It’s January 11th and these are some of the things that happened on this day in pop music history:
- In 1971, Mary Jane Blige was born in New York City. In 1988, she recorded a cover of Anita Baker’s “Caught Up in the Rapture” at a shopping mall and the tape made its way to a record executive who signed her as backup vocalist. Blige went on to have a successful career, releasing 13 studio albums so far.
- In 2009, Bruce Springsteen’s “The Wrestler” was named Best Original Song at the Golden Globe Awards. It was his second Golden Globe win – his “Streets of Philadelphia” won in 1994.
- In 1995, Michael Jackson released a statement after several tabloids claimed there was a 27-minute video showing him in a sexual encounter with a 13-year-old boy. “Enough is enough! I will no longer stand by and watch reckless members of the media try to destroy my reputation,” Jackson said. “I intend to protect myself and my family.”
- In 1986, “West End Girls” by the Pet Shop Boys went to No. 1 in their native UK. It was a new version of a song the duo first released in 1984.
- In 2000, Whitney Houston walked away from security officials at Keahole-Kona International Airport in Hawaii who found half an ounce of marijuana in her bag. Officers tried to detain the singer (which they did not have authority to do) but Houston left the bag behind and boarded her flight. Prosecutors later filed a possession charge against the pop diva.
And that’s what popped on this day.