April 21: This day, that year in music history
Fans mourn the death of Prince, while Robin Thicke breaks new records
Legendary artist Prince dies of overdose
2016
Prince was found dead at his home in Minnesota apparently due to overdosing on fentanyl, a highly addictive narcotic. He was 57.
Medical examinations revealed that he had taken a counterfeit Vicodin pill, used to treat severe pain, that was spiked with the recreational drug fentanyl.
The critically acclaimed and influential musician, whose real name was Prince Rogers Nelson, became a global superstar in the 1980s, with albums such as ‘1999’, ‘Purple Rain’ and ‘Sign O’ the Times’. He recorded more than 30 albums across his career.
Soon after his death, eight of his albums re-entered the charts with ‘The Very Best of Prince’ and ‘Purple Rain’ occupying the No 1 and 2 positions,
Despite his small stature, being only 5’2” tall, he was a very talented basketball player and child prodigy who played all the instruments and wrote all his songs.
Robin Thicke shatters download record
2004
‘Blurred Lines’, the controversial hit by Grammy Award winner Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams, became the UK’s most-downloaded song of all time. The song had sold 1.54 million copies since it was released in May 2013, despite criticisms of its explicit lyrics.
He was married to actress Paula Patton, who starred in the Tom Cruise blockbuster, ‘Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol’, until the couple divorced in February 2014. The invitations to their 2005 wedding were written by ‘Suits’ actress Meghan Markle, almost a decade before she met and married Prince Harry.
Calvin Harris eclipses Michael Jackson
2013
British musician Calvin Harris made history when he became the first artist to have eight top 10 hits from his third studio album ‘18 Months’ on the same chart.
Born Adam Richard Wiles, the DJ and producer from Dumfries, Scotland eclipsed Michael Jackson who previously held the record with seven top 10 hits from both his 1987 album ‘Bad’ and his 1991 record ‘Dangerous’.
Harris is not a professional DJ and as a result his live performance featured him singing along with support from a band rather than a mixer.
Paul McCartney sets world record
1990
During his world tour former Beatle Paul McCartney played in front of 184,000 fans at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Jnaeiro, creating a new world record for the largest crowd attending a rock concert.