It’s March 26th and these are some of the things that happened on this day in pop music history:
- In 1944, Diana Ross was born in Detroit. At 16, she won a talent competition in Windsor, Ont. as part of an all-girl vocal group called the Primettes and was offered a chance to audition for Motown Records. Ross and the Supremes had hits like “Baby Love” and “Stop! In the Name of Love” and as a solo artist she had success with songs like “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “Touch Me in the Morning,” “Love Hangover” and “Upside Down.”
- In 1976, Genesis kicked off its A Trick of the Tale Tour – the band’s first with Phil Collins replacing Peter Gabriel on lead vocals – in London, Ont.
- In 1995, rapper Eazy-E, whose real name was Eric Wright, died from complications of AIDS. He was 31.
- In 1977 Daryl Hall and John Oates began a two-week run at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Rich Girl.” It was the first time the duo topped the chart.
- In 2005, Australian musician Paul Hester, one-time drummer for Split Enz and a founding member of Crowded House, died by suicide at 46 after a struggle with depression. He played on such hits as “Don’t Dream It’s Over” and “Something So Strong.”
- In 1988, Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” was No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first of two weeks. It was the fourth of five No. 1 singles from his Bad album.
And that’s what popped on this day.