On This Day in Music: January 8

On January 8 in music history, 63 artists were born, 45 died and 6 other milestones happened, among them David Bowie (1947), Elvis Aaron Presley (1935) and The Beatles (1966).

Pick a date, get a soundtrack

The soundtrack for January 8

Choose a date

Open in Spotify

Tomorrow's day in music →

Highlights

January 8

View all

Standout moments for this date.

David Bowie

David Bowie, [Jones], London, singer/actor (Major Tom, Ziggy Stardust) was born

Elvis Aaron Presley

Elvis Aaron Presley, Tupelo Miss, singer (Blue Suede Shoes, Hounddog) was born

The Beatles

Beatles' "We Can Work It Out," single goes #1 & stays #1 for 3 weeks

Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash Parkway opens in Hendersonville Tennessee

Loading events...

Born on January 8

Abbey Simon

Abbey Simon, NYC, pianist was born

Adam T. Siska

Adam T. Siska, American musician was born

Albert Cahen

Albert Cahen, composer was born

Alexander Gray

Alexander Gray, Wrightsville Pa, actor (This is Music) was born

Alfredo Carlo Piatti

Alfredo Carlo Piatti, composer was born

Andrej Ocenas

Andrej Ocenas, composer was born

Andrew Wood

Andrew Wood, Columbus Mississippi, American singer (Mother Love Bone) (d. 1990) was born

Antai Ribari

Antai Ribari, composer was born

Asuka Hinoi

Asuka Hinoi, Japanese singer was born

Benjamin Lees

Benjamin Lees, [Lysniansky], Harbin Manchuria, composer was born

Charles Borromeo Mills

Charles Borromeo Mills, composer was born

Chris Marion

Chris Marion, American musician was born

Cristy Lane

Cristy Lane, US, country/gospel singer was born

David Bowie

David Bowie, [Jones], London, singer/actor (Major Tom, Ziggy Stardust) was born

Elvis Aaron Presley

Elvis Aaron Presley, Tupelo Miss, singer (Blue Suede Shoes, Hounddog) was born

Erik Drake

Erik Drake, composer was born

Evelyn Lear

Evelyn Lear, [Shulman], Brooklyn, NY, soprano, (d. 2012) was born

Felipe Colombo

Felipe Colombo, Argentine-Mexican actor and singer was born

Filippo Traetta

Filippo Traetta, Italy, composer/musicologist was born

Giacinto Scelsi

Giacinto Scelsi, composer was born

Gret Palucca

Gret Palucca, German dancer/choreography (Silent Song) was born

Hans von Bülow

Hans von Bülow, German pianist and composer (d. 1894) was born

Harris Jayaraj

Harris Jayaraj, Indian music composer was born

Ian Bargh

Ian Bargh, Prestwick, Scotland, Canadian jazz pianist and composer (d.2012) was born

Jani Christou

Jani Christou, composer was born

Jaromir Weinberger

Jaromir Weinberger, Prague Czechoslovakia, composer (Bird's Opera) was born

Jean Gilles

Jean Gilles, composer was born

Jeff Abercrombie

Jeff Abercrombie, American musician was born

Johann Ludwig Bohner

Johann Ludwig Bohner, composer was born

John Peters

John Peters, rock drummer (Harpers Bizarre) was born

John Peterson

John Peterson, rocker was born

John White

John White, composer was born

Josue Teofilo Wilkes

Josue Teofilo Wilkes, composer was born

Kelucharan Mohapatra

Kelucharan Mohapatra, Indian Odissi dancer (d. 2004) was born

Lee Jackson

Lee Jackson, rocker (Nice) was born

Little Anthony [Gourdine]

Little Anthony [Gourdine], rocker (& Imperials) was born

Lowell Mason

Lowell Mason, Medfield Mass, organist/composer (Zebulo) was born

Lucien Capet

Lucien Capet, composer was born

Maci Wainwright

Maci Wainwright, American singer was born

Marcus Hutson

Marcus Hutson, rock vocalist (Whispers) was born

Mike Reno

Mike Reno, Vancouver BC Canada, rock vocalist (Loverboy) was born

Nacho Duato

Nacho Duato, Spanish classical dancer and choreographer was born

Paul Dresher

Paul Dresher, composer was born

Paul Hester

Paul Hester, Australian drummer (d. 2005) was born

Per August Olander

Per August Olander, composer was born

Peter [Ped] Gill

Peter [Ped] Gill, rocker (Frankie Goes to Hollywood-Relax) [or 3/5] was born

R. Kelly [Robert Sylvester Kelly]

R. Kelly [Robert Sylvester Kelly], Chicago, Illinois, American R&B singer (I Wish I Could Fly) was born

Rachael Lampa

Rachael Lampa, American singer was born

Robbie Krieger

Robbie Krieger, Los Angeles California, Guitarist and Songwriter (The Doors - Light My Fire) was born

Robby Krieger

Robby Krieger, Los Angeles, California, American guitarist (Doors-Light My Fire) was born

