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Stanisław Skrowaczewski

Stanislaw Pawel Stefan Jan Sebastian Skrowaczewski (October 3, 1923 – February 21, 2017) was a Polish-American classical conductor and composer.

Biography
Skrowaczewski was born in Lwów, Second Polish Republic (now Lviv, Ukraine). His parents were Paweł and Zofia (Karszniewicz) Skrowaczewski. His mother, an amateur pianist, began giving him lessons at the age of four, and he composed his first symphony by age eight. The Lwów Philharmonic performed one of his symphonies that same year. He gave his first piano recital at age eleven, and then, at age thirteen, he conducted and was the soloist in Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor. He gave up any thought of pursuing a career as a soloist when, after a German bombing raid in June 1941, he suffered two broken hands and was also left with nerve damage.

During the German occupation, Skrowaczewski worked as a bricklayer, and he studied physics, chemistry and philosophy at the University of Lwów. He then pursued training at the Lwów Conservatory, and then the Academy of Music in Kraków (in the composition class of Roman Palester and conducting class of ). He became the principal conductor of the Wrocław Philharmonic (1946-1947), then the Katowice Philharmonic (1949-1954), the Kraków Philharmonic (1954-1956), and finally the Warsaw National Orchestra (1956-1959). He studied composition with Nadia Boulanger and conducting with Paul Kletzki in Paris. He co-founded the avant-garde Groupe Zodiaque with Maurice Ohana. In 1956 he won the Santa Cecilia Competition for Conductors.

While the Cleveland Orchestra was giving a concert in Warsaw in 1957, their music director, George Szell, invited Skrowaczewski to make his American debut the following year. He guest-conducted in Cleveland again in 1959, where he gave the US debut of his "Symphony for Strings", and then, in 1960, for Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and the New York Philharmonic.

He and his wife defected from Poland to the United States in 1960, via Amsterdam, after he was offered the post of music director of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra (later renamed the Minnesota Orchestra under his tenure in 1968), a position he held until 1979 when he became conductor laureate. In 1981 the American Composers Forum (then known as the Minnesota Composers Forum) commissioned the Clarinet Concerto which Skrowaczewski wrote for Minnesota Orchestra principal clarinetist Joe Longo, who premiered it in 1981. While in Minnesota, Skrowaczewski lobbied to have Orchestra Hall built, and he also introduced American audiences to the works of many Polish composers, including those of Penderecki, Szymanowski, and Lutosławski.

Between 1983 and 1992 he was principal conductor of the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester.

Between 1995 and 1997, Skrowaczewski served as artistic advisor to the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. In 1988, he was composer-in-residence for the Philadelphia Orchestra's summer season at Saratoga. He has guest-conducted that orchestra, and many others, all over the world. In 2007, he became principal conductor of the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo, and also made several recordings with the NHK Symphony Orchestra.

His complete set of recordings of the symphonies of Anton Bruckner, made with the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern, has received much acclaim, as has his 2005/06 complete Beethoven symphony cycle with the orchestra. Another noted recording is his Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 with the London Symphony Orchestra in collaboration with soloist Gina Bachauer.

Skrowaczewski's Passacaglia Immaginaria, completed in 1995, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in 1997. Commissioned by the Minnesota Orchestral Association to honor the memory of Ken and Judy Dayton, it was premiered at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis in 1996.

His Chamber Concerto was commissioned by the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra in memory of Leopold Sipe, their first music director. Skrowaczewski received his second Pulitzer nomination in 1999 for his Concerto for Orchestra.

He received the Commander Order of the White Eagle, the highest order conferred by the Polish government, as well as the Gold Medal of the Mahler-Bruckner Society, the 1973 Ditson Conductor's Award, and the Kennedy Center Friedheim Award's third prize in 1978 for his Ricercari Notturni for saxophone and orchestra.

He was the father of Paul Sebastien, founder of electronica groups Psykosonik and Basic Pleasure Model, and of Nicholas Skrowaczewski. He lived in Wayzata, Minnesota, and died in St. Louis Park on February 21, 2017.

Frederick Harris, Jr., director of the MIT Wind Ensemble, wrote Skrowaczewski's official biography.

Recordings

 * Passacaglia Immaginaria/ Chamber Concerto/ Concerto for Clarinet in A & Orchestra - Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra; Albany TROY481 (2001); conducted by the composer
 * Robert Schumann cello concerto in A minor/ Édouard Lalo cello concerto in D minor, Janos Starker, cello, London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by S. Skrowaczewski (1963 Philips A 04910 L)

title: Stanisław Skrowaczewski


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Pen cancel

In philately, a pen cancel – symbol $⟨pen cancel symbol.svg⟩$ – is a cancellation of a postage or revenue stamp by the use of a pen, marker or crayon.

Usage
In the early days of stamps, cancellation with a pen was common. Today stamps are almost always cancelled with an inked handstamp or a machine cancel as this is quicker to apply. Pen cancels are still sometimes seen today when a postal official needs to cancel stamps missed by the automatic cancelling machine.

There are no fixed terms for the different types of pen cancels, but a cancel in the form of two crossed lines has been referred to as an X cancel. Pen cancels may also take the form of notations by the canceller, the city in which the item was posted or the initials of the local postmaster.

A pen cancel may indicate fiscal (revenue) use; however, in the early days of stamps a pen cancel was sometimes used because no handstamp was available, for instance in Nicaragua where pen cancels were used for seven years after their first stamps appeared in 1862.

Values
A used postage stamp with a pen cancel is usually worth much less than a stamp cancelled using a handstamp or machine. In particular, the additional information from the handstamp is lost and the pen cancel may indicate fiscal (revenue) rather than postal use. Pen cancelling is, however, a common method of cancelling stamps used fiscally. Stamps marked valid for both postage and revenue use are usually worth less when fiscally used.

Tampering
Some people have attempted to remove pen cancels from used stamps in order to make them appear as more valuable mint stamps.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Pen cancel


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Armed Forces Bowl

The Armed Forces Bowl, formerly the Fort Worth Bowl from 2003 to 2005, is an annual postseason college football bowl game. First played in 2003, the game is normally held at the 45,000-seat Amon G. Carter Stadium on the campus of Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. The 2010 and 2011 editions were instead played at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in University Park, Texas, when Amon G. Carter Stadium underwent a reconstruction project. The game features teams from various collegiate football conferences, the independent United States Military Academy (Army) is also eligible to participate. Since 2014, the game has been sponsored by Lockheed Martin and is officially known as the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl. Previous sponsors include Bell Helicopter (2006–2013) and PlainsCapital Bank (2003–2004).

The contest is one of 14 bowls produced by ESPN Events (previously ESPN Regional Television) and has been televised annually on ESPN since its inception. Armed Forces Insurance is the official Insurance Partner of the Armed Forces Bowl and has sponsored the Great American Patriot Award, presented at halftime at the bowl, since 2006.

History
The bowl was first played in December 2003, featuring two ranked teams, No. 18 Boise State and No. 19 TCU. It was the only edition to include a ranked team (per the AP Poll) until No. 22 Army played in December 2018.

In 2010 and 2011 when Amon G. Carter Stadium underwent a reconstruction project, the bowl was moved to Gerald J. Ford Stadium in nearby University Park, Texas.

Through the December 2018 playing, one of the three FBS-playing service academies (Army, Navy, and Air Force) has appeared in the game ten times. Contractual tie-ins with the American Athletic Conference (home of Navy), the Mountain West Conference (home of Air Force) and the independent Army assures that one of those schools could appear in the game every year, if bowl-eligible and not already committed to another bowl.

The 2018 game, between Army and Houston, was the first sellout in the bowl's 16-year history.

Sponsorship
The bowl game was inaugurated in 2003 as the PlainsCapital Fort Worth Bowl, reflecting the sponsorship of PlainsCapital Bank. The bank's sponsorship ended after the 2004 edition, and the 2005 game was staged without corporate sponsorship.

In 2006, Fort Worth based Bell Helicopter Textron took over sponsorship, and thus the game became officially known as the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl. The Bell sponsorship ended after the 2013 edition. During this time, the 2010 and 2011 Armed Forces Bowl were held at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on the campus of Southern Methodist University in the Dallas enclave of University Park, while Amon G. Carter Stadium was undergoing a major renovation. The game returned to Amon Carter Stadium in Fort Worth in 2012, after construction on that stadium was completed.

Alltel was to assume the title sponsorship and naming rights to the game beginning in 2014, which would have been titled the Alltel Wireless Bowl to promote its mobile division, but the deal fell through. Instead, Lockheed Martin became the game's sponsor. The company has a major presence in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex: the company's Lockheed Martin Aeronautics division is based in Fort Worth while its Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control division is based in nearby Grand Prairie. In December 2018, Lockheed Martin extended its sponsorship though 2025.

Conference tie-ins
The bowl's partnership with the Big 12 Conference ended with the 2005 season. From 2006 to 2009, the Mountain West Conference was signed to provide a team to face either a team from the Pac-10 or Conference USA (C-USA), depending on the year; Pac-10 teams would play in odd number years while C-USA teams would play in even numbered years). As such, the 2006 and 2008 games featured C-USA teams Tulsa and Houston, respectively, whereas California represented the Pac-10 in 2007. The Pac-10 was unable to send a representative to the game in 2009, so C-USA sent Houston to the game for a second consecutive year. In 2010, since the Mountain West did not have enough eligible teams and Army was bowl eligible, Army played SMU in the bowl.

Following the 2013 football season, the Armed Forces Bowl signed multi-year agreements with the American Athletic Conference (The American), Big Ten Conference, Big 12 Conference, Mountain West Conference, Army and Navy to set bowl match-ups for the next six seasons (Navy later joined The American, and Army committed to do so beginning with the 2024 football season).

In December 2020, it was announced that the 2020 game would be played between teams from the Pac-12 and SEC, following cancellation of the ESPN Events-owned Las Vegas Bowl (which would have been featuring those tie-ins for the first time) due to complications relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, due to a lack of available teams from the Pac-12, Tulsa of the American Athletic Conference was ultimately selected to face Mississippi State of the SEC.

Games marked with an asterisk (*) were played in January of the following calendar year.

Game results
Rankings are based on the AP Poll prior to the game being played. Source:

MVPs
From inception through the 2022 edition, an MVP was named for each team. The 2023 game summary published on the bowl's official website only mentions a single MVP.

Source:

Most appearances
Updated through the December 2023 edition (21 games, 42 total appearances).

 * Teams with multiple appearances

Won (9): Boise State, BYU, Cincinnati, Kansas, Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State, Rice, Tulane, Utah Lost (10): Baylor, James Madison, Marshall, Middle Tennessee, Missouri, Pittsburgh, San Diego State, SMU, Southern Miss, TCU
 * Teams with a single appearance

Appearances by conference
Updated through the December 2023 edition (21 games, 42 total appearances).

 * Games marked with an asterisk (*) were played in January of the following calendar year.
 * Pac-12 record includes appearances when the conference was known as the Pac-10 (before 2011).
 * The WAC no longer sponsors FBS football.
 * Independent appearances: Army (2010, 2017, 2018, 2021), BYU (2011), Navy (2013)

Game records
Source:

Media coverage
The bowl has been televised on ESPN since its inception. Radio coverage was initially on ESPN Radio, and is currently carried nationally via Bowl Season Radio.

title: Armed Forces Bowl


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Don Cherry (singer)

Donald Ross Cherry (January 11, 1924 – April 4, 2018) was an American traditional pop and big band singer and golfer. In music, he is best known for his 1955 hit "Band of Gold".

