On this day in music history…
In 1980, Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis took his own life. Curtis suffered from depression and severe epilepsy. Curtis’s epilepsy heavily impacted his personal life as well as his career. His suicide took place the day before Joy Division was set to depart for their first North American tour. Later that year, the surviving members of the band would form New Order.
In 1985, Simple Minds topped the Billboard Hot 100 with “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” from The Breakfast Club soundtrack. This was the first Simple Minds song to make the U.S. singles chart, and it remains their only number 1 hit in the States. Simple Minds agreed to record the song after several other artists passed on it, including Bryan Ferry, Corey Hart, and Billy Idol.
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