September 8

Births:

1897: Jimmie Rodgers (Country Singer / Songwriter)

1932: Patsy Cline (Virginia Hensley) (Country Singer)

1947: Benjamin Orr (Bass & Vocals for The Cars)

1960: David Steele (Bass for The English Beat & Fine Young Cannibals)

1960: Aimee Mann (Bass & Vocals for Til Tuesday & Solo)

1970: Neko Case (Singer / Songwriter)

1975: Richard Hughes (Drums for Keane)

1979: Pink (Alicia Moore) (Pop Singer)

1980: Slim Thug (Stayve Jerome Thomas)(Rapper)

1987: Wiz Khalifa (Cameron Jibril Thomaz) (Rapper)

Events

1952: After Atlantic Records bought Ray Charles' contract from Swingtime, Charles recorded his first session for Atlantic, cutting four songs.

1968: The Beatles performed 'Hey Jude' on the UK television show 'Frost On Sunday' in front of an invited audience.

1972: In San Francisco, Neil Young is the proud parent of his first son, Zeke, by actress Carrie Snodgress. Zeke is born with cerebral palsy, which will lead young to later found the Bridge School for children with disabilities.

1973: The Allman Brothers started a five week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Brothers And Sisters', the group's only US No.1.

1977: Guitarist Jimmy McCulloch left Wings to help re-form The Small Faces. McCulloch had played with Paul McCartney’s band on the Venus and Mars and Wings At the Speed of Sound albums, as well as on the Wings Over America tour. He died two years later at the age of 26. Drummer Joe English also left Wings at this time, joining Sea Level.

1984: Stevie Wonder had his first UK No.1 with 'I Just Called To Say I Love You'. Taken from the film 'Lady In Red', it was 18 years after Wonder's chart debut in 1966. The song stayed at No.1 for six weeks.

1989: Robert Wiggins from Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five died of a heart attack.

1999: Sean “Puffy” Combs and his bodyguard Paul Offered both pleaded guilty to harassment in a New York Court. The pair faced charges of assaulting record company executive Steve Stoute with a champagne bottle a chair and a telephone.

2002: Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson started his new job as an airline pilot. The heavy metal singer qualified as a $70,000 - a year first officer with Gatwick based airline Astraeus who took holidaymakers to Portugal and Egypt.

2003: David Bowie performed the first interactive concert when his performance was beamed live into 21 cinemas from Warsaw to Edinburgh. Members of the audience talked to Bowie via microphones linked to ISDN lines and took requests for songs from fans.

2004: The Honorable Oscar B. Goodman, Mayor of the City of Las Vegas proclaimed this day as Queen Day after the British group.

2005: Rod Stewart was ordered to pay a Las Vegas casino $2m for missing a New Year concert in 2000. Stewart had said he was unable to play at the Rio hotel and casino because his voice disappeared after an operation to remove a cancerous thyroid tumor. The singer said his voice only recovered in time to begin a world tour in June 2001 and he had since performed 150 shows.

2006: Whitney Houston filed for a divorce from Bobby Brown. The couple had married in 1992.

2007: Foxy Brown was sent to jail for a year in New York for violating her probation terms after she travelled outside New York without the court's permission and had missed anger management classes. The rapper (real name Inga Marchand), was arrested for allegedly assaulting a neighbor and in October 2006 she was put on probation for allegedly assaulting two nail salon workers in August 2004.

September 6

Births

1925: Jimmy Reed (Blues Singer & Guitarist)

1939: David Allan Coe (Country Singer / Songwriter)

1943: Roger Waters (Bass & Vocals for Pink Floyd)

1947: Sylvester (Sylvester James) (Disco & Dance Music Singer)

1954: Patrick O'Hearn (Bassist for Missing Persons & Solo)

1958: Buster Bloodvessel (Singer for Bad Manners)

1958: Jeff Foxworthy (Comedian)

1960: Perry Bamonte (Keyboards & Lead Guitar for The Cure)

1961: Paul Waaktaam-Savoy (Guitar for A-Ha)

1961: Scott Travis (Drummer for Judas Priest & Racer X)

1963: Mark Chesnutt (Country Singer)

1967: William DuVall (current Singer for Alice In Chains)

1968: Paddy Boom (Patrick Seacor) (Drums for Scissor Sisters)

1969: Ce Ce Peniston (Singer)

1971: Dolores O’Riordan (Singer for The Cranberries)

1974: Nina Persson (Vocals for The Cardigans)

1976: N.O.R.E. (Victor Santiago, Jr.) (Rapper)

1978: Foxy Brown (Inga DeCarlo Fung Marchand) (Rapper)

Events

1955: So many Elvis Presley fans crowd into the high school gym in Bono, AR, that the floor collapses under their weight. Fortunately, there are no injuries.

1968: Working at Abbey Road studio’s in London, The Beatles recorded overdubs onto the new George Harrison song ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’. Eric Clapton added the guitar solo and became the first outside musician to play on a Beatles recording and George recorded his lead vocal.