Biography
Cherry was born in Wichita Falls, Texas. He started in his early 20s as a big band singer in the orchestras of Jan Garber and Victor Young. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army Air Forces. In 1951, he recorded his first solo hits, "Thinking of You" and "Belle, Belle, My Liberty Belle". In 1955, came his biggest hit, "Band of Gold", which reached No. 4 on the Billboard chart. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. The track peaked at No. 6 in the UK Singles Chart. He had three more hits in 1956: "Wild Cherry", "Ghost Town", and "Namely You", all backed by orchestra leader Ray Conniff. He was also the voice of the Mr. Clean commercials during the late 1950s and early 1960s. In 1962, he also recorded the original version of "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye", which became a hit much later for The Casinos and others.

Throughout his singing career, Cherry was also a top-ranked amateur golfer, and was in contention to win the 1960 U.S. Open before eventually finishing tied for ninth along with Ben Hogan, four strokes behind winner Arnold Palmer. Cherry played on three Walker Cup teams (1953, 1955, and 1961), in the Americas Cup twice (1954 and 1960) and in nine Masters Tournaments, making the cut seven times with a best finish of T-25 in 1959. He captured the Canadian Amateur Championship in 1953 and the prestigious Sunnehanna Amateur title in 1954. In 1962, Cherry decided to turn professional and "Pro" became his nickname among fellow entertainers. His volcanic temper on the golf course (which, according to Cherry, "...made Tommy Bolt look like a choir boy!") was in startling contrast to his velvety-smooth singing voice and pleasant stage persona.

Cherry published his biography, Cherry's Jubilee, with co-writer Neil Daniels. He was a good friend of Willie Nelson, and had collaborated on three albums with him, Augusta (1995), The Eyes of Texas (2002), and It's Magic (2007). Cherry was married four times, once to 1956 Miss America Sharon Ritchie, before wedding Francine Bond Smith, in 1993. They lived in Las Vegas, Nevada. His son, Stephen, was a casualty of the 9/11 attacks when American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower. Stephen left behind four sons.

He was also married to Miss Nevada, Joy Garner and singer, Dean Martin was the best man at their wedding. Miss Garner was also a Copa showgirl at the Sands Hotel.

Cherry died at a hospice on April 4, 2018, at the age of 94. He is survived by his wife, Francine.

Singles

 * A"Band of Gold" also peaked at No. 6 in UK Singles Chart.
 * B"Married" also peaked at No. 30 in Adult Contemporary singles.
 * C"Take a Message to Mary" also peaked at No. 71 in Billboard country chart

title: Don Cherry (singer)


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30th Annual Grammy Awards

The 30th Annual Grammy Awards were held March 2, 1988, at Radio City Music Hall, New York City. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year.

Album of the Year went to U2 for The Joshua Tree, and Song of the Year went to Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil and James Horner for "Somewhere Out There".

Presenters

 * Anita Baker & Robbie Robertson - Best Pop Vocal Performance Female
 * Patrick Swayze & Liza Minnelli - Best Musical Cast Show Album
 * Billy Joel & Herbie Hancock - Song of the Year
 * Steve Allen & Steven Wright - Best Comedy Recording
 * Diana Ross & Herb Alpert - Album of the Year
 * Emanuel Ax - Best Classical Album
 * Ruben Blades & Al Jarreau - Producer of the Year
 * Little Richard & Buster Poindexter - Best New Artist
 * Quincy Jones & Lena Horne - Best Rock Solo Performance and Record of the Year

Award winners
Record of the Year Album of the Year Song of the Year Best New Artist
 * "Graceland" – Paul Simon
 * Paul Simon, producer
 * "La Bamba" – Los Lobos
 * Los Lobos & Mitchell Froom, producers
 * "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" – U2
 * Brian Eno & Daniel Lanois, producers
 * "Luka" – Suzanne Vega
 * Steve Addabbo & Lenny Kaye, producers
 * "Back in the High Life Again" – Steve Winwood
 * Russ Titelman & Steve Winwood, producers
 * The Joshua Tree – U2
 * Brian Eno & Daniel Lanois, producers
 * Whitney – Whitney Houston
 * Narada Michael Walden, producer
 * Bad – Michael Jackson
 * Michael Jackson & Quincy Jones, producers
 * Trio – Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris
 * George Massenburg, producer
 * Sign o' the Times – Prince
 * Prince, producer
 * "Somewhere Out There"
 * James Horner, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, songwriters (Linda Ronstadt & James Ingram)
 * "La Bamba"
 * Ritchie Valens, songwriter (Los Lobos)
 * "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"
 * Adam Clayton, David Evans, Larry Mullen, Jr. & Paul Hewson, songwriters (U2)
 * "Luka"
 * Suzanne Vega, songwriter (Suzanne Vega)
 * "Didn't We Almost Have It All"
 * Michael Masser & Will Jennings, songwriters (Whitney Houston)
 * Jody Watley
 * Breakfast Club
 * Cutting Crew
 * Terence Trent D'Arby
 * Swing Out Sister

Blues

 * Best Traditional Blues Recording
 * Professor Longhair for Houseparty New Orleans Style
 * Best Contemporary Blues Recording
 * The Robert Cray Band for Strong Persuader

Children's

 * Best Recording for Children
 * Tom Bradshaw, Mark Sottnick (producers), Bobby McFerrin (producer & artist) & Jack Nicholson for The Elephant's Child

Classical

 * Best Orchestral Recording
 * Michael Haas (producer), Georg Solti (conductor) & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor
 * Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance
 * Kathleen Battle for Kathleen Battle - Salzburg Recital
 * Best Opera Recording
 * Cord Garben (producer), James Levine (conductor), Agnes Baltsa, Kathleen Battle, Gary Lakes, Hermann Prey, Anna Tomowa-Sintow, & the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra for R. Strauss: Ariadne Auf Naxos
 * Best Choral Performance (other than opera)
 * Robert Shaw (conductor) & the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus for Hindemith: When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd
 * Best Classical Performance - Instrumental Soloist(s) (with orchestra)
 * James Levine (conductor), Itzhak Perlman & the Vienna Philharmonic for Mozart: Violin Concertos Nos. 2 and 4
 * Best Classical Performance - Instrumental Soloist(s) (without orchestra)
 * Vladimir Horowitz for Horowitz in Moscow
 * Best Chamber Music Performance
 * Vladimir Ashkenazy, Lynn Harrell, Itzhak Perlman & for Beethoven: The Complete Piano Trios
 * Best Contemporary Composition
 * Krzysztof Penderecki (composer & conductor), Mstislav Rostropovich & the Philharmonia Orchestra for Penderecki: Cello Concerto No. 2
 * Best Classical Album
 * Thomas Frost (producer) & Vladimir Horowitz for Horowitz in Moscow

Comedy
Best Comedy Recording
 * "A Night at the Met" - Robin Williams

Composing and arranging

 * Best Instrumental Composition
 * Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock, Billy Higgins & Wayne Shorter (composers) for Call Sheet Blues performed by various artists
 * Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television
 * James Horner, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil (songwriters) for Somewhere Out There performed by Linda Ronstadt & James Ingram
 * Best Album of Original Instrumental Background Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television
 * Ennio Morricone (composer) for The Untouchables
 * Best Arrangement on an Instrumental
 * Bill Holman (arranger) for Take The "A" Train performed by The Tonight Show Band with Doc Severinsen
 * Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s)
 * Frank Foster (arranger) for Deedles' Blues performed by Diane Schuur & the Count Basie Orchestraか

Country

 * Best Country Vocal Performance, Female
 * K. T. Oslin for 80's Ladies
 * Best Country Vocal Performance, Male
 * Randy Travis for Always & Forever
 * Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
 * Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton & Linda Ronstadt for Trio
 * Best Country Vocal Performance, Duet
 * Ronnie Milsap & Kenny Rogers for "Make No Mistake, She's Mine"
 * Best Country Instrumental Performance (orchestra, group or soloist)
 * Asleep at the Wheel for String of Pars
 * Best Country Song
 * Paul Overstreet & Don Schlitz (songwriters) for "Forever and Ever, Amen" performed by Randy Travis

Folk

 * Best Traditional Folk Recording
 * Ladysmith Black Mambazo for Shaka Zulu
 * Best Contemporary Folk Recording
 * Steve Goodman for Unfinished Business

Gospel

 * Best Gospel Performance, Female
 * Deniece Williams for I Believe In You
 * Best Gospel Performance, Male
 * Larnelle Harris for The Father Hath Provided
 * Best Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group, Choir or Chorus
 * Mylon LeFevre and Broken Heart for Crack the Sky
 * Best Soul Gospel Performance, Female
 * CeCe Winans for For Always
 * Best Soul Gospel Performance, Male
 * Al Green for Everything's Gonna Be Alright
 * Best Soul Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group, Choir or Chorus
 * The Winans & Anita Baker for Ain't No Need to Worry

Historical

 * Best Historical Album
 * Orrin Keepnews (producer) for Thelonious Monk - The Complete Riverside Recordings

Jazz

 * Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female
 * Diane Schuur for Diane Schuur & the Count Basie Orchestra
 * Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male
 * Bobby McFerrin for What Is This Thing Called Love
 * Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist
 * Dexter Gordon for The Other Side of Round Midnight
 * Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group
 * Wynton Marsalis for Marsalis Standard Time, Vol. I
 * Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band
 * Mercer Ellington for Digital Duke
 * Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Vocal or Instrumental
 * Pat Metheny Group for Still Life (Talking)

Latin

 * Best Latin Pop Performance
 * Julio Iglesias for Un Hombre Solo
 * Best Tropical Latin Performance
 * Eddie Palmieri for La Verdad - The Truth
 * Best Mexican-American Performance
 * Los Tigres del Norte for Gracias!... América... Sin Fronteras

Musical show

 * Best Musical Cast Show Album
 * Claude-Michel Schönberg (composer), Herbert Kretzmer (lyricist), Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg (producers), & the original Broadway cast for Les Misérables

Music video

 * Best Concept Music Video
 * Genesis for "Land of Confusion"
 * Best Performance Music Video
 * Anthony Eaton (video producer) for The Prince's Trust All-Star Rock Concert performed by various artists

New Age

 * Best New Age Performance
 * Yusef Lateef for Yusef Lateef's Little Symphony

Packaging and notes

 * Best Album Package
 * Bill Johnson (art director) for King's Record Shop performed by Rosanne Cash
 * Best Album Notes
 * Orrin Keepnews (notes writer) for Thelonious Monk - The Complete Riverside Recordings performed by Thelonious Monk

Polka
Best Polka Recording
 * A Polka Just for Me – Jimmy Sturr

Pop

 * Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female
 * "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" – Whitney Houston
 * Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male
 * "Bring on the Night (live)" – Sting
 * Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
 * "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" – Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes
 * Best Pop Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group or Soloist)
 * "Minute by Minute" – Larry Carlton

Production and engineering

 * Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical
 * Bruce Swedien & Humberto Gatica (engineers) for Bad performed by Michael Jackson
 * Best Engineered Recording, Classical
 * Jack Renner (engineer), Robert Shaw (conductor) & the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for Fauré: Requiem/Duruflé: Requiem
 * Producer of the Year, (Non Classical)
 * Narada Michael Walden
 * Classical Producer of the Year
 * Robert Woods

R&B

 * Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female
 * Aretha Franklin for Aretha
 * Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male
 * Smokey Robinson for "Just to See Her"
 * Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
 * Aretha Franklin & George Michael for "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)"
 * Best R&B Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group or Soloist)
 * David Sanborn for "Chicago Song"
 * Best Rhythm & Blues Song
 * Bill Withers (songwriter) for "Lean on Me" performed by Club Nouveau

Reggae

 * Best Reggae Recording
 * No Nuclear War – Peter Tosh

Rock

 * Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo
 * "Tunnel of Love" – Bruce Springsteen
 * Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
 * The Joshua Tree – U2
 * Best Rock Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group or Soloist)
 * "Jazz from Hell" – Frank Zappa

Spoken

 * Best Spoken Word or Non-musical Recording
 * Garrison Keillor for Lake Wobegon Days

title: 30th Annual Grammy Awards


text:
Mil Mi-24

The Mil Mi-24 (Миль Ми-24; NATO reporting name: Hind) is a large helicopter gunship, attack helicopter and low-capacity troop transport with room for eight passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and was introduced by the Soviet Air Force in 1972. The helicopter is currently in use by 58 countries.

