Sunday March the 2nd

ON THIS DAY in 1897
Guglielmo Marconi was granted the first wireless patent.

In 1922, pioneer radio station WLW, Cincinnati, Ohio began broadcasting under Crossley ownership.  At one point in its history it was powered by 500,000 watts.
    
In 1935, actor Al Waxman was born in Toronto. He started acting on CBC Radio at age 17. He played the title role in the CBC-TV situation comedy King of Kensington (1975-80), and was a regular on CBS-TV's hit show Cagney & Lacey (1981-88 ). He died during heart bypass surgery Jan. 18 2001 at age 65.

in 1940, the first televised intercollegiate track meet was seen by TV viewers in New York City as W2XBS presented the action live from Madison Square Garden. New York University won the meet.

In 1942, Charlie Christian, the man responsible for making the guitar a lead instrument rather than just a part of the rhythm section, died in New York of tuberculosis. He was only 25. Though Christian recorded for only three years, his single-string picking technique on the then-new electric guitar had a vast impact on both jazz and rock 'n' roll. Most of his recordings were with Benny Goodman's sextet.

                                                                      
In 1944, the 16th Academy Awards celebration moved from a banquet hall to Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood; hosted by comedian/actor Jack Benny. The Outstanding Motion Picture was Casablanca, Best Actor of 1943 was Paul Lukas for Watch on the Rhine and the Best Actress was 24-year-old Jennifer Jones for The Song of Bernadette.

In 1950, singer/drummer Karen Carpenter of the hit group The Carpenters, was born in New Haven Connecticut.  Their big hits included Close to You, We've Only Just Begun, Top of the World, & Please Mr. Postman. She died of chronic aneorexia Feb. 4 1983 at age 32.

In 1957, then-teenage heartthrob Tab Hunter's song Young Love was number one in North America.  

In 1963, "Walk Like a Man" by the Four Seasons topped the charts and stayed there for 3 weeks.

                                                                                                                
In 1967, the Mamas & the Papas won a Grammy for "Monday Monday,'' voted the  Best Contemporary Group Performance.  Frank Sinatra's "Strangers In The Night" was named Record of the Year; the Song of the Year award went to John Lennon and Paul McCartney for "Michelle."

Also in 1967, the Supremes recorded "Reflections."

In 1969, the Beatles premiered their song "Let It Be'' in a film clip shown on CBS's "Ed Sullivan Show.''

In 1972, broadcast journalist Bill Lawrence, the "relentlessly perfectionist" reporter who covered the White House through 6 presidents, died at age 56.
    
In 1974, Roberta Flack won three Grammy Awards for "Killing Me Softly With His Song."  Stevie Wonder got five Grammys, best new artist was Bette Midler.
    
In 1975, Linda McCartney was arrested in Los Angeles for personal possession of marijuana. Paul was driving the vehicle at the time of the incident but was not charged.
    
              
In 1977,  "The Barry Manilow Special" aired on ABC-TV.

In 1979, the three-day "Havana Jam", sponsored by CBS Records and the Cuban government, began in Havana. Among the acts appearing were Weather Report, Stephen Stills and Billy Joel, the first U-S pop artists to appear in Cuba in more than 20 years.

In 1981, Michael Jackson was a guest on Diana Ross' third TV special "Diana" on CBS.
    
In 1983, Sony and Philips introduced their jointly-developed compact disc system. .  Within a decade of the CD's introduction, vinyl records had virtually disappeared from stores.

In 1984, Hollywood's Gold Star Recording Studios, where the Beach Boys and Phil Spector made most of their famous recordings, was closed. The building was eventually torn down to make room for a shopping plaza.

In 1985, British actor/author Sir Michael Redgrave, who starred in some amazing marine adventures on the radio in the transcribed series Horatio Hornblower, died at 77 of Parkinson's disease.

In 1987, "Trio,'' the much-delayed joint project by Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris, was finally released.
                                                                                                                

In 1988, Paul Simon won record of the year for "Graceland," the first time a winning record did not hit the Top 40. U2's "The Joshua Tree" won album of the year. Little Richard got a standing ovation for announcing himself as winner for best new artist and complaining the Grammys never gave him anything.
    
