Sunday July the 6th

ON THIS DAY in 1915
singer LaVerne Andrews (pictured right) was born in Minneapolis.
              
She & her sisters, Patty and Maxene, were one of the most successful women's singing groups, with 19 gold records and sales of nearly 100 million copies. In 1937, the sisters scored their first big hit with 'Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen.' In addition to 'Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy', their best-known songs included 'Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree' and 'Rum and Coca Cola'. Laverne died from cancer May 8, 1967 at age 51, and the Andrews Sisters singing group was never restructured.  

In 1917, lyric soprano Dorothy Kirsten was born in Montclair NJ.  As well as her 30-year career with the Metropolitan Opera she guested and performed on many radio programs, and co-starred with Frank Sinatra on the Lucky Strike Hit Parade.   On TV she was a guest 4 times on the Ed Sullivan Show and 3 times on the competing Colgate Comedy Hour, plus spots on the Dinah Shore Chevy Show & Jack Benny. She died following a stroke Nov. 18 1992 at age 75.

              
In 1918, actor Sebastian Cabot was born in London.  He is best remembered as a gently composed "gentleman's gentleman" in TV's 1960s situation comedy Family Affair, starring Brian Keith. He was also a regular panelist on the game show Stump the Stars. In 1964, Cabot hosted the short-lived television series, Suspense, and voiced or narrated a few other film and television projects.  He died following a stroke at Deep Cove on the Saanich Peninsula (suburban Victoria) Aug 22, 1977 at age 59.

In 1924, Winnipeg-born inventor and radio pioneer William Stevenson sent the first photo across the Atlantic by radio, from New York to England.

In 1925, rock `n' roll pioneer Bill Haley (William John Clifton Haley Jr.) was born in Highland Park, a section of Detroit. The biggest hit for Bill Haley & His Comets was the rock `n' roll classic "(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock,'' a No. 1 song for eight weeks in 1955. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. He died of a brain tumour Feb. 9 1981 at age 55.

                
Also in 1925, singer/host/entrepreneur Merv Griffin was born in San Mateo Calif.  His singing career began at KFRC San Francisco, and hit its peak as vocalist with Freddy Martin's Orchestra.  He was the singer on a number of hits, including I"ve Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts.   He was a TV quizmaster, and started guest hosting the Tonight Show, which led to his own wildly popular syndicated talk show.   He became enormously wealthy after selling his two successful quiz creations, Jeopardy & Wheel of Fortune.  He died of prostate cancer Aug. 12 2007 at age 82.

In 1927, comedian Pat Paulsen was born in South Bend Washington.  As a cast member of CBS TV's Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in 1968 he launched a satirical drive for the US Presidency, which he attempted to repeat in 1972, but his time had passed.  He died after a long battle with colon cancer Apr 24, 1997 at age 69.

In 1937, the big band classic, Sing, Sing, Sing was recorded by Benny Goodman and his band. Sitting in on this famous Victor Records session was Gene Krupa, Ziggy Elman and Harry James.

                
In 1943, Judy Canova, the "Queen of the Hillbillies", began a weekly comedy show on CBS radio.

In 1947, a hidden microphone eavesdropped on unsuspecting people for the first time, as Candid Microphone hit the airwaves. Allen Funt was the host of the ABC radio show, the forerunner of the long-running TV version, Candid Camera.  Candid Microphone didn't have as long a run on radio, however, lasting one year on ABC, taking a two year hiatus and returning to CBS radio for another year.

In 1950, the CBS Radio answer to Dragnet hit the airwaves for the first time. The Lineup had a distinguished three-year run in the waning days of bigtime radio.

In 1954, WHBQ in Memphis became the first radio station to play an Elvis Presley record ("That's Alright Mama") when disc jockey Dewey Phillips (below) aired the song on his radio show.
              

In 1957, John Lennon and Paul McCartney were introduced to each other.

In 1963, "Easier Said Than Done" by Essex topped the charts and stayed there for 2 weeks.

In 1965, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction,'' by the Rolling Stones. It was the Stones' first No. 1 single in North America.

Also in 1965, the Jefferson Airplane was formed in San Francisco.

              
In 1971, trumpeter & vocalist Louis "Satchmo'' Armstrong died. He had turned 71 two days earlier. He won a Grammy in 1965 as Best Male Vocal Performance for "Hello Dolly,'' a Lifetime Achievement Grammy in 1972 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 as a forefather of rock music.

Also in 1971, Karen & Richard Carpenter hosted the summer series, Make Your Own Kind of Music, on NBC-TV.

In 1973, actor Patrick McVey, who spent 5 seasons beginning in 1950 playing crusading newspaper editor Steve Wilson on TV's Big Town, died at age 63.