In NATO circles, the export versions, Mi-25 and Mi-35, are denoted with a letter suffix as "Hind D" and "Hind E". Soviet pilots called the Mi-24 the "flying tank" (летающий танк), a term used historically with the famous World War II Soviet Il-2 Shturmovik armored ground attack aircraft. Other common unofficial nicknames were "Galina" (or "Galya"), "Crocodile" (Крокодил), due to the helicopter's camouflage scheme, and "Drinking Glass" (Стакан), because of the flat glass plates that surround earlier Mi-24 variants' cockpits.

Development
During the early 1960s, it became apparent to Soviet designer Mikhail Mil that the trend towards ever-increasing battlefield mobility would result in the creation of flying infantry fighting vehicles, which could be used to perform both fire support and infantry transport missions. The first expression of this concept was a mock-up unveiled in 1966 in the experimental department of the Ministry of Aircraft's factory number 329, where Mil was head designer. The mock-up designated V-24 was based on another project, the V-22 utility helicopter, which never flew. The V-24 had a central infantry compartment that could hold eight troops sitting back to back, and a set of small wings positioned to the top rear of the passenger cabin, capable of holding up to six missiles or rockets and a twin-barreled GSh-23L cannon fixed to the landing skid.

Mil proposed the design to the heads of the Soviet armed forces. While he had the support of a number of strategists, he was opposed by several more senior members of the armed forces, who believed that conventional weapons were a better use of resources. Despite the opposition, Mil managed to persuade the defence minister's first deputy, Marshal Andrey A. Grechko, to convene an expert panel to look into the matter. While the panel's opinions were mixed, supporters of the project eventually held sway and a request for design proposals for a battlefield support helicopter was issued. The development and use of gunships and attack helicopters by the US Army during the Vietnam War convinced the Soviets of the advantages of armed helicopter ground support, and fostered support for the development of the Mi-24.

Mil engineers prepared two basic designs: a 7-ton single-engine design and a 10.5-ton twin-engine design, both based on the 1,700 hp Izotov TV3-177A turboshaft. Later, three complete mock-ups were produced, along with five cockpit mock-ups to allow the pilot and weapon station operator positions to be fine-tuned.

The Kamov design bureau suggested an army version of their Ka-25 ASW helicopter as a low-cost option. This was considered but later dropped in favor of the new Mil twin-engine design. A number of changes were made at the insistence of the military, including the replacement of the 23 mm cannon with a rapid-fire heavy machine gun mounted in a chin turret, and the use of the 9K114 Shturm (AT-6 Spiral) anti-tank missile.

A directive was issued on 6 May 1968 to proceed with the development of the twin-engine design. Work proceeded under Mil until his death in 1970. Detailed design work began in August 1968 under the codename Yellow 24. A full-scale mock-up of the design was reviewed and approved in February 1969. Flight tests with a prototype began on 15 September 1969 with a tethered hover, and four days later the first free flight was conducted. A second prototype was built, followed by a test batch of ten helicopters.

Acceptance testing for the design began in June 1970, continuing for 18 months. Changes made in the design addressed structural strength, fatigue problems and vibration levels. Also, a 12-degree anhedral was introduced to the wings to address the aircraft's tendency to Dutch roll at speeds in excess of 200 km/h (124 mph), and the Falanga missile pylons were moved from the fuselage to the wingtips. The tail rotor was moved from the right to the left side of the tail, and the rotation direction reversed. The tail rotor now rotated up on the side towards the front of the aircraft, into the downwash of the rotor, which increased its efficiency. A number of other design changes were made until the production version Mi-24A (izdeliye 245) entered production in 1970, obtaining its initial operating capability in 1971 and was officially accepted into the state arsenal in 1972.

In 1972, following completion of the Mi-24, development began on a unique attack helicopter with transport capability. The new design had a reduced transport capability (three troops instead of eight) and was called the Mi-28, and that of the Ka-50 attack helicopter, which is smaller and more maneuverable and does not have the large cabin for carrying troops. In October 2007, the Russian Air Force announced it would replace its Mi-24 fleet with Mi-28Ns and Ka-52s by 2015. However, after the successful operation of the type in Syria it was decided to keep it in service and upgrade it with new electronics, sights, arms and night vision goggles.

Overview

The core of the aircraft was derived from the Mil Mi-8 (NATO reporting name "Hip") with two top-mounted turboshaft engines driving a mid-mounted 17.3 m five-blade main rotor and a three-blade tail rotor. The engine configuration gave the aircraft its distinctive double air intake. Original versions have an angular greenhouse-style cockpit; Model D and later have a characteristic tandem cockpit with a "double bubble" canopy. Other airframe components came from the Mi-14 "Haze". Two mid-mounted stub wings provide weapon hardpoints, each offering three stations, in addition to providing lift. The loadout mix is mission dependent; Mi-24s can be tasked with close air support, anti-tank operations, or aerial combat.

The Mi-24's titanium rotor blades are resistant to 12.7 mm rounds. The cockpit is protected by ballistic-resistant windscreens and a titanium-armored tub. The cockpit and crew compartment are overpressurized to protect the crew in NBC conditions.

Flight characteristics

Considerable attention was given to making the Mi-24 fast. The airframe was streamlined, and fitted with retractable tricycle undercarriage landing gear to reduce drag. At high speed, the wings provide considerable lift (up to a quarter of total lift). The main rotor was tilted 2.5° to the right from the fuselage to compensate for translating tendency at a hover. The landing gear was also tilted to the left so that the rotor would still be level when the aircraft was on the ground, making the rest of the airframe tilt to the left. The tail was also asymmetrical to give a side force at speed, thus unloading the tail rotor.

A modified Mi-24B, named A-10, was used in several speed and time-to-climb world record attempts. The helicopter had been modified to reduce weight as much as possible—one measure was the removal of the stub wings. The previous official speed record was set on 13 August 1975 over a closed 1000 km course of 332.65 km/h (206.7 mph); many of the female-specific records were set by the all-female crew of Galina Rastorguyeva and Lyudmila Polyanskaya. On 21 September 1978, the A-10 set the absolute speed record for helicopters with 368.4 km/h (228.9 mph) over a 15/25 km course. The record stood until 1986, when it was broken by the current official record holder, a modified British Westland Lynx.

Comparison to Western helicopters

As a combination of armoured gunship and troop transport, the Mi-24 has no direct NATO counterpart. While the UH-1 ("Huey") helicopters were used by the US in the Vietnam War either to ferry troops, or as gunships, they were not able to do both at the same time. Converting a UH-1 into a gunship meant stripping the entire passenger area to accommodate extra fuel and ammunition, and removing its troop transport capability. The Mi-24 was designed to do both, and this was greatly exploited by airborne units of the Soviet Army during the 1980–89 Soviet–Afghan War. The closest Western equivalent was the American Sikorsky S-67 Blackhawk, which used many of the same design principles and was also built as a high-speed, high-agility attack helicopter with limited troop transport capability using many components from the existing Sikorsky S-61. The S-67, however, was never adopted for service. Other Western equivalents are the Romanian Army's IAR 330, which is a licence-built armed version of the Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma, and the MH-60 Direct Action Penetrator, a special purpose armed variant of the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk.

Ogaden War (1977–1978)
The first combat use of the Mi-24 was with the Ethiopian forces during the Ogaden War against Somalia. The helicopters formed part of a massive airlift of military equipment from the Soviet Union, after the Soviets switched sides towards the end of 1977. The helicopters were instrumental in the combined air and ground assault that allowed the Ethiopians to retake the Ogaden by the beginning of 1978.

Chadian–Libyan conflict (1978–1987)
The Libyan air force used Mi-24A and Mi-25 units during their numerous interventions in Chad's civil war. The Mi-24s were first used in October 1980 in the battle of N'Djamena, where they helped the People's Armed Forces seize the capital.

In March 1987, the Armed Forces of the North, which were backed by the US and France, captured a Libyan air force base at Ouadi-Doum in Northern Chad. Among the aircraft captured during this raid were three Mi-25s. These were supplied to France, which in turn sent one to the United Kingdom and one to the US.

Soviet war in Afghanistan (1979–1989)
The aircraft was operated extensively during the Soviet–Afghan War, mainly for bombing Mujahideen fighters. When the U.S. supplied heat-seeking Stinger missiles to the Mujahideen, the Soviet Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters proved to be favorite targets of the rebels.

It is difficult to find the total number of Mi-24s used in Afghanistan. At the end of 1990, the whole Soviet Army had 1,420 Mi-24s. During the Afghan war, sources estimated the helicopter strength to be as much as 600 units, with up to 250 being Mi-24s. Whereas a (formerly secret) 1987 Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) report says that the number of Mi-24s in theatre increased from 85 in 1980 to 120 in 1985.

First deployment and combat
In April 1979, Mi-24s were supplied to the Afghan government to deal with Mujahideen guerrillas. The Afghan pilots were well-trained and made effective use of their machines, but the Mujahideen were not easy targets. The first Mi-24 to be lost in action was shot down by guerrillas on 18 July 1979.

Despite facing strong resistance from Afghan rebels, the Mi-24 proved to be very destructive. The rebels called the Mi-24 "Shaitan-Arba (Satan's Chariot)". In one case, an Mi-24 pilot who was out of ammunition managed to rescue a company of infantry by maneuvering aggressively towards Mujahideen guerrillas and scaring them off. The Mi-24 was popular with ground troops, since it could stay on the battlefield and provide fire as needed, while "fast mover" strike jets could only stay for a short time before heading back to base to refuel.

