Wednesday July the 9th

ON THIS DAY in 1925  
singer Alan Dale was born Aldo Sigismondi in Brooklyn.  As a youngster he became a regular singer on his father's Italian-language radio show.  In 1944 he became vocalist with the Carmen Cavallero Orchestra.  In 1948 he got his own show on Dumont Television.  His career was shortened by his perceived Mafia connections.   He died April 20 2002 at age 76.

              
In 1928, actor Vincent Edwards was born in Brooklyn.  For 5 years in the early 60's he was one of the hottest stars on TV as Ben Casey MD. Later he headlined the short-lived series Matt Lincoln.  He succumbed to pancreatic cancer March 11 1996 at age 67.

In 1942, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was "Sleepy Lagoon,'' featuring the trumpet of Harry James & his Orchestra.

In 1951, baseball Hall of Famer Harry Heilmann, who became the Detroit Tigers play-by-play guy (1934-50) after his playing days, died at age 56.  

              
In 1952, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was "Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart,'' by Vera Lynn.

In 1955, "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & the Comets officially launched "the rock n roll era" with an 8-week run at #1 on the Billboard charts.

Also in 1955, Pat Boone released his version of "Ain't That A Shame," which became his first number one hit.

In 1956, disc Jockey Dick Clark (below) debuted as host of "Bandstand'' on Philadelphia T-V station WFIL. "Bandstand" featured top pop and rock stars lip-synching their latest hits and a group of local teens dancing in the studio to recorded music. A-B-C expressed interest, and in 1957 the program was retitled ``American Bandstand'' and shown across the U-S and Canada. At the height of its popularity, the daily show was reported to have generated one-million fan letters a week.
                

In 1958, Johnny Cash signed with Columbia Records, where he enjoyed the vast majority of his hits.

In 1960, WABC New York introduced the WABC Music Chart.

In 1962, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was "Roses Are Red (My Love),'' by Bobby Vinton.

In 1968, The Temptations appeared at the Valley Forge Music Fair in Pennsylvania without baritone David Ruffin. He had been fired by Motown Records because he wanted to change the direction of the band. He was later rehired as a solo artist.

In 1969, a funeral was held in Cheltenham Spa, England for Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones, who'd been found dead in the swimming pool of his home six days earlier. The coroner's report cited ``death by misadventure.''

                
In 1971, Jim Morrison, lead singer of the Doors, was buried in Paris, six days after he died of heart failure in his bathtub. Morrison's death was not announced until after the burial, leading some fans to declare that he wasn't really dead.

In 1972, Paul McCartney began his first tour since the Beatles' last concert in 1966. He and his new band, Wings, opened a European tour in Chateauvillon, France.

In 1974, Springhill, Nova Scotia's Anne Murray had a #1 Billboard hit across the US with "He Thinks I Still Care."

Also in 1974, Crosby, Stills, & Nash started their reunion tour in Seattle.

In 1976, David Byron was fired as lead singer of the hard rock band Uriah Heep after a series of internal squabbles. The group disbanded two years later, but got together again in 1982.

In 1977, Undercover Angel, by songwriter (turned pop singer) Alan O'Day, reached the top spot on the Billboard chart. It was not the first visit to the top of the pop music world for O'Day, though the million-seller would be his last as a singer. He wrote Angie Baby, a number one hit for Helen Reddy and the #3 hit, Rock And Roll Heaven, for The Righteous Brothers.

              
Also in 1977, Elvis Costello quit his day job as a computer operator at a cosmetic factory to pursue a fulltime music career.

In 1981, The Jacksons kicked off a 36-city tour, which grossed them $5.5 million and led to "The Jacksons Live" album.

In 1982, New Orleans trumpeter and vocalist Wingy Manone died in Las Vegas at age 82.

Also in 1982, Calgary's CKRY-FM signed on at 105.1 MHz with 100,000 watts as "Country 105".

In 1983, "Every Breath You Take" by the Police topped the charts and stayed there for 8 weeks.

In 1985, retired football great Joe Namath signed a five-year pact with ABC-TV to provide commentary for Monday Night Football. The former New York Jets quarterback reportedly earned one million dollars a year for the job. Namath replaced "Dandy" Don Meredith.