Robert Moran

Robert Moran, composer was born

Robert Starer

Robert Starer, Vienna Austria, composer was born

Rudolf G Escher

Rudolf G Escher, Dutch composer (True Face of Peace) was born

Serge Poliakoff

Serge Poliakoff, Russian/French painter/guitarist was born

Shirley Bassey

Shirley Bassey, Cardiff Wales, singer (Goldfinger, Moonraker) was born

Sigismond Fortune Francois Thalberg

Sigismond Fortune Francois Thalberg, composer was born

Terry Sylvester

Terry Sylvester, rocker (Hollies-You are the Air that I Breathe) was born

Vladimir Feltsman

Vladimir Feltsman, Russian-American pianist was born

Werner Wehrli

Werner Wehrli, composer was born

William Henry Holmes

William Henry Holmes, composer was born

William Wallace Gilchrist

William Wallace Gilchrist, composer was born

Zdeněk Mácal

Zdeněk Mácal, Czech conductor was born

wiL Francis

wiL Francis, American singer was born

Died on January 8

Adriano Lualdi

Adriano Lualdi, composer, dies at 85

Adán Canto

Adán Canto died

Aloys-Henri-Gerard Fornerod

Aloys-Henri-Gerard Fornerod, composer, dies at 74

Arcangelo Corelli

Arcangelo Corelli, composer/violinist (Concerti Grossi), dies at 59

Arvo Hannikainen

Arvo Hannikainen, composer, dies at 44

Carole Carr

Carole Carr, singer/actress (Down Among the Z Men), dies at 68

Christian Gottlob Saupe

Christian Gottlob Saupe, composer, dies at 55

Clyde Otis

Clyde Otis, American song writer and music producer (b. c. 1924)

David Darling

David Darling died

Dumitru Kiriac-Georgescu

Dumitru Kiriac-Georgescu, composer, dies at 61

Ed Bruce

Ed Bruce died

Emile Paladilhe

Emile Paladilhe, composer, dies at 81

Franz Vinzenz Krommer

Franz Vinzenz Krommer, composer, dies at 71

Fredrik Pacius

Fredrik Pacius, composer, dies at 81

Friedrich Karl Kuhmstedt

Friedrich Karl Kuhmstedt, composer, dies at 48

Gian Franco Reverberi

Gian Franco Reverberi died

Giovanni Battista Gagliano

Giovanni Battista Gagliano, composer, dies at 56

Guy Bonnet

Guy Bonnet died

Guy Moon

Guy Moon died

Heinrich Kaspar Schmid

Heinrich Kaspar Schmid, composer, dies at 78

Howard Taubman

Howard Taubman, American music and theater critic (b. 1907)

Jacob Vaet

Jacob Vaet, Flemish composer/royal chaplain master, dies at about 37

Jay Blackton

Jay Blackton, US conductor/arranger (Oklahoma!), dies at 84

John Felix August Korling

John Felix August Korling, composer, dies at 72

Johnny Jordaan

Johnny Jordaan, [Jan van Musscher], Dutch folk singer, dies at 64

Joseph George Handy Hendleman

Joseph George Handy Hendleman, musician, dies at 76

Luis Villalba Munoz

Luis Villalba Munoz, composer, dies at 48

Mar Mar Aye

Mar Mar Aye died

Marilyn Bergman

Marilyn Bergman died

Michael Fonfara

Michael Fonfara died

Michael Hertz

Michael Hertz, composer, dies at 73

Michael Lang

Michael Lang died

Michael Tippett

Michael Tippett, English composer/conductor (Child of our Time) dies at 93

Michael de Ronghe

Michael de Ronghe, composer, dies at 75

Phill Niblock

Phill Niblock died

Pierre Fournier

Pierre Fournier, French cellist (b. 1906)

Ron Goodwin

Ron Goodwin, British composer and conductor (b. 1925)

Siegfried Kurz

Siegfried Kurz died

Sornphet Sornsuphan

Sornphet Sornsuphan died

Steve Clark

Steve Clark, guitarist (Def Leppard-Hysteria), dies at 30

Theo Bruins

Theo Bruins, Dutch pianist/composer (Syncope), dies at 63

Ventsislav Yankov

Ventsislav Yankov died

Victor-Charles-Paul Dourlen

Victor-Charles-Paul Dourlen, composer, dies at 83

Warren Spears

Warren Spears, American choreographer and dancer

William Mac Lance "Tiny" McCloud

William Mac Lance "Tiny" McCloud, musician/songwriter, dies at 52

Releases & milestones on January 8

Earl Wilson

Earl Wilson Jr's musical "Let My People Come" premieres in NYC

George Frideric Handel

Premiere of George Frideric Handel's Ariodante at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash Parkway opens in Hendersonville Tennessee

Kid Rock

28th American Music Award: Faith Hill & Kid Rock win

Morgan Wallen

Morgan Wallen released the album 'Dangerous: The Double Album'

The Beatles

Beatles' "We Can Work It Out," single goes #1 & stays #1 for 3 weeks

More standout moments in January →