The Mi-24's favoured munition was the 80 mm S-8 rocket, the 57 mm S-5 having proven too light to be effective. The 23 mm gun pod was also popular. Extra rounds of rocket ammunition were often carried internally so that the crew could land and self-reload in the field. The Mi-24 could carry ten 100 kg iron bombs for attacks on camps or strongpoints, while harder targets could be dealt with a load of four 250 kg or two 500 kg iron bombs. Some Mi-24 crews became experts at dropping bombs precisely on targets. Fuel-air explosive bombs were also used in a few instances, though crews initially underestimated the sheer blast force of such weapons and were caught by the shock waves. The 9K114 Shturm was used infrequently, largely due to a lack of targets early in the war that required the precision and range the missile offered and a need to keep to stocks of anti tank missiles in Europe. After the Mujahideen got access to more advanced anti aircraft weapons later in the war the Shturm was used more often by Mi-24 units.

Combat experience quickly demonstrated the disadvantages of having an Mi-24 carrying troops. Gunship crews found the soldiers a concern and a distraction while being shot at, and preferred to fly lightly loaded anyway, especially given their operations from high ground altitudes in Afghanistan. Mi-24 troop compartment armour was often removed to reduce weight. Troops would be carried in Mi-8 helicopters while the Mi-24s provided fire support.

It proved useful to carry a technician in the Mi-24's crew compartment to handle a light machine gun in a window port. This gave the Mi-24 some ability to "watch its back" while leaving a target area. In some cases, a light machine gun was fitted on both sides to allow the technician to move from one side to the other without having to take the machine gun with him.

This weapon configuration still left the gunship blind to the direct rear, and Mil experimented with fitting a machine gun in the back of the fuselage, accessible to the gunner through a narrow crawl-way. The experiment was highly unsuccessful, as the space was cramped, full of engine exhaust fumes, and otherwise unbearable. During a demonstration, an overweight Soviet Air Force general got stuck in the crawl-way. Operational Mi-24s were retrofitted with rear-view mirrors to help the pilot spot threats and take evasive action.

Besides protecting helicopter troop assaults and supporting ground actions, the Mi-24 also protected convoys, using rockets with flechette warheads to drive off ambushes; performed strikes on predesignated targets; and engaged in "hunter-killer" sweeps. Hunter-killer Mi-24s operated at a minimum in pairs, but were more often in groups of four or eight, to provide mutual fire support. The Mujahideen learned to move mostly at night to avoid the gunships, and in response the Soviets trained their Mi-24 crews in night-fighting, dropping parachute flares to illuminate potential targets for attack. The Mujahideen quickly caught on and scattered as quickly as possible when Soviet target designation flares were lit nearby.

Attrition in Afghanistan
The war in Afghanistan brought with it losses by attrition. The environment itself, dusty and often hot, was rough on the machines; dusty conditions led to the development of the twin PZU ('PyleZashchitnoe Ustroystvo') air intake filters. The rebels' primary air-defence weapons early in the war were heavy machine guns and anti-aircraft cannons, though anything smaller than a 23 millimetre shell generally did not do much damage to an Mi-24. The cockpit glass panels were resistant to 12.7 mm (.50 in calibre) rounds.

The rebels also quickly began to use Soviet-made and US shoulder-launched, man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) missiles such as the Strela and Redeye which had either been captured from the Soviets or their Afghan allies or were supplied from Western sources. Many of them came from stocks that the Israelis had captured during wars with Soviet backed states in the Middle East. Owing to a combination of the limited capabilities of these early types of missiles, poor training and poor material condition of the missiles, they were not particularly effective. Instead, the RPG-7, originally developed as an antitank weapon, was the first effective countermeasure to the Hind. The RPG-7, not designed for air defence, had inherent shortcomings in this role. When fired at the angles needed to hit aerial targets, the back-blast could easily wound the shooter, and the inevitable cloud of smoke and dust made it easy for gunners to spot the shooter's position.

From 1986, the CIA began supplying the Afghan rebels with newer Stinger shoulder-launched, heat-seeking SAMs. These were a marked improvement over earlier weapons. Unlike the Redeye and SA-7, which locked on to only infrared emissions, the Stinger could lock onto both infrared and ultraviolet emissions. This enabled the operator to engage an aircraft from all angles rather than just the tail and made it significantly more resistant to countermeasures like flares. In addition the Mil helicopters, particularly the Mi-24, suffered from a design flaw in the configuration of their engines that made them highly vulnerable to the Stinger. The Mi-24, along with the related Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters, had its engines placed in an inline configuration in an attempt to streamline the helicopter to increase speed and minimize the aircraft's overall frontal profile to incoming fire in a head on attack. However this had the opposite effect of leaking all the exhaust gasses from the Mi-24's engines directly out the side of the aircraft and away from the helicopter's rotor wash, creating two massive sources of heat and ultraviolet radiation for the Stinger to lock onto. The inline placement of the engines was seen as so problematic in this regard that Mil designers abandoned the configuration on the planned successor to the Mi-24, the Mil Mi-28, in favour of an engine placement more akin to Western attack helicopters which vents the exhaust gasses into the helicopter's main rotor wash to dissipate heat.

Initially, the attack doctrine of the Mi-24 was to approach its target from high altitude and dive downwards. After the introduction of the Stinger, doctrine changed to "nap of the earth" flying, where they approached very low to the ground and engaged more laterally, popping up to only about 200 ft in order to aim rockets or cannons. Countermeasure flares and missile warning systems would be installed in all Soviet Mil Mi-2, Mi-8, and Mi-24 helicopters, giving pilots a chance to evade missiles fired at them. Heat dissipation devices were also fitted to exhausts to decrease the Mi-24's heat signature. Tactical and doctrinal changes were introduced to make it harder for the enemy to deploy these weapons effectively. These reduced the Stinger threat, but did not eliminate it.

Mi-24s were also used to shield jet transports flying in and out of Kabul from Stingers. The gunships carried flares to blind the heat-seeking missiles. The crews called themselves "Mandatory Matrosovs", after a Soviet hero of World War II who threw himself across a German machine gun to let his comrades break through.

According to Russian sources, 74 helicopters were lost, including 27 shot down by Stinger and two by Redeye. In many cases, the helicopters with their armour and durable construction could withstand significant damage and able to return to base.

Mi-24 crews and end of Soviet involvement
Mi-24 crews carried AK-74 assault rifles and other hand-held weapons to give them a better chance of survival if forced down. Early in the war, Marat Tischenko, head of the Mil design bureau visited Afghanistan to see what the troops thought of his helicopters, and gunship crews put on several displays for him. They even demonstrated manoeuvres, such as barrel rolls, which design engineers considered impossible. An astounded Tischenko commented, "I thought I knew what my helicopters could do, now I'm not so sure!"

The last Soviet Mi-24 shot down was during the night of 2 February 1989, with both crewmen killed. It was also the last Soviet helicopter lost during nearly 10 years of warfare.

Mi-24s in Afghanistan after Soviet withdrawal
Mi-24s passed on to Soviet-backed Afghan forces during the war remained in dwindling service in the grinding civil war that continued after the Soviet withdrawal.

Afghan Air Force Mi-24s in the hands of the ascendant Taliban gradually became inoperable, but a few flown by the Northern Alliance, which had Russian assistance and access to spares, remained operational up to the US invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001. In 2008, the Afghan Air Force took delivery of six refurbished Mi-35 helicopters, purchased from the Czech Republic. The Afghan pilots were trained by India and began live firing exercises in May 2009 in order to escort Mi-17 transport helicopters on operations in restive parts of the country.

Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988)
The Mi-25 saw considerable use by the Iraqi Army during the long war against Iran. Its heavy armament caused severe losses to Iranian ground forces during the war. However, the Mi-25 lacked an effective anti-tank capability, as it was only armed with obsolete 9M17 Skorpion missiles. This led the Iraqis to develop new gunship tactics, with help from East German advisors. The Mi-25s would form "hunter-killer" teams with French-built Aérospatiale Gazelles, with the Mi-25s leading the attack and using their massive firepower to suppress Iranian air defences, and the Gazelles using their HOT missiles to engage armoured fighting vehicles. These tactics proved effective in halting Iranian offensives, such as Operation Ramadan in July 1982.

This war also saw the only confirmed air-to-air helicopter battles in history with the Iraqi Mi-25s flying against Iranian AH-1J SeaCobras (supplied by the United States before the Iranian Revolution) on several separate occasions. In November 1980, not long after Iraq's initial invasion of Iran, two Iranian SeaCobras engaged two Mi-25s with TOW wire-guided antitank missiles. One Mi-25 went down immediately, the other was badly damaged and crashed before reaching base. The Iranians repeated this accomplishment on 24 April 1981, destroying two Mi-25s without incurring losses to themselves. One Mi-25 was also downed by an IRIAF F-14A.

The Iraqis hit back, claiming the destruction of a SeaCobra on 14 September 1983 (with YaKB machine gun), then three SeaCobras on 5 February 1984 and three more on 25 February 1984 (two with Falanga missiles, one with S-5 rockets). A 1982 news article published on the Iraqi Observer claimed an Iraqi Mi-24D shot down an Iranian F-4 Phantom II using its armaments, either antitank missiles, guns or S-5 unguided rockets.

After a lull in helicopter losses, each side lost a gunship on 13 February 1986. Later, a Mi-25 claimed a SeaCobra shot down with YaKB gun on 16 February, and a SeaCobra claimed a Mi-25 shot down with rockets on 18 February. The last engagement between the two types was on 22 May 1986, when Mi-25s shot down a SeaCobra. The final claim tally was 10 SeaCobras and 6 Mi-25s destroyed. The relatively small numbers and the inevitable disputes over actual kill numbers makes it unclear if one gunship had a real technical superiority over the other. Iraqi Mi-25s also claimed 43 kills against other Iranian helicopters, such as Agusta-Bell UH-1 Hueys.

In general, the Iraqi pilots liked the Mi-25, in particular for its high speed, long range, high versatility and large weapon load, but disliked the relatively ineffectual anti-tank guided weapons and lack of agility.

Nicaraguan civil war (1980–1988)
Mi-25s were also used by the Nicaraguan Army during the civil war of the 1980s. Nicaragua received 12 Mi-25s (some sources claim 18) in the mid-1980s to deal with "Contra" insurgents. The Mi-25s performed ground attacks on the Contras and were also fast enough to intercept light aircraft being used by the insurgents. The U.S. Reagan Administration regarded introduction of the Mi-25s as a major escalation of tensions in Central America.

Two Mi-25s were shot down by Stingers fired by the Contras. A third Mi-25 was damaged while pursuing Contras near the Honduran border, when it was intercepted by Honduran F-86 Sabres and A-37 Dragonflies. A fourth was flown to Honduras by a defecting Sandinista pilot in December 1988.

Sri Lankan Civil War (1987–2009)
The Indian Peace Keeping Force (1987–90) in Sri Lanka used Mi-24s when an Indian Air Force detachment was deployed there in support of the Indian and Sri Lankan armed forces in their fight against various Tamil militant groups such as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). It is believed that Indian losses were considerably reduced by the heavy fire support from their Mi-24s. The Indians lost no Mi-24s in the operation, as the Tigers had no weapons capable of downing the gunship at the time.

