Madonna’s painting fetches $7.2m for projects in the Middle East and Asia
2013
Pop star Madonna sold a painting by French artist, sculptor and filmmaker, Fernand Leger to raise funds for supporting girls’ education projects in the Middle East and South Asia.
The 1921 painting, which Madonna bought for $3.4m in 1990 and was titled ‘Trois Femmes a la Table Rouge’ (Three Women at the Red Table) fetched $7.2 million at a Sotheby’s sale in New York.
Madonna’s Ray of Light Foundation, which she launched in 2013, supports organisations around the world working to promote peace, equal rights and education for all regardless of race, religion, or gender.
‘Let It Be’ marks the end of The Beatles
1970
‘Let It Be’, the final album recorded by The Beatles, stormed to the top of the album charts.
Although it was recorded before the ‘Abbey Road’ album, it was only released later as a deluxe-boxed edition with a ‘Get Back’ book.
Paul McCartney wrote the title track. which was inspired by his mother Mary, who died when he was 14.
ABBA conquer the world with ‘Fernando’
1976
‘Fernando’, the only song that Swedish pop band ABBA recorded as a single, went to No. 1 on the UK charts before becoming their best-selling song of all time with sales of more than 10 million.
The song, which also became the biggest selling single in Australia prior to Elton John’s ‘Candle in the Wind’ that was a tribute to Princess Diana, can only be found on the band’s ‘Greatest Hits’ album.
It would become a global sensation also reaching the No. 1 spot in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa and Switzerland.
ABBA manager Stig Anderson, sold the song to electronics giant ‘National’ for $1 million in 1976, which infuriated the band who never sold a song thereafter.
Vangelis wins court battle by playing to the judge
1982
Greek composer Evangelos Papathanassiou, popularly known as Vangelis, performed in front of a judge to prove that the song ‘Chariots of Fire’ was not a rip-off of fellow Greek composer Stavros Logaridis called ‘City of Violets’.
Vangelis wrote ‘Chariots of Fire’ for the 1981 movies about two runners in the 1924 Olympic Games.
Vangelis won the court ruling by convincing the judge that he used a method of composing by improvising new music.
Born This Day, That Year… in Music History
Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias
1975
Spanish singer, songwriter, actor, Enrique Iglesias was born in Madrid, Spain. He was the third and youngest child of Julio Iglesias, the most commercially successful continental European singer in the world and one of the top record sellers in music history with more 100 million record sold, and Filipina socialite, journalist and television host, Isabel Preysler.
Enrique followed in his illustrious father’s footsteps and scored mega hits with ‘Be With You’ and ‘Hero’ and even outsold his father with more than 170 million albums and singles.
He is married to former Russian tennis player Anna Kournikova and the couple have a son and daughter, Nicholas and Lucy.
