Thursday July the 3rd

ON THIS DAY in 1906,
actor George Sanders was born to English parents in St. Petersburg Russia.  After winning an Oscar in 1950's All About Eve, he began accepting guest roles in TV dramas.  Some 20 of them over the next 20 years, including portraying Mr. Freeze on Batman, plus The Man from Uncle, Daniel Boone, The Rogues, Screen Directors Playhouse, Mission Impossible, Ford TV Theatre, The 20th Century Fox Hour, and hosted The George Sanders Mystery Playhouse.  He continued to play mostly villains and charming heels until his suicide Apr. 25 1972.at age 65.

              
In 1913, columnist & TV panellist Dorothy Kilgallen was born in Chicago.  For 27 years she wrote a gossip column for Hearst's New York Herald American, halfway through which time she achieved national fame as a panellist on Goodson Todman's Sunday night TV institutuion, What's My Line?  Beginning in 1945, she co-hosted a long-running breakfast radio talk show on WOR,  with her husband Richard Kollmar.  She died after an alcohol-and-seconal-fuelled heart attack Nov. 8 1965, just 12 hours after her weekly TV game show, dead at age 52.

In 1915, composer/arranger/conductor Jerry Gray was born in East Boston Mass.  His work with Artie Shaw & Glenn Miller made him a big band legend.  He arranged Begin the Beguine & Carioca for Shaw, and a string of smash hits for Miller, including "Elmer's Tune", "Moonlight Cocktails", and "Chattanooga Choo-Choo", plus his compositions "Pennsylvania 6-5000" and "A String of Pearls".  He died of a heart attack Aug 10, 1976 at age 61.

In 1920, actress Louise Allbritton was born in Oklahoma City.  She starred in two TV series in the mid 1950's,  Concerning Miss Marlowe & The Way of the World.  Earlier she'd guested on drama shows like Studio One, Philco TV Playhouse, Robert Montgomery Presents, and Armstrong Circle Theatre, and had cast status in 1950's The Stage Door.  She married CBS chief correspondent Charles Collingwood in 1946.  She succumbed to cancer in Mexico Feb. 16 1979 at age 58.

In 1928, the development of TV continued in London as John Logic Baird conducted the world's first color TV broadcast.

In 1935, "Hawaii Calls" aired its first radio program from the Moana Hotel on the beach at Waikiki.  At its peak it aired on 600 radio stations around the world.  The series lasted over 60 years.

                
In 1939, Chic Young['s comic strip character, Blondie was first heard on CBS radio, starring Penny Singleton (Blondie) & Arthur Lake (Dagwood).  Later, the popular comic strip would become a TV favorite, as well.

In 1940, the legendary comedy team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello debuted their network radio show on NBC. The duo replaced Fred Allen for the summer months. Twelve years later, Abbott and Costello went on to produce 52 episodes of one of the most successful and repeated programs in TV history, The Abbott and Costello Show.  A cartoon version of the human cartoons followed in 1966.

In 1941, Cab Calloway and his orchestra recorded the standard, St. James Infirmary, for Okeh Records.

In 1945,  Victor Borge (below) was first heard on NBC radio. The network gave the comedian/pianist the summer replacement slot for Fibber McGee and Molly.
                

In 1957, actress Judy Tyler, who played Princess on NBC's kids TV show Howdy Doody, died at age 23 in a car crash.

In 1958,  "The Andy Williams Show" premiered on ABC-TV.  Later Andy would also have variety series on CBS and NBC.

In 1959, Ray Peterson performed "The Wonder of You" on "American Bandstand."

In 1961, deejay Dan Ingram did his first show on WABC-AM, New York. He filled in for Chuck Dunaway.

Also in 1961, "Tossin & Turnin" by Bobby Lewis hit #1 for 10 weeks on Billboard's R&B Singles chart.

In 1965, the horse of singing cowboy Roy Rogers, Trigger died at the ripe old age of 25.

In 1969, for the first time, the Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island featured rock artists. Jeff Beck, Led Zeppelin and Ten Years After were among the acts who performed.

              
In 1971, Jim Morrison of the Doors died of heart failure in Paris. He was found in his bathtub. News of Morrison's death was not made public until days after his burial in a Paris cemetery, leading many fans to believe he was still alive.

Also in 1971, the Newport Jazz Festival's reputation was tarnished as gate crashers stormed the stage. The unruly mob forced the show to leave Rhode Island and move to New York City. Oh, and the artist the crowd got unruly over? Not Bob Dylan, not Miles Davis, but Dionne Warwick! She was singing What the World Needs Now is Love at the time of the incident.

In 1973, Clint Holmes received a gold record for his hit single, Playground in My Mind.

In 1975, singer Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night was arrested for cocaine possession.

In 1977, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit:was "Undercover Angel,'' by Alan O'Day.

              
In 1978, actor James Daly, father of actressTyne Daly, who starred himself in 2 long-running TV hits, Foreign Intrigue & Medical Center, plus a long list of guest roles, died of a heart attack at age 59.

In 1978, the US Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the FCC (Federal Communciations Commission) was within its rights to issue a reprimand to New York radio station WBAI-FM for its broadcast of George Carlin's "Filthy Words" comedy skit.

