How a 16-year-old from Honolulu conquered the global music charts
In short: Before it became a worldwide anthem, this song was a local talent contest winner. Discover how a teenager from Hawaii leveraged radio word-of-<0xC2>mouth to transform a single release into a chart-topping phenomenon that dominated the UK and US airwaves.
The journey of "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You" began with a local victory. In 1986, 16-year-old Glenn Medeiros, hailing from Honolulu, won the "Brown Bags to Stardom" radio talent contest at KIKI radio. Encouraged by program director Jay Stone, Medeiros recorded the track, which was written by composer Michael Masser and lyricist Gerry Goffin. The song's momentum was bolstered by the success of another Masser composition, "The Greatest Love of All," which had become a number one hit for Whitney Houston earlier that year.
The song's ascent was a masterclass in radio promotion. After Jay Stone shared the recording with Phoenix-based program director Guy Zapoleon, the track debuted on KZZP in October 1986. By January 1987, it reached number 2 on the station's charts, holding that position for four weeks. Through subsequent word-of-mouth between program directors, the song achieved top 5 success across various stations, eventually becoming a national hit by June 1987.
While the song's popularity was global, its impact varied by region. Medeiros's version topped charts in Canada, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. In the UK, the song reached number 1 in June 1988, maintaining its peak for four weeks. Interestingly, the song's history includes an earlier, less commercially dominant version by American singer George Benson, released in 1985 on his album 20/20. While Benson's version was a single in Europe, it did not achieve the same worldwide chart-topping heights as Medeiros's later rendition.
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