Pianist and composer Louis Moreau Gottschalk was born in New Orleans in 1829. Gottschalk was one of the most famous American composers of the 19th century. His works drew on elements of Creole, African American, French, Caribbean, and Southern U.S. culture. Gottschalk performed to acclaim throughout the world and was hailed as a "titan" of the keyboard. He was honored by the U.S. Postal Service with a commemorative stamp in 1997. He passed away on December 18, 1869.
1919
Musician (trumpet), orchestra leader, and music instructor Harry Morel (Harry J. Morel, Sr.) was born in New Orleans on May 8, 1919. His lengthy career (73 years) included performing with Glenn Miller, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis Presley, teaching music at several Orleans Parish schools, and leading his Harry Morel Orchestra from 1975 until 2005. He passed away on May 12, 2013 at age 94. Read more here.
1925
Blues guitarist and vocalist Luke "Long Gone" Miles was born in Lachute, Louisiana on May 8, 1925. Miles died on November 22, 1987 at age 62. Read more here. Listen to Luke "Long Gone" Miles music on YouTube.
1941
Vocalist and songwriter John Fred was born (John Fred Gourrier) in Baton Rouge, LA on May 8, 1941. He formed his group, John Fred and the Playboys, in 1956 (later changed to John Fred & His Playboy Band). The group had a #1 hit (January, 1968) with the pop classic "Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)". John Fred passed away on April 15, 2005 at age 63. Read more here and here. See John Fred Gourrier obituary. Watch John Fred videos on YouTube.
1950
New Orleans based jazz vocalist Betty Shirley was born in Jackson, MS on May 8, 1950, You can catch her performing at Dos Jefes, Three Muses, Snug Harbor, and other local venues. Read more here. Watch Betty Shirley videos on YouTube.
1961
"Hello Walls" by country music legend Faron Young hit #1 on the Billboard Country Chart on May 8, 1961. It held on to the top spot for 9 weeks, and remained on the chart for 23 weeks, The tune, penned by Willie Nelson, was one of Young's biggest hits during his lengthy career (over 90 singles in the charts from 1953-1992). "Hello Walls" was also a crossover success for Young, ultimately reaching #12 on the Pop chart. It was nominated for a Grammy in 1961, and it was added to the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2000.
1988
New Orleans born banjo player and guitarist Nappy Lamare passed away in Newhall, Clifornia on May 8, 1988 at age 82. Lamare worked with Monk Hazel, Sharkey Bonano, Wingy Manone, Johnny Wiggs and Johnny Bayersdorffer. He joined the Ben Pollock Orchestra in New York (1930 to 1935), then was with Bob Crosby's band (with Ray Bauduc) from 1935 to 1942. He spent his later life in Los Angeles, and remained active until his death. Listen to Nappy Lamare music on YouTube.
1997
Guitarist Tim Guarisco passed away on May 1997 at age 28 after a two year battle with cancer. The Morgan City native (born Timothy James Guarisco on October 23, 1968) was a founding member of New Orleans funk band Smilin' Myron.
2006
Wynton Marsalis was featured in the 2006 "TIME 100: The People Who Shape Our World" list (Time Magazine, May 8, 2006 issue). He was recognized as a "Hero & Pioneer" for his role as a musician, composer, and educator. The issue included a profile of Marsalis by Aaron Neville.
2025
The 60th Academy of Country Music Awards were held in Frisco, Texas on May 8, 2025. Lainey Wilson was named Entertainer of the Year (for the second year in a row), Female Artist of the Year (third year in a row), and Artist-Songwriter of the Year. She also won Album of the Year for "Whirlwind". Her four 2025 wins bring her total ACM Awards count to sixteen. Brooks & Dunn were named Duo of the Year, marking their 17th win in the category. Wilson also performed at the event ("Whirlwind", and she joined Reba McEntire and Miranda Lambert on "Trailblazer"). Brooks & Dunn performed "Red Dirt Road" with Cody Johnson.
2026
The 3rd Annual Grammy Hall of Fame Gala was held in Beverly Hills, California on May 8, 2026. Recordings inducted into the 52nd class of the Grammy Hall of Fame included the 1998 Lucinda Williams album, "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road". Lucinda also performed at the event. "Car Wheels" won a Grammy for Lucinda in 1999 (Best Contemporary Folk Album). It was ranked #98 on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list. See other Louisiana related recordings in the Grammy Hall of Fame here.
2026
Keyboard player, singer, songwriter, and Dumpstaphunk founder Ivan Neville was the keynote speaker for the University of New Orleans Spring commencement ceremony held on May 8, 2026. Ivan also received an honorary degree in recognition of his contributions to music and to the culture of New Orleans. See photos on his Facebook page.
