Friday July the 11th

ON THIS DAY in 1906,
actor/announcer Harry von Zell was born in Indianapolis.  
              
Harry became one of the A list announcers of bigtime network radio, who was also featured in a character role on The Eddie Cantor Show & The Burns and Allen Program.  He later worked on TV shows starring Bing Crosby, Phil Baker, Dinah Shore & Joan Davis.  He was infamous for the blooper: "Ladies and gentleman, the President of the United States, Hoobert Heever -- I mean, Herbert Hoover." He died of cancer Nov 21, 1981 at age 75.

In 1934, the first appointments to the newly created Federal Communications Commission were made. The governing body of the American broadcasting industry was first served by seven men named as commissioners.

In 1937, George Gershwin, one of the world's greatest composers of popular music, died in Beverly Hills of a brain tumour. He was only 38. Gershwin wrote his first hit, ``Swanee,'' in 1918 for the Broadway show, ``Sinbad,'' starring Al Jolson. Gershwin's other song hits included ``The Man I Love,'' ``'S Wonderful,'' ``Summertime'' and ``Love Is Here to Stay.''

              
In 1959, Joan Baez made her first recording. It was a duet with Bob Gibson, recorded live at the Newport Folk Festival.

Also in 1959, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was ``Lonely Boy,'' by Ottawa's Paul Anka.

In 1960, "Alley-Oop" by Hollywood Argyles topped the charts, but just for the one week.

In 1962, the first transatlantic TV transmission via satellite took place, using Telstar I.

In 1964, The Supremes released their first hit, ``Where Did Our Love Go.''

Also in 1964, 18-year-old Millie Small was riding high on the pop music charts with My Boy Lollipop (#2, 7/04/64). Listen carefully to the tune and you'll hear Rod Stewart playing harmonica. Millie Small was known as the "Blue Beat Girl" in Jamaica, her homeland.

              
In 1965, actor Ray Collins, best remembered as Lt. Tragg on TV's Perry Mason, died of emphysema at age 75.

In 1967, Kenny Rogers formed The First Edition just one day after he and members Thelma Camacho, Mike Settle and Terry Williams left The New Christy Minstrels. The First Edition hosted a syndicated TV variety show in 1972. Hits made popular by the group include: Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In), But You Know I Love You, Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town, Ruben James, and Something's Burning.

In 1969, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was ``In the Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus),'' by Zager & Evans. Evans wrote the song in the year 1964. It was their only song to make the Hot 100.

Also in 1969, the Rolling Stones released "Honky Tonk Women" to radio stations.

Still in 1969, David Bowie's ``Space Odyssey'' album was released.

              
In 1970, the ``Woodstock'' soundtrack hit number one on the U-S album chart, the first triple L-P to do so.

Also in 1970, "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)" by Three Dog Night topped the charts and stayed there for 2 weeks.

Still in 1970, The Who's "Summertime Blues" was released.

In 1973, actress Isabel Randolph, who played Mrs. Uppington on radio"s Fibber McGee & Molly, and similar roles on TV's Our Miss Brooks, December Bride & The Dick Van Dyke Show, died at age 83.

              
In 1974, the "Mac Davis Show" summer TV series premiered on CBS.

In 1976, Frank Sinatra married his fourth wife, Barbara Marx. They remained together until his death in May 1998.

In 1979, the first digital rock album, ``Bop Till You Drop'' by Ry Cooder,'' was released. The digital recording process had been used for some time for classical L-Ps, but this was the first time it had been employed for rock.

Also in 1979, Neil Young's concert film ``Rust Never Sleeps'' premiered in Los Angeles. The L-P of the same name was released at the same time.

              
Still in 1979, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was `Bad Girls,'' by Donna Summer.

In 1981, Hubert Johnson, a member of the Motown group the Contours, committed suicide in Detroit. Johnson was a cousin of Jackie Wilson, who introduced the Contours to Motown head Berry Gordy Jr. The Contours took their feverish dance tune ``Do You Love Me?'' to number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962.

In 1987, an unusual collaboration between British rock star Sting and U-S jazzman Gil Evans opened the Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia, Italy. Evans's orchestra backed Sting during the performance, which included such Police tunes as ''Shadows in the Rain'' and ''Roxanne.''

Also in 1987, "Alone" by Heart topped the charts and stayed there for 3 weeks.

              
In 1989, acting great Sir Laurence Olivier, whose TV contributions include Brideshead Revisited, Last Days of Pompeii, Wagner, Jesus of Nazareth & David Copperfield, died of complications from a muscle disorder at age 82.

Also in 1989, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was ``If You Don't Know Me by Now,'' by Simply Red.

In 1992, Celine Dion's 'If You Asked Me To' peaked at #4 on the Billboard pop singles chart..

