8 APRIL
In Music History
1989 "The Look" by Roxette hits #1 on the Hot 100, the first of four chart-toppers for the Swedish duo.
1985 The musical Leader Of The Pack: The Songs Of Ellie Greenwich opens on Broadway (running for 120 performances).
1984 Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig is born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey.
1975 Dutch singer-songwriter Anouk is born Anouk Teeuwe in The Hague, Netherlands.
1974 Dr. John releases the album Desitively Bonnaroo. The title, a creole saying for "good stuff," provides the appellation for the Bonnaroo music festival.
1972 Slipknot bass player Paul Gray is born in Los Angeles, but is raised in Des Moines, Iowa.
1967 The Doors' first single, "Break On Through (To The Other Side)," hits a wall, stalling at #126 in the US. Their next release, "Light My Fire," does much better, going to #1.
1964 The Supremes record "Where Did Our Love Go," which becomes their breakout hit.
1964 Rapper Biz Markie is born Marcel Theo Hall in New Jersey.
1963 Frank Sinatra hosts the 35th Academy Awards, held at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Lawrence of Arabia wins Best Picture, with composer Maurice Jarre taking home Best Original Score. Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer land Best Original Song for "Days Of Wine And Roses" from the film of the same name.
1963 Patty Duke wins the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for The Miracle Worker.
1963 Julian Lennon is born John Charles Julian Lennon, the first child of John Lennon and his first wife, Cynthia. Imbued with many of his father's talents for music, he releases his debut album, Valotte, in 1984 with the hit "Too Late for Goodbyes"
1962 Guitarist Izzy Stradlin, a founding member of Guns N' Roses, is born Jeffrey Dean Isbell in Lafayette, Indiana.
1956 The Johnny Burnette Trio (with brother Dorsey) make the first of three appearances on Ted Mack's Amateur Hour on ABC-TV.
1951 Rock bassist Mel Schacher (of Grand Funk Railroad, ? & the Mysterians) is born in Owosso, Michigan.
Kurt Cobain Found Dead
1994Kurt Cobain's body is found in his Seattle home by an electrician sent to install a burglar alarm. He is believed to have died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound three days earlier. The Nirvana song "Come As You Are" takes on new meaning with the line, "I swear that I don't have a gun."
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Featured Events
2016 Bruce Springsteen cancels an upcoming show in Greensboro, North Carolina, in protest of a state law limiting the rights of transgender people. "Some things are more important than a rock show and this fight against prejudice and bigotry - which is happening as I write - is one of them," he writes. Pearl Jam follows suit, bowing out of a show in Raleigh.
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.More
1994 The Offspring release their breakthrough album Smash on the indie label Epitaph Records. Thanks to the success of the singles "Come Out and Play" and "Self Esteem," it sells over 10 million copies worldwide to become the best selling independently released and distributed album of all time.
1980 The TV movie Kenny Rogers as The Gambler, based on the song "The Gambler," airs on CBS. It becomes the highest-rated TV movie of the year and leads to four sequels, all starring Rogers.
1977 The Clash release their self-titled debut album on CBS Records.
1968 The TV special Petula airs on NBC. At one point in the show, host Petula Clark grabs hold of Harry Belafonte's arm while they are singing a duet. This marks the first time a white woman and black man have physical contact on TV in such context.More
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