February 8th

 Musical birthdays today include film score composer John Williams (90), Tom Rush (81), former Grass Roots guitarist Creed Bratton (79), industrial music percussionist Stefan Weisser AKA Z'EV (71), Spock's Beard bassist Dave Meros (66), session bassist Stuart Hamm (62), Vince Neil (61), Daft Punk co-member Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo (48), Indian pop singer Sophie Choudry (41), and Paramore bassist Jeremy Davis (37). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for producer Terry Melcher, who would have been 80 today... for Dan Seals [formerly half of England Dan & John Ford Coley), who would have been 74... for Max Yasgur, owner of the farm near Bethel, NY where the first Woodstock festival took place, who died on this date in 1973... for Del Shannon, who took his own life today in 1990 at the age of 55... for former Doobie Brothers drummer Keith Knudsen, who died in 2005... for ex-Soft Machine saxophonist Elton Dean, who passed away in 2006... for Argentine singer-songwriter Luis Spinetta, who died in 2012... and for Mary Wilson, who left us one year ago today at the age of 76. 

Also on February 8: Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov premieres at the Mavrinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg (1874)... On their first full day in New York, The Beatles (minus George, who has a sore throat), go for a photo-opportunity walk around Central Park. Over 400 fans, mostly female, follow them and extra police are called in to control them. Later in the day, The Ronettes interview The Beatles for radio (1964)... The Band Of Joy, featuring John Bonham and Robert Plant, make their first London appearance, opening for Edwin Starr at the Marquee Club in London (1968)... Bob Dylan goes to № 1 on the US album charts with Blood on the Tracks. The Ohio Players are atop the singles chart with 'Fire' (1975)... David and Angie Bowie's divorce becomes final, with the singer retaining custody of their son Zowie (1980)... REM go into Bombay Studios in Smyrna, GA for their first ever recording session. Tracks completed included 'Gardening At Night', 'Radio Free Europe' and '(Don't Go Back To) Rockville' (1981)... Right Said Fred have the № 1 single in America with 'I'm Too Sexy' (1989)... Oasis are forced to cancel their first foreign tour after they are deported from Holland. The band were involved in a drunken brawl on a cross-channel ferry, resulting in members of the band being arrested and locked in the brig on the craft (1994)... Eminem makes his live debut in the UK with a concert at the Manchester Arena (2001)... The magazine Good Housekeeping publishes the results of its annual poll of the world's sexiest women. Musical finishers include Kylie Minogue, in first place among women in their 30s. Sade was voted No. 4 in the over 40s, with Madonna coming in at No. 7 and Jerry Hall at No. 8.  Sharon Osbourne was voted into 3rd place in the over 50's section (2004).