It’s November 20th, and these are some of the things that happened on this day in pop music history:
- In 1998, Ottawa’s Alanis Morissette performed six songs at the pre-opening of a Tower Records store in Buenos Aires. Proceeds from the sale of her album Jagged Little Pill at the event – a total of $11,000 – went to a local hospital.
- In 2003, Michael Jackson flew from Las Vegas to the Santa Barbara Airport on a private jet, where he surrounded to police. The King of Pop was arrested for multiple counts of lewd or lascivious contact with a child younger than 14. He was released on $3 million U.S. bail. Jackson was acquitted at trial two years later.
- In 2016, Drake went into the American Music Awards with the most nominations (12) but went home with only four – tying with fellow Canadian Justin Bieber. Shawn Mendes lost New Artist of the Year to Zayn.
- In 2015, “Sorry” by Justin Bieber went to No. 1 in the UK, giving the Canadian pop star his eighth song in the Top 40 at the same time. He beat a record set in 1957 by Elvis Presley.
- In 2008, singer Ashlee Simpson and Fall Out Boy musician Pete Wentz welcomed son Bronx Mowgli. It was the first child for the couple, who were married six months earlier. Simpson filed for divorce in early 2011.
- In 2012, Fiona Apple announced that she was cancelling her South American tour to care for her dying dog, a rescue pitbull named Janet. In a message to fans on Facebook, the singer explained: “I just can’t leave her now, please understand. If I go away again, I’m afraid she’ll die and I won’t have the honour of singing her to sleep.”
And that’s what popped on this day.