RIAA Gold Award for the debut album from Martika. Released on Oct. 14, 1988 it was certified Gold by the RIAA on Aug. 3, 1989 for 500,000 copies sold.*
Former child actor Martika powered her debut to Gold sales on the #1 Billboard Hot 100 chart success of single "Toy Soldiers" which received heavy radio and MTV airplay. In 2004 the track was sampled by Eminem on the song "Like Toy Soldiers", resulting in Martika vocals being featured on the chorus. Other singles included "More Than You Know", "Water", and a cover of Carole King's "I Feel the Earth Move". The album itself reached #15 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart, #2 in Australia, and #11 in the U.K.
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Item Highlights:
- RIAA Gold award
- In VG to Excellent condition
- First presentation award from 1990
- Presented to record label executive
- All original with manufacturer sticker
- Letter of provenance included
- Known as a RIAA "R hologram" award they were made from 1990-97
- Award measures 17" x 21"
- Great collectors item for any Martika fan
- FREE insured shipping to continental U.S.
- International shipping available
Detailed Item Description: This RIAA Gold award is a first presentation award that would have been manufactured in 1990 making it 32 years old. The award is presented to Jerry Blair, who was at the time a record executive at Columbia Records.
Blair played a key role in the success of artists including Martika, Aerosmith, Tony Bennett, Mariah Carey, Billy Joel, Ricky Martin, George Michael, Will Smith and many others. The award is accompanied by a letter of provenance from Blair's son, who later took possession of his father's awards and memorabilia (see image of letter, son's name is redacted on image, buyer will receive unredacted copy).
The award is in VG to Excellent condition with only very minor frame wear and a few mars on the plexiglass. This award is all original with Ill Eagle Enterprises manufacturer sticker.
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Notes on the condition of all vintage RIAA awards like this one: Please do not buy this item if you want a brand new piece of memorabilia. These are historical artifacts from the year they were produced. As a result they may show signs of wear. Frankly, if you see a 20 to 50-year-old award purported to be in 100% perfect condition, it might be too good to be true. After all, an antique should have "good' wear. If not, you might want to question the piece.
As to where they came from, they could have been displayed in record label offices, recording studios, artist manager's offices, radio stations, private collector's homes and yes, of course, possibly the artist's or songwriter's home. Typically, we don't know all the places they may have been over the years other than what we've stated in the description.
Finally, a word on photos: Our photos are zoomable so you can get a very good look. Do let us know if you want photos of any other details on our pieces and we'll be happy to provide.
*RIAA sales data source: RIAA.com