November 8th

 Musical birthdays today include Delaney & Bonnie vocalist Bonnie Bramlett (77), ELO multi-instrumentalist & songwriter Roy Wood (75), Bonnie Raitt (72), Rickie Lee Jones (67), jazz singer Patricia Barber (66), ex-Cure guitarist Porl Thompson (64), Leif Garrett (60), rapper Tech N9ne [né Aaron Yates] (50), Against Me! frontwoman Laura Jane Grace (41), and singer-songwriter & Glee cast member Riker Lynch (30). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Patti Page, born on this day in 1927... for Minnie Riperton, who would have been 74... for composer César Franck, who died on this date in 1890... for blues pianist Ivory Joe Hunter, who died in 1974... for New Orleans R&B pianist James Booker ~ once described by Dr. John as "the best gay, one-eyed junkie piano genius New Orleans has ever produced" ~ who passed away today in 1983 at the age of 43... and for film score composer Basil Poledouris, who left us today in 2006. 

Also on November 8: Accompanied by virtuoso Joseph Joachim, Brahms is at the piano for the premiere of his Violin Concerto № 1 in G, Op. 78 in Bonn (1879)... George & Ira Gershwin's musical Oh, Kay! opens on Broadway (1926)... The first ever pop chart in Britain is published by the New Musical Express after staff asked 53 record shops to disclose their sales returns. ‘Here In My Heart’ by Al Martino was the first № 1. The song will stay at the top of the chart for 9 weeks (1952)... Dusty Springfield sets out on her first solo tour, hitting the road in the UK with The Searchers, Freddie & The Dreamers and Brian Poole & The Tremeloes sharing the bill. The first show is in Halifax (1963)... The Beatles spend the afternoon working on George's new song ‘Think For Yourself’ at Abbey Road for the forthcoming Rubber Soul album. After  the rehearsals, they record the basic instrumental track in one take (1965)... 'Something', the first Beatles A-side written by George, enters the UK singles chart, where it will peak at № 4; it goes on to be a № 1 in the US (1969)... Led Zeppelin release their fourth album. With no title printed on the cover, and referred to most commonly as either Led Zeppelin IV, 'the Runes Album' or 'Zoso' [from the names of the runes], it will go to sell over 37 million copies worldwide. The 19th century rustic oil painting on the front of the album was purchased by Robert Plant from an antique shop in Reading, Berks. The 20th century urban tower block on the back of the full gatefold LP cover is Butterfield Court in Eves Hill, Dudley, W. Midlands (1971)... David Bowie makes his US TV debut, performing 'Fame' on Cher's CBS variety show (1975)... Berlin are at № 1 on both sides of the Atlantic with 'Take My Breath away' from the Top Gun soundtrack (1986)... Michael Jackson joins forces with Sony to form ATV, the world's third largest musical publishers. Worth approximately $300 million, the company owns the rights to the Beatles catalogue, among some 100,000 other titles (1995)... During a party to launch their new album Forever, Spice Girl Mel C goes off on a tirade against Westlife, calling them "a useless bunch of talentless tossers" and "hyped-up shite", among other things (2000)... Morrissey stops a concert on a solo tour halfway through his second song after being struck by a projectile. The 50-year-old singer, who was hit in the eye by a plastic bottle of beer, says goodnight to the 8,000 strong crowd in Liverpool before walking off (2009).