8 April

Pick a Day

8 APRIL

In Music History

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2023 Jimin of BTS becomes the first South Korean solo artist to hit #1 in America when his song "Like Crazy" debuts at the top spot. PSY came close in 2012 when "Gangnam Style" went to #2.

2016 Steve Miller, notoriously averse to awards ceremonies, goes on a backstage rant when he is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He says the Hall is like "a private boys club," and lets loose on the organizers. "It's a bunch of jackasses and jerks and f--king gangsters and crooks."More

2016 Gavin Rossdale and Gwen Stefani are officially divorced after 14 years of marriage. They share three sons: Kingston, Zuma, and Apollo.

2016 The Baltimore Orioles play the Woody Guthrie song "This Land Is Your Land" during the seventh inning stretch in their game against the Rays, starting a tradition of playing the song at every Friday home game. It's part of their "Community Heroes" program to honor local citizens and an effort to diversify their musical selections to reflect progressive ideals. On Saturday nights they play "America The Beautiful," and on Sundays it's "God Bless America."

2016 The Guns N' Roses reunion tour gets underway in Las Vegas. Axl Rose, who fractured his foot at a warm-up show, performs from the throne Dave Grohl used to play Foo Fighters shows when he was hobbled.More

2013 Cher fans fear the singer is dead when the hashtag #nowthatchersdead trends on Twitter. It turns out the tag is for Margaret Thatcher.

2013 Annette Funicello dies at age 70 of multiple sclerosis. The actress became famous as a Mouseketeer on the original Mickey Mouse Club before becoming a pop singer and was known for a string of popular '60s "Beach Party" films with co-star Frankie Avalon.

2006 The Rolling Stones play their first-ever concert in mainland China with a gig in Shanghai.

2003 Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley, releases her first solo album, To Whom It May Concern. It debuts at #5 in America.

2001 Country singer-songwriter Van Stephenson (of BlackHawk) dies at age 47, two years after being diagnosed with melanoma.

2001 Cuban violinist Pedro Depestre Gonzales (of Buena Vista Social Club) dies at age 55 after collapsing on stage during a concert performance in Basel, Switzerland.

1997 Singer-songwriter Laura Nyro ("Stoned Soul Picnic," "Wedding Bell Blues," "And When I Die") dies at age 49 of ovarian cancer.

1996 Delta blues musician Roosevelt "Booba" Barnes dies at age 59 of lung cancer.

1989 "The Look" by Roxette hits #1 on the Hot 100, the first of four chart-toppers for the Swedish duo.

1989 The 1975 lead singer Matt Healy is born in London.

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More Cowbell!

2000

In a Saturday Night Live skit where Blue Öyster Cult is recording "(Don't Fear) The Reaper," Christopher Walken demands more cowbell from Will Ferrell, who complies. A catch phrase is born.

It's a Behind The Music sendup, with Walken playing producer Bruce Dickinson, sent to deliver a hit. When they run through the song, Ferrell plays the cowbell with alarming enthusiasm, but Walken loves it, ordering "more cowbell" and telling him to "really explore the studio space," which he does. Jimmy Fallon, playing the drummer, almost ruins the big by laughing his way through it. There really is a Bruce Dickinson, but he wasn't the band's producer - he worked on re-mastering the album, which is likely how his name got used. "More cowbell" becomes a popular catch phrase, handy in situations where a suggestion is warranted, especially with music. So when your friend plays you his demo, you can simply reply "needs more cowbell" instead of telling him what you really think. For BÖC frontman Eric Bloom, it's kind of annoying. In 2016, he tells Songfacts, "Somebody brings it up to me on a regular basis."

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