On this day in music, July 27, 1996, Girl Power was in full force when the Spice Girls’ debut single, “Wannabe,” hit No.1 in the UK. The high-energy track spent seven weeks at the top of the UK pop chart. After topping the charts in 22 countries and shifting more than six million copies worldwide, it had the distinction of being the best-selling single by a female group. “Wannabe” later bagged an Ivor Novello Award for Best British-Written Single and was named Best Single at the BRITs.
In 1986, Queen was one of the first Western bands to perform behind the Iron Curtain in communist Eastern Europe when they appeared in front of an estimated 80,000 people at Budapest’s Népstadion venue. The date, which was filmed and released as Hungarian Rhapsody: Queen Live in Budapest , was a stop on The Magic Tour.
In 1981, singer-songwriter and Fleetwood Mac siren Steve Nicks released her debut solo album, Belladonna. Nicks brought in Jimmy Iovine and Tom Petty to produce the record, which she began two years earlier in between sessions for Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk LP. The set yielded three US hit singles including “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” a collaboration with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.
In 1968, in the immediate aftermath of The Mamas and The Papas’ split, “Mama” Cass Elliot stepped out as a solo artist with her debut single, “Dream A Little Dream Of Me,” a slowed-down cover of the 1931 dance band tune. The song was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, reaching No.11 in the UK and No.12 in the US.
In 1985, Eurythmics soared to the No.1 spot on the UK singles chart with “There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart),” taken from the British duo’s fourth album Be Yourself Tonight. The track, which featured a harmonica solo from Motown legend Stevie Wonder, proved to be Eurythmics’ only chart-topping record in the UK. In the US, the song stalled at No.22.
In 1976, Tina Turner petitioned for a divorce from her husband and musical partner, Ike Turker, citing irreconcilable differences. Following years of domestic abuse, their divorce was finalized on March 29, 1978. In the 80s, the singer reinvented herself as a pop-rock diva and enjoyed huge international success.
BORN ON JULY 27
1944: Bobbie Gentry (Singer/songwriter)
1949: Rory MacDonald (Runrig)
1953: Suzi Carr (Will To Power)
1960: Conway Savage (Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds)
1962: Karl Mueller (Soul Asylum)
1964: Rex Brown (Pantera)
1967: Juliana Hatfield
1974: Pete Yorn
The Church of Our Lady in Manannah is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, and there will be special observances at the church the weekend of August 15th and 16th. There will be self-guided tours and displays starting at 2 p.m., and a mass with Bishop Chad Zielinski on August 15th at 4 p.m., followed by a meal and there will also be an open house on August 16th from 1-to-4 p.m.
Member Barb Laabs says the Church of Our Lady was officially established in 1876 with the church built in its present location in Section 31 of Manannah Township. She says the church was enlarged in 1900 and was actually cut in the middle to make room for the expansion.
Laabs says the high altar with its gold tabernacle – depicting the Last Supper – and columned niches with various statues were installed around 1915. She says the Church of Our Lady is well-known for the various community meals it hosts, and for the August 15th dinner, the meal will be catered – and no RSVP is necessary.
Parishioner Sue Carlson says they plan to ring the church bell 150 times on August 15th in recognition of the special anniversary, and there is a painting of Our Mother of Perpetual Help that has been in the church since the 1800s and will return from being refurbished in the Twin Cities in time for the celebration. She says they will have self-guided tours and many items will be on display the afternoon of August 15th.
Carlson says there will be an open house at the Church of Our Lady on August 16th from 1-to-4 p.m. and they will have items on display at that time for people to see. She says the church is easy to find at the intersection of Meeker County State Aid Highways 3 and 30. There will be no mass at the Church of Our Lady on Sunday, August 16th as they will have the special mass at 4 p.m. on August 15th with the Bishop.
The Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office responded to a one-vehicle crash on Saturday morning at 11:58 in the 20000 block of 218th Avenue Northeast in Roseville Township. When deputies arrived, they observed a severely damaged 2002 Ford F150 in the ditch, and the driver – a 16-year-old Paynesville male – was in the driver’s seat.
He was extricated from the vehicle as additional personnel arrived on the scene. The juvenile driver received non-life-threatening injuries and was transported by CentraCare Ambulance to the hospital in Paynesville.
The crash occurred when the driver swerved to avoid striking a possum on the gravel road, lost control of the vehicle and rolled. The driver was wearing his seatbelt. Assisting the Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office were CentraCare Ambulance, Paynesville Fire Dept. and Paynesville Police Dept.
2026 Minneapolis Queen of the Lakes Addie Lundin of Litchfield crowned her successor over the weekend. Maryn Halvorson of Sibley County is the 2027 Queen of the Lakes. Halvorson was crowned by Lundin on Saturday in Minneapolis. Neysa Anderson of Montgomery was crowned as the new Aquatennial Princess.