                
In 1988, Bryan Adams broke all previous attendance records for concerts in Portugal when he headlined a show before more than 30-thousand people in Lisbon. British singer Bonnie Tyler joined him on stage for ``Straight From the Heart'' and ``No Way to Treat a Lady,'' two of Tyler's hits which Adams had written.

Also in 1988, "The Flame" by Cheap Trick topped the charts and stayed there for 2 weeks.

In 1989, rivalry between the black music groups Guy & New Edition, who were co-headlining a national tour, erupted into violence in Pittsburgh, leaving one person dead and another seriously injured. Security forces hired by Guy squared off in the Pittsburgh Civic Centre against New Edition's entourage. Both sides were armed with baseball bats and microphone stands. After the battle, Guy's security chief, Anthony Bee, was shot three times in the back as he fled the scene. New Edition's production manager, Ronald Byrd, was convicted of voluntary manslaughter.

              
Also in 1989, the four original Monkees -- Peter Tork, Davey Jones, Mickey Dolenz and Mike Nesmith -- performed their first concert together in 20 years at a Monkees' convention in Los Angeles. There had been several previous reunions but Nesmith refused to take part.

In 1990, actor Howard Duff, who played Sam Spade on radio, the sheriff on TV's Flamingo Road, and a senator on the prime time soap Dallas, died at age 76 of a heart attack.

In 1991, president George Bush presented a National Medal of Art to country music singer Roy Acuff.

                
In 1992, longtime CBS News correspondent Eric Savareid, who began as one of 'Ed Murrows Boys" on radio during WW II, and ended as commentator on the TV Evening News, died at age 79.

In 1993, NBC aired the sitcom "A Different World" for the final time.  The "Cosby Show" spinoff had run for six years.            

In 1994, classical pianist Van Cliburn began his first tour in 16 years, performing his signature piece, Tchaikovsky's "Piano Concerto Number One," in San Diego.

In 1995, the Grateful Dead played what proved to be their last concert at Soldier Field in Chicago. The show began with their only Top-10 hit, "Touch of Grey," and ended with an encore of "Black Muddy River" and "Box of Rain." The band broke up after leader Jerry Garcia died of a heart attack exactly one month later.

Also in 1995, the Rolling Stones played their first concert in their homeland in five years, opening the British leg of their "Voodoo Lounge" tour in Sheffield, England. During the tour, the Stones played before more than six million people in 135 venues around the world. Ticket sales topped 300-million dollars, with more than 430-million in merchandise sales.

                
In 1996, San Francisco attorney Melvin Belli, who played Gorgan on TV's Star Trek, and a judge in Murder She Wrote, died of pancreatic cancer & pneumonia at age 88.  

Also in 1996, Prince released the album "Chaos and Disorder."

In 1998, MTV Networks Europe announces in London the launch of freeform music channel M2 Europe. The first TV station to be launched on the Internet, M2 is initially available 24 hours a day at http://www.m2europe.com.

Also in 1998, a naked walk-on by the lead singer of the punk rock band Snot during an ``Ozzfest'' concert in Attleboro, Massachusetts led to a charge of taking part in a lewd act. James Lynn Strait was accused of walking starkers onto the stage during another band's performance and receiving oral sex from a female dancer.

Still in 1998, Scott Weiland missed his second court date, stemming from drug possession charges earlier in the year. His second absence prompted the presiding judge to issue a bench warrant for the rocker's arrest.

              
In 1999, Kenny Chesney became the first artist in five years to sell out Cowboy's in Arlington, Texas. The same night, Gary Allan, Chad Brock, Rhett Akins and Jewel were also playing in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.

Also in 1999, minutes before show time, singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter cancelled a concert at Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts in Springfield, Mo. A hall official broke the news that Carpenter had to fly home to tend to a very ill Golden Retriever.

Still in 1999, the state of Indiana renamed a 25-mile stretch of Interstate Route 65 as "Kenneth Babyface Edmonds Highway." The same day Babyface donated $50,000 to establish VH1's Save The Music campaign in the state.