1969: James Brown announced he would retire from live performances in July the following year saying 'I'm tired man'.

1970: Jimi Hendrix made his final live appearance when he appeared at the Isle Of Fehmarn in Germany. The guitarist died on 18th Sept 1970 after choking on his own vomit.

1975: Glen Campbell started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Rhinestone Cowboy', his first No.1 after 13 Top 40 hits.

1988: 2,000 items of Elton John’s personal memorabilia including his boa feathers, 'Pinball Wizard' boots and hundreds of pairs of spectacles were auctioned at Sotheby’s in London.

1989: The Pittsburgh Steelers were banned from practicing on their own field, Three Rivers Stadium, because The Rolling Stones were rehearsing for their upcoming concert.

1990: Tom Fogerty guitarist with Creedence Clearwater Revival, died aged 49 due to complications from AIDS acquired during a blood transfusion.

1997: Elton John recorded a new version of 'Candle In The Wind' after performing the song live at Diana Princess of Wales funeral. A record 31.5 million across the UK watched Elton play the special tribute to Diana. The track went on to become the biggest selling single of all-time in the UK.

2001: Earth, Wind and Fire announced that Viagra would sponsor their forthcoming 30th anniversary American tour.

2004: Jamiroquai singer Jay Kay was banned for six months and fined $1500 after being clocked driving at more than 100mph. His lawyers had argued at Perth Sheriff Court that he needed his license so he could have "respite" from his busy professional life. But Sheriff Robert McCreadie said his conduct was "entirely unacceptable". Jay Kay admitted driving a four-wheel-drive vehicle at 105mph on the A9 in Perthshire in February while overtaking.

2006: Victor Willis, who performed as the policeman in The Village People was given three years probation for drugs offences after pleading no contest to the charges, dating from March 2006. Willis co-wrote some of the group's biggest hits - including ‘YMCA’ and ‘In The Navy.’

2008: US rock band Great White whose pyrotechnics sparked a fire that killed 100 people, agreed to pay $1m to survivors and victims' relatives. The blaze began at The Station nightclub in the US state of Rhode Island in 2003 when the band's tour manager shot off pyrotechnics at the start of the concert. More than 200 people were also injured in the blaze. One band member, guitarist Ty Longley, was killed in the fire. Tour manager Daniel Biechele pleaded guilty in 2006 to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter and was given parole in March after serving less than half of his four-year prison sentence.

2010: Jane's Addiction announced that it had parted ways with bassist Duff McKagan. McKagan had only been working with the band for five months. 

September 5

Births

1735: Johann Christian Bach (Composer)

1945: Al Stewart (Singer / Songwriter)

1946: Buddy Miles (Drummer for Jimi Hendrix Band Of Gypsys)

1946: Freddie Mercury (Vocals & Piano for Queen)

1946: Loudon Wainwright III (Folk Singer)

1949: Dave Clempson (Guitar for Humble Pie)

1963: Terry Ellis (Vocals for En Vogue & Solo)

1968: Brad Wilk (Drums for Rage Against The Machine & Audioslave)

1969: Dweezil Zappa (Guitarist)

1982: Sondre Lerche (Singer / Songwriter & Guitarist)

Events

1955: Tennessee Ernie Ford sings "Sixteen Tons" on his daytime variety show. Fan mail pours in, and Ford records it two weeks later.

1964: The Animals started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'House Of The Rising Sun'. When first released the record company printed the time of the song on the record as three minutes feeling that the real time of four minutes was too long for radio airplay.

1968: On their first ever visit to the UK, The Doors appeared on Top of The Pops performing ‘Hello I Love You’ live on the TV show.

1968: John Lennon takes a plane to Germany to begin filming his first and only major movie role, appearing as "Pvt. Gripweed" in director Richard Lester's latest movie, the WWI satire How I Won the War. While filming, Lennon is quite taken with the "granny glasses" his character uses, and begins to wear them upon returning home, resulting in a major piece of his visual iconography.

1976: During Jerry Lewis' annual Labor Day Telethon on NBC-TV, musical guest Frank Sinatra announces that he's brought a friend along -- and produces Dean Martin, Lewis' former comedy partner, who has not spoken to him since the duo's dissolution twenty years earlier. The tearful crowd erupts in laughter when Lewis greets Martin with, "So, you working?"

1976: Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington was seriously injured in a car crash in Florida.

1987: After a full three decades on ABC, Dick Clark's American Bandstand is canceled, largely due to MTV's influence on the younger generation. The show will limp along on the USA cable channel and in syndication for another three years, with a different host, before finally throwing in the towel.

1987: Ian Astbury of The Cult was arrested after a show in Vancouver ended in a riot. Staff at the concert claimed they were assaulted by Astbury, who spent the night in the local police cells.

1990: B.B. King received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.

1992: John Mellencamp and Elain Irwin get married.

1992: Vince Gill earns his first #1 single in Billboard with "I Still Believe In You"

1993: Dave Navarro, guitarist, joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

1998: Aerosmith scored their first US No.1 single with the Diane Warren written song 'I Don't Want To Miss A Thing'.

