Sunday July the 20th

ON THIS DAY in 1872
Mahlon Loomis was awarded a patent for wireless technology heralding the beginning of radio. Loomis was the first wireless telegrapher. He was born July 26, 1826 in Oppenheim, New York and died, October 13, 1886 in Terra Alta, West Virginia

In 1933 rockabilly singer Buddy Knox was born in Happy, Texas.  He is best remembered for his 1957 hit Party Doll.  He died of lung cancer Feb. 14 1999 at age 65.

In 1935, NBC radio debuted G-men. The show was later renamed Gangbusters and stayed on the air until 1957.

In 1938, actress Natalie Wood was born Natasha Gurdin in San Francisco. While best known for her movie roles, she starred in the TV miniseries From Here To Eternity, in the TV production Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and about a dozen dramatic anthology shows early in her career.  She was an accidental drowning victim Nov. 29 1981 at age 43.

In 1940, Billboard magazine published its first comprehensive singles record chart. Billboard had previously published best-seller lists submitted by individual record companies, but the new chart combined the top sellers from all labels. The chart's first number-one record was "I'll Never Smile Again'' by the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra with Frank Sinatra and the Pied Pipers. It stayed on top for 12 weeks.

In 1950, "The Arthur Murray Party" premiered on ABC TV. Later it would move to DuMont, CBS, & NBC.

In 1954, Elvis Presley, Scotty Moore and Bill Black performed in public for the first time, billing themselves as the Blue Moon Boys. They performed at the opening of a new drugstore in Memphis.

In 1963, Ray Conniff received two gold-record awards -- for the albums, Concert in Rhythm and Memories are Made of This -- on Columbia. Conniff recorded dozens of albums of easy listening music for the label. He had been a trombonist and arranger with Bunny Berigan, Bob Crosby, Harry James, Vaughn Monroe and Artie Shaw.

Also in 1963, the number-one record on the Billboard pop chart was "Surf City'' by Jan and Dean. Jan Berry and Dean Torrence recorded the song in a converted garage underneath their apartment in Bel Air, California.

In 1965, Bob Dylan's single ``Like a Rolling Stone'' was released. Dylan's first major hit topped the Billboard Hot 100, getting air play despite being six-minutes long at a time when singles were normally half that length. "Like A Rolling Stone'' was picked as the top single of all time in a poll conducted in 2004 by Rolling Stone magazine.

Also in 1965, the Lovin' Spoonful's "Do You Believe in Magic'' was released. It began their string of more than a dozen hits.

In 1968, Jane Asher announced to a national T-V audience in Britain that her engagement to Paul McCartney was off. McCartney, watching at a friend's home, was said to have been surprised.

Also in 1968, "Grazing in the Grass" by Hugh Masekela topped the charts and stayed there for 2 weeks.

Still in 1968, Iron Butterfly's "In-a-gadda-da-vida" became the first heavy metal song to hit the charts, it came in at #117.

In 1969, the first men to walk on the moon, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, were the subject of marvel all over the world, thanks to live TV.

Also in 1969, singer Roy Hamilton, whose version of ``Unchained Melody'' was the best-selling rhythm-and-blues record of 1955, died of a heart attack at 40. His powerful baritone voice was also featured on such hits as ``You'll Never Walk Alone'' in 1954 and ``You Can Have Her'' in 1961.

In 1974, actor Allen Jenkins, who was a regular on TV's Hey Jeannie, Waterfront & Damon Runyon Theatre, died following surgery at age 74.

In 1974, Joey Ramone became the lead vocalist for the Ramones.

In 1975, Steve Van Zandt performed for the first time in concert as a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band.

In 1977, the CRTC failed to find significant separatist bias in the Radio-Canada French-language service.

Im 1982, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was "Eye of the Tiger," by Survivor. The sng was the theme from the film "Rocky III."

In 1983, Frank Reynolds, anchor of the nightly ABC News, died at the age of 59. He was replaced by ABC News correspondent, Peter Jennings. Through his years at ABC, Reynolds was noted for being temperamental. That personality came through on the air from time to time. During the assassination attempt of President Ronald Reagan, Reynolds scolded staff members while he was on camera. Reynolds had to retract previously broadcast statements that Reagan’s Press Secretary James Brady had been killed in the attack. The misinformation embarrassed Reynolds, causing the on-air reaction

Also in 1983, Prince Charles and Princess Diana attended a Duran Duran show in London. In December 1996, it was revealed the Irish Republican Army had planned to assassinate the royal couple during the concert. The plan was aborted when the designated bomber, who was also a British informer, revealed the plot.

