Pick a Day

8 DECEMBER

In Music History

1972 Carly Simon's No Secrets album is certified Gold.

1971 Reginald Dwight legally changes his name to Elton Hercules John. He had been using the "Elton John" name since 1968, but had never made it official. The middle name he picked in honor of the mythological hero, which also happened to be the name of a horse on one of his favorite British TV shows: Steptoe and Son.

1969 Testifying at his trial for possesion of hashish and heroin in the Toronto Supreme Court, Jimi Hendrix claims that he has now "outgrown" drugs. The jury finds him not guilty after eight hours of deliberations.

1968 Graham Nash plays his last gig with The Hollies, a charity concert in London. He moves on with Crosby, Stills and Nash; The Hollies replace him with Terry Sylvester and continue their hit-making ways with "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" and "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress."

1967 The Rolling Stones release Their Satanic Majesties Request, the title a play on their malevolent image. It contains a hit with a much more anodyne title: "She's A Rainbow."

1967 Traffic release their debut album, Mr. Fantasy.

1966 Sinead O'Connor is born in Glenageary, County Dublin, Ireland. At 23 she takes the Prince-written "Nothing Compares 2 U" to #1 around the world, but she struggles with fame and soon becomes known less for her music and more for courting controversy, especially after she tears up a photo of the Pope on Saturday Night Live in 1992.

1966 Rapper Bushwick Bill (of Geto Boys) is born Richard Stephen Shaw in Jamaica.

1962 Marty Friedman (lead guitarist for Megadeth) is born in Washington, D.C. He picks up the guitar at age 14 after seeing Kiss in concert.

1962 Legendary DJ and promoter Alan Freed appears at his payola trial in New York City and testifies to receiving money from labels to play their records on the air. He is found guilty, fined $300, and given six months probation, but the irreparable damage to his career has been done.

1960 Henry Mancini records "Moon River."

1959 Paul Rutherford (of Frankie Goes to Hollywood) is born in Liverpool, England.

1957 Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen is born in Hackney, London, England. He joins the band in 1982 as a replacement for Pete Willis.

1956 Guy Mitchell's "Singing The Blues" hits #1.

1956 Warren Cuccurullo is born in Brooklyn, New York. He joins Duran Duran in 1985 to replace guitarist Andy Taylor. He learned of the vacancy while working on Taylor's solo album - before the rest of the band had been informed.