Tuesday January the 29th

On This Day in 1880
that early comedic star of film and radio, W. C. Fields was born William Claude Dukenfield in Philadelphia. The charming rogue drunk, child-dog-and-women-hating personna he created in his public performances was generally identified with Fields in his private life.  His hilarious feuds with Edgar Bergen's dummy Charlie McCarthy are considered among the classic moments of bigtime radio. He died of a stomach hemmorhage Christmas Day 1946 at age 66.
              

On This Day in 1925, actor Anthony George was born in Endicott NY.  He starred in two '60's TV crime series, The Untouchables & Checkmate; later he would be seen in a succession of daytime dramas, Dark Shadows, Search for Tomorrow, and One life to Live.  Complications from emphysema led to his death March 16 2005 at age 80.  

On this day in in 1929, gossip columnist Walter Winchell first appeared on radio.

On this day in 1937, Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra waxed the big band classic "Song of India" on Victor Records.

On this day in 1942, the 1st broadcast of Roy Plomley's "Desert Island Discs" was heard on the BBC.

On this day in 1944, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was "My Heart Tells Me" featuring the Glen Gray Orchestra.

                                                                                                                        
On this day in 1945, Lionel Barrymore took over the host duties temporarily on the "Lux Radio Theatre" on CBS radio. This after longtime host Cecil B. DeMille refused to join the union.  

On this day in 1951, Major League Baseball signed a 6 year agreement for TV-radio rights at $6 million.

On this day in 1956, one of the last of radio's popular series, "Indictment", debuted on CBS.  The program remained on the air for three years.

On this day in 1958, Challenge Records released the single "Tequila" by The Champs.

                                                                        
On this day in 1962, Warner Bros. Records signed the folksinging trio Peter, Paul & Mary.

On this day in 1964, NBC-TV agreed to pay $36 million for the broadcast rights to the American Football League games during the 1965-1969 seasons. Not that they had much choice. CBS had already locked in the National Football Conference.

Also this day in 1964, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was "I Want to Hold Your Hand'' by The Beatles. This first American release by the Beatles was one of the biggest selling British singles of all time with worldwide sales of 15 million copies.


On this day in 1965, actor John Larkin died of a heart attack at age 52.  He was best known for his long-running radio portrayal of Perry Mason, and also had the starring role as attorney Mike Karr on the television daytime drama The Edge of Night from 1956 to 1961. Between 1962 and 1965 he made many TV guest appearances and had prominent supporting roles in two TV series and three films

On this day in 1966, the Bobby Fuller Four's "I Fought The Law" was released.

On this day in 1969, the "Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour" debuted on CBS-TV.
                                                                                  
On this day in 1972, Smokey Robinson left The Miracles.

On this day in 1973, Johnny Rivers received a gold record for the hit single, "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu". As is tradition, Rivers removed the fragile gold disk from the wooden frame and, as he was putting it on his stereo, had a ferocious sneezing fit and never did find out how his song sounded in solid gold.

On this day in 1975, the First Annual Comedy Awards of the Year were hosted on TV by Alan King.

                                                                                                                        
On this day in 1977, comedian/actor Freddie Prinze, the star of Chico & the Man, fatally shot himself at age 22.

Also this day in 1977, Rose Royce earned the #1 spot on the music charts with "Car Wash", from the movie of the same name.  

On this day in 1979, the group Emerson, Lake & Palmer disbanded after 10 years together.

On this day in 1983, during the telecast of the 40th Golden Globes, viewers see the hit movies Gandhi, ET & Tootsie honored.  

                                                                          
On this day in 1986, actor Leif Erickson, who played Big John Cannon on TV's High Chaparral, plus scores of guest roles, died from cancer at age 74.

On this day in 1988, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was "Need You Tonight'' by INXS. The group was only the third from Australia - and the first in five years - to top the pop chart.

On this day in 1992, rhythm and blues trailblazer Willie Dixon died in Burbank, Calif., of heart failure at age 76. The former boxer wrote more R&B and early rock classics than any other blues artist, including such songs as "Hoochie Coochie Man,'' "Little Red Rooster'' and "Back Door Man.''