Since 14 November 1995, the Mi-24 has been used by the Sri Lanka Air Force in the war against the LTTE liberation group and has proved highly effective at providing close air support for ground forces. The Sri Lanka Air Force operates a mix of Mi-24/-35P and Mi-24V/-35 versions attached to its No. 9 Attack Helicopter Squadron. They have recently been upgraded with modern Israeli FLIR and electronic warfare systems. Five were upgraded to intercept aircraft by adding radar, fully functional helmet mounted target tracking systems, and AAMs. More than five Mi-24s have been lost to LTTE MANPADS, and another two lost in attacks on air bases, with one heavily damaged but later returned to service.

Peruvian operations (1989–present)
The Peruvian Air Force received 12 Mi-25Ds and 2 Mi-25DU from the Soviets in 1983, 1984, and 1985 after ordering them in the aftermath of 1981 Paquisha conflict with Ecuador. Seven more second hand units (4 Mi-24D and 3 Mi-25D) were obtained from Nicaragua in 1992. These have been permanently based at the Vitor airbase near La Joya ever since, operated by the 2nd Air Group of the 211th Air Squadron. Their first deployment occurred in June 1989 during the war against Communist guerrillas in the Peruvian highlands, mainly against Shining Path. Despite the conflict continuing, it has decreased in scale and is now limited to the jungle areas of Valley of Rivers Apurímac, Ene and Mantaro (VRAEM).

Persian Gulf War (1991)

The Mi-24 was also heavily employed by the Iraqi Army during their invasion of Kuwait, although most were withdrawn by Saddam Hussein when it became apparent that they would be needed to help retain his grip on power in the aftermath of the war. In the ensuing 1991 uprisings in Iraq, these helicopters were used against dissidents as well as fleeing civilian refugees.

Sierra Leone Civil War (1991–2002)
Three Mi-24Vs owned by Sierra Leone and flown by South African military contractors, including Neall Ellis, were used against RUF rebels. In 1995, they helped drive the RUF from the capital, Freetown. Neall Ellis also piloted a Mi-24 during the British-led Operation Barras against West Side Boys. Guinea also used its Mi-24s against the RUF on both sides of the border and was alleged to have provided air support to the LURD insurgency in northern Liberia in 2001–03.

Croatian War of Independence (1990s)
Twelve Mi-24s were delivered to Croatia in 1993, and were used effectively in 1995 by the Croatian Army in Operation Storm against the Army of Krajina. The Mi-24 was used to strike deep into enemy territory and disrupt Krajina army communications. One Croatian Mi-24 crashed near the city of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina due to strong winds. Both the pilot and the operator survived. The Mi-24s used by Croatia were obtained from Ukraine. One Mi-24 was modified to carry Mark 46 torpedoes. The helicopters were withdrawn from service in 2004.

First and Second Wars in Chechnya (1990s–2000s)
During the First and Second Chechen Wars, beginning in 1994 and 1999 respectively, Mi-24s were employed by the Russian armed forces.

In the first year of the Second Chechen War, 11 Mi-24s were lost by Russian forces, about half of which were lost as a result of enemy action.

Cenepa War (1995)
Peru employed Mi-25s against Ecuadorian forces during the short Cenepa conflict in early 1995. The only loss occurred on 7 February, when a FAP Mi-25 was downed after being hit in quick succession by at least two, probably three, 9K38 Igla shoulder-fired missiles during a low-altitude mission over the Cenepa valley. The three crewmen were killed.

By 2011 two Mi-35P were purchased from Russia to reinforce the 211th Air Squadron.

Sudanese Civil War (1995–2005)
In 1995, the Sudanese Air Force acquired six Mi-24s for use in Southern Sudan and the Nuba mountains to engage the SPLA. At least two aircraft were lost in non-combat situations within the first year of operation. A further twelve were bought in 2001, and used extensively in the oil fields of Southern Sudan. Mi-24s were also deployed to Darfur in 2004–5.

First and Second Congo Wars (1996–2003)
Three Mi-24s were used by Mobutu's army and were later acquired by the new Air Force of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These were supplied to Zaire in 1997 as part of a French-Serbian contract. At least one was flown by Serbian mercenaries. One hit a power line and crashed on 27 March 1997, killing the three crew and four passengers. Zimbabwean Mi-24s were also operated in coordination with the Congolese Army.

The United Nations peacekeeping mission employed Indian Air Force Mi-24/-35 helicopters to provide support during the Second Congo War. The IAF has been operating in the region since 2003.

Kosovo War (1998–1999)
Two second-hand Mi-24Vs procured from Ukraine earlier in the 1990s were used by the Yugoslav Special Operation Unit (JSO) against Kosovo Albanian rebels during the Kosovo War.

Insurgency in Macedonia (2001)

The Macedonian military acquired used Ukrainian Mi-24Vs, which were then used frequently against Albanian insurgents during the 2001 insurgency in Macedonia (now North Macedonia). The main areas of action were in Tetovo, Radusha and Aracinovo.

Ivorian Civil War (2002–2004)
During the Ivorian Civil War, five Mil Mi-24s piloted by mercenaries were used in support of government forces. They were later destroyed by the French Army in retaliation for an air attack on a French base that killed nine soldiers.

War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)

In 2008 and 2009, the Czech Republic donated six Mi-24s under the ANA Equipment Donation Programme. As a result, the Afghan National Army Air Corps (ANAAC) gained the ability to escort its own helicopters with heavily armed attack helicopters. ANAAC operates nine Mi-35s. Major Caleb Nimmo, a United States Air Force Pilot, was the first American to fly the Mi-35 Hind, or any Russian helicopter, in combat. On 13 September 2011, a Mi-35 of the Afghan Air Force was used to hold back an attack on ISAF and police buildings.

The Polish Helicopter Detachment contributed Mi-24s to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). The Polish pilots trained in Germany before deploying to Afghanistan and train with U.S. service personnel. On 26 January 2011, one Mi-24 caught on fire during take-off from its base in Ghazni. One American and four Polish soldiers evacuated unharmed.

India has also donated Mi-35s to Afghanistan. Four helicopters were to be supplied, with three already transferred in January 2016. The three Mi-35s made a big difference in the offensive against militants, according to General John Campbell, commander of US forces in Afghanistan.

Iraq War (2003–2011)
The Polish contingent in Iraq used six Mi-24Ds after December 2004. One of them crashed on 18 July 2006 in an air base in Al Diwaniyah. Polish Mi-24Ds used in Iraq were not returned to Poland due to their age, condition, low combat value of the Mi-24D variant, and high shipping costs; depending on their condition, they were transferred to the new Iraqi Army or scrapped.

War in Somalia (2006–2009)
The Ethiopian Air Force operated about three Mil Mi-35 and ten Mil Mi-24D helicopter gunships in the Somali theatre. One was shot down near Mogadishu International Airport on 30 March 2007 by Somali insurgents.

2008 Russo-Georgian War
Mil Mi-24s were used by both sides during the fighting in South Ossetia. During the war Georgian Air Force Mi-24s attacked their first targets on an early morning hour of 8 August, targeting the Ossetian presidential palace. The second target was a cement factory near Tskhinvali, where major enemy forces and ammunition were located. The last combat mission of the GAF Mi-24s was on 11 August, when a large Russian convoy, consisting of light trucks and BMP IFVs which were heading to the Georgian village of Avnevi was targeted by Mi-24s, completely destroying the convoy. The Georgian Air Force lost 2 Mi-24s on Senaki air base. They were destroyed by Russian troops on the ground. Both helicopters were in-operational. The Russian army heavily used Mi-24s in the conflict. Russian upgraded Mi-24PNs were credited for destroying 2 Georgian T-72SIM1 tanks, using guided missiles at night time, though some sources attribute those kills to Mil Mi-28. The Russian army did not lose any Mi-24s throughout the conflict, mainly because those helicopters were deployed to areas where Georgian air defence was not active, though some were damaged by small arms fire and at least one Mi-24 was lost due to technical reasons.

War in Chad (2008)
On returning to Abeche, one of the Chadian Mi-35s made a forced landing at the airport. It was claimed that it was shot down by rebels.

Libyan civil war (2011)
The Libyan Air Force Mi-24s were used by both sides to attack enemy positions during the 2011 Libyan civil war. A number were captured by the rebels, who formed the Free Libyan Air Force together with other captured air assets. During the battle for Benina airport, one Mi-35 (serial number 853), was destroyed on the ground on 23 February 2011. In the same action, serial number 854 was captured by the rebels together with an Mi-14 (serial number 1406). Two Mi-35s operating for the pro-Gaddafi Libyan Air Force were destroyed on the ground on 26 March 2011 by French aircraft enforcing the no-fly zone. One Free Libyan Air Force Mi-25D (serial number 854, captured at the beginning of the revolt) violated the no-fly-zone on 9 April 2011 to strike loyalist positions in Ajdabiya. It was shot down by Libyan ground forces during the action. The pilot, Captain Hussein Al-Warfali, died in the crash. The rebels claimed that a number of other Mi-25s were shot down.

2010–2011 Ivorian crisis
Ukrainian army Mi-24P helicopters as part of the United Nations peacekeeping force fired four missiles at a pro-Gbagbo military camp in Ivory Coast's main city of Abidjan.

Syrian Civil War (2011–present)
The Syrian Air Force has used Mi-24s during the ongoing Syrian Civil War, including in many of the country's major cities. Controversy has surrounded an alleged delivery of Mi-25s to the Syrian military, due to Turkey and other NATO members disallowing such arms shipments through their territory.

On 3 November 2016, a Russian Mi-35 made an emergency landing near Syria's Palmyra city, and was hit and destroyed, most likely by an unguided recoilless weapon after it touched down. The crew returned safely to the Khmeimim air base.

Second Kachin conflict (2011–present)
The Myanmar Air Force used the Mi-24 in the Kachin conflict against the Kachin Independence Army. Two Mi-35 helicopters were shot down by the Kachin Independence Army during the heavy fighting in the mountains of northern Burma in 2012 and early 2013. On 3 May 2021, in the morning, a Myanmar Air Force Mi-35 was shot down by the Kachin Independence Army, hit by a MANPADS during air raids involving attack helicopters and fighter jets. A video emerged showing the helicopter being hit while flying over a village.

Post-U.S. Iraqi insurgency
Iraq ordered a total of 34 Mi-35Ms in 2013, as part of an arms deal with Russia that also included Mi-28 attack helicopters. The delivery of the first four was announced by then-Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in November 2013.

Their first deployment began in late December against camps of the al-Qaeda linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and several Islamist militants in the al-Anbar province that had taken control of several areas of Fallujah and Ramadi. FLIR footage of the strikes has been released by the military.

On 3 October 2014, ISIL militants reportedly used a FN-6 shoulder-launched missile in Baiji to shoot down an Iraqi Army Mi-35M attack helicopter. Video footage released by ISIL militants shows at least another two Iraqi Mi-35s brought down by light anti-aircraft artillery.

Balochistan Insurgency (2012-present)
In 2018, Pakistan received 4 Mi-35M Hind-E Gunships from Russia under the $153 million deal. They are now stationed at the Army Aviation Corps base at Quetta Cantonment. The gunships have since been used in several counter insurgency operations against various militant groups in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. In early 2022, a base in Nushki and a check-post in Panjgur belonging to the Frontier Corps Balochistan Paramilitary were attacked by BLA terrorists. The attack in Nushki was swiftly repulsed but the situation in Panjgaur was not good to which Mi-35 Hind and AH-1F Cobra gunships were called in for support. It provided much needed ground support and reconnaissance in the counter offensive which led to success.

