Wednesday June the 18th

ON THIS DAY in 1897
bandleader Kay Kyser was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.  
                
He brought his novel idea for a musical quiz to Mutual Radio in 1938 then to NBC Radio in 1939. The show was called Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge and was a great hit. He starred as "The Ol' Perfessor," with his catchphrases "That's right. you're wrong,"  "Evenin' folks, and "Yess-dance! Yess-dance!" "Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge" ran on radio until 1949, then on TV for a year after that.  The band's hits included Three Little Fishes, & Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition.  He died after a heart attack July 23, 1985 at age 88.

In 1904, actor Keye Luke was born in Canton China but grew up in Seattle.  The almost-accidental portrayer of Asian roles on the big screen, played such parts in four 1972 TV series simultaneously, "Kung Fu," "Anna and the King,"  "The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan," and "M*A*S*H".  He died Jan 12, 1991 at age 86.  

              
In 1908, announcer/host/actor Clayton 'Bud' Collyer was born in New York City. He was the voice of Superman on radio & in cartoons, and the long running host of TV game shows Beat the Clock and To Tell the Truth. He also hosted Goodson-Todman's first game show on radio, Winner Take All.  He died of a circulatory ailment Sep 8, 1969 at age 61.

In 1910, drummer/bandleader Ray McKinley was born in Fort Worth Texas.  He met Glenn Miller in 1929, and played in Miller's AEF Orchestra during WW II. Later he was asked to lead the Miller Band for Glenn's estate [1956-66]. He died May 7, 1995 at age 84.

In 1914, actor E.G. (Everett Gunnar) Marshall (below) was born in Owatonna Minnesota. Two of his better known TV roles are those of lawyer, Lawrence Preston on The Defenders in the 1960s, and as neurosurgeon, Dr. David Craig on The Bold Ones: The New Doctors in the 1970s. He also played a doctor on Chicago Hope in the 90's. He was the original host of the popular nightly radio drama The CBS Radio Mystery Theater, which ran on stations across the U. S. between 1974 and 1982.  He died of lung cancer Aug 24, 1998 at age 84.
              

In 1915, A-P Carter & Sara Dougherty married in Virginia. Together with Maybelle Addington, who married A-P's brother, they formed the Carter Family, one of country music's most influential groups. Their biggest seller was 1928's "Wildwood Flower.''

In 1939, the CBS radio network aired The Adventures of Ellery Queen for the first time. An interesting twist came near the end of each program when the show was stopped to allow a panel of experts to guess the solution of the night's mystery.

In 1945, British Radio traitor, William Joyce, a.ka. Lord Haw-Haw, was charged with treason.

In 1948, Columbia Records publicly unveiled its new long-playing phonograph record, the 33 1/3, in New York City.

              
In 1956, Nanette Fabray bid audiences farewell in her final appearance on Caesars Hour after two years as a regular on the popular NBC TV program.

In 1961, Gunsmoke was broadcast for the last time on CBS radio. The show had been on for nine years, for much of that time aired twice, on Sunday night with a repeat Saturday morning. It was called the first adult Western. The star of Gunsmoke was William Conrad, who would become a major TV star (Cannon, Jake and the Fatman), as well. When Gunsmoke moved to TV, James Arness filled Conrad's boots.

In 1965, British composer-conductor George Melachrino, one of the first to use a mass string orchestra to create mood music, died at age 55. Melachrino made more than 50 L-P's in the 1950's, most of them released by RCA in North America.

Also in 1965, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was "I Can't Help Myself,'' by the Four Tops.

              
In 1966, "River Deep and Mountain High'' by Ike & Tina Turner entered the British charts, getting as high as number three. But the record did so poorly in the U-S that the disgusted producer, Phil Spector, temporarily retired from the music business. He did not make another record for three years.

In 1967, the Jimi Hendrix Experience made its debut performance at the Monterey (Calif.) Pop Festival. The Hendrix album "Electric Ladyland,'' released in 1968, topped Billboard's pop album chart for two weeks.

In 1972, Vancouver radio station CJVB 1470 went on the air as Western Canada's first multilingual radio station.  Unlike today the format included at least 24 different languages with at least 37 hours a week in English.

In 1975, the NBC News and Information Service (24 hr news) premiered on radio.

              
In 1976, Abba staged a command performance for the king of Sweden and his Queen-to-be on the eve of their Royal Wedding.

In 1977, Sex Pistol Johnny Rotten was slashed on his face and hands by knife-wielding youths on a London street. They objected to the Pistols' anti-monarchist song "God Save the Queen.'' The next day, another member of the Pistols, Paul Cook, was beaten by a gang armed with iron pipes.

Also in 1977, Fleetwood Mac worked Dreams to the number one spot on the pop music charts this day. It would be the group's only single to reach number one. Fleetwood Mac placed 18 hits on the charts in the 1970s and 1980s. Nine were top-ten tunes.

In 1980, "The Blues Brothers'' movie opened in the U-S and Canada. Among the music stars making cameo appearances were Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin.

Also in 1980, western swing musician Paul Howard died at 71. Howard's band, the Arkansas Cotton Pickers, was a fixture on the Grand Ole Opry in the 1940s.

              
In 1985, Bryan Adams' single Heaven remained #1 on the Billboard charts for a second week.

In 1987, singer Luther Vandross cancelled two soldout shows in Phoenix to protest the Arizona governor's decision to rescind a holiday honouring slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King.

Also in 1987, a woman sued Motley Crue for $5,000 claiming that she lost her hearing because a concert was too loud.

In 1988, radio station WKBW Buffalo, New York switched to a satelllite oldies format, ending 30 years of Top 40 and oldies.