On this day in 1994, singer Mary Wilson, formerly of the Supremes, was injured when her jeep hit a freeway median and flipped over while driving outside of Los Angeles. Her 14-year old son was killed in the accident.

On this day in 1996, Garth Brooks refused to accept his American Music Award for Favorite Overall Artist. Brooks said that Hootie and the Blowfish had done more for music that year than he did

On this day in 1998, singer Bobby Brown was found guiilty of Driving While Intoxicated in Ft. Lauderdale Fla.

On this day in 2000, Detroit radio legend Martha Jean "The Queen'' Steinberg - known by her trademark phrase "I betcha'' - died at Detroit's Harper Hospital. Steinberg was a local fixture in the Motor City for nearly 40 years.

On this day in 2004 at 4 pm, Rogers switched one of its Victoria stations CHTT (HOT 103) FM, the former CJVI AM, from a Top 40 station to JACK FM "playing what we want."  First song played was ZZ Top's "Sharp Dressed Man."
                                                                                                                                  

On this day in 2006, ABC "World News Tonight" co-anchor Bob Woodruff and his Lethbridge-born cameraman Doug Vogt were seriously injured in a roadside bombing in Iraq.

Today's Birthdays:

Actor John Forsythe (Dynasty, Charlie's Angels, Bachelor Father) is 90.

British lyricist Leslie Bricusse (Goldfinger, My Kind of Girl) is 77.

Actor-singer (& one-time Canadian resident) Noel Harrison (Girl from Uncle) is 74.

Actress Katharine Ross (The Colbys) is 68. Actress Barbara Moore (Man From UNCLE) is 64.

Actor Tom Selleck (Magnum PI) is 63.

Singer Bettye LaVette is 62.

Vancouver-born actor Marc Singer (BeastMaster, V, Young & The Restless) is 60.

Actress Ann Jillian (Ann Jillian, It's a Living) is 58.

Drummer Tommy Ramone of The Ramones is 56.

Drummer Louie Perez of Los Lobos is 55.

Talk show host Oprah Winfrey is 54.

Actress Diane Delano (Joan of Arcadia, ER, Northern Exposure) is 51.

Actress Judy Norton Taylor (The Waltons) is 50.

Guitarist Johnny Spampinato of NRBQ is 49.

Drummer David Baynton-Power of James is 47.

Bassist Eddie Jackson of Queensryche is 47.

Actor Nicholas Turturro (NYPD Blue) is 46.

Singer-guitarist Roddy Frame of Aztec Camera is 44.

Director-actor Ed Burns (Entourage) is 40.

Actress Heather Graham (Emily's Reasons, Scrubs, Twin Peaks) is 38.

Actor Sharif Atkins (ER) is 33.

Actress Sara Gilbert (ER, Roseanne) is 33.

Actor Andrew Keegan (Seventh Heaven, Party of Five) is 29.

Guitarist Jonny Lang is 27.


Chart Toppers

January 29

1949
A Little Bird Told Me - Evelyn Knight
Far Away Places - Margaret Whiting
Buttons and Bows - Dinah Shore
I Love You So Much It Hurts - Jimmy Wakely

1957
Singing the Blues - Guy Mitchell
Don’t Forbid Me - _Pat Boone
Jamaica Farewell - Harry Belafonte
Singing the Blues - Marty Robbins

1965
Downtown - Petula Clark
You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feelin’ - The Righteous Brothers
The Name Game - Shirley Ellis
You’re the Only World I Know - Sonny James

1973
Superstition - Stevie Wonder
Crocodile Rock - Elton John
Your Mama Don’t Dance - Kenny Loggins & Jim Messina
(Old Dogs-Children And) Watermelon Wine - Tom T. Hall

1981
(Just Like) Starting Over - John Lennon
Love on the Rocks - Neil Diamond
The Tide is High - Blondie
9 to 5 - Dolly Parton

1989
Two Hearts - Phil Collins
When I’m with You - Sheriff
When the Children Cry - White Lion
Deeper Than the Holler - Randy Travis