January 8th seems to be more than just a date on the calendar – for the music world, it is a day when some of the biggest talents saw the light of day. From legendary icons to emerging artists, numerous musicians have and have had the privilege of celebrating this day as their birthday. The question therefore arises: Is January 8th possibly the most important date in music history? ROLLING STONE takes a look at the personalities who were born on this day.
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley, who was born on January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi, is one of the most influential musicians of all time. His rise began in the 1950s when he turned the music scene on its head with a stirring fusion of rock, blues and country. His provocative hip swing undoubtedly contributed to his success, which also earned him a lot of criticism and controversy in the prudish USA. Hits like “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Hound Dog” and “Jailhouse Rock” catapulted him into the charts, and Elvis’ magnetic aura made him not only a musical phenomenon, but also a movie star in Hollywood.
David Bowie
David Bowie, born on January 8, 1947, was considered an unpredictable visionary. His artistic versatility and avant-garde approach to music still surprise younger generations today. The chameleon of pop music celebrated his meteoric rise in the 1970s when he pushed the boundaries of gender, identity and music with his alter ego Ziggy Stardust. His album “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars” defined the glam rock era and Bowie repeatedly explored new genres – from rock to ambient to electronic music. Timeless hits like “Space Oddity,” “Heroes” and “Let’s Dance” only begin to outline the creativity that lay within the artist, who died in 2016.
Shirley Bassey
Shirley Bassey, born on January 8, 1937, is one of Britain’s greatest musicians. Her powerful, smoky voice is her trademark, which is also expressed in the Bond songs “Goldfinger”, “Moonraker” and “Diamonds Are Forever”. Her style, stage presence and artistic brilliance made her a show business icon. Prince William and Harry are also among her fans – not least thanks to hits like “History Repeating,” which she recorded with the Propellerheads in 1998. In 1999 she was made Dame Commander of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II. In 2012, she was also given the honor of performing as part of the celebrations for the Queen’s 60th anniversary on the throne – and Shirley Bassey also performed for the British royal family on the late monarch’s 90th birthday.
Robby Krieger
Robby Krieger, born on January 8, 1946, is known to most music fans as the guitarist and co-founder of The Doors. With his creativity, he contributed significantly to the band’s characteristic sound. Krieger’s unmistakable ability: to fuse different styles into an innovative sound. For The Doors, the musician composed pieces such as “Light My Fire”, “Runnin’ Blue”, “Touch Me” and “Love Her Madly”. And so one can rightly say: his iconic guitar riffs shaped the soundtrack of an entire generation.
Noah Cyrus
Noah Cyrus, who was born on January 8, 2000, is following in big footsteps: As the daughter of country star Billy Ray Cyrus (“Achy Breaky Heart”), her path into music seemed to be predetermined. Since Miley Cyrus, another offspring, has already achieved global success, Noah Cyrus’ career is under special observation. With her haunting voice and elements of pop, country and alternative, songs like “July” and “Make Me (Cry)” were created – they testify to the necessary artistic maturity and potential that lies within the singer.
Lutricia McNeal
“Ain’t that just the way that life goes down, down, down, down / Movin’ way too fast or much too slow” – Millennials grew up with this song and the hit made Lutricia McNeal famous, at least in many European countries. The song “Stranded” also scored well in Germany – “Someone Loves You Honey” is also well known. Despite several attempts to build on his success, McNeal was unable to place another real hit at the top of the charts in the new millennium.
R. Kelly
R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2022 for, among other things, sexual abuse of minors and 20 years in prison for a similar offense in February 2023. However, before the world found out about his abusive behavior, he was considered one of the greatest R&B singers of all time. Songs like “I Believe I Can Fly” and “The World’s Greatest” are known to millions of people worldwide.
January 8th produced many more artists – and an extraordinary genius
The German theater actor Willy Millowitsch and comedian Paul Panzer were also born on January 8th. And even astrophysicist Stephen Hawking was born on this day in 1942. The stars were simply particularly good there. It is currently unknown whether another birthday boy, North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong-un, is active as an artist in any way.