It’s February 6th and these are some of the things that happened on this day in pop music history:
- In 1966, Richard Paul Astley was born in England. At the age of 10, he started singing in a church choir and later played drums in some local bands. He recorded his first solo song, “Never Gonna Give You Up” on New Year’s Day in 1987 and released it that summer. It went to No. 1 around the world.
- In 2011, Christina Aguilera came under fire for messing up the lyrics to the U.S. national anthem at the Super Bowl. She later said: “I can only hope that everyone could feel my love for this country and that the true spirit of its anthem still came through.”
- In 1998, Austrian recording artist Falco, who had hits like “Rock Me Amadeus” and “Vienna Calling” in the ‘80s, died from injuries he sustained in a car crash in the Dominican Republic, only 13 days before his 41st birthday.
- In 2016, Panic! at the Disco topped the Billboard 200 album chart for the first time with Death of a Bachelor.
- In 2007, Canada’s Barenaked Ladies released their eighth studio album, Barenaked Ladies Are Men.” It would be the last album to include founding member Steven Page (not counting 2008’s children’s album, Snacktime!).
- In 1950, Natalie Maria Cole was born to singers Nat King Cole and Marie Ellington (aka Maria Cole). She went on to become a Grammy-winning singer with hits like “This Will Be,” “Inseparable” and “Miss You Like Crazy.” She also released a version of “Unforgettable” as a duet with her late father. Cole died in 2015 at 65.
- In 1998, Carl Wilson, who sang on Beach Boys hits like “Good Vibrations,” “God Only Knows” and “Kokomo,” died of lung cancer at the age of 51.
- In 1990, Billy Idol broke his right leg and left forearm when his motorcycle crashed into a car in Hollywood. Police said the singer, who was not wearing a helmet, ran a stop sign.
And that’s what popped on this day.