In 1993, Irish singer Sinead O'Connor pulled out of her planned stage debut in Dublin at the last moment, complaining of emotional exhaustion. She was to have opened four days later in the part of ``Death'' in "Hamlet's Nightmare."

Also in 1993, Mario Bauza, a pioneer in Afro-Cuban jazz, died in New York of cancer at 82. Bauza helped launch the career of Ella Fitzgerald with the Chick Webb orchestra in the 1930's. But his major contribution to jazz was combining Cuban rhythms with jazz-oriented brass, a style that heavily influenced Dizzy Gillespie.

In 1995, R-E-M bassist Mike Mills underwent abdominal surgery in Germany. The band was forced to cancel several shows for the second time in a year. The earlier cancellations came after drummer Bill Berry suffered a brain aneurysm.

              
In 1996, Lou Gottlieb, the front man for the 1960s folk group the Limeliters (pictured, centre), died in Sebastopol, California of cancer. He was 72. Gottlieb also played bass with the trio, whose other members were Glenn Yarbrough (left) and Alex Hassilev (right). The Limeliters had 10 albums on the Billboard chart between 1961 and '64.

In 1998, Western harmony group Riders in the Sky used their Grand Ole Opry appearance to pay tribute to the late Roy Rogers. Ranger Doug, Woody Paul and Joey the Cowpolka King played softly in the background during a spoken tribute delivered by Too Slim. "Even the horse knew he was the King of the Cowboys. Long live the King," Slim said.

In 1999, Helen Forrest, often called the best of the big band singers, died of congestive heart failure at the Motion Picture Country Home and Hospital in Woodland Hills. She was 82.

In 2000, Lars Ulrich of Metallica was the first witness to testify at a U.S. Senate hearing over copyright law issues concerning free sharing of music files on Web sites such as Napster and MP3.com.

              
In 2006, actor Barnard Hughes, who starred in TV's Doc (1975), Blossom, Guiding Light, As The World Turns, & The Secret Storm, died five days short of his 91st birthday.


Today's Birthdays:
  
Actor Tab Hunter (Mary Hartman Mary Hartman, Tab Hunter Show) is 77.

Actress Susan Seaforth Hayes (Days of Our Lives, Sunset Beach) is 65.

Singer Jeff Hanna of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is 61.

Ventriloquist Jay Johnson (Soap, Broken Badges) is 59.

Actor Bruce McGill (Macgyver, Laws of Chance, Live Shot) is 58.

Singer Bonnie Pointer of the Pointer Sisters is 58.

Actor Stephen Lang (The Fugitive 2000, Crime Story) is 56.

Actress Mindy Sterling (Higgletytown Heroes, On the Spot) is 55.

Actress Sela Ward (House MD, Once & Again, Sisters) is 52.

Singer Peter Murphy of Bauhaus is 51.

Reggae singer Michael Rose of Black Uhuru is 51.

Guitarist Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi is 49.

Singer Suzanne Vega is 49.

Actress Lisa Rinna (Dancing with the Stars, Melrose Place, Days of Our Lives) is 45.

Bassist Scott Shriner of Weezer is 43.

Actress Debbe Dunning (Home Improvement) is 42.

Actor Greg Grunberg (Heroes, Alias, Felicity) is 42.

Actor Justin Chambers (Grey's Anatomy) is 38.

Actor Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville) is 36.

Country singer Scotty Emerick is 35.

Rapper Lil' Kim is 33.

Rapper Lil' Zane is 26.

Pop-jazz singer-musician Peter Cincotti is 25.

Actor David Henrie (How I Met Your Mother, The Pitts) is 19.


Chart Toppers

July 11

1946
They Say It’s Wonderful - Frank Sinatra
The Gypsy - The Ink Spots
I Don’t Know Enough About You - The Mills Brothers
New Spanish Two Step - Bob Wills

1955
Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley & His Comets
Learnin’ the Blues - Frank Sinatra
Hard to Get - Giselle Mackenzie
A Satisfied Mind - Porter Wagoner

1964
I Get Around - The Beach Boys
Memphis - Johnny Rivers
Can’t You See that She’s Mine - The Dave Clark Five
Together Again - Buck Owens

1973
Will It Go Round in Circles - Billy Preston
Kodachrome - Paul Simon
Bad, Bad Leroy Brown - Jim Croce
Why Me - Kris Kristofferson

1982
Don’t You Want Me - The Human League
Rosanna - Toto
Hurts So Good - John Cougar
Don’t Worry ’Bout Me Baby - Janie Fricke

1991
Rush, Rush - Paula Abdul
Unbelievable - EMF
Right Here, Right Now - Jesus Jones
Don’t Rock the Jukebox - Alan Jackson

2000
It’s Gonna Be Me (facts) - ’N Sync
Bent (facts) - Matchbox Twenty
There U Go - Pink
I Hope You Dance (facts) - Lee Ann Womack (featuring Sons of the Desert)