Monday November the 26th


ON THIS DAY in 1912
CBS newsman & commentator Eric Sevareid
was born in Velva North Dakota.  He was one of a group of elite war correspondents dubbed "Murrow's boys" because they were hired by pioneering broadcast newsman Edward R. Murrow. He was with CBS for 38 years.  He died of stomach cancer July 9, 1992 at age 79.

On this day in 1920, TV & stage director/actor Daniel Petrie was born at Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. His career spanned 50 years, during which time he won 8 Emmys.  He directed the TV series Joe & Mabel, the Hidden Room, Stud's Place, Eleanor & Franklin, The Dollmaker and a number of productions in Studio 1. Petrie succumbed to cancer Aug. 22 2004 at age 83.

On this day in 1922, cartoonist Charles Schulz was born in Minneapolis. His Peanuts specials have become TV classics, including A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving [1973] for which he won a writing Emmy.  He died Feb 12, 2000 at age 77 after a heart attack.  

On this day in 1927, Ernie Coombs (CBC's "Mr. Dressup") was born in Lewiston, Maine.  He passed away Sept. 18, 2001 at age 73.  His children's program ran from 1967 to 1996.

On this day in 1933, singer Robert Goulet was born Stanley Applebaum in Lawrence, Mass,  but within months his family moved to Northern Alberta. He worked as disk jockey on Edmonton's CKUA for two years and was a semi-finalist on C-B-C T-V's ``Pick the Stars'' in 1952.  He spent a summer at Vancouver's Theatre Under the Stars.  In 1955 he became a regular on CBC TV's Cross Canada Hit Parade. He was awarded a Grammy as the best new artist of 1962.  His best-selling album was the million-selling 1964 release "My Love Forgive Me,'' which reached No. 5.  Goulet died awaiting a lung transplant Oct. 30 2007 at age 73.

On this day in 1940, Xavier Cugat and his orchestra recorded Orchids in the Moonlight on the Columbia label.
                          

On this day in 1945, the radio program, "Bride and Groom", debuted on the NBC Blue network. It is estimated that 1,000 newly-wed couples were interviewed on the program before it left the airwaves in 1950.

Also in 1945, jazz trumpeter Miles Davis made his first recordings, as a member of a group led by alto saxophonist Charlie (Bird) Parker. Also in the group that recorded for the Savoy label in New York were trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, pianist Argonne Thornton, bassist Curly Russell and drummer Max Roach. Davis would stay with Parker's band until 1948.

On this day in 1950, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was the novelty "The Thing'' by Phil Harris.

On this day in 1956, bandleader Tommy Dorsey choked to death in his sleep, after a big meal, at age 51. His records allegedly sold more than 110,000,000 copies.

On this day in 1957, Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps made their first national t-v appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show,'' playing "Lotta Lovin' '' and "Dance to the Bop.''

On this day in 1962, the Beatles recorded "Please Please Me.''
                

On this day in 1968, Cream gave a farewell performance filmed by the BBC in London. The rock group played before a capacity crowd at Royal Albert Hall.  Guitarist Eric Clapton and drummer Ginger Baker continued working together in the band Blind Faith.

On this day in 1969, The Band received a gold record for the album, The Band.

On this day in 1975, the Canadian Radio-Television Commission ordered Canadian TV cable companies to black out identical US programs available on Canadian television at the same time.  The CRTC rules were designed to help Canadian stations & Canadian advertisers.

IAlso in 1975, Charles Boykin, a minister in Talahassee, Florida, led his congregation in burning two-thousand dollars worth of rock records. Boykin claimed that 984 out of one-thousand unwed mothers were impregnated with rock music in the background. How he conducted his survey was not recorded.

On this day in 1976, the rock group The Band gave its final concert at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco.
                                    
The Winterland had also been the site of The Band's first concert in 1969. Guests for the final show included Ronnie Hawkins and Bob Dylan -- both of whom The Band had backed up earlier in their careers -- Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Neil Diamond, Eric Clapton and Muddy Waters. The concert was captured on film by director Martin Scorcese, and released as "The Last Waltz'' about 16 months later.

On this day in 1980, British actress Rachael Roberts died at age 53 of barbiturate poisoning.  Her American TV credits include The Tony Randall Show, Hallmark Hall of Fame, & Marcus Welby MD.

On this day in 1982, actor Dan Tobin died at 73 after 25 years of bit parts on TV.  He scored recurring roles in Perry Mason & I Married Joan.

Also this day in 1982, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was "Truly'' by Lionel Richie. The song was the first No. 1 hit for Richie since he left the Commodores.

On this day in 1985, comedian Ransom Sherman, a radio partner of Garry Moore on Club Matinee out of Chicago, died at 87.  Moore often referred to Sherman in later years as "the man who taught me all I know".