September 4

Births:

1951: Martin Chambers (Drums for The Pretenders)

1956: Blackie Lawless (Singer & Guitar for W.A.S.P.)

1958: George Hurley (Drummer for The Minutemen & fIREHOSE)

1960: Kim Thayil (Lead Guitar for Soundgarden)

1963: Sam Yaffa (Bass for Hanoi Rocks)

1969: Sasha (Producer & DJ)

1970: Igor Cavalera (Drummer for Sepultura)

1971: Ty Longley (Guitarist & Singer for Great White)

1974: Carmit Bachar (Singer & Dancer in The Pussycat Dolls)

1974: Nona Gaye (Singer & Marvin Gaye’s Daughter)

1975: Mark Ronson (DJ, Producer & Guitarist)

1981: Beyonce Knowles (Singer with Destiny’s Child & Solo)

Events:

1954: To coincide with the release of his second Sun single, ‘Good Rockin' Tonight’, Elvis Presley, along with Bill Black and Scotty Moore made their first appearance at The Grand Old Opry. The audience reaction was so poor, the Opry's manager, Jim Denny told Elvis that he should go back to driving a truck.

1959: After 17-year-old gang member Salvador Agron fatally stabs two teens in New York, station WCBS bans the Bobby Darin hit "Mack the Knife."

1962: The Beatles' first formal recording session at EMI's Abbey Road studios took place. George Martin was unhappy with a previous session on June 6, so he called The Beatles back into the studio to try again. They recorded six songs, including ‘Love Me Do’ and ‘Please Please Me.’

1964: The Animals gave their debut performance in Brooklyn, NY, at the U.S. Paramount Theater.

1965: The Who had their van stolen containing over $10,000 worth of equipment outside the Battersea Dogs Home. The band was inside the home at the time buying a guard dog. The van was later recovered. 

1968 - "Street Fighting Man," by the Rolling Stones, was banned in several cities in because authorities feared it might incite public disorder.

1968: The Beatles recorded promotional videos for ‘Hey Jude’ and ‘Revolution’ at Twickenham Film Studios. The vocals are recorded live over the pre-recorded instrumental tracks to get round the current British Musicians Union ban on lip-sync performances. For ‘Hey Jude’, The Beatles were accompanied by a 36-piece orchestra and 300 fans and other assorted extras who join in singing the long refrain.

1971: Taken from the album 'Ram', Paul and Linda McCartney went to No.1 on the US singles chart with the US only released 'Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey'. McCartney's first US solo No.1.

1972: Concessionaire Francisco Caruso was killed during a Wishbone Ash concert in Texas after refusing to give a fan a free sandwich.

1972: John Lennon and Yoko Ono appeared on Jerry Lewis' Muscular Dystrophy Telethon Show.

1976: Fleetwood Mac went to No.1 on the US album chart with their self-titled album after being on the charts for over a year. The album went on to sell over 5 million copies in the US and was the first of three No.1 albums for the group.

1976: The Sex Pistols made their television debut when they appeared on the Manchester based Granada TV program 'So It Goes'.

1981: MCA releases George Strait's debut album, "Strait Country".

1986: After just getting his driving license back after a five-year suspension, Gregg Allman from The Allman Brothers Band was arrested in Florida for drunk driving.

1987: Mike Joyce, drummer with The Smiths, quit the band saying that 'the present role within the group had been fulfilled'.

1991: Dottie West died at the age of 58. She died from injuries incurred in a car accident 5 days earlier. West was the first female country Grammy winner.

1996: Oasis created outrage at the MTV awards held at New York's Radio City Hall. During the bands performance of 'Champagne Supernova' singer Liam spat on stage and threw a beer into the crowd.

1997: After performing at the MTV Video Music Awards, Pat Smear publicly announced that he would no longer be the guitarist for the Foo Fighters.

2001: Trace and Rhonda Adkins have a daughter, Brianna Rhea Adkins, in Nashville.

2002: Singer Kelly Clarkson was voted the first "American Idol" on the Fox TV series.

2005: Mike Gibbins, drummer with Badfinger, died in his sleep at his Florida home aged 56. 

2008: The first guitar torched on stage by Jimi Hendrix sold for $500,000 at an auction of rock memorabilia. The Fender Stratocaster was burned at the end of a show at the Astoria in Finsbury Park, north London, in 1967. The sale held in London also included the Beatles' first management contract, signed in 1962 by all four members of the group and manager Brian Epstein, sold for $400,000.

2008: Friends and family of Michael Jackson paid their last respects to the singer at a funeral held at Glendale's Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Los Angeles. Elizabeth Taylor, Quincy Jones, Macaulay Culkin, Berry Gordy and Lisa Marie Presley were among the 200 invited guests. The singer's family arrived in a motorcade of 31 vehicles, Jackson's brothers - Randy, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon - acted as pallbearers carrying Jackson’s gold-plated coffin.