Tuesday January the 22nd


ON THIS DAY in 1909
comedic actress Ann Sothern (below) was born Harriette Lake in rural North Dakota.  She starred as Maisie in both network & syndicated radio. On TV she headlined Private Secretary & The Ann Sothern Show, and had a running role on Here's Lucy.  She died of heart failure March 15 2001 at age 92.
                                                                                                          

On this day in 1918 actor Richard Eastham was born in Opelousas Louisiana. He had feature roles in TV's Wonder Woman, Bright Promise & Falcon Crest, as well as scores of guest roles. Hhe suffered from Alzheimer's disease in his final years and died from complications at age 89 on July 10, 2005.

On this day in 1924, one of the strongest AM signals on the Pacific coast, KGO San Francisco began broadcasting.
                                                                          

Also this day in 1924, outstanding jazz trombonist/composer J J Johnson was born in Indianapolis. In his early twenties he developed a remarkable, flawless technique and was the first trombonist to rise to the challenge of bebop music, remaining unchallenged at the forefront of modern jazz throughout his career.  Diagnosed with prostate cancer he committed suicide Feb 4 2001 at age 77.

On this day in 1931, Clyde McCoy and his orchestra recorded "Sugar Blues". The tune became McCoy’s theme song, thanks to its popularity on Columbia Records, and later on Decca, selling over a million copies.

On this day in 1934, actor Bill Bixby was born in San Francisco.  He starred in three hit TV series, Incredible Hulk, My Favorite Martian, and The Courtship of Eddie's Father.  Bixby died of prostate cancer Nov. 21 1993 at age 59.  

On this day in 1935, singer Sam Cooke was born in Clarksdale, Miss., the son of a minister. His biggest hit was the No. 1 song "You Send Me.'' He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. He was shot to death at a motel Dec. 11 1964 at age 29.

On this day in 1940, "The Right to Happiness" written by radio soap diva Irna Phillips was first aired on the CBS Radio Network.  The daytime serial had begun on NBC Blue three months earlier.  

On this day in 1947, KTLA, Channel 5, in Hollywood, began operation as the first commercial television station west of the Mississippi River.

On this day in 1949, at 3:30 pm New Westminster MP Tom Reid threw the switch to increase CKNW's power from 250 to 1000 watts. The station had been operating for 4-and-a-half years, and had been at 1320 khz since Jan. 1.
                                                                  

On this day in 1956, New Westminster's Raymond Burr starred for the 1st time as Captain Lee Quince in the debut of "Fort Laramie" on CBS radio. The program was produced with the same quality "sound patterns" that distinguished the radio version of "Gunsmoke."

On this day in 1959, Buddy Holly made his last recordings in New York. He died in a plane crash the next month.

On this day in 1962, singer Gene Chandler (Duke of Earl) made his TV debut on "American Bandstand."

                                                                                                      
On this day in 1963, Gerry & the Pacemakers held their first recording session, producing "Away from You'' and "Pretend.''

On this day in 1966, English actor Herbert Marshall, who starred on US radio for 6 seasons in The Man Called X, died at 75 after a heart attack.

On this day in 1966, the Beach Boys recorded "Wouldn't It Be Nice".

On this day in 1968, the NBC-TV comedy show, "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In", debuted from beautiful downtown Burbank.(It received the official go-ahead after a successful pilot special that had aired in 1967.)
                                                            
The weekly show, produced by George Schlatter and Ed Friendly, then Paul Keyes, used 260 pages of jokes in each hour-long episode. The first 14 shows earned "Laugh-In" (as it was commonly called) 4 Emmys.  

On this day in 1971, John & Yoko recorded "Power to the People."

On this day in 1972, the action/adventure "Emergency" with Robert Fuller premiered on NBC TV.

On this day in 1976, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was "Theme from `Mahogany' (Do You Know Where You're Going to),'' by Diana Ross.

On this day in 1977, the song "I Wish" by Stevie Wonder topped the charts but only stayed there for a week.

On this day in 1981, a picture of John Lennon naked appeared in his obituary issue of Rolling Stone.

