Smith is arrested and charged with assaulting member Julia Nagle. 9 April - George Michael is arrested in a park in Beverly Hills, California after being caught in a "lewd act" by an undercover police officer, who was operating in a sting operation using so-called "pretty police". Michael was fined $810 and was sentenced to 80 hours community service. Michael would soon "come out" and sent up the incident in his video for "Outside". 24 May - The Verve play a homecoming gig at Haigh Hall & Country Park, Aspull, in front of 33,000 fans. 31 May - Geri Halliwell announces her departure from the Spice Girls 29 August - The Chart Show is dropped from ITV and is replaced with CD:UK, which ran until 2006. 23 October - Former Stone Roses singer Ian Brown is jailed for threatening behaviour towards a stewardess on a British Airways flight from Paris, a charge he denied. He is sentenced to Strangeways Prison, Manchester for four months and is released after serving two months of his sentence. 12 November - Massive Attack win Best Video for "Teardrop" at the MTV Europe Music Awards ceremony, held in Milan. They are presented their award by Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, who fluffs her lines, gets the band's name wrong and in response the band snub her and use profanity in their acceptance speech before leaving. Charts Number-one singles Number-one albums Number-one compilation albums Year-end charts Best-selling singles Sales between 29 December 1997 and 2 January 1999. Best-selling albums Sales between 29 December 1997 and 2 January 1999. Notes: Best-selling compilation albums Sales between 29 December 1997 and 2 January 1999. Groups reformed Culture Club Groups disbanded Black Grape Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine Emerson, Lake & Palmer Genesis Menswear Salad Sleeper Soul II Soul Strangelove Swervedriver These Animal Men Classical music John Barry – The Beyondness of Things Graham Fitkin – Clarinet Concerto Matthew King – Gethsemane Oliver Knussen – Eccentric Melody Gordon McPherson – Miami Mark-Anthony Turnage – Evening Songs Opera Gavin Bryars – Doctor Ox's Experiment Jonathan Dove – Flight Births 24 March – Isabel Suckling, singer 5 June – Dave, rapper, singer and songwriter 1 July – Hollie Steel, singer 8 August – Ronan Parke, singer 11 December – Gabz, Britain's Got Talent singer 24 December – Declan McKenna, singer-songwriter Deaths 8 January – Sir Michael Tippett, composer, 95 5 February –