This Day in Music History: December 8

December 8, 2016

We cover all sorts of news, facts and historical and interesting facts that happened on this day in music history.

 

Today: December 8.

 

1961: The first single of The Beach Boys, 'Surfin', was released on Candix Records, a small label from Los Angeles. On the strength of the song’s performance in the Southern California market, Capitol Records signed the band. Other surfing songs that followed: 'Surfin’ Safari,' 'Surfin’ U.S.A.,'and 'Surfer Girl.'

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1963: Frank Sinatra Jr. was kidnapped at gunpoint from a hotel in Lake Tahoe. He was released 2 days later, after his father paid out the $240,000 ransom which was demanded by the kidnappers, who were later captured, and sentenced to long prison terms. In order to communicate with the kidnappers using a payphone, the senior Sinatra carried a roll of dimes with him throughout this ordeal, which became a lifetime habit. It is said that he have been buried with a roll of dimes as well.

 

1968: Graham Nash, Singer and guitarist, left The Hollies and started work with David Crosby and Stephen Stills. They would later become Crosby Stills and Nash.

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1969: While on trial in Canada on the charges of drug possession, Jimi Hendrix told a Toronto court that he had only smoked pot 4 times in his life, snorted cocaine 2 times and took LSD no more than 5 times. He told the jury that he had now 'outgrown' drugs. The jury eventually found Hendrix not guilty.

 

1973: Roxy Music had their first UK No.1 album with 'Stranded'. The album spent one week at the top of the chart. The sleeve featured Playboy's Playmate of The Year, model Marilyn Cole, (who was the magazines's first full-frontal nude centerfold).

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1979: Styx reached the No.1 spot on the US singles chart with their song 'Babe', the band's only US No.1, and a No.6 hit in the UK.

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1980: John Lennon was shot 5 times by 25 year old Mark Chapman outside the Dakota building in New York City where John and Yoko lived. Chapman had been waiting for Lennon outside the Dakota apartments since mid-morning and had asked for an autograph earlier in the day. John Lennon was pronounced dead from a massive loss of blood at 11:30 P.M.

 

1984: Frankie Goes To Hollywood topped the UK singles chart with 'The Power Of Love', the band's third No.1 of the year and final UK No.1. This song made them the first band since Gerry And The Pacemakers to have a UK No.1 with their first three singles.

 

2000: Sting joined the ranks of Tinseltown's greatest, as his star was unveiled on the celebrated Walk Of Fame in Hollywood.

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2013: Metallica played a concert inside a dome at the Argentine Antarctic Base Carlini. This show made them the first band ever to play on all 7 continents. During the show, audio was transmitted to an audience made up of competition winning fans from Latin America through headphones. Staged in conjunction with Coca Cola Zero, it was only the second ever concert to take place on the continent, following a performance in 2007 from a group of musical scientists, called Nunatak, at British Antarctic Survey's Rothera Research Station as part of the Live Earth climate change awareness concerts.

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Think we left some interesting fact out? You have anything to add? Is there anything else worth mentioning that happened on this day in music history? Write us in the comments below.

 

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