8 February

Pick a Day

8 FEBRUARY

In Music History

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2024 "Sunflower" by Post Malone and Swae Lee becomes the first song ever certified Double Diamond by the RIAA for 20 million units in America, which translates to 3 billion streams. The song is featured in the 2018 film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

2021 Mary Wilson, the only member of The Supremes with the group throughout their tenure, dies at 76.

2015 Sam Smith is the big winner at the Grammy Awards, taking Best New Artist and also Record of the Year and Song of the Year ("Stay With Me").

2011 Ashlee Simpson files for divorce from Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy, citing irreconcilable differences.

2011 Blues singer-songwriter Marvin Sease dies of complications from pneumonia at age 64.

2009 Robert Plant and Alison Krauss are the big winners at the Grammy Awards, taking Album Of The Year for their collaboration Raising Sand and Record Of The Year for "Please Read the Letter." Lil Wayne wins four awards, and Adele takes Best New Artist, banishing any curse associated with that award.

2009 Sugarland's track "Stay" scoops two Grammy Awards - Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, and Best Country Song.

2009 Ne-Yo wins the Grammy awards for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song for the Year of the Gentleman single "Miss Independent."

2006 David Bowie is awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

2005 Tori Amos releases Piece By Piece, a Q&A-style autobiography co-authored by rock journalist Ann Powers.

2005 Keith Knudsen (drummer, vocalist for The Doobie Brothers) dies of pneumonia at age 56.

2004 Pink wins her first solo Grammy Award when her Try This single "Trouble" is named Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. She previously earned a trophy for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals in 2002 alongside Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim and Mýa for their rendition of "Lady Marmalade."

2003 The Faux-lesbian duo t.A.T.u. hits #1 in the UK with "All The Things She Said," becoming the only Russian act ever to top the chart.

2002 The Chicago Police Department receives a videotape allegedly showing R. Kelly engaging in lewd acts with a young girl. Kelly is indicted on child pornography charges, but found not guilty at trial.

1993 Tom Jones guest stars on Will Smith's TV show The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air, where he sings a variation of "It's Not Unusual" with Alfonso Ribeiro, whose character Carlton often dances to the song.

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Chris Brown Assaults Rihanna

2009

Chris Brown and his girlfriend Rihanna miss the Grammy Awards, where they are scheduled to perform, after he assaults her.


After a day of rehearsals for the Grammy Awards, Chris Brown and Rihanna attend Clive Davis' annual party in Beverly Hills on Saturday, February 7. They leave in Brown's rented Lamborghini, where they get in an argument that escalates into a physical altercation. When they exit the vehicle on a residential street in Los Angeles, a witness calls 911. Police arrive to find a battered Rihanna, who identifies Brown as her assailant. Brown turns himself in, and is released on $50,000 bail. Both singers are no-shows at the Grammy Awards (Al Green performs on short notice to fill time), but it's not until the next morning that the story breaks. According to the police report, Brown punched, bit and choked Rihanna, resulting in a number of injuries to her face that appear in a shocking leaked photograph. Despite the abuse, weeks later the couple are back together, spotted in Miami on vacation. In an interview with Diane Sawyer, Rihanna explains that the argument was over a text message Brown received from an ex-girlfriend; he lied about it and she pressed him on the issue, which is when he turned violent. "He was clearly blacked out," she says. "There was no person when I looked at him." By the time of the interview, Rihanna has split with Brown. When asked about why she returned to him, she answers, "It's completely normal to go back. You start lying to yourself. The minute the physical wounds go away you want this thing to go away. This is a memory you don't want to have ever again." Brown makes his amends in a public statement that reads, "Words cannot begin to express how sorry and saddened I am over what transpired. I am seeking the counseling of my pastor, my mother and other loved ones and I am committed, with God's help, to emerging a better person." The story brings up the issue of why women often return to their abusers. Both Brown and Rihanna came from abusive households; Brown's stepfather used to hit his mother, and Rihanna's father was abusive toward her mother, even breaking her nose at one point, according to Rihanna. There is a backlash against Brown, who loses his endorsements (including a deal with Wrigley's gum, for which he wrote the song "Forever") and is banned on some radio stations. His career quickly recovers though, as friends and collaborators stick by him. His first release after the incident, the 2009 album Graffiti, features a host of top producers. It gets a warm reception on hip-hop and R&B outlets and climbs to #7 on the Billboard chart. His next two albums, F.A.M.E. (2011) and Fortune (2012), go to #1. Brown serves no jail time over the incident; he pleads guilty to assault and is sentenced to five years of probation and 1,400 hours of community service. He is also ordered to undergo domestic-violence counseling. At the hearing, Rihanna asks that no restraining order be issued, but the judge insists, ordering him 50 yards away from her (10 yards at industry events). The judge says she may lift the order after Brown does his counseling. (Rihanna never files charges against Brown; the case against him is made by the state prosecutor based on physical evidence and statements Rihanna made to detectives at the scene.) In 2012, Rihanna defends Brown, telling Oprah Winfrey, "I just felt he made that mistake because he needed help. Who's going to help him?" Later that year, Brown appears on Rihanna's track "Nobody's Business," where they each sing: Your love is perfection Please point me in the right direction In early 2013, they are officially back together. "I decided it was more important for me to be happy," Rihanna tells Rolling Stone. "I wasn't going to let anybody's opinion get in the way of that. Even if it's a mistake, it's my mistake."

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