HOT 102.7FM A Star is Born

A Star is Born

A Star Is Born is a special HOT1027 News feature that celebrates the legendary artists behind the music we love. On an artist’s birthday, we take listeners on a nostalgic, audio-rich journey through their life — from early struggles and breakthrough moments to the songs that defined an era. Using carefully selected music and the artist’s own words from rare interviews, A Star Is Born honours the stories, setbacks and successes that turned raw talent into timeless hits.
Weekly English South Africa Music
29 Episodes
1 – 20

Episode 28: Paula Abdul: "No" is the beginning of a negotiation...

Today, Paula Abdul turns 64. Long before she became the warm-hearted judge on American Idol, she was one of the biggest pop stars on the planet — a dancer, a choreographer and singer who racked up six number-one hits and helped define the sound and style of the late 1980's…
19 Jun 2 min

Episode 27: Alison Moyet: "I was a misfit and a loner"

Today, one of the most distinctive voices of the 80s turns 65. From "Yazoo" to solo classics like "Invisible" and "All Cried Out", Alison Moyet has sold more than 23 million records worldwide — all while refusing to play by the music industry's rules. HOT1027's Tara Penny takes a look…
18 Jun 2 min

Episode 26: Mick Hucknall: "Pop music is a definite art form"

Today, Mick Hucknall turns 66. From a tough childhood in Manchester to selling more than 50-million records with Simply Red, Hucknall turned heartbreak, hope and soul into some of the biggest hits of the 80s and 90s. HOT1027's Tara Penny takes a look…
8 Jun 2 min

Episode 21: Leo Sayer: "My best is still ahead of me"

Today, one of the most distinctive voices of the 1970's turns 78. With hits like “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” to “When I Need You” and ''Thunder In My Heart", Leo Sayer built a career on emotion, energy and pure storytelling. But behind the curly hair and global fame…
21 May 2 min

Episode 19: Janet Jackson: "I wanted to stand on my own two feet"

Today, one of the most influential women in pop music turns 60. For five decades, Janet Jackson has turned pain, control, vulnerability and sheer determination into some of the most defining music — and choreography — of the modern era. From Control and Rhythm Nation to Nasty and Together Again…
16 May 2 min

Episode 18: Stevie Wonder: "I wanted to be where the music was"

Today, one of the most influential musicians of the modern era celebrates his 76th birthday. Blind since infancy, Stevie Wonder turned extraordinary hardship into extraordinary art — creating some of the most joyful, political and beloved music ever recorded. HOT1027’s Tara Penny takes a look…
13 May 2 min

Episode 17: Bono: "Celebrity reverses God's order"

Today, one of the most recognisable voices in music — and one of its most relentless activists — turns 66. From the streets of Dublin to stadiums around the world, Bono has spent nearly five decades trying to prove that rock music can do more than entertain… it can change…
10 May 3 min

Episode 16: Billy Joel: "Life experience gave me lyrics"

Today, one of the most influential singer-songwriters of the last half-century celebrates his 77th birthday. Billy Joel built a career turning heartbreak, family wounds and the messiness of ordinary life into songs that millions of people still know by heart. HOT1027’s Tara Penny takes a look…
9 May 3 min

Episode 15: Bob Seger: "You try to touch something universal in the lyric"

Today, one of rock’s great storytellers celebrates his 81st birthday. Bob Seger gave a voice to the restless, and the ordinary people just trying to hold it together — turning small-town memories and long lonely highways into songs that still hit home. HOT1027’s Tara Penny takes a look…
6 May 2 min

Episode 13: Celine Dion: "Maybe I won't sing again..."

Today marks the 58th birthday of global superstar Celine Dion — a record-breaking performer whose Las Vegas shows have become some of the most successful in music history. After years of quietly battling a rare neurological condition that forced her off stage, she made a breathtaking return at the Paris…
30 Mar 2 min

Episode 12: Mariah Carey: "It's what saved me..."

Today marks the 57th birthday of global superstar - Mariah Carey — one of the most recognisable voices in music history. Bursting onto the scene at just 20 years old….. she quickly became one of the biggest stars in the world. HOT1027’s Natasha Thorp has more…
27 Mar 2 min

Episode 11: Diana Ross: "My first performance was in Church"

Today, Diana Ross turns 82 — and few artists have shaped popular music quite like she has. From a little girl in Detroit’s Brewster housing projects to Motown royalty, movie stardom and a solo career packed with global hits, Ross didn’t just perform the soundtrack of an era — she…
26 Mar 2 min

Episode 10: Elton John: "I'm the luckiest man in the world"

Elton John turns 79 today. From “Rocket Man” to “Your Song”, Elton John has given generations the soundtrack to love, heartbreak, reinvention and survival. But behind the glitter, the fame and the piano hooks was a man searching for something much more human.
25 Mar 2 min
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