Source: Supplied by WENN.com / WENN
What we’re gonna do here is go back. Here are some of the most notable events in entertainment for the week of December 16.
Spice Girls Unveil Wax Figures at Madame Tussaud’s (December 18, 1999)
Thanks to their overwhelming success both in the U.S. and overseas—along with that catchphrase we’ll never forget (zig-a-zig-ahhh)—the name “Spice Girls” easily became synonymous with the mid-late ’90s. And on December 18, 1999, the all-star girl group unveiled their wax look-a-likes at Madame Tussaud’s in London. Probably some of the best we’ve ever seen.
Kennedy Center Honors James Brown (December 18, 2003)
On the same day in in 2003, James Brown was recognized alongside country singer Loretta Lynn for his musical and cultural contributions during a Kennedy Center honors ceremony. Performers paying tribute included Joss Stone, Brian McKnight, Yolanda Adams, and more.
Thriller Sells 30 Million Copies in the U.S. (December 19, 2015)
33 years after its release, Michael Jackson’s Thriller became the first music album to sell over 30 million copies in the U.S.
“RIAA has awarded gold and platinum records on behalf of the music business for nearly 60 years, but this is the first time an artist has crossed the 30X multi-platinum plateau,” RIAA Chief Executive Cary Sherman said in a statement at the time. “What an exceptional achievement and testament to ‘Thriller’s’ enduring spot in our hearts and musical history.”
The album earned 12 Grammy Award nominations in 1983, taking home seven of them. As noted by the LA Times, the album also became the first to surpass the 20-million mark on November 30, 1982.
Jimi Hendrix Crowned As Guitarist of the Millennium (December 20, 1999)
Jimi Hendrix was named guitarist of the millennium by UK Guitar magazine on December 20 a whole 19 years ago. Also worth noting: on December 16, 1966 the first Jimi Hendrix Experience single, ‘Hey Joe’, was released in the UK.
Lemonade Is Named Album of the Year (December 22, 2016)
Unsurprisingly, Beyoncé’s Lemonade was critics’ favorite album in 2016, despite being snubbed for the Grammy honor the following year.
“All over these songs, [Beyoncé] rolls through heartbreak and betrayal and infidelity and the hangover that follows ‘Drunk In Love,'” Rolling Stone wrote in their review. “Yet despite all the rage and pain in the music, she makes it all seem affirming, just another chapter in the gospel according to Beyoncé: the life-changing magic of making a great big loud bloody mess.”
