The Top 40 has been the leading hit list in the Netherlands since 1965. In the Today section we look back at events in pop music that took place exactly X years ago. In this episode of Today: Davina Michelle posts the first video on her YouTube channel.
In 2016, Davina Michelle gained national fame for the first time through her participation in the fifth season of Idols. That fame is relative. This season airs eight years after the fourth season and is much less popular than the previous season. Moreover, the program can no longer be seen on RTL 4, but on RTL 5. Nevertheless, almost a million viewers saw her audition on April 6, 2016, where she sang the song Nobody’s Perfect by Jessie J.
Michelle Davina Hoogendoorn, as she was still called at that time, is allowed to move on to the next round, but she ultimately fails in the duet round in Bali, mainly because her duet partner Johnny fails. However, after her Idols, Michelle did not give up. She started working on her singing techniques and on February 6, 2017 she created a channel on YouTube under the name Davina Michelle.
On April 3, 2017 puts her first video online. With the words “Hi guys, I’m Davina and this is my cover of Rockabye. I hope you’ll like it.” she announces her cover of Rockabye by Clean Bandit, Sean-Paul and Anne-Marie. She is accompanied on guitar by her friend, songwriter and producer Sebastiaan Brouwer. This is the beginning of her success story, because from now on she posts a cover every week on her YouTube channel.
One of those covers is P!nk’s What About Us. It is her fifteenth YouTube video, which she will put online on August 21. When the American fashion magazine shows this video to P!nk, she is completely blown away by Davina’s performance. When the video of P!nk’s reaction comes online, the ball starts rolling very quickly for Davina. She can immediately perform in De Wereld Draait Door and the number of subscribers to her channel is increasing exponentially. A year later she was invited to participate in the eleventh season of Beste Zangers, which gave her the monster hit Duurt Te Lang. From that moment on, Davina is definitely a famous Dutch person.
Davina Michelle will continue to faithfully post a cover of a well-known song on YouTube every week in the years that follow.
Here’s what else happened on April 3:
The British group Brotherhood Of Man wins April 3, 1976 with Save Your Kisses For Me the Eurovision Song Contest in The Hague.
The Netherlands won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1975, which is why NOS was allowed to organize the Eurovision Song Contest in 1976. In the Congress Building in The Hague, 18 countries are fighting for victory. The presentation is in the hands of Corry Brokken, who himself won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1957. It is the first time that the festival is presented by a former winner, which will happen much more often in the future.
Brotherhood Of Man was already known before the Eurovision Song Contest for the song Lady (1974) and the number 2 hit Kiss Me, Kiss Your Baby (1975). On the day of the festival, Save Your Kisses For Me had already entered the Top 40. This was the third and last time that a British entry was already in the Top 40 on the evening of the festival. The other two British entries to achieve this feat were Sandie Shaw’s Puppet On A string and Cliff Richard’s Congratulations. These songs eventually became number 1 hits in the Top 40 and the same would happen with Save Your Kisses. But not before the song won the Eurovision Song Contest with a monster score of 1964 points (80.4% of the maximum number of points possible).
That the United Kingdom would win the Eurovision Song Contest was already predicted in advance by a 27-year-old journalist named Johan Derksen. He wrote in the Nieuwsblad Van Het Noord that the result had already been determined: “England will win. The English send a very experienced and professional team every year. Last year they were the “big” Shadows and it was a shame that they lost to a bunch of dressed up Tukkers who called themselves Teach In. This year the Brotherhood Of Man is coming to England. “Save Your Kisses For Me” is an unpretentious tune, but visually it looks good and they perform it exceptionally well. For a wide audience That’s what it’s called nowadays. It’s something for the youth to see and for the elderly it’s acceptable. Congratulations Brotherhood of Man.” Johan Derksen was right.
The 1976 Eurovision Song Contest produced three other top 40 hits. Sandra Reemer reached third place in the Top 40 with the Dutch entry The Party’s Over and finished ninth at the festival. Furthermore, Eurovision runner-up 1, 2, 3 of France’s Catherine Ferry reaches fifth place. Judy Et Cie. by the Belgian Pierre Rapsat, which gives his homeland 8th place, reaches number 31 in the Top 40. In addition to 1973, 1983 and 2021, this Eurovision year is the most fruitful in terms of hits, because more than four Top 40 hits in one year the Eurovision Song Contest never delivered.
Also on this day:
2001: Robbie Williams has been named the most played artist on British radio for the third year in a row.
2015: Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer Bob Burns dies in a car accident.
2022: Leave The Door open by Silk Sonic wins the Grammy Award for Record Of The Year, Song Of Year, Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song. Olivia Rodrigro is named best newcomer.
Born today:
1940 – Tol Hansseat death 62 years,
1941 – Philippe Wynne43 years old at death, Spinners
1941 – Roland Wat death 68 years,
1942 – Billy Joe Royalat death 73 years,
1943 – Richard Manuel42 years old at death, The Band
1944 – Barry Pritcharddeath aged 54, The Fortunes
1944 – Tony OrlandoDawn
1949 – Jan Keizer, BZN | Q-Tips
1949 – Richard ThompsonFairport Convention
1952 – David NicholsonThe Marmalade
1953 – Huub Van Der LubbeThe dyke
1956 – Judie Tzuke,
1958 – Duncan CampbellUB40
1971 – Robin BerlinKane
1975 – Spiller,
1985 – Leona Lewis,
1990 – Cat Nestle,
Today at number 1:
1965 – 1 (1) Letkis– Stig Rauno (Barclay), 7 weeks at number 1
1965 – 1 (1) Let Kiss– Orchestra Gudrun Jankis (Omega), 7 weeks at number 1
1965 – 1 (1) Letkis Jenka– The Dutch Swing College Band (Philips), 2 weeks at number 1
1971 – 1 (1) Du– Peter Maffay (Telefunken), 5 weeks at number 1
1976 – 1 (5) Fernando– ABBA (Polydor), 1 week at number 1
1982 – 1 (1) Maid Of Orleans (The Waltz Joan Of Arc)– Orchestral Maneuvers In The Dark (Dindisc), 4 weeks at number 1
1993 – 1 (1) No Limit– 2 Unlimited (Byte), 5 weeks at number 1
1999 – 1 (2) …Baby One More Time– Britney Spears (Jive), 3 weeks at number 1
2004 – 1 (1) Yeah– Usher featuring Lil’ Jon & Ludacris (Arista), 2 weeks at number 1
2010 – 1 (1) Hey, Soul Sister– Train (Columbia), 5 weeks at number 1
2021 – 1 (1) Stay sleeping– Snelle x Maan (Roq ‘N Rolla / 8Ball), 2 weeks at number 1
(03/04/2024)