Also in 1988, Bruce Springsteen was a surprise guest at an anti-racism music festival in Paris. Springsteen appeared alone on stage, playing an acoustic guitar. The concert linked the French capital with New York and Dakar, Senegal for nine hours of music.
                

Still in 1988, Depeche Mode sold out the 75-thousand-seat Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The concert was chronicled in the D-A Pennebaker film "Depeche Mode 101.''

Again in 1988, "Together Forever" by Rick Astley topped the charts and stayed there for just the one week.

Also on this date in 1988, 500 rowdy youths pelted organizers of an outdoor rock concert near the Berlin Wall with bottles and stones. Two policemen were injured and eight youths arrested. The trouble started after the artists, including Nina Hagen, refused demands for encores.

Still on this date in 1988, Sallie Martin, known as "the mother of gospel music,'' died in Chicago at 92. She teamed up with the Reverend Thomas Dorsey in 1932, and together they performed throughout the U-S South.

              
In 1991, actress Joan Caulfield, who played on TV the female lead in My Favorite Husband, a role created on radio by Lucille Ball, died of cancer at age 69.

In 1992, Australian singer-dancer-songwriter Peter Allen died in a San Diego-area hospital of an AIDS-related illness. He was 48. Allen wrote such hits for other artists as "I Honestly Love You'' for Olivia Newton-John and the Oscar-winning "Arthur's Theme'' for Christopher Cross. But he was also responsible for one of the biggest flops in Broadway history, the 1988 musical "Legs Diamond.''

Also in 1992, violence erupted after Boston police halted a music and comedy show at City Hall Plaza. Sixteen people were hurt and 18 arrested when hundreds of people rampaged through the neighbourhood, smashing windows and vandalizing stores. Police called off the free concert featuring Mr. Big, Meli'sa Morgan and Stacy Earl, fearing the crowd of 20-thousand was getting out of hand.

              
In 1993, A-and-M Records chairman Jerry Moss (left) and vice-chairman Herb Alpert (right) announced they were leaving the company they founded more than 30 years earlier. They had sold A-and-M in 1990 to Polygram for about 500-million dollars.

In 1994, hundreds of fans jammed a downtown Montreal street to see the world premiere of the Peter Gabriel concert film "Secret World'' on a giant outdoor screen.

In 1995, Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher Wallace) was arrested in Camden, NJ, on robbery and aggravated assault charges.

In 1996, Beck's fourth full-length album, "Odelay," was released.

In 1998, Heart featuring Ann Wilson embarked on a U.S. tour in Chicago. Other stops included Detroit and Los Angeles.

In 2000, actress Nancy Marchand, who played Tony's mother on TV's Sopranos, and Lou's publisher-boss on Lou Grant, died of emphysema & lung cancer at age 71.

              
In 2002, Hall Of Fame baseball broadcaster Jack Buck succumbed to cancer at age 77.  He'd done play-by-play for the St. Louis Cardinals for 48 years, for 16 years was the radio voice of NFL's Monday Night Football, and broadcast several World Series & All Star Games.

In 2004, David Bowie was hit in the eye with a lollipop thrown onto the stage while he was performing in Oslo, Norway. He was not seriously hurt.

In 2007, singer Hank Medress died at age 68 in Manhattan. His vocals with The Tokens propelled "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" to the top of the charts in 1961.


Today's Birthdays:

Singer Tommy Hunt of the Doo-Wop group the Flamingos is 75.

Musician Paul McCartney is 66.

Movie critic Roger Ebert is 66.

Actress Constance McCashin (Knots Landing, Brooklyn Bridge) is 61.

Toronto-born actress Linda Thorson (The Avengers, One Life to Live, Marblehead Manor) is 61.

Actress Isabella Rossellini (Alias, Tracey Ullman Show) is 56.

Actress Carol Kane (Taxi, Brooklyn Bridge, All is Forgiven, Beggars & Choosers) is 56.

Actor Brian Benben (Dream On, Kay O'Brien) is 52

Singer Alison Moyet is 47.

Country singer-guitarist Tim Hunt (Yankee Grey) is 41.

Singer-guitarist Sice of The Boo Radleys is 39.

Singer Nathan Morris of Boyz II Men is 37.

Actor Eddie Cibrian (Third Watch, Invasion, Sunset Beach) is 35.

Rapper Silkk The Shocker is 33.

Actress Alana de la Garza (Law & Order, CSI Miami, The Mountain) is 32.

Country singer Blake Shelton is 32.

Actress Renee Olstead (Still Standing) is 19.


Chart Toppers

June 18

1950
My Foolish Heart - The Gordon Jenkins Orchestra (vocal: Eileen Wilson)
Bewitched - The Gordon Jenkins Orchestra (vocal: Mary Lou Williams)
The Third Man Theme - Anton Karas
I’ll Sail My Ship Alone - Moon Mullican

1959
Personality - Lloyd Price
Quiet Village - Martin Denny
Tallahassee Lassie - Freddy Cannon
The Battle of New Orleans - Johnny Horton

1968
Mrs. Robinson - Simon & Garfunkel
This Guy’s in Love with You - Herb Alpert
Mony Mony - Tommy James & The Shondells
Honey - Bobby Goldsboro

1977
Dreams - Fleetwood Mac
Got to Give It Up (Pt. I) - Marvin Gaye
Gonna Fly Now (Theme from "Rocky") - Bill Conti
Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love) - Waylon Jennings

1986
On My Own - Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald
I Can’t Wait - Nu Shooz
There’ll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry) - Billy Ocean
Life’s Highway - Steve Wariner

1995
Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman? - Bryan Adams
Water Runs Dry - Boyz II Men
Don’t Take It Personal (just one of dem days) - Monica
Summer’s Comin’ - Clint Black

2004
Burn - Usher
The Reason - Hoobastank
Roses - Outkast
Redneck Woman - Gretchen Wilson