Saturday January the 19th


On This Day in 1903  
the first Transatlantic Radio broadcast took place. King Edward VII and President Theodore Roosevelt spoke with one another in a coded radio transmission between Cape Cod, Massachusetts and Cornwall, England.

                                                                                                            
On this day in 1905, pioneer radio writer/producer, Anne Schumacher Hummert, was born.  With her husband Frank she produced some of radio's most memorable melodramas, including Our Gal Sunday, The Romance of Helen Trent, Mr Keen Tracer of Lost Persons, Betty & Bob, and Backstage Wife.  The Hummerts also produced several simple down-home musical series, like Waltztime and The American Album of Familiar Music. Their "radio factory" produced as many as 125 series, 61 of them soap operas. Anne Hummert died July 5 1996 at age 91.

On this day in 1906, singer Lanny Ross was born in suburban Seattle. He debuted as a radio star in 1928 with the tune "Troubadour on the Moon". Throughout the 30's, his signature song was "Moonlight and Roses," and he was singing star of such radio shows as the hugely popular Maxwell House Show Boat (5 years), as well as Packard Car Mardi Gras, Camel Caravan and Your Hit Parade.  In 1936, he was voted Most Popular Male Vocalist.   Lanny died on April 25, 1988 at age 82, after a stroke.  

                                                                      
On this day in 1908, comic singer Ish Kabibble was born Merwyn Bogue in rural Pennsylvania.  He sang and played trumpet with Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge on radio & record in the 30's and 40's. His dim witted characterization was said to be a later inspiration for Jerry Lewis. He died June 5, 1994 at age 86.  
                                                                                                                                      
On this day in 1922, actor Guy Madison was born Robert Ozell Moseley in Bakersfield Calif.  He is best remembered as western hero Wild Bill Hickok on radio & TV in the 1950's.  He died of emphysema Feb 6, 1996 at age 74.

On this day in 1943, rocker Janis Joplin was born in Port Arthur Texas. She gained fame as a distinctively raunchy & bluesy singer with Big Brother and The Holding Company. She died of a heroin overdose on Oct. 4, 1970. Her biggest hit was "Me and Bobby McGee,'' which was a posthumous No. 1 hit for two weeks in 1971.

On this day in 1949, singer Robert Palmer was born in Batley, England. He was known for his soulful voice and the eclectic mix of musical styles on his albums, combining soul, jazz, rock, reggae, blues and yodeling. He hit No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1986 with the gold record "Addicted to Love,'' for which he earned a Grammy.  He died after a heart attack Sept. 26, 2003 at age 54.

On this day in 1953, 68 percent of all TV sets in the U.S. were tuned to CBS-TV, as Lucy Ricardo of "I Love Lucy" gave birth to a baby boy -- just as she actually did in real life -- following the script to the letter! The audience for the program was greater than that watching the inauguration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower the following day.

On this day in 1955, President Eisenhower allowed a filmed news conference to be used on television (and in movie newsreels) for the first time. The 33-minute conference was cut to 28-1/2 minutes to fit TV formats.

On this day in 1955, "The Millionaire" TV program premiered on CBS TV.

On this day in 1957, Philadelphia comedian, Ernie Kovacs,(below) became a major star, when he was able to pull off the challenge of doing a half-hour TV show without uttering a single word of dialogue.
                                                                                                              

Also this day in 1957, Johnny Cash made his first network TV appearance, on CBS' "Jackie Gleason Show.''

On this day in 1959, Dick Clark's "American Bandstand" was the number-one daytime TV show in the U.S. Remember Rate-A-Record? Three kids would listen and then rate a new song. Rankings went from 35 to 98. The usual comment, "It has a good beat and you can dance to it."

Also this day in 1959, "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" by the Platters topped the charts and stayed there for 3 weeks.

On this day in 1961, the first episode of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" was filmed.

On this day in 1963, CJJC Langley BC took to the air for the first time, founded by owner
Joe Chesney.



Also this day in 1963, "The Ballad of Jed Clampett" by Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs
                                                                              
hit #1 for 12 weeks on Billboard's Country music charts.  This was the theme from the TV series "The Beverly Hillbillies."

On this day in 1967, Lesley Gore appeared on ABC-TV's "Batman" as Catwoman's sidekick, Pussycat.

On this day in 1970, comedian/actor/host Hal March (below)died at age 49. He teamed for a time with actor Bob Sweeney & starred in the radio comedy show Sweeney & March.  Early in his television career he appeared on Burns and Allen, The Imogene Coca Show and I Love Lucy. However, he was best known as the host of CBS TV's $64,000 Question from 1955 to 1958. As a result of the quiz show scandals, the show was canceled and March was out of a job for nearly a decade. He started hosting another show, It's Your Bet, in 1969, but was diagnosed with lung cancer and died early the following year.
                                                                                                              

Also this day in 1970, the soundtrack of the film, "Easy Rider", the movie that made a star of Peter Fonda, became a gold record. It was the first pop-culture, film soundtrack to earn the gold award.

On this day in 1974, a nine-mile traffic jam kept fans from attending performances by Bob Dylan and The Band in Miami. Many ticket-holders didn't get in until the show was half over, prompting a few demonstrations.

On this day in 1976, the Beatles turned down an offer of $50 million to play together again on the same stage. Rock promoter Bill Sargent was astonished when the Fab Four turned down the offer.  

