Saturday June the 28th

ON THIS DAY in 1902
actor Alan Bunce was born in Westfield NJ.  
              
He is best remembered as the husband opposite show writer Peg Lynch in the gentle daily radio comedy Ethel & Albert, which also had a TV run in 1953.  As well he appeared regularly in TV guest roles from 1950 until his untimely death April 27 1965 at age 62.

In 1928, Vancouver's pioneer radio station CFCQ became CKMO with 50 watts of power.

In 1933, actor Pat Morita was born in California.  An accomplished stand-up comedian, he is best remembered as Arnold the diner owner in TV's Happy Days, and for his key role in the Karate Kid movies.  He died Nov. 24 2005 at age 72.

              
In 1940, The Quiz Kids was first heard on radio as a summer replacement for blind, piano virtuoso Alec Templeton. The show, with Chicago's Joe Kelly as host & quizmaster, continued on NBC until 1953.

In 1942, the world's first commercial TV network Dumont TV began operations. It pioneered programming after WWII until 1956, when the mostly UHF (and unprofitable) stations folded.

In 1943, the Dreft Star Playhouse debuted on NBC radio. Jane Wyman (the first Mrs. Ronald Reagan) starred in the first broadcast, titled Bachelor Mother.

                
In 1944, The Alan Young Show debuted on NBC radio featuring the raised-in Vancouver comedian. It was a summer replacement for the popular Eddie Cantor. The show became a regular in the fall NBC lineup. Young, incidentally, made the switch to TV in 1961. He became a CBS star with a talking horse, of course, of course, named Mister Ed.

In 1946, actress/comedienne Gilda Radner was born in Detroit. She is best remembered as an original star for the first five years of NBC's Saturday Night Live.  She succumbed to ovarian cancer May 20 1989 at age 42.

In 1948, CKUA-FM Edmonton signed on with 250 watts on 98.1 MHz, simulcasting its AM counterpart.

In 1948, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was 'The Woody Wood-Pecker Song,'' by the Kay Kyser Orchestra. The song topped the Billboard singles chart for six weeks and sold more than 1 million copies.

In 1951, an old favorite of radio audiences made the switch to TV.(below) Amos ’n’ Andy moved to CBS-TV. Two years later, a protest by the NAACP forced the network to drop the show.
                

iN 1959, ABC-TV aired "The Record Years" hosted by Dick Clark. It was the first broadcast of a tribute to the recording industry. The guests were Johnny Mathis, Fabian, the McGuire Sisters, Les Paul and Mary Ford, Fats Domino.

Also in 1959, Bobby Darin was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Dream Lover'.

In 1962, The Drifters recorded their future hit  "Up On The Roof."

In 1964, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was ''I Get Around,'' by The Beach Boys.

In 1969, Crosby, Stills & Nash released their first album.

In 1973, the "Helen Reddy Show" Summer replacement TV series debuted on NBC.

In 1974, actor Frank Sutton, best remembered as Sergeant Carter on TV's Gomer Pyle USMC, died at age 50.

              
In 1975, Rod Serling died when complications developed after coronary bypass surgery. The writer, host and director of the TV series Twilight Zone was just 50 years old.

Also in 1975, David Bowie released the single, "Fame", to radio stations.  

in 1977, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hi was ''Gonna Fly Now,'' by Bill Conti.

In 1980, the song "Coming Up (Live at Glasgow)" by Paul McCartney & Wings topped the charts and stayed there for 3 weeks.

              
In 1982, singer Harry Mills, the baritone of the hit-making Mills Brothers, died at age 70. That left Herbert & Donald to carry on the vocal group's work.

In 1986, Wham! made their farewell concert appearance at London's Wembley Stadium. Elton John made an appearance in a clown suit to sing a song and then came back later to sing "Candle In The Wind" with George Michael.

In 1990, Joan Rivers won her first Daytime Emmy Award as a talk show host.

In 1997, popular TV evangelist Robert Schuller was charged with assaulting a male flight attendant in a dispute over where he could hang his robes.  Schuller apologized for shaking the man, paid a $1,100 fine, and the charges were dropped.
              

In 2000, Darva Conger announced that she had done a layout for Playboy magazine. Conger had briefly married Rick Rockwell on Fox-TV's much maligned "Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire."

In 2006, "Sunny 94" signed on in Lacombe, Alberta, at 9:41 a.m. on 94.1 MHz, despite the opposition of Red Deer station owners Newcap and Jim Pattison.

Also in 2006, Barbara Walters banned Star Jones from the set of "The View" after Jones made a surprise announcement the day before that she was leaving the show in July.

                
Still in 2006, Charles Gibson appeared for the last time as co-host on ABC's "Good Morning America."


Today's Birthdays:

Comedian-director Mel Brooks is 82.

Bassist Dave Knights of Procol Harum is 63.

Actor Bruce Davison is 62.

Actress Kathy Bates is 60.

Actress Alice Krige is 54.

Actress Jessica Hecht (Friends, The Single Guy") is 43.

Guitarist-violinist Saul Davies of James is 43.

Actress Mary Stuart Masterson is 42.

Actor John Cusack is 42.

Vancouver-born actor Gil Bellows (Ally McBeal) is 41.

Actress Danielle Brisebois (All in the Family) is 39.

Actress Tichina Arnold (Everybody Hates Chris) is 37.

Bassist Tim Nordwind of OK Go is 32.

Bassist Mark Stoermer of The Killers is 31.

Country singer and former American Idol contestant Kellie Pickler is 22.


Chart Toppers:  June 28

1951
Too Young - Nat King Cole
On Top of Old Smokey - The Weavers (vocal: Terry Gilkyson)
How High the Moon - Les Paul & Mary Ford
I Want to Be with You Always - Lefty Frizzell

1960
Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool - Connie Francis
Alley-Oop - The Hollywood Argyles
Because They’re Young - Duane Eddy
Please Help Me, I’m Falling - Hank Locklin

1969
Love Theme from Romeo & Juliet - Henry Mancini
Bad Moon Rising - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Too Busy Thinking About My Baby - Marvin Gaye
Running Bear - Sonny James

1978
Shadow Dancing - Andy Gibb
Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty
It’s a Heartache - Bonnie Tyler
I’ll Be True to You - The Oak Ridge Boys

1987I
Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) - Whitney Houston
In Too Deep - Genesis
Alone - Heart
Forever and Ever, Amen - Randy Travis

1996
The Crossroads - Bone thugs-n-harmony
You’re Makin’ Me High/Le t It Flow - Toni Braxton
California Love/How Do U Want It - 2 Pac (featuring Dr. Dre & Roger Troutman)
Time Marches On - Tracy Lawrence

2005
We Belong Together - Mariah Carey
Behind These Hazel Eyes - Kelly Clarkson
Don’t Phunk With My Heart - Black Eyed Peas
Making Memories of Us - Keith Urban