It’s November 15th, and these are some of the things that happened on this day in pop music history:
- In 1990, German music producer Frank Farian held a press conference to confess that Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan did not sing a single note on any of the Milli Vanilli songs on their 1989 album Girl You Know It’s True. The duo had also lip-synced every live performance, including on the Juno Awards broadcast in Toronto. The scandal resulted in the album being stripped of its Grammy Awards and fans being offered refunds on CDs. Pilatus died of an overdose in 1998.
- In 1974, Chad Robert Turton was born in Hanna, Alberta. After adopting his mother’s maiden name, Kroeger, he started learning to play guitar. He played in The Village Idiots and Suits XL before fronting Nickelback, one of the most successful Canadian bands ever. The group had success on the pop charts with hits like “Photograph,” “How You Remind Me” and “Far Away.”
- In 1994, TLC released their sophomore album CrazySexyCool, which included hits like “Creep” and “Waterfalls.” The album spent more than two years on the chart and became the best-selling album by an all-female American group.
- In 1991, music producer Jacques Morali, who created The Ritchie Family and Village People, died at 44 from an AIDS-related illness.
- In 1980, country star Kenny Rogers earned the No. 1 spot on the pop chart with “Lady,” which was written by Lionel Richie. It remained at the top for six weeks.
- In 1986, pop history was made in the UK when, for the first time, the Top 5 singles were by female vocalists. Berlin (with singer Terri Nunn) was No. 1 with “Take My Breath Away,” followed by Kim Wilde, The Bagles, Mel and Kim, and Swing Out Sister (with Corinne Drewery).
And that’s what popped on this day.