In 2001, the Backstreet Boys temporarily stopped their "Black & Blue World Tour 2001." The tour had to be put on hold because A.J. McLean entered a treatment center for depression and alcohol abuse. The tour resumed on August 24th.

In 2002, actor Rod Steiger, who starred in early live TV drama, then had recurring roles in TV's Hollywood Wives, Tales of the City, and Chicken Soup for the Soul, died of pneumonia & kidney failure at age 77.  

                
In 2004, actress Isabel Sanford, who starred as Weezie in TV's The Jeffersons, died of heart disease at age 86.

In 2007, actor Charles Lane died in Santa Monica at 102 years of age. He may have been the oldest living professional American actor at the time. Lane (below) appeared in hundreds of roles on film and TV, including several Frank Capra films, and dozens of TV series, including Topper, The Real McCoys, Dobie Gillis, Mister Ed, Bewitched, Get Smart, Gomer Pyle, The Munsters, Green Acres, The Flying Nun and Maude.
                

Today's Birthdays:

Singer/actor Ed Ames is 81.

Country singer/songwriter Lee Hazlewood is 79.

Ronnir Burns (adopted son of George Burns) is 73.

Actor James Hampton (F Troop) is 72.

Actor Brian Dennehy (Fighting Fitzgeralds, Just Shoot Me) is 70.

Actor Richard Roundtree (Heroes, As The World Turns) is 66.

Actor Chris Cooper (House in Umbria, Lonesome Dove) is 57.

TV personality-turned-musician John Tesh is 56.

Country singer David Ball is 55.

Singer Debbie Sledge of Sister Sledge is 54.

Actor Jimmy Smits (LA Law, NYPD Blue) is 53.

Actor Tom Hanks (Band of Brothers, From Earth to the Moon, Bosom Buddies) is 52.

Singer Marc Almond of Soft Cell is 51.

Actress Kelly McGillis (Dark Eyes, One Life to Live) is 51.

Singer Jim Kerr of Simple Minds is 49.

Singer Courtney Love is 44.

Bassist Frank Bello of Anthrax is 43.

Actor David O'Hara (The District) is 43.

Actor Scott Grimes (ER, Party of Five) is 37.

Actor Enrique Murciano (Without a Trace) is 35.

Actor Fred Savage (Wonder Years) is 32.

Singer Dan Estrin of Hoobastank is 32.

Country musician Pat Allingham is 30.

Actress Megan Parlen (Hang Time) is 28.

Singer Kiely Williams of 3LW is 22.


Chart Toppers

July 9

1944
I’ll Be Seeing You - Bing Crosby
Long Ago and Far Away - Helen Forrest & Dick Haymes
Amor - Bing Crosby
Straighten Up and Fly Right - King Cole Trio

1953
Song from Moulin Rouge - The Percy Faith Orchestra
April in Portugal - The Les Baxter Orchestra
Ruby - Richard Hayman
It’s Been So Long - Webb Pierce

1962
The Stripper - David Rose
Roses are Red - Bobby Vinton
Al Di La’ - Emilio Pericoli
Wolverton Mountain - Claude King

1971
It’s Too Late/I Feel the Earth Move - Carole King
Indian Reservation - Raiders
Treat Her Like a Lady - Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose
When You’re Hot, You’re Hot - Jerry Reed

1980
Coming Up - Paul McCartney & Wings
The Rose - Bette Midler
It’s Still Rock & Roll to Me - Billy Joel
He Stopped Loving Her Today - George Jones

1989
Good Thing - Fine Young Cannibals
If You Don’t Know Me by Now - Simply Red
Express Yourself - Madonna
Lovin’ Only Me - Ricky Skaggs

1998
The Boy Is Mine (facts) - Brandy & Monica
Uninvited (facts) - Alanis Morissette
Ray of Light (facts) - Madonna
The Shoes You’re Wearing - Clint Black

2007
Umbrella (facts) - Rihanna featuring Jay-Z
Big Girls Don't Cry (Personal) (facts) - Fergie
Makes Me Wonder (facts) - Maroon 5
Lucky Man - Montgomery Gentry