Friday February the 1st

On This Day in 1904
Italian tenor Enrico Caruso recorded his first sides for Victor Records. He did ten songs in the session ... for a mere $4,000.

On this day in 1906, the 4th most prolific recording artist of all time was born in suburban Milwaukee.  She was known as "the incomparable Hildegarde," a title bestowed on her by Walter Winchell. She appeared in cabarets & supper clubs up to 45 weeks a year.  The woman born Hildegarde Loretta Sell was the "girl" on CBS Radio's "Ninety-Nine Men & a Girl" (1939), the hostess on 1943's "Beat the Band" musical quiz show, and "Hildegarde's Raleigh Room" on NBC Radio.  She also appeared in several TV specials, and continued performing to age 89.  She died of natural causes July 29 2005 at age 99.

On this day in 1939, Benny Goodman and his orchestra recorded "And the Angels Sing", on Victor Records. The vocalist on that number, who went on to find considerable fame at Capitol Records, was Martha Tilton.

On this day in 1940, Frank Sinatra sang "Too Romantic" and "The Sky Fell Down" in his first recording session with the Tommy Dorsey Band. The session was in Chicago.  Frankie had replaced Jack Leonard as lead singer with the band.
                                                                    

On this day in 1941, "Downbeat" magazine reported that Glenn Miller had inked a new three-year contract with RCA Victor.  The pact guaranteed Miller $750 a side, the fattest record contract signed to that time.

On this day in 1949, RCA Victor countered Columbia Records' 33-1/3 long play phonograph disk with not only a smaller, 7-inch record (with a big hole in the center), but an entire phonograph playing system as well. The newfangled product, the 45-rpm, which started a revolution (especially with the new rock and roll music), soon made the 78-rpm record a blast from the past.

On this day in 1951, the 1st telecast of an atomic explosion was aired, a US nuclear test at the Nevada Test Site.

                                                                                                                            
On this day in 1953, CBS-TV debuted a new sitcom "Private Secretary". Ann Sothern played Susie McNamera, private secretary to NY talent agent, Peter Sands (played by Don Porter). Susie, you will remember, kept trying to improve Peter's professional -- and personal -- life, screwing it up seriously in the process. The show ran during the regular TV seasons on CBS (last show was September 10, 1957) and ran on NBC-TV in the summers of 1953 and 1954.

Also this day in 1953, "General Electric Theater," the program later hosted by Ronald Reagan, debuted on CBS TV; along with the premiere of "You Are There, " hosted by Walter Cronkite.  

On this day in 1954, a television classic was born on CBS-TV, as the daytime drama "The Secret Storm" began what would become a 20-year run on the network.
                                                          

Also this day in 1954, Big Joe Turner recorded "Shake, Rattle and Roll."

On this day in 1963, the 17 year old Neil Young performed his first professional date at a Winnipeg country club.

On this day in 1964, the governor of Indiana declared the song "Louie, Louie" by The Kingsmen to be pornographic, even though the average listener wasn't able to decipher the lyrics. The governor asked a state broadcasters' association to ban the record.

Also this day in 1964, "I Want to Hold Your Hand" by the Beatles topped the charts and stayed there for 7 weeks.

On this day in 1965, the 26-year-old Canadian-born Peter Jennings became the anchor of ABC's nightly news .. for the first time.

On this day in 1965, James Brown recorded "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" in Charlotte, North Carolina.

On this day in 1966, Hollywood columnist & radio gossipper Hedda Hopper died of double pneumonia at age 75.  She appeared in more than 100 films beginning in the silent era, before turning to dishing the celebrity dirt.

On this day in 1968, Elvis Presley celebrated the birth of his daughter, Lisa Marie. Lisa Marie married and divorced the "Gloved One", Michael Jackson, in the '90s.

On this day in 1969, Canadian-born folksinger/songwriter Joni Mitchell made her debut at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Also this day in 1969, the song "Crimson and Clover" by Tommy James & the Shondells topped the charts and stayed there for 2 weeks.
                                                                                                      

On this day in 1971, the soundtrack album from the movie, "Love Story", starring Ryan O'Neal and Ali McGraw, with music by Frances Lai, was certified as a gold record.

On this day in 1972, Paul McCartney & Wings released "Give Ireland Back to the Irish" in the UK.                            

On this day in 1975, "Laughter in the Rain" by Neil Sedaka topped the charts ..but only for a week.
                  
On this day in 1975, Roy Rogers' recording of "Hoppy, Gene & Me" peaked at #65 on the Billboard charts.  It concerned the big three of Western stars, Hopalong Cassidy, Gene Autry & Rogers himself.

On this day in 1975, Lisa Marie Presley met her favorite singer, Elton John, for her seventh birthday. The event was arranged by daddy Elvis.

On this dy in 1976, the mini-series "Rich Man, Poor Man" (which introduced us to Nick Nolte) premiered on ABC TV.

Also this day in 1976, "Sonny and Cher" resumed on TV despite a real life divorce.  

On this day in 1980, radio/TV host Jack Bailey, who presided over the daytime "sob show" Queen for a Day for 20 years, died at age 72. He also hosted the TV version of Truth or Consequences in the 1950's.

On this day in 1980, the pioneering TV soap "Love of Life" ended a 28 year run.

Also this day in 1980, the hour-long nightly mystery show Sears Radio Theater moved from CBS to the Mutual Broadcasting System.

On this day in 1982, "Late Night With David Letterman" debuted on NBC-TV, following Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show."

On this day in 1983, new channels First Choice, Superchannel and C-Channel were first made available on Canadian cable as pay TV was launched in this country.

