Music Almanac: December 8
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| Gregg Allman |
- 1914 - Floyd Tillman (d. 2003)
- 1922 - Jean Ritchie (90)
- 1925 - Sammy Davis, Jr. (d. 1990)
- 1939 - Jerry Butler (73)
- 1941 - Bobby Elliott (Hollies) (71)
- 1943 - Graham Knight (Marmalade) (69)
- 1943 - Jim Morrison (Doors) (d. 1971)
- 1944 - Bertie Higgins (68)
- 1944 - Mike Botts (d. 2005)
- 1947 - Geoff Daking (Blues Magoos) (65)
- 1947 - Gregg Allman (65)
- 1949 - Ray Schulman (Gentle Giant) (63)
- 1950 - Dan Hartman (d. 1994)
- 1952 - Richie Morales (Spyro Gyra) (60)
- 1953 - Colin Gibb (born Colin Routh) (Black Lace) (59)
- 1956 - Warren Cuccurullo (Missing Persons) (56)
- 1957 - Phil Collen (Def Leppard) (55)
- 1959 - Paul Rutherford (Frankie Goes to Hollywood) (53)
- 1959 - Marty Raybon (Shenandoah) (53)
- 1962 - Marty Friedman (Megadeth) (50)
- 1966 - Bushwick Bill (born Richard Shaw) (Geto Boys) (46)
- 1966 - Sinéad O'Connor (46)
- 1972 - Ryan Newell (Sister Hazel) (40)
- 1973 - Corey Taylor (Slipknot) (39)
- 1974 - Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) (38)
- 1982 - Serena Ryder (30)
- 1982 - Chrisette Michele (30)
- 1986 - Kate Voegele (26)
Deaths
- 1967 - John Mills, Sr. (Mills Brothers) (78)
- 1975 - Gary Thain (Uriah Heep) - Heroin overdose (27)
- 1980 - John Lennon - Murdered (40)
- 1981 - Big Walter Horton (aka Shakey) - Heart failure (64)
- 1982 - Marty Robbins - Complications following cardiac surgery (57)
- 1988 - Herbert "Tubo" Rhoad (Persuasions) (44)
- 1994 - Antonio Carlos Jobim - Cardiac arrest (67)
- 2004 - Dimebag Darrell (born Darrell Abbott) - Murdered (38)
- 1928 - The name Grand Ole Opry was used for the first time by George D. Hay on a WSM radio broadcast.
- 1945 - Earl Scruggs debuted as the newest member of Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
- 1963 - Frank Sinatra, Jr. was kidnapped in Lake Tahoe. Frank, Sr. paid a $240,000 ransom two days later to win his son's release.
- 1968 - Graham Nash announced the formation of Crosby, Stills & Nash.
- 1969 - A Toronto jury found Jimi Hendrix not guilty of drug possession charges.
- 1975 - Bob Dylan played a benefit for jailed boxer Hurricane Carter at Madison Square Garden, raising $100,000. It's also the last night of the Rolling Thunder Revue.
- 1977 - A riot broke out in Brisbane, Australia when Blondie had to cancel a show at the last minute due to Debbie Harry being ill. Four people were arrested.
- 1983 - The musical Abbacadabra, which used the music of ABBA, opened in London's West End.
- 1984 - Patrick Cavanaugh, one time manager of the Coasters, was found guilty of the first degree murder of the group member Buster Wilson.
- 1995 - The remaining members of the Grateful Dead announced they were breaking up.
- 1998 - Bruce Springsteen announced he would tour with the E-Street Band for the first time since the late-80's.
- 1998 - The FBI released 1,300 pages of investigations into the life and activities of Frank Sinatra.
- 2000 - A plaque was put outside the childhood home in Liverpool of John Lennon commemorating his death.
- 2000 - Sting received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- 2003 - David Bowie had to postpone his first U.S. tour in eight years when he gets the flu.
- 2003 - Ozzy Osbourne crashed an ATV on his estate in England, breaking his collarbone and several ribs.
- 2003 - The U.S. Supreme Court said that Rosa Parks can sue OutKast for using her name in the lyrics to one of their songs.
- 2004 - DMX plead guilty to DUI and reckless endangerment in Queens, NY.
- 2004 - Jay-Z and Damon Dash sold their ownership of Roc-a-fella Records to Def Jam for $10 million.
Recorded
- 1962 - Flatt & Scruggs At Carnegie Hall - Flatt & Scruggs
- 1966 - Strawberry Fields Forever - Beatles
Released
- 1961 - Surfin' - Beach Boys (debut single)
- 1967 - Mr. Fantasy - Traffic (debut album)
- 1999 - James Brown Christmas For The Millennium & Forever - James Brown (MP3 only album sold through Emusic).
Broadcasts
- 1976 - Carpenters Special (ABC) - Carpenters, John Denver
- 1995 - 10 Most Fascinating People (ABC) - Courtney Love
- 1999 - Today (NBC) - Prince
