March 17, 2025
From left, Laurie Beaven, 12, Amy Lanham, 12, and Melissa Gordon, 13, waited for the begining of the New Kids on the Block concert on Jan. 13, 1990, at Rupp Arena. The trio came from Spingfield and brought the homemade banner with them. With parents in tow, young girls wearing New Kids on the Block T-shirts, jackets, buttons, hats and bandannas flooded the Lexington Civic Center to see the popular singing group. They paid at least $18.50 apiece for the opportunity. At the time of the nearly sold-out show of 21,000, the group had vaulted to teen stardom with three hits: This One’s for the Children, Cover Girl and Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind). The first two numbers of the New Kids’ 90-minute concert — My Favorite Girl and the beat-crazy What’cha Gonna Do About It — were almost totally drowned out by the crowd, which shrieked and shrilled at every move the group made. Just how loud was the crowd? Earplugs were being sold at the concession stands. Photo by James D. VanHoose | Staff
Kentucky basketball sharpshooter Tony Delk held the championship trophy April 1, 1996, after the Cats’ victory in the NCAA Tournament championship game in East Rutherford, N.J. UK defeated Syracuse, 76-67, behind Delk’s 24 points. Delk, named the Final Four’s most outstanding player, tied a championship game record with seven three-pointers. The win gave the Wildcats their sixth national title. On Feb. 21, 2015, Delk became the 43rd men’s basketball player to have his jersey retired by UK. Photo by Charles Bertram | Staff
The funeral of Lexington firefighter Charles “Chuck ” Williams II was held on Feb. 20, 1997, at Southland Christian Church. Williams died while fighting a house fire three days earlier. Firefighters from Lexington, surrounding counties and across Kentucky attended the funeral. Williams was the second Lexington firefighter killed in the line of duty. The first was Robert Wayne Martin, who died in 1986. Photo by Frank Anderson | Staff