Crimean crisis (2014)
During the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, Russia deployed 13 Mi-24s to support their infantry as they advanced through the region. However these aircraft saw no combat during their deployment.

War in Donbas (2014)
During the Siege of Sloviansk, on 2 May 2014, two Ukrainian Mi-24s were shot down by pro-Russian insurgents. The Ukrainian armed forces claim that they were downed by MANPADS while on patrol close to Slavyansk. The Ukrainian government confirmed that both aircraft were shot down, along with an Mi-8 damaged by small arms fire. Initial reports mentioned two dead and others wounded; later, five crew members were confirmed dead and one taken prisoner until being released on 5 May.

On 5 May 2014, another Ukrainian Mi-24 was forced to make an emergency landing after being hit by machine gun fire while on patrol close to Slavyansk. The Ukrainian forces recovered the two pilots and destroyed the helicopter with a rocket strike by an Su-25 aircraft to prevent its capture by pro-Russian insurgents.

Ukrainian Su-25s, with MiG-29 fighters providing top cover, supported Mi-24s during the battle for Donetsk Airport.

On 13 October 2018, a Ukrainian Mi-24 shot down an Orlan-10 UAV using cannon fire near Lysychansk.

Chadian offensive against Boko Haram (2015)
Chadian Mi-24s were used during the 2015 West African offensive against Boko Haram.

Azerbaijan-Karabakh (2014–2016, 2020)
On 12 November 2014, Azerbaijani forces shot down an Armenian forces Mi-24 from a formation of two which were flying along the disputed border, close to the frontline between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops in the disputed Karabakh territory. The helicopter was hit by an Igla-S shoulder-launched missile fired by Azerbaijani soldiers while flying at low altitude and crashed, killing all three on board.

On 2 April 2016, during a clash between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces, an Azerbaijani Mi-24 helicopter was shot down by "Nagorno-Karabakh" forces. The downing was confirmed by the Azerbaijani defence ministry.

On 9 November 2020, during the Nagorno-Karabakh war a Russian Mi-24 was shot down by Azerbaijani forces with a MANPADS. The Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry stated that the downing was an accident. Two crew members were killed and one sustained moderate injuries. The Russian defence ministry confirmed the downing in a press release the same day.

Russian invasion of Ukraine (2022-present)
During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, both Ukraine and Russia have used Mi-24 helicopters. On 1 March 2022, Ukrainian forces shot down a Russian Mi-35M helicopter with MANPADS, in the Kyiv Reservoir (see also Battle of Kyiv). On 5 May 2022, the helicopter was retrieved by Ukrainian engineers in Vyshgorod. Two Russian Mi-35 were shot down by a MANPADS on 5 March 2022. On 6 March, one Mi-24P with registration number RF-94966 was shot down by Ukrainian MANPADS in Kyiv Oblast. On 8 March 2022 one Ukrainian Mil Mi-24 from the Ukrainian 16th Army Aviation Brigade was lost over Brovary, Kyiv. Pilots Col. Oleksandr Maryniak and Cptn. Ivan Bezzub were killed. On 17 March a Russian Mi-35M was reported destroyed by Ukrainian Ministry of Defence, unknown location. On 1 April 2022, two Ukrainian Mi-24s reportedly entered Russia and attacked an oil storage facility in Belgorod.

In May 2022, the Czech Republic donated Mi-24 helicopters to Ukraine. In July 2023, it was reported that Poland secretly donated at least a dozen Mi-24s to Ukraine.

Operators

 * undefined
 * Afghan Air Force
 * Algerian Air Force
 * 🇦🇴 Angola
 * Angolan Air Force
 * Armenian Air Force
 * Azerbaijani Air Forces
 * Belarus Air Force
 * Azerbaijani Air Forces
 * Belarus Air Force
 * Belarus Air Force
 * Belarus Air Force
 * Bulgarian Air Force
 * 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso
 * Burkina Faso Air Force
 * National Defence Force (Burundi)
 * 🇹🇩 Chad
 * Chadian Air Force
 * Congo, Republic of the
 * Congolese Air Force
 * Congolese Democratic Air Force
 * Cuban Air Force
 * Congolese Democratic Air Force
 * Cuban Air Force
 * Cuban Air Force
 * Cuban Air Force
 * Djibouti Air Force
 * 🇪🇬 Egypt
 * Egyptian Air Force, 549 Air Wing/43 Squadron - Borg-al-Arab
 * 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea
 * Equatorial Guinean Air Force
 * 🇪🇷 Eritrea
 * Eritrean Air Force
 * 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
 * Ethiopian Air Force
 * Ethiopian Air Force
 * Georgia
 * Georgian Air Force
 * 🇬🇳 Guinea
 * Guinean Air Force
 * Hungarian Air Force
 * 🇮🇳 India
 * Indian Air Force
 * Indonesian Army
 * 🇮🇶 Iraq
 * Iraqi Army
 * 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
 * Military of Kazakhstan
 * 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan
 * Military of Kyrgyzstan
 * Libyan Air Force
 * 🇲🇱 Mali
 * Air Force of Mali
 * 🇲🇿 Mozambique
 * Military of Mozambique
 * Myanmar Air Force
 * 🇳🇦 Namibia
 * Namibian Air Force
 * 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
 * Nicaraguan Air Force
 * Air Force of Niger
 * 🇳🇬 Nigeria
 * Nigerian Air Force
 * Korean People's Army Air and Anti-Air Force
 * North Macedonia
 * Air Force of North Macedonia
 * Pakistan Army
 * Nigerian Air Force
 * Korean People's Army Air and Anti-Air Force
 * North Macedonia
 * Air Force of North Macedonia
 * Pakistan Army
 * Pakistan Army
 * Pakistan Army
 * Peruvian Air Force
 * Polish Land Forces
 * Polish Land Forces
 * Polish Land Forces
 * Russian Aerospace Forces
 * Border Service of Russia
 * Internal Troops of Russia
 * 🇷🇼 Rwanda
 * Rwandan Air Force
 * Rwandan Air Force
 * 🇷🇸 Serbia
 * Serbian Air Force
 * 🇸🇳 Senegal
 * Senegalese Air Force
 * 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone
 * Sierra Leone Air Wing
 * 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
 * Sri Lanka Air Force
 * 🇸🇩 Sudan
 * Sudanese Air Force
 * Syria
 * Syrian Air Force
 * 🇿🇦 South Africa
 * South African Air Force
 * 🇹🇯 Tajikistan
 * Military of Tajikistan
 * 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan
 * Military of Turkmenistan
 * 🇺🇬 Uganda
 * Ugandan Air Force
 * Ukrainian Ground Forces
 * United States Army
 * United States Air Force (for training)
 * 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan
 * Uzbekistan Air and Air Defence Forces
 * 🇻🇪 Venezuela
 * Army of Venezuela
 * 🇻🇪 Venezuela
 * Army of Venezuela
 * 🇾🇪 Yemen
 * Yemen Air Force
 * 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
 * Air Force of Zimbabwe

Former operators
Czechoslovakian Air Force
 * Artsakh Defence Army
 * Brazilian Air Force
 * 🇭🇷 Croatia
 * Croatian Air Force
 * 🇨🇾 Cyprus
 * Cypriot National Guard - Sold to Serbia in November 2023
 * 🇨🇿 Czech Republic
 * Czech Air Force - Retired and transferred to Ukraine in August 2023.
 * Czechoslovakia
 * Czech Air Force - Retired and transferred to Ukraine in August 2023.
 * Czechoslovakia
 * East Germany
 * East German Air Force - transferred to Germany on reunification
 * 🇩🇪 Germany
 * German Army - inherited from East Germany in 1990, retired 1993.
 * Kampuchea
 * Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Air Force
 * Fuerza Aérea Sandinista
 * 🇸🇰 Slovakia
 * Slovakian Air Force
 * South Yemen
 * People's Democratic Republic of Yemen Air Force
 * Soviet Union
 * Soviet Air Force - transferred to successor states
 * Serbia and Montenegro
 * Special Operations Unit
 * Transnistria
 * Transnistria Air Force
 * Vietnam
 * Vietnam People's Air Force
 * Vietnam People's Air Force

Aircraft on display
Mi-24 helicopters can be seen in the following museums:

Popular culture
The Mi-24 has appeared in several films and has been a common feature in many video games.

title: Mil Mi-24


text:
Hind

A hind is a female deer, especially a red deer.

Places

 * Hind (Sasanian province, 262-484)
 * Hind and al-Hind, a Persian and Arabic name for the Indian subcontinent
 * Hind (crater), a lunar impact crater
 * 1897 Hind, an asteroid

Military

 * HMS Hind, numerous Royal Navy ships
 * Mil Mi-24, a helicopter, codenamed "Hind" by NATO
 * Hawker Hind, a Royal Air Force light bomber

People

 * Hind (name)
 * Hind (singer), Bahraini singer
 * Hind (singer), Dutch singer also known as Hind Laroussi
 * Henry Youle Hind, British geologist and explorer

Other uses

 * Hind (video game), a helicopter game simulation by Digital Integration
 * Epinephelus, a genus of groupers (fish) sometimes referred to as hinds
 * Ceryneian Hind, a hind in Greek mythology

title: Hind


text:
WSIS

WSIS may refer to:

 * WSIS (FM), a radio station (88.7 FM) licensed to Riverside, Michigan, United States
 * World Summit on the Information Society

title: WSIS


text:
Foot in Mouth Award

The Foot in Mouth Award is presented each year by the Plain English Campaign for "a baffling comment by a public figure". The award was first made in 1993, when it was given to Ted Dexter, the chairman of selectors for the England cricket team. It was awarded again the following year, and, after a two-year break, annually from 1997 to 2022.

The Plain English Campaign was set up in 1979 when the founder, Chrissie Maher, shredded hundreds of jargon-filled forms and documents in Parliament Square, London. The group gave their first awards the next year, rewarding organisations that used "plain English" and highlighting those that did not. Although the Foot in Mouth award was first presented in 1993, the group's 1991 awards gave acknowledgement to a confusing comment by Dan Quayle, then Vice President of the United States.

The award has been presented 29 times, with only Boris Johnson and Rhodri Morgan receiving it more than once. Johnson won in 2004, 2016, and 2019, while Morgan won in 1998 and 2005. Johnson made a light-hearted response to his second win, claiming that the first award had "made [his] name." Politicians have been recipients of the award more times than any profession, collecting it on sixteen occasions; athletes, sports managers and sports commentators have won five times. George W. Bush received a "Lifetime Achievement Award" in 2008 for "services to gobbledygook" throughout his presidency.