On this day in 1987, Phil Donahue became the first talk show host to tape a show from inside the Soviet Union. Donahue appeared in Leningrad, Kiev and Moscow. The shows were seen by Russian TV audiences later in the year.

On this day in 1988, character actor Parker Fennelly died at 96. He is best remembered as New Englander Titus Moody from Allen's Alley on the Fred Allen Radio Show.

On this day in 1990, Guns 'N' Roses guitarist Slash used profanity numerous times on live television while accepting an American Music Award.

On this day in 1991, L.L. Cool J's album "Mama Said Knock You Out" was certified platinum by the RIAA.

On this day in 1994, the song "All for Love" by Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart, & Sting topped the charts and stayed there for 3 weeks.

On this day in 1997, rhythm-and-blues singer Ron Holden, best known for his hit single "Love You So", died in Mexico at age 57. "Love You So" was Holden’s only hit, reaching number seven on the "Billboard" chart in June of 1960.

                                                                                                        
On this day in 1998, singer Toni Braxton filed for Chapter 7 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Los Angeles, listing liabilities of more than $1 million.

Also this day in 1998, rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg filed suit for $10 million against Gelfand, Rennert & Feldman, its parent Coopers & Lybrand and former Gelfand accountant Steven Cantrock, charging they mismanaged his money.

On this day in 2002, Pat Summerall announced that he would leave his NFL broadcasting partner, John Madden, after they called the Super Bowl for Fox Sports. The two had worked together for 21 years.
            


Today's Birthdays:

Actress Diana Douglas (Paper Chase, The Cowboys, Days of Our Lives) is 85.

Singer Margaret Whiting is 84.

Actress Piper Laurie (Twin Peaks, Traps, Skag) is 76.

TV chef Graham Kerr (Galloping Gourmet) is 73.

Actor Seymour Cassel (Heist, Good Company, Under Suspicion) is 73.

Actor John Hurt (I Claudius, Watership Down) is 68.

Country bassist Teddy Gentry of Alabama is 56.

Actress Linda Blair (Scariest Places on Earth, Sarah T: Portrait of a Teenaged Alcoholic) is 49.

Actress Diane Lane (Lonesome Dove, Cool Women of History) is 43.

Country singer Regina Nicks of Regina Regina is 43.

Rap DJ-actor Jazzy Jeff is 43.

Singer Marc Gay of Shai is 39.

Actor Gabriel Macht (The Others) is 36.

Actor Balthazar Getty (Brothers & Sisters, Alias, Into the West) is 33.

Actor Christopher Kennedy Masterson (Malcolm in the Middle, The Road Home) is 28.

Singer Willa Ford is 27.

Singer Kelton Kessee of Immature is 27.

Actress Beverley Mitchell (Seventh Heaven) is 27.

Guitarist Ben Moody (Evanescence) is 27.


Chart Toppers

January 22

1950
Dear Hearts and Gentle People - Dinah Shore
A Dreamer’s Holiday - Perry Como
The Old Master Painter - Snooky Lanson
Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy - Red Foley

1958
At the Hop - Danny & The Juniors
Oh, Boy! - The Crickets
Don’t/I Beg of You - Elvis Presley
Great Balls of Fire - Jerry Lee Lewis

1966
The Sounds of Silence - Simon & Garfunkel
We Can Work It Out - The Beatles
No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach’s In) - The T-Bones
Giddyup Go - Red Sovine

1974
Show and Tell - Al Wilson
Smokin’ in the Boys Room - Brownsville Station
I’ve Got to Use My Imagination - Gladys Knight & The Pips
I Love - Tom T. Hall

1982
Physical - Olivia Newton-John
Waiting for a Girl Like You - Foreigner
Centerfold - The J. Geils Band
I Wouldn’t Have Missed It for the World - Ronnie Milsap

1990
How Am I Supposed to Live Without You - Michael Bolton
Pump Up the Jam - Technotronic featuring Felly
Everything - Jody Watley
Nobody’s Home - Clint Black