February 8 has been a significant day in rock history, marking key moments that shaped the genre. It was the day one of the first supergroups formed, and when Robert Plant and John Bonham’s Band of Joy gave London a sneak peek of what would soon become the biggest band in the world.
Here are some of the standout events from this day:
1956: Buddy Holly signed his first contract with Decca Records. Unfortunately, they misspelled his name as “Holley.” He left the label a year later, frustrated that he couldn’t use his own session musicians and develop his unique sound.
1968: The Band of Joy, featuring future Led Zeppelin members John Bonham and Robert Plant, made their London debut at the Marquee Club. The band also included Kevyn Gammond on guitar and Paul Lockey. They disbanded a few months later, paving the way for Bonham and Plant to join Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones to form Led Zeppelin.
1981: R.E.M. had their first recording session at Bombay Studios in Smyrna, Georgia. They recorded early versions of songs like “Gardening at Night,” “Radio Free Europe,” and “Standing Still,” which would later appear on their albums.
Cultural milestones also took place on this day:
1943: Creed Bratton, former guitarist and vocalist of The Grass Roots, was born in Los Angeles. He later gained fame playing a fictional version of himself on the hit TV show The Office.
1961: Vince Neil, frontman of Motley Crue, was born in Los Angeles. He led the band from its debut in 1981 until 1992 and returned in 1996.
1969: Former Cream members Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker teamed up with Steve Winwood from Traffic to form the supergroup Blind Faith. They announced their formation at a press conference and released their only album that year, which sold over 8 million copies.
These events highlight the rich history of rock music on February 8. Check back tomorrow to see what else happened on this day in rock history!