The phrase "foot in mouth" is of a family of idioms having to do with eating and being proven incorrect, such as to "eat crow", "eat dirt", to "eat your hat" (or shoe); all probably originating from "to eat one's words", which first appears in print in 1571 in one of John Calvin's tracts, on Psalm 62: "God eateth not his words when he hath once spoken".

title: Foot in Mouth Award


text:
Foot in Mouth

Foot in Mouth may refer to:

 * Foot-and-mouth disease
 * Foot in Mouth Award, an award by the British Plain English Campaign for "a baffling comment by a public figure"
 * Foot in Mouth (Goldfinger album), 2001
 * Foot in Mouth (Green Day album), 1996

title: Foot in Mouth


text:
Busted (band)

Busted are an English pop-punk band from Southend-on-Sea, Essex, consisting of James Bourne, Matt Willis and Charlie Simpson. Formed in 2000, the band has had four UK number-one singles, won two Brit Awards, released four studio albums and sold over 5 million records worldwide. The band released the albums Busted in 2002 and A Present for Everyone in 2003 before disbanding in January 2005.

Following the split, all three members pursued separate musical careers: Simpson as the frontman for the post-hardcore band Fightstar, Bourne as the lead singer of pop-punk band Son of Dork and Willis as a solo artist. The band reunited in 2015, embarking on the Pigs Can Fly arena tour in May 2016 and released their third studio album, Night Driver, on 25 November 2016. On 26 October 2018, Busted announced their fourth album Half Way There, released on 1 February 2019, as well as a UK arena tour. At the end of 2019, the band embarked on a hiatus to pursue solo projects. In 2023, Busted announced their return for their 20th anniversary, consisting of a greatest hits album, Greatest Hits 2.0, and arena tour.

According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), Busted has been certified for sales of 2.4 million albums and 2 million singles in the UK.

2000–2002: Formation, Busted and rise to fame
James Bourne and Matt Willis originally auditioned for other bands which neither of them made it into. They remained friends for a number of years and wrote material together, which Willis claimed was inspired by BBMak, Blink-182 and the American Pie 2 soundtrack. Initially known as The Termites, Busted were formed in 2000 after open auditions were held by Prestige Artist Management to form a new band. The line-up consisted of Bourne, Willis, Ki Fitzgerald and Owen Doyle, although this version of the band broke up in October 2001.

Looking to find a new band member, Willis and Bourne placed an ad in NME magazine, titled "'Guitarist and singer wanted for pop band…'". Auditions were held at Pineapple Studios in Covent Garden in October 2001. Charlie Simpson and Tom Fletcher were both offered a place to complete the line-up, but Busted's manager told Fletcher via a phone call a few days later that the band was to go ahead as a trio, comprising Bourne, Willis and Simpson.

The band was launched in August 2002, making their first appearance on the cover of Smash Hits with the headline: "Meet Busted: They're Going to Be Bigger than Rik Waller!", making it a first for any pop band to appear on the magazine's cover before releasing a single. Their debut single, "What I Go to School For", inspired by a teacher that Willis had a crush on at school, was finally released in September 2002. It reached number three on the UK Singles Chart. Their debut album Busted was then released, initially charting only around the UK Top 30 and receiving mixed reviews from critics however, it went on to peak at number 2. The follow-up "Year 3000", which was written about Bourne's obsession with the film Back to the Future, then followed in January 2003, reaching number two in the UK chart. In April, their third single, "You Said No" became their first number one. British Hit Singles & Albums certified them as the first act ever to have their debut three singles enter the top three in an ascending order.

Recording began for their second album while the debut album was re-released with new tracks and an enhanced CD section. It would go on to sell 1.2 million copies by the end of the year. The debut album's final single, "Sleeping with the Light On", reached number 3 in August 2003, beaten to number one by Blu Cantrell's "Breathe".

2003–2005: A Present for Everyone and split
Busted started the summer of 2003 with a win for Favourite Newcomer at the National Music Awards, as well as Best Band at that year's Disney Channel Kids' Awards. After this, the band launched the promotional trail for their new album, A Present for Everyone and its lead single "Crashed the Wedding", which reached number one in the UK chart. Edgier than their previous album, Simpson said that it had some "harder, Good Charlotte type vibes coming through on this album". This album would also go on to reach sales of over 1 million copies.

During 2003, Charlie met fellow songwriter-guitarist Alex Westaway and drummer Omar Abidi at a party. He was by this stage becoming increasingly frustrated by the music he was performing in Busted and stated he had "all of this creativity pent up inside and I just needed to vent it somewhere, and I was writing a lot of songs but I couldn't play them, because I didn't have anyone to play them with". During the aforementioned party, an impromptu jam session took place. Simpson, Westaway, and Abidi played Rage Against the Machine's song "Killing in the Name" on loop, and agreed to attend a gig a few days later. After the show, they went back to Simpson's flat and began performing on guitars and a v-drum kit, which led to their first song being written, titled "Too Much Punch". Westaway later invited bassist Dan Haigh to practice with the band and soon began booking regular rehearsal sessions together, under the name Fightstar.

2004 was to prove their final year together as a band. The band performed a successful arena tour to start the year before reaching number one and number two with "Who's David" and "Air Hostess", respectively. They picked up Best British Breakthrough Act and Best Pop Act at that year's BRIT Awards.

The boys then headed over to the U.S. to release a self-titled album that was a mixture of their first and second album. Their exploits were captured for the TV series America or Busted, about Busted's attempts to achieve success in the United States, which ultimately failed. The show debuted on MTV UK in November of that year, over the course of the series, it saw Busted's attempts to 'break' America dwindle as interviews fell through and performances remained limited both in terms of audience size and press attention.

Whilst the band were out in America, they were then invited to record the theme tune to the brand new Thunderbirds film that was coming out that summer. Released as a double A-side with the album track, "3AM", it gave them their fourth and final number one in August 2004, staying at the top for two weeks, the longest they had ever spent at the top. However, the release of the fifth single from their second album, "She Wants to Be Me" failed to chart due to its lone formats being a download and a limited edition pocket sized CD, both of which breached chart regulations at the time. Their live album, A Ticket for Everyone, was released in November peaked at number eleven. The band embarked on another sell-out tour that November, and Busted gained a record of the band to play the most consecutive sellout dates at Wembley Arena, eleven nights. At the end of 2004, Busted were involved in the UK number-one Christmas single, Band Aid 20's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" with money raised helping to combat HIV and AIDS across Africa, famine relief in the Darfur region of Sudan and aid relief in many countries, such as Ethiopia.

Simpson's time spent with Fightstar reportedly began to cause tensions within the band, amplified when Fightstar announced a 14-date UK tour. Simpson announced to Busted's manager on 24 December 2004 over a phone call that he was leaving the band to focus on Fightstar full-time. On 13 January 2005, Busted's record label announced that a press conference was to be held at the Soho Hotel in London the following day. The next day, the 14th, it was then announced that Busted were splitting up after Simpson's departure weeks before.

In an interview with Kerrang! in November 2009, Simpson said, "It was a real fun thing to be doing, and I got on well with everyone I was doing it with, but on the other side, the music wasn't really fulfilling me. I have good memories of the time because we were traveling the world and doing some amazing things, but then as far as self-fulfillment goes, it wasn't really doing a lot for me, so I have these mixed views when I look back. But there's no doubt that it was an amazing thing to do".

2006–2012: Solo projects and bands
Simpson began pursuing a solo career after playing in Fightstar, a post-hardcore band which differs greatly from the sound of Busted. They formed a year prior to Busted's split. To-date they have released one EP and four albums: They Liked You Better When You Were Dead, Grand Unification, One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours, Be Human and Behind the Devil's Back, all being released in both the UK and the US. They have also released an album of b-sides and rarities, "Alternate Endings". Fightstar announced a hiatus at the beginning of 2010, stating that they were "taking some time off" to work on separate projects before regrouping to begin working a new record. After their 2014 reunion and 2015 album, Fightstar began to describe themselves as a "passion project" rather than a full-time band, as the members focus on other projects. Simpson released a solo acoustic album called Young Pilgrim, which peaked at number 6 in the UK Albums Chart in 2011, followed by the 2014 album Long Road Home.

Bourne went on to release music through pop punk band Son of Dork, and pursued a solo career under the name of Future Boy. Bourne has also written songs for many artists, including Melanie C, McFly, JC Chasez, Patrick Monahan, and the Jonas Brothers. From 2007 to 2008, he was one of the main songwriters for the ITV musical drama, Britannia High.

After a brief stint in rehab after the Busted split, Willis began a solo career, releasing singles in 2006 and 2007, "Up All Night", "Hey Kid", "Don't Let It Go to Waste", and "Crash" for the film Mr Bean's Holiday, all except the latter of which were included on his album Don't Let It Go to Waste. Willis also appeared on, and was the winner of, the 2006 series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. After being dropped from his record label, Willis turned to presenting. He presented at the Brit Awards and ITV2's I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! NOW! alongside his wife, Emma, the pair worked together on E!, presenting the BAFTAs. On Willis' Myspace, he has stated that he is currently writing with his new band, yet to be named.

2013–2015: McBusted
From 19 to 22 September 2013, Willis and Bourne made a surprise brief reunion as McBusted when they joined McFly as special guests during the band's four 10th anniversary concerts at the Royal Albert Hall. They performed "Year 3000", "Air Hostess" and McFly's "Shine a Light" with McFly under the name 'McBusted'. McFly and Busted confirmed a 2014 tour together. Simpson said through Twitter that although he would not be joining the new supergroup, he wished them the best of luck in the future. McBusted released their debut album McBusted on 1 December 2014. They then embarked on another sold out UK tour, McBusted's Most Excellent Adventure Tour.

Willis also revealed that Busted had been approached to star in the ITV2 series The Big Reunion, but turned it down because "it didn't feel right for our band."

2015–2016: Simpson's return, comeback tour and Night Driver
On 5 October 2015, The Sun rumoured that Simpson was set to rejoin Busted. After this, a photo made its way around the internet that showed the three members of Busted silhouetted in front of a red background. Words appeared to be blurred out at the bottom of the image, but above that was the words "Join us for a special announcement Tuesday November 10th 2015". This implied that the band was reuniting, with further speculation that the three would embark on a reunion tour together. On 10 November 2015, Busted announced a thirteen-date arena tour in the UK and Ireland would take place in May 2016. At the same press conference Busted announced their third studio album. 100,000 tickets were sold in the first hour of being put on sale. Subsequent tour dates were added as a result of high demand. Regarding his decision to rejoin the band, Simpson told Newsbeat: "I reckon I said it [so many times], privately and publicly, and I meant it every single time. But as I say I have changed my mind and that has been down to the circumstances changing. I never thought we would get to a point where we were in a studio writing music we all got behind creatively and that was a huge shock to me".

In early 2016, Busted recorded their third studio album in Los Angeles. On 17 March 2016, Bourne told a fan on Twitter that Busted would decide the release date for their third album that day. It is scheduled for release in the Autumn. The band have also insisted that their reunion is for the long-term; as Bourne told Digital Spy, "We want this to be something that is ongoing. Anything we write now goes towards album four". On 4 April 2016, Busted announced that their tour would be called the Pigs Can Fly Tour 2016 and would include Wheatus and Emma Blackery as special guests. Regarding the title, Willis told Newsbeat, "The whole pigs can fly thing sums up how we feel about this. There have been times that we thought Busted could never, ever possibly happen and we were quite right in thinking that. But this summarises that anything is possible". In an interview with Digital Spy, the band revealed that their fans will get a taste of their new sound before their reunion tour and that their eleventh single will be released in the summer, and their album would follow in the autumn.