                                                            
On this day in 1977, Aretha Franklin performed "God Bless America'' at Jimmy Carter's inaugural eve presidential gala in Washington.  Other entertainers during the inauguration included Charlie Daniels and the Marshall Tucker Band.

On this day in 1980, the song "Rock with You" by Michael Jackson topped the charts and stayed there for 4 weeks.

On this day in 1988, Metallica began recording their fourth full-length release, "And Justice For All."

On this day in 1988, the TV newsmagazine "48 Hours" premiered on CBS-TV.

On this day in 1991, the 48th Golden Globes hnored Kevin Costner's "Dances with Wolves."

Also this day in 1991, actor John Russell, best remembered as "Marshal Dan Troop" in the TV series Lawman from 1958 to 1962, died of emphysema at 70.

Still this day in 1991, Janet Jackson's single, "Love Will Never Do (Without You)", hit #1 in the U.S.

On this day in 1993, a pre-inaugural gala in Landover, Md., toasting incoming president Bill Clinton featured a reunion of Fleetwood Mac performing "Don't Stop (Thinking About Tomorrow),'' the unofficial campaign song for Clinton and his running mate, Al Gore. Other performers included Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Michael Jackson, Little Richard and Chuck Berry.

Also this day in 1993, singer Tom Waits was allowed to keep the two-and-a-half million dollars that a judge awarded him after he sued Frito-Lay for using a sound-alike in a commercial. The Supreme Court refused to change the amount of the award.

                                                                      
On this day in 1995, Gene MacLellan, composer of "Snowbird" and "Put Your Hand in the Hand" passed away from suicide in Summerside, PEI.  He was 56.

On this day in 1997, the 54th Golden Globes Awards were televised, honoring on the movie side The English Patient, and actors Brenda Blethyn and Geoffrey Rush.

                                                                                                              
On this day in 1998, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Carl Perkins died at age 65 after a series of strokes. Perkins was a Tennessee sharecropper's son. His first guitar was made from a cigar box and broom handle, and his "Blue Suede Shoes" was written on a potato sack.

Also this day in 1998, the National Assn. of Chiefs of Police presented Pat Boone with its first annual Michael the Archangel Award. The award recognized the artist's efforts in support of families of officers killed in the line of duty.

On this day in 1999, Jean-Michel Jarre, the French rock composer and performer, delivered a petition to the European Parliament signed by hundreds of leading European recording artists calling for better legal protection against music piracy on the internet.

            
On this day in 2006, singer Wilson Pickett died of a heart attack in Reston, Virginia. He was 64.

On this day in 2007, CBC sportscaster Don Wittman died after losing his battle with cancer, just three months after his last hockey telecast.  He was 71.


Today's Birthdays:

Actress Jean Stapleton (All in the Family) is 85.

Actor Fritz Weaver (Against the Law, Dream West, All My Children) is 82.

Actress Tippi Hedren (Fashion House, Providence, Dream On) is 78.  

Montreal-born former PBS/NBC newsman Robert MacNeil is 77.  

CTV news anchor Lloyd Robertson is 74.

Singer Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers is 69.

Actor-singer Michael Crawford is 66.

Actress Shelley Fabares (Coach, Mary Hartman, Donna Reed Show) is 64.

Country singer Dolly Parton is 62.

ABC News reporter Ann Compton is 61.

Singer Martha Davis of The Motels is 57.

Singer Dewey Bunnell of America is 56.

Actor Desi Arnaz Jr. (Automan, Here's Lucy) is 55.

Comedian Paul Rodriguez (Resurrection Boulevard) is 53.

Actress Katey Sagal (Married...With Children, 8 Simple Rules) is 51.

Keyboardist Mickey Virtue of UB40 is 51.

Actor Paul McCrane (ER, Champs, 24) is 47.

Singer Whitfield Crane of Ugly Kid Joe is 40.

Singer Trey Lorenz is 39.

Actor Shawn Wayans (The Wayans Brothers, In Living Color) is 37.

Singer-guitarist John Wozniak of Marcy Playground is 37.

Actress Drea de Matteo (Joey, The Sopranos) is 36.

Actress Jodie Sweetin (Pants-off Dance off, Full House) is 26.


Chart Toppers

January 19

1947
For Sentimental Reasons - Nat King Cole
Ole Buttermilk Sky - The Kay Kyser Orchestra (vocal: Mike Douglas & The Campus Kids)
A Gal in Calico - Johnny Mercer
Rainbow at Midnight - Ernest Tubb

1955
Mr. Sandman - The Chordettes
Hearts of Stone - The Fontane Sisters
Make Yourself Comfortable - Sarah Vaughan
Loose Talk - Carl Smith

1963
Go Away Little Girl - Steve Lawrence
Hotel Happiness - Brook Benton
Tell Him - The Exciters
The Ballad of Jed Clampett - Flatt & Scruggs

1971
My Sweet Lord/Isn’t It a Pity - George Harrison
Knock Three Times - Dawn
Lonely Days - Bee Gees
Rose Garden - Lynn Anderson

1979
Too Much Heaven - Bee Gees
Le Freak - Chic
My Life - Billy Joel
Lady Lay Down - John Conlee

1987
Shake You Down - Gregory Abbott
C’est La Vie - Robbie Nevil
Open Your Heart - Madonna
What Am I Gonna Do About You - Reba McEntire

Ish Kabibble has got to be one of the great showbiz names ever.