In 1990, Morty Nevins, the last surviving member of the original Three Suns, died in Beverly Hills, California of cancer. He was 73. Nevins played accordion with the trio, who were best known for their instrumentals. The Three Suns' hits included 1947's "Peg of My Heart'' and their theme song, "Twilight Time.''

In 1991, Kirk Cameron married his Growing Pains co-star Chelsea Noble in upstate New York.

Also in 1991, "Unbelievable" by EMF topped the charts and stayed there for a week.

In 1994, country star Billy Ray Cyrus told a Boston audience he would donate one-thousand dollars towards the search for a missing eight-year-old Saskatchewan girl, Ashley Krestianson. Searchers had tried to guide her out of the bush by playing one of her favourite songs -- Cyrus's "Achy Breaky Heart.'' The child's body was found several weeks later.

In 1996, actor Robert Downey Junior was arrested after authorities say he left a court-ordered drug rehab center. It was his third arrest in a month.

Also in 1996, "Blue," the first album by country singer LeAnn Rimes, then just 13 years old, debuted at number one on Billboard's country chart and number four on the pop chart.

In 1998, veteran musician, music executive, and manager Jim Tyrrell died of heart failure in New York. He was 67. Tyrrell had a 10-year career at then-CBS Records, starting in 1968. Tyrrell was the first black executive to serve as senior VP at CBS and was a pioneer in handling sales for both black and white artists at a major label.

In 1999, in his speech at the 4th annual Plug.In music and technology conference, Public Enemy rapper Chuck D sang the praises of the coming digital download age.

In 2005, Vancouver-born actor James Doohan, best known for playing Scotty on Star Trek, died at his home in Redmond, WA.  He was 85, and had been suffering from pneumonia & Alzheimers.  

Today's Birthdays:

Actress-singer Sally Ann Howes (Judith Krantz's Secrets) is 78.

Rockabilly singer Sleepy LaBeef is 73.

Actress Diana Rigg (The Avengers) is 70.

Singer Jo Ann Campbell is 70.

Bassist John Lodge of the Moody Blues is 65.

Country singer T.G. Sheppard is 64.

Singer Kim Carnes is 62.

Guitarist Carlos Santana is 61.

Drummer Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols is 52.

Actress Donna Dixon (Bosom Buddies) is 51.

Country singer Radney Foster is 49.

Seattle-born singer Chris Cornell (of Audioslave and of Soundgarden) is 44.

Guitarist Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam is 42.

Actor Reed Diamond (Judging Amy, Homicide: Life on the Street) is 41.

Actor Josh Holloway (Lost) is 39.

Singer Vitamin C is 39.

Actor Simon Rex (What I Like About You, Jack & Jill) is 34.

Actress Judy Greer (Arrested Development, Love Monkey) is 33.

Actor John Francis Daley (Freaks and Geeks, Geena Davis Show) is 23.

Actress Billi Bruno (According to Jim) is 12.


Chart Toppers: July 20

1946
The Gypsy - The Ink Spots
They Say It’s Wonderful - Frank Sinatra
Surrender - Perry Como
New Spanish Two Step - Bob Wills

1955
Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley & His Comets
Honey-Babe - Art Mooney
The House of Blue Lights - Chuck Miller
I Don’t Care - Webb Pierce

1964
Rag Doll - The 4 Seasons
Can’t You See that She’s Mine - The Dave Clark Five
The Girl from Ipanema - Stan Getz/Astrud Gilberto
Dang Me - Roger Miller

1973
Will It Go Round in Circles - Billy Preston
Bad, Bad Leroy Brown - Jim Croce
Shambala - Three Dog Night
Love is the Foundation - Loretta Lynn

1982
Don’t You Want Me - The Human League
Rosanna - Toto
Hurts So Good - John Cougar
’Till You’re Gone - Barbara Mandrell

1991
Unbelievable - EMF
Right Here, Right Now - Jesus Jones
(Everything I Do) I Do It for You - Bryan Adams
Don’t Rock the Jukebox - Alan Jackson


2000
It’s Gonna Be Me  - ’N Sync
Bent  - Matchbox Twenty
The One - Backstreet Boys
I Hope You Dance - Lee Ann Womack (featuring Sons of the Desert)