Pick a Day

30 APRIL

In Music History

1994 Ireland wins the Eurovision Song Contest for the third time in a row. Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan's performance of "Rock 'N' Roll Kids" at the Point Theatre in Dublin wows the international voting panels and gives the country a record sixth win. The show's interval features the first ever performance of Michael Flatley's Riverdance, which goes on to massive global success.

1991 Rapper Travis Scott (real name: Jacques Bermon Webster II) is born in Houston, Texas.

1988 An unknown Canadian singer named Celine Dion wins the Eurovision Song Contest for Switzerland. Her song "Ne partez pas sans moi" beats the United Kingdom's entry by a single point. The success encourages her to learn English, and two years later her fifteenth studio album, Unison (1990), reaches #4 in the US chart. She goes on to become one of the most successful singers in the world - her biggest hit, 1997's "My Heart Will Go On", selling over 15 million copies.

1988 After a two-year hiatus, Little River Band reunite, kicking off a tour with a show at the World Expo in Brisbane, Australia. Glenn Frey is their support act for the tour.

1983 Blues musician Muddy Waters dies of heart failure at age 70 in his Westmont, Illinois, home.

1983 The original lineup of Manfred Mann re-forms to play the 25th anniversary celebration of the Marquee Club in London, where they played when they were just starting out.

1982 Renowned music critic Lester Bangs, who wrote for Creem and Rolling Stone, dies at age 33 from an accidental drug overdose.

1981 Justin Vernon of Bon Iver is born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

1977 Glen Campbell's "Southern Nights," written by Allen Toussaint, hits #1 in the US.

1976 Human rock stereotype Keith Moon of The Who adds to his legend when he pays nine New York City cab drivers $100 each to block both ends of a street so he can throw furniture out of his room at the Hotel Navarro. Details of this story may have been exaggerated or embellished, but it is consistent with his behavior.

1975 The Vietnam War ends with the fall of Saigon. Many returning veterans suffer ill effects, which is the subject of the song "Still in Saigon" by The Charlie Daniels Band.

1973 Pop singer Jeff Timmons (of 98 Degrees) is born in Canton, Ohio.

1973 The second Wings album, Red Rose Speedway, is released in America. There is some braille on the back cover spelling out the message, "We love you baby," aimed at Stevie Wonder.

1971 The Doobie Brothers release their self-titled debut album. Despite a hardy promotional push from their label, Warner Bros., it goes nowhere, but their next effort, Toulouse Street, connects.

1971 R&B singer Chris "Choc" Dalyrimple (of Soul For Real) is born in Wheatley Heights, New York.