In 1981, actor Ross Martin, who achieved his greatest success as Secret Service agent Artemus Gordon in "The Wild Wild West", died of a heart attack at age 61.  

In 1985, CBS fought back against a takeover bid by Ted Turner, by announcing a 21% stock buy-back.

                
In 1986, depression era singer and bandleader Rudy Vallee died. He had a succession of popular radio variety shows beginning in the late 20's, introducing a succession of future stars. His biggest hit was the "Stein Song (University of Maine)'' in 1930..

In 1988, actor/comedian Gabe Dell, an original Dead End Kid who achieved national celebrity as a regular cast member on TV's Steve Allen Show, died of leukemia at age 68.

Also in 1988, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was "The Flame,'' by Cheap Trick.

In 1989, actor Jim Backus (below), who played outrageous radio characters on The Alan Young Show & The Sad Sack, & TV's Gilligan's Island (as well as Magoo cartoons,) and co-starred on radio's I Married Joan & The Penny Singleton Show, died at age 76 of pneumonia.
              

In 1992, radio producer Gary Dell'Abate of The Howard Stern Show married his girlfriend Mary.

In 1993, "Curly" Joe DeRita, the last surviving member of The Three Stooges, whose films were staples of early TV, died of pneumonia at age 83.

In 1995, Scott Weiland of the Stone Temple Pilots, pled not guilty  to drug charges.

Also in 1995, members of TLC filed for bankruptcy. Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes faced a $1.3 million payment for burning down the mansion of her boyfriend, Andre Rison.

In 1999, "Posh Spice" Victoria Adams of the Spice Girls married soccer star David Beckham at an estate outside Dublin, Ireland.

                
In 2001, we learned that News anchor Pamela Martin would be leaving CHAN-TV for CIVT-TV, to join Bill Good, Jr., who had announced his departure May 16.  Jill Krop would follow. Later that year, CHAN switched from CTV to Global and CIVT became the new CTV affiliate. CIVT first signed on in 1997 on channel 32, and channel 9 on cable.

In 2002, Sony/ATV Publishing announced it would buy a country music catalog from Gaylord Entertainment for $157 million US.

In 2007, legendary tenor sax player Boots Randolph died in Nashville at 80 years of age. Randolph was a major part of the �Nashville Sound� for most of his professional career. His 1963 hit Yakety Sax, written with guitarist James Rich, became the theme song for TV�s The Benny Hill Show.


Today's Birthdays:

Clarinetist Pete Fountain is 78.

Singer Fontella Bass is 68.

Actor Kurtwood Smith (That 70s Show) is 65.

Actor Michael Cole (The Mod Squad) is 63.

Country singer Johnny Lee is 62.

Actress Betty Buckley (Oz, Eight is Enough) is 61.

Guitarist-singer Paul Barrere of Little Feat is 60.

Actress Jan Smithers (WKRP In Cincinnati) is 59.

Talk show host Montel Williams is 52.

Country singer Aaron Tippin is 50.

Synthesizer player Vince Clarke of Erasure is 48.

Actor Tom Cruise (Inside Actors Studio, Oprah, Tonight Show, David Letterman) is 46.

Actor Thomas Gibson (Dharma and Greg) is 46.

Actress Hunter Tylo (Bold & the Beautiful) is 46.

Actress Connie Nielsen (Law & Order: SVU) is 44.

Actress Yeardley Smith (The Simpsons, Dharma & Greg) is 44.

Singer Ishmael Butler is 39.

Keyboardist-guitarist Kevin Hearn of Barenaked Ladies is 39.

Actress-singer Audra McDonald (The Bedford Diaries, Mister Sterling) is 38.

Country singer Trent Tomlinson is 33.

Singer Shane Lynch (Boyzone) is 32.

Rhythm-and-blues singer Tonia Tash (Divine) is 29.

Actor Grant Rosenmeyer (Oliver Beene) is 17.

Actress Kelsey Batelaan (Nip/Tuck, 8 Simple Rules) is 13.


Chart Toppers:

July 3

1947
Peg o� My Heart - The Harmonicats
I Wonder, I Wonder, I Wonder - Eddy Howard
Chi-Baba, Chi-Baba - Perry Como
It�s a Sin - Eddy Arnold

1956
The Wayward Wind - Gogi Grant
I Almost Lost My Mind - Pat Boone
Picnic - The McGuire Sisters
Crazy Arms - Ray Price

1965
I Can�t Help Myself - Four Tops
(I Can�t Get No) Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones
Wonderful World - Herman�s Hermits
Before You Go - Buck Owens

1974
Sundown - Gordon Lightfoot
Be Thankful for What You Got - William DeVaughn
If You Love Me (Let Me Know) - Olivia Newton-John
Room Full of Roses - Mickey Gilley

1983
Flashdance...What a Feeling - Irene Cara
Electric Avenue - Eddy Grant
Every Breath You Take - The Police
Love is on a Roll - Don Williams

1992
I'll Be There - Mariah Carey
Baby Got Back - Sir Mix-A-Lot
Under the Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Achy Breaky Heart - Billy Ray Cyrus

2001
Lady Marmalade - Christina Aguilera, Lil� Kim, Mya & Pink
Pop - �N Sync
Drops Of Jupiter (Tell Me) - Train
I�m Already There - Lonestar

Funny guy, Victor Borge and sorry to hear about Trigger.