animal", 1987 world wide #1 LP "Hysteria" & 1988 US #1 "Love Bites" 2019 @rock_hall of Fame inductee with Def Leppard @DefLeppard | |
| OTD Dec8,1945 | Bing Crosby | #OTD Dec8,1945 #BingCrosby with #LesPaul and his Trio are at #1 on the US Top40 Singles chart with "It's Been A Long, Long Time" written by #JuleStyne and the lyrics by #SammyCahn and #JamesTerlingo | |
| OTD Dec8,1961 | Beach Boys | #OTD Dec8,1961 The #BeachBoys 1st release "Surfin" on #Candix Records the single did so well in California that @CapitolRecords would sign @TheBeachBoys to a contract | |
| OTD Dec8,1962 | Four Seasons | #OTD Dec8,1962 The #FourSeasons with @frankievalli are still at #1 on the @billboard Hot100 Singles Chart with "Big Girls Don't Cry" for the 4th week of a 5wk run at #1 | |
| OTD Dec8,1963 | Frank Sinatra Jr | #OTD Dec8,1963 #FrankSinatra Jr is kidnapped at gunpoint. He was released two days later after his father #FrankSinatra paid a $240k ransom | |
| OTD Dec8,1966 | Beatles | #OTD Dec8,1966 The #Beatles begin remaking the new #JohnLennon song "Strawberry Fields Forever" One of my favorites | |
| OTD Dec8,1966 | Beatles | #OTD Dec8,1966 The #Beatles working at @AbbeyRoad studios London, @PaulMcCartney overdubbed lead vocal for the song "When I'm Sixty-Four" | |
| OTD Dec8,1967 | Rolling Stones | #OTD Dec8,1967 "Their Satanic Majesties Request" a studio album by the The #RollingStones is released by @DeccaRecords in the UK & by #London Records in the US @RollingStones | |
| OTD Dec8,1968 | Graham Nash | #OTD Dec8,1968 Singer, guitarist #GrahamNash left The #Hollies Then started working with #DavidCrosby & #StephenStills and forming #CrosbyStillsNash | |
| OTD Dec8,1973 | Roxy Music | #OTD Dec8,1973 #RoxyMusic has their 1st UK #1 LP "Stranded" Sleeve featured @Playboy's playmate #MarilynCole the magazines 1st full-frontal nude centerfold | |
| OTD Dec8,1973 | Carpenters | #OTD Dec8,1973 The #Carpenters are still at #1 on the @billboard Hot100 Singles Chart with "Top Of The World" for the 2nd and final week at #1 | |
| OTD Dec8,1974 | Barry White | #OTD Dec8,1974 #BarryWhite is still at #1 on the UK singles chart with "You're The First, The Last, My Everything" for the 2nd and last week of his 1st UK #1 | |
| OTD Dec8,1975 | Gary Thain | #OTD Dec8,1975 #GaryThain RIP bass guitarist dies at the age of 27 from a drug overdose, known for his work with #UriahHeep. Thain suffered an electric shock at the Moody Coliseum in Dallas, Texas Sep15,1974 and was seriously injured. This may have contributed to his drug abuse | |
| OTD Dec8,1977 | Blondie | #OTD Dec8,1977 Four people are arrested after a riot broke out when #Blondie didn't arrive for a gig in Brisbane #Australia @BlondieOfficial cancelled their gig because #DebbieHarry is sick, but fans had waited over an hour for the group to appear on stage | |
| OTD Dec8,1979 | STYX | #OTD Dec8,1979 #STYX starts a 2wk run at #1 on the @billboard Hot100 singles chart with "Babe" written by band member #DennisDeYoung as a birthday present for his wife Suzanne. @STYXtheBand's only US #1 | |
| OTD Dec8,1980 | John Lennon | #OTD Dec8,1980 #JohnLennon at 5:55pm, his last photo. Taken by freelance photographer #PaulGoresh just after Lennon left the Dakota Building in New York City | |
| OTD Dec8,1980 | John Lennon | #OTD Dec8,1980 #JohnLennon is shot at 10:50 PM outside the Dakota building #NYC. He was pronounced dead at 11:30pm. I, like many others found out while watching Monday Night Football #MNF. Video==> youtu.be/mdJcoJUT12M | |
| OTD Dec8,1982 | Marty Robbins | #OTD Dec8,1982 #MartyRobbins (Martin Robinson) singer, songwriter, race car driver dies at the age of 57. Had the US #1 single "El Paso" on Jan10,1960 which won him a #Grammys award and in 1973 finished #34 in the #Daytona500 | |
| OTD Dec8,1984 | Hall and Oates | #OTD Dec8,1984 #HallandOates start a 2wk run at #1 on the @billboard Hot100 Singles Chart with "Out of Touch" written by #DarylHall and #JohnOates; the song became the duo's 14th consecutive Top40 hit since 1980 @realdarylhall @JohnOates | |
| OTD Dec8,1984 | Ringo Starr | #OTD Dec8,1984 #RingoStarr is on Saturday Night Live #SNL Ringo is the guest host, the show regulars at the time are #JamesBelushi #MartinShort @BillyCrystal; @ringostarrmusic | |
| OTD Dec8,1984 | Stevie B | #OTD Dec8,1984 #StevieB starts a 4wk run at #1 on the @billboard Hot100 singles chart with "Because I Love You (The Postman Song)" written by Warren Allen Brooks and produced by Stevie B (Steven Bernard Hill) | |
| OTD Dec8,1985 | Whitney Houston | #OTD Dec8,1985 #WhitneyHouston scores her 1st UK #1 single and starts a 2wk run at #1 on the UK Singles Chart with "Saving All My Love For You" A #1 in the US on Oct26. Written by #MichaelMasser & #GerryGoffin. Originally a minor hit for #MarilynMcCoo and #BillyDavis Jr in 1978 | |
| OTD Dec8,2016 | John Glenn | #OTD Dec8,2016 Astronaut, Senator #JohnGlenn dies at the age of 95. True American hero. Inspired a nation to inspire their children to do great things |