In 1989, Madonna's Pepsi commercial premiered on TV. It was set to her new single "Like A Prayer." The ad was pulled a few days later because of its controversial religious images.

In 1992, actress Sandy Dennis died in Connecticut of ovarian cancer at age 54.
                                                            
She started out in the TV serial Guiding Light in 1956, made her mark on the big screen, and guested on episodic television for the next 33 years.
  
In 1993, "The Tonight Show" cancelled an appearance by Grammy-winning reggae artist Shabba Ranks after he expressed support for a song that advocated violence against gays.

Also in 1993, the Supreme Court of Canada allowed its proceedings to be televised for the first time; a hearing on taxation.
    
In 1994, Victoria-born composer and producer David Foster won four Grammy Awards for his work on Whitney Houston's hit soundtrack album "The Bodyguard."
    
In 1996, all five members of one of Brazil's top rock bands, Mamonas Assassinas, died in a plane crash as they were returning to Sao Paulo from a concert in Brasilia. Thousands of fans lined the streets two days later as a firetruck carried the five coffins to a Sao Paulo cemetery.
    
In 1999, Jack Webster, B.C.'s most famous radio & TV talk-show host, and longtime panellist on CBC TV's Front Page Challenge, died at the age of 84. (some sources give his age as 80.)

Also in 1999, British singer Dusty Springfield, who recorded such 1960s hits as "Son of a Preacher Man'' and "Wishin' and Hopin','' died at her English home after a long battle with breast cancer.  She was 59.                  

Again in 1999, Neil Young launched a solo tour in Vancouver, B.C. It was his first completely solo outing in more than 25 years.

In 2004, the talented radio actress Mercedes McCambridge (I Love a Mystery, Abie's Irish Rose, CBS Radio Theatre) died of natural causes just days short of her 88th birthday.  For 35 years she guested in episodic and anthology TV. Her non-broadcast achievements included an Oscar for "All the King's Men," and providing the demonically-possessed voice in "The Exorcist."

Also in 2004, Alistair Cooke retired from BBC 4 after 58 years of hosting, "Letter From America".

In 2006, singer Gary Glitter was convicted of obscene acts with two young Vietnamese girls. He was sentenced to prison.


Today's Birthdays:

Bluegrass musician Doc Watson is 85.

Actor John Cullum (Northern Exposure) is 78.

Singer Lou Reed is 66.

Ottawa-born actor Gordon Thomson (Dynasty, The Colbys, Santa Barbara) is 63.

Actress Cassie Yates (Dynasty, Simon & Simon, Barnaby Jones) is 57.

Actress-comedian Laraine Newman (As Told By Ginger, 7th Heaven, The Oblongs) is 56.

Singer Jay Osmond of The Osmonds is 53.

Drummer John Cowsill of The Cowsills is 52.

Country singer Larry Stewart of Restless Heart is 49.

Singer Jon Bon Jovi is 46.

Actor Daniel Craig ("Casino Royale") is 39.

Rock musician Casey (Jimmie's Chicken Shack) is 32.

Singer Chris Martin of Coldplay is 31.

Actor Robert Iler (The Sopranos) is 23.


Chart Toppers

March 2

1949
Far Away Places - Margaret Whiting
Powder Your Face with Sunshine - Evelyn Knight
Galway Bay - Bing Crosby
Don’t Rob Another Man’s Castle - Eddy Arnold

1957
Young Love - Tab Hunter
Teen-Age Crush - Tommy Sands
Butterfly - Charlie Gracie
There You Go - Johnny Cash

1965
This Diamond Ring - Gary Lewis & The Playboys
My Girl - The Temptations
The Jolly Green Giant - The Kingsmen
I’ve Got a Tiger by the Tail - Buck Owens

1973
Killing Me Softly with His Song - Roberta Flack
Dueling Banjos - Eric Weissberg & Steve Mandell
Could It Be I’m Falling in Love - Spinners
Rated "X" - Loretta Lynn

1981
I Love a Rainy Night - Eddie Rabbitt
Woman - John Lennon
Keep on Loving You - REO Speedwagon
Southern Rains - Mel Tillis

1989
Straight Up - Paula Abdul
Lost in Your Eyes - Debbie Gibson
The Lover in Me - Sheena Easton
I Sang Dixie - Dwight Yoakam