On 25 April 2016, it was officially announced that South African drummer Cobus Potgieter, popular on YouTube, would be the supporting drummer for the band during the tour. On 3 May, Busted released "Coming Home", their first new song for 12 years, as a free download from their website. During the 'Pigs Can Fly' tour, Busted premiered two new tracks titled "Easy" and "One of a Kind", from the upcoming 2016 album. Chalmers, president of East West, said: "Watching Busted play live over the past few weeks and seeing people respond to their music and energy has been amazing. Busted have a huge global fanbase who are going to be really excited to hear the new music the guys are working on. They've managed to combine the classic Busted sound with a modern twist, it's sure to remind people of why they love them. We're really happy to be working with Charlie, Matt and James".

On 14 July 2016, Busted revealed that the "final touches" to the album were complete.

On 18 August 2016, it was announced by BBC News that a musical based on the band's history written by Bourne and Elliot Davis was to be staged, What I Go to School For will depict the group's rise to fame. It will be performed at the Theatre Royal Brighton in August 2016 and will feature songs like Air Hostess, Crashed the Wedding and Year 3000. If the show is a success Bourne and Davis have said they would like to take it to the West End.

On 9 September 2016, Busted revealed that their third album would be called Night Driver.

On 3 May 2016, "Coming Home" was released as a promotional single from the album. On 30 September 2016, "On What You're On" was released as the first official single from the album. Another song, entitled "Easy", was unveiled on 18 October 2016. Two days later, on 20 October 2016, Busted announced that due to production delays, the album release would be pushed back to 25 November 2016. The same day, Busted released a video for "Easy" filmed live at Pool Studios.

On 23 October 2016, the band made their first TV performance in over 12 years on The X Factor to perform "Year 3000" with the contestants.

2017–2022: Half Way There and hiatus
In June 2017 Busted flew to Los Angeles to perform their first American re-formed gig at the Troubadour and continue writing and begin recording for their planned fourth album.

In April 2018, it was confirmed the album would release in Q1 2019, and the band would return to their original sound. In May that year, Cobus Potgieter, who had previously stood in as drummer on Busted's 2016 tour, announced that he would be the studio drummer for the upcoming fourth album.

On 26 October 2018, Busted announced that their fourth album, Half Way There (a reference to a lyric in the song "Year 3000"), would be released on 8 February 2019. The album features a cover of James Bourne's song, "What Happened to Your Band", which was previously performed by his band Son of Dork and recorded by McBusted, and returns to the roots of their musical style. The first single of the album, "Nineties", was released in the first week of November 2018. Additional songs from the album, "Reunion" and "All My Friends" were released 14 and 15 December respectively (the latter was an exclusive release for those that had pre-ordered the album from the band's online store ). In January 2019, Busted released their second single for the album, "Radio". This was accompanied by a music video.

The band performed a secret set at Slam Dunk Festival in May 2019, on the Key Club Stage (Right). The band performed under the pseudonym "Y3K", a reference to their song Year 3000.

On 8 June 2019, Busted were invited up on stage to perform "Year 3000" with the Jonas Brothers at Capital's Summertime Ball 2019 as special guests.

On 31 December 2019, Bourne announced a new solo project, tweeting "After twenty amazing years making music, I am stepping into 2020 on a brand new solo adventure. Busted will always be my band. But, I've dreamed for years about releasing my own album so here we go." His debut album, Safe Journey Home, was released on 23 October 2020. The album was followed-up with Sugar Beach, released in 2022. Simpson released a solo single called "I See You". His fourth solo album Hope Is a Drug was released in 2022. Alongside this, Simpson also set up a Patreon where he uploads exclusive tracks including new music and covers. During the hiatus, Willis continued his acting career, appearing in stage productions such as Waitress and 2:22 A Ghost Story.

2023–present: 20th Anniversary Tour and collaborations
On 21 March 2023, the band posted a teaser on their social media platforms for an announcement to be unveiled on 23 March, putting an end to their hiatus. That morning, they announced the 20th Anniversary & Greatest Hits Tour, a 15-date UK tour for September 2023. A single was also announced alongside the tour announcement: "Loser Kid 2.0," a re-recording of a song from their debut album featuring Simple Plan, set to release 14 April. An album of other re-recorded Busted classics featuring other artists, including McFly, All Time Low and Neck Deep, is set to be released as well. After selling out the initial 15-date tour, the band announced 11 additional dates in the UK and Ireland to meet demand, extending the tour until 10 October, with Hanson being the opening act of some of the dates, including the London O2 concerts.

On 14 April 2023, Busted released a version of "Loser Kid", the closing track of their 2002 self-titled debut album, titled "Loser Kid 2.0" featuring Canadian band Simple Plan. This version peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Sales Chart. On 5 May 2023, Busted released "Meet You There 2.0", a pop-punk version of their 2003 album track, featuring Welsh pop-punk band Neck Deep. On 26 May 2023, Busted released a cover version of the 1997 Hanson hit "MMMBop", in collaboration with the latter band, titled "MMMBop 2.0". On 23 June 2023, Busted released a version of their 2003 hit "Crashed the Wedding", titled "Crashed the Wedding 2.0," featuring American band All Time Low. On 28 July 2023, they released a version of their 2002 hit "Year 3000" titled "Year 3000 2.0", featuring the Jonas Brothers on guest vocals. Greatest Hits 2.0, a collaborative album of re-recordings of songs from Busted's first two albums, was made available for pre-order on 28 July 2023. The album reached number 1 in the UK album charts on 22 September 2023. In January 2024, it was announced Busted would be participating in Download Festival.

Musical style
Busted's genre has been described as pop rock, pop-punk and college rock. Although the band were often referred to as a boy band, Simpson, Bourne and Willis would often reject that label. Simpson stated 'Those clichés are everything the band wasn't, because we hated them. We hated the machine of pop, we split up at the height of our fame, they were talking about us putting on a Wembley Stadium gig and we gave it up.' The sound of their first two albums were often compared to that of Wheatus, Blink-182 and Sum 41 and the band were complimented on the energy and enthusiasm brought to the studio and shows. When Busted returned to the pop punk sounds for Half Way There, Simpson noted that it was a style they tried to have when they were younger but the 'record label wouldn't allow it'. Busted's attempts to mature their sound was noted by Simpson in a BBC Interview. He stated 'I would go to the label and say, 'You've got to turn the drums up, you can't hear them and it doesn't sound like a rock record, it sounds like a pop record'.

Their third album Night Driver was a departure from their original sound. NME noted upon the release of "Coming Home", that the band were much more 'synth-pop' influenced. Influence from the 1980s decade and Daft Punk were also noted. The group also branched out into R&B and bass-heavy alternative pop.

Lyrically, Busted often references pop culture. Bourne stated 'The pop culture references are a big part of what we do. On those early records, we’ve got Britney Spears and Dawson's Creek in there, now we’re writing about Elon Musk. That's what's in our lives now'. Their song Year 3000 is also heavily influenced by Back to the Future. The band also described their style as 'tongue in cheek', stating that if you do that to 'banging rock music' and that 'When you do that, you can be silly, it really works'.

Influences
Busted have spoken about various influences for their sound and songwriting including Robbie Williams, Green Day, Michael Jackson and Blink-182. Simpson stated that the latter in particular was a 'big influence back in the day'. Bourne also stated that Third Eye Blind was a 'major influence' to the early days of the band. Upon announcing that Wheatus would be joining McBusted on tour in 2014, Willis stated that the band was a "massive Busted influence".

Legacy
At the height of their popularity, Busted were often complimented for bringing in a wave of British pop rock. They were cited as bringing in '"something fresh and new" to the scene' of pop. They 'broke with that trend of the all-singing, all-dancing boy group that was around', instead pioneering a revival in interest of the guitar. Kerrang! cited Busted as a positive influence on kids getting into rock. Simpson also spoke in 2019 about being told of an increase in guitar sales during Busted's heyday. Willis also mentioned that many upcoming indie bands and fans had spoken to him, stating that: 'I meet them and they’ll say, ‘The first song I learned to play was What I Go to School For, and, ‘the first time I picked up a guitar was playing Busted tab’. That was amazing to me because I did that with Oasis chord books. It was so cool to hear people did that with our band." Their first two albums went Multi-Platinum and they achieved four number ones in the UK Charts. In 2004, Busted won Best British Breakthrough BRIT Award.

The band's reunion tour in 2016 required extra dates after selling out within an hour.

Busted have been cited as influences for The Vamps and 5 Seconds of Summer. They have also been cited as one of the reasons musician Emma Blackery 'picked up a guitar'. Blackery went on to tour with the band during the Pigs Can Fly Tour in 2016. Pop rock band Natives have been vocally thankful to Busted, and particularly Matt Willis for 'fighting their corner'.

Busted have been called instrumental in the formation of British pop rock band McFly. After the record label declined Tom Fletcher's participation in the band, he was offered a space on the song writing team for the first two albums. Fletcher credits James Bourne as teaching him the structure of a pop hit. After Busted's split, McFly were often referred to as Busted's successor. "Year 3000" and "What I Go to School For" were also covered by the pop band Jonas Brothers. Their cover of "Year 3000" was a lead single from their first album and a commercial success.

Busted were mentioned directly by singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi as being an influence to his own artistry.

Members
Current Current touring musicians
 * James Bourne – vocals, guitars, keyboards, piano, synths (2000–2005, 2015–present)
 * Matt Willis – vocals, bass, drums (2000–2005, 2015–present)
 * Charlie Simpson – vocals, lead guitar, drums, keyboards, synths (2001–2005, 2015–present)
 * Eddy Thrower – drums (2019–present)

Former
 * Owen Doyle – vocals, bass (2000–2001)
 * Ki Fitzgerald – vocals, rhythm guitar (2000–2001)
 * Tom Fletcher – vocals, rhythm guitar (2001)

Former touring musicians
 * Damon Wilson – drums (2003–2004)
 * Chris Banks – keyboards (2003–2004)
 * Chris Leonard – guitars (2003–2004)
 * Nick Tsang – guitars (2016–2017)
 * Ross Harris – drums (2016–2018)
 * Cobus Potgieter - drums (2016)
 * Jesse Molloy – saxophone (2017)
 * David Temple – saxophone (2017)

Discography

 * Busted (2002)
 * A Present for Everyone (2003)
 * Night Driver (2016)
 * Half Way There (2019)
 * Greatest Hits 2.0 (2023)

Tours

 * Busted: Tour (2003)
 * Busted: A Ticket for Everyone (2004)
 * Busted: A Ticket for Everyone Else (2004)
 * Busted: Pigs Can Fly 2016 (2016)
 * Busted: Night Driver Tour 2017 (2017)
 * Half Way There Tour (2019)
 * 20th Anniversary & Greatest Hits Tour (2023)

title: Busted (band)


text:
User talk:RachelK

Hey there! Welcome to Wikipedia! I hope you like this place--I sure do--and want to stay. If you need help on how to title new articles check out Naming conventions, and for help on formatting the pages visit the manual of style. If you need help look at Help and The FAQ, plus if you can't find your answer there, check The Village pump or The Reference Desk! Happy wiki-ing! Alexandros

title: User talk:RachelK