                                                              
On this day in 1985, Glenn Frey of The Eagles guested on an episode of "Miami Vice" on NBC-TV.

On this day in 1986, classic Los Angeles 60's rocker KHJ-AM changed its call letters to KRTH.

On this day in 1992, Nirvana's album, "Nevermind" went to No. 1 on the Billboard Album chart for the second time.

Meantime, on that same day in 1992, the song "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred topped the charts and stayed there for 4 weeks.

On this day in 1993, T-V personality Regis Philbin returned to his morning talk show after undergoing heart surgery to have a blocked artery cleared.

On this day in 1994, actor Olan Soule died of lung cancer at age 83.  For 11 years he starred on CBS Radio's daytime drama "Bachelor's Children" and for 9 years played the male lead characters in radio plays presented on "First Nighter."   Later he made upwards of 200 guest appearances in TV series such as Dragnet, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Have Gun Will Travel, Andy Griffith Show, Perry Mason, Petticoat Junction & Bonanza.  His career covered seven decades.

On this day in 1996, both houses of the U.S. Congress overwhelmingly approved a rewrite of the 1934 Communications Act. Some highlights: it allowed local and long-distance telephone companies, as well as cable TV providers, to offer a mixture of goods and services; Deregulate cable TV rates; allowed consumers access to a greater variety of cable, telephone and other communications services; and, in one of the most controversial changes, it revised the National Multiple Radio Ownership Rule and Local Radio Ownership Rule, allowing most of the stations in the U.S. to be snatched up by a few corporations.

On this day in 1999, the Web site Lycos began a new search service offering easy access to a half-million high quality recordings. The search service found titles that use MP3, an easy-download technology. Such files alarmed the recording industry, since many of the songs were illegal copies made by those who sold or gave them away online.

                                                                                                                        
On this day in 2002, Kirk Hammett of Metallica was the first recipient of the annual Hall of Fame Award in "Guitar World" magazine.

Also this day in 2002, actress Winona Ryder was charged with four felony counts stemming from her shoplifting arrest at a Saks Fifth Avenue store in Beverly Hills. (Ryder was later convicted of felony grand theft and vandalism, and received three years probation.)

Again on this day in 2002, Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys agreed to enter a counseling program and perform community service in order to get a charge of resisting/opposing a law enforcement officer without violence dropped. Carter had been arrested at a nightclub on January 2 of that year.  

On this day in 2003, percussionist Mongo Santamaria died at age 85.  His 1963 hit was a cover of Herbie Hancock's Watermelon Man.

        
On this day in 2004, Justin Timberlake ripped Janet Jackson's top during the Super Bowl halftime show and exposed her breast. During that same show, Kid Rock wrapped himself in a poncho made of an American flag.
                                                                                        
Also this day in 2004, CBS began airing "Survivor: All-Stars." The show included veterans from the seven previous editions of "Survivor."

                                                                                                                    
Today's Birthdays:

Actor Stuart Whitman (Cimarron Strip, Superboy) is 80.

Former NBC & CBS newsman John Hart is 76.

Singer Bob Shane of the Kingston Trio is 74.

Actor-comedian Garrett Morris (Jamie Foxx Show, Saturday Night Live) is 71.

Singer Don Everly of The Everly Brothers is 71.

Singer Ray Sawyer of Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show is 71.

Actor Sherman Hemsley (The Jeffersons, Amen) is 70.

Jazz pianist Joe Sample is 69.

Bluegrass singer Del McCoury is 69.

Actor-writer-director Terry Jones (Monty Python) is 66.

Guitarist Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is 54.

Actor-writer-producer Billy Mumy (Babylon 5, Lost in Space) is 54.

Singer Exene Cervenka of X is 52.

Country keyboardist Dwayne Dupuy of Ricochet is 43.

Actress Sherilyn Fenn (Rude Awakening, Twin Peaks, Gilmore Girls) is 43.

Singer Lisa Marie Presley is 40.

Comedian Pauly Shore is 40.

Drummer Patrick Wilson of Weezer is 39.

Actor Brian Krause (Charmed) is 39.

Jazz musician Joshua Redman is 39.

Actor Michael C. Hall (Dexter, Six Feet Under) is 37.

Rock musician Ron Welty is 37.

Rapper Big Boi (Outkast) is 33.

Country singer Julie Roberts is 29.

Actor Jarrett Lennon (Grounded for Life, City Guys) is 26.


Chart Toppers

February 1

1944
My Heart Tells Me - The Glen Gray Orchestra (vocal: Eugenie Baird)
Shoo, Shoo, Baby - The Andrews Sisters
Besame Mucho - The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra (vocal: Bob Eberly & Kitty Kallen
Pistol Packin’ Mama - Al Dexter

1952
Slowpoke - Pee Wee King
Cry - Johnnie Ray
Anytime - Eddie Fisher
Give Me More, More, More (Of Your Kisses) - Lefty Frizzell

1960
Running Bear - Johnny Preston
Teen Angel - Mark Dinning
Where or When - Dion & The Belmonts
El Paso - Marty Robbins

1968
Judy in Disguise (With Glasses) - John Fred & His Playboy Band
Chain of Fools - Aretha Franklin
Green Tambourine - The Lemon Pipers
Sing Me Back Home - Merle Haggard

1976
Love Rollercoaster - Ohio Players
Love to Love You Baby - Donna Summer
You Sexy Thing - Hot Chocolate
This Time I’ve Hurt Her More Than She Loves Me - Conway Twitty

1984
Owner of a Lonely Heart - Yes
Karma Chameleon - Culture Club
Talking in Your Sleep - The Romantics
The Sound of Goodbye - Crystal Gayle