On this day in 1990, MTV, the U-S music video channel, said it wouldn't play Madonna's video for "Justify My Love.'' Canada's MuchMusic soon followed suit. MTV deemed the video's fantasy sequence which included bisexuality, mild sadomasochism and exposed female breasts -- not Madonna's -- too risque for airplay. Warner Reprise Video promptly announced they would release the clip for sale, moving a quarter-million copies in the initial shipment.

Also on this date in 1990, Matsushita Electric announced it was buying the entertainment giant M-C-A for about 6.6-billion dollars U-S. It was the largest-ever Japanese purchase of a U-S company. The deal, combined with the previous year's purchase of C-B-S by Sony, left only one major American record company in U-S hands -- Warner Brothers.

On this day in 1991, native American actor Dehl Berti died of a heart attack at age 70.  He is perhaps best remembered for his role on the series Paradise, but also had recurring parts in Buck James, Operation Neptune, The Edge of Night, and voices on A Pup Named Scooby-Doo.

Also in 1991, "Dangerous," Michael Jackson's first album in four years, was released in Canada and Japan.
                  
The album had already been available for four days in Europe and would come out in the U-S the following day. Initial shipments were reported at nine-million copies worldwide.

On this day in 1994, The Eagles' Hell Freezes Over, signaling the band's reunion (after fourteen years), hit #1 (for two weeks) on U.S. album charts.

Also in 1994, the first Beatles record ever to be played on radio fetched more than 23-thousand dollars Canadian at an auction in London. It was a world record price for a commercially produced record. The recording of "Love Me Do'' was played by Radio Luxembourg in 1963.

On this day in 1996, Maclean's said it had decided not to include Cape Breton fiddler Ashley MacIsaac in its annual honour roll after he outlined his sexual practices to a reporter for the magazine. MacIsaac expressed a fondness for sex involving urination and said he had a 16-year-old boyfriend. The magazine said the musician displayed "a stunning recklessness about his image." MacIsaac responded that Maclean's had ignored his efforts as a musician, "and maybe even as a spokesman for Canadian music and culture."

On this day in 1997, just one day after its release, Garth Brooks' "Sevens" breaks a record by placing 12 of its 14 songs in the Hot Country Singles and Tracks Chart in Billboard Magazine. The previous record holder? Garth Brooks' "Fresh Horses" with eight tracks.

On this day in 1999, 98 Degrees performed several songs and sold some exclusive band merchandise on the Home Shopping Network.


Today's Birthdays:

Actress Linda Hunt (Carnivale, The Practice) is 82.

Singer/actress Marian Mercer (St Elsewhere, It's a Living, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman) is 72.

Ottawa-born impressionist Rich Little is 69.

Singer Tina Turner is 69.

Singer Jean Terrell (replaced Diana Ross in The Supremes) is 63.

Pop musician John McVie is 62.

Actress Jamie Rose (St. Elsewhere, Falcon Crest) is 48.

Country singer Linda Davis is 45.

Halifax-born jazz singer Holly Cole is 44.

Actress Elizabeth Savage (Loving, General Hospital, Image Workshop) is 4?.

Blues singer-musician Bernard Allison is 42.

Country singer-musician Steve Grisaffe is 42.

Actress Kristin Bauer (Two and a Half Men, Justice League, Total Security) is 34.

Actor Peter Facinelli (Six Feet Under, Fastlane) is 34.

Actress Maia Campbell (South Central) is 31.

Country singer Joe Nichols is 31.

Actress Jessica Bowman (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman; The Road Home) is 27.

Singer Lil Fizz (82K) is 22.

Singer Aubrey Collins (Trick Pony) is 20.


Chart Toppers

November 26

1949
Don’t Cry, Joe - The Gordon Jenkins Orchestra (vocal: Betty Brewer)
I Can Dream, Can’t I? - The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (vocal: Jack Leonard)
A Dreamer’s Holiday - Perry Como
Slipping Around - Margaret Whiting & Jimmy Wakely

1957
Jailhouse Rock - Elvis Presley
You Send Me - Sam Cooke
My Special Angel - Bobby Helms
Wake Up Little Susie - The Everly Brothers

1965
I Hear a Symphony - The Supremes
1-2-3 - Len Barry
Rescue Me - Fontella Bass
May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose - "Little" Jimmy Dickens

1973
Photograph - Ringo Starr
Top of the World - Carpenters
Space Race - Billy Preston
Paper Roses - Marie Osmond

1981
Physical - Olivia Newton-John
Waiting for a Girl like You - Foreigner
Here I Am (Just When I Thought I was Over You) - Air Supply
All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down) - Hank Williams, Jr.

1989
Blame It on the Rain - Milli Vanilli
Love Shack - The B-52’s
(It’s Just) The Way That You Love Me - Paula Abdul
Yellow Roses - Dolly Parton