Also in 1973, Queen released their first single, "Keep Yourself Alive."

              
In 1974, "A Prairie Home Companion" a live-variety show conceived and hosted by Garrison Keeler, had its first airing on Minnesota Public Radio.  Since then it has become one of the most popular weekly features of National Public Radio.  

Also in 1974, "Rock the Boat" by the Hues Corporation topped the charts, but just for the one week.

In 1979, Van McCoy, the producer, musician, songwriter, and orchestra leader most famous for his massive 1975 disco hit "The Hustle", died of a heart attack at age 39.

                
In 1982 actor Russell Thorson, who starred in radio's One Man's Family & I Love A Mystery, and on TV One Man's Family plus scores of guest roles, died at age 72.

In 1984, Michael Jackson and his brothers started their Victory Tour in Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium. The tour turned out to be a victory for the Jacksons when the nationwide concert tour concluded months later.

In 1989, WHOT - a Brooklyn-based pirate radio station - was busted and shut down by the FCC after nine years of broadcasting.

In 1991, Van Halen's "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge'' debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's pop album chart.

In 1994, actor Cameron Mitchell, who starred in TV's High Chapparral and at least six mini-series, died of lung cancer at age 75.

In 1996, "Killing Me Softly" by the Fugees topped the charts and stayed there for a week.

              
In 1998, acclaimed cowboy singer and actor Roy Rogers, 86, died in his sleep at his home in the desert community of Apple Valley, Calif. The "King of the Cowboys" had been ill with congestive heart failure for some time.

In 2000, the CRTC gave approval for CIVI-TV Victoria ('The New VI'), with a rebroadcaster in Vancouver, and both owned by CHUM.  The station has since been rebranded 'A-Channel.'

Also in 2000, a jury awarded former NHL player Tony Twist $24 million for the unauthorized use of his name in the comic book Spawn and the HBO cartoon series. Co-defendant HBO settled with Twist out of court for an undisclosed amount.

In 2003, actor Buddy Ebsen, who starred in TV's The Beverly Hillbillies and Barnaby Jones, died at age 95.
              


Today's Birthdays:[/b]

Actor William Schallert (The Patty Duke Show, Many Loves of Dobie Gillis) is 86.

Actress-singer Della Reese (Touched by an Angel) is 77.

Singer Gene Chandler is 71.

Actor Ned Beatty (Homicide: Life on the Street, Roseanne) is 71.

Country singer Jeannie Seely is 68.

Actor Burt Ward (Batman) is 62.

Actor Fred Dryer (Hunter) is 62.
  
CBC TV's Peter Mansbridge is 60.

Actress Shelley Hack (Charlie's Angels) is 56.

Actor Grant Goodeve (Eight is Enough, Northern Exposure) is 56.

Singer Nanci Griffith is 55.

Actress Allyce Beasley (Moonlighting) is 54.

Jazz musician Rick Braun is 53.

Country musician John Jorgenson is 52.

Rapper Inspectah Deck of Wu-Tang Clan is 38.

Rapper 50 Cent is 32.

Actresses Tia and Tamera Mowry (Sister, Sister) are 30.

Toronto-born actor Gregory Smith (Everwood) is 25.

Actor Jeremy Suarez (Bernie Mac Show) is 18.


Chart Toppers:

July 6

1950
Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered - The Bill Snyder Orchestra
My Foolish Heart - The Gordon Jenkins Orchestra (vocal: Eileen Wilson)
I Wanna Be Loved - The Andrews Sisters
I�ll Sail My Ship Alone - Moon Mullican

1959
Lonely Boy - Paul Anka
Waterloo - Stonewall Jackson
Lipstick on Your Collar - Connie Francis
The Battle of New Orleans - Johnny Horton

1968
This Guy�s in Love with You - Herb Alpert
Jumpin� Jack Flash - The Rolling Stones
The Look of Love - Sergio Mendes & Brazil �66
D-I-V-O-R-C-E - Tammy Wynette

1977
Gonna Fly Now (Theme from "Rocky") - Bill Conti
Undercover Angel - Alan O�Day
Da Doo Ron Ron - Shaun Cassidy
That was Yesterday - Donna Fargo

1986
There�ll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry) - Billy Ocean
Holding Back the Years - Simply Red
Who�s Johnny - El DeBarge
Everything that Glitters (Is Not Gold) - Dan Seals

1995
Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman? - Bryan Adams
Don�t Take It Personal (just one of dem days) - Monica
One More Chance/Stay with Me - The Notorious B.I.G.
Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident) - John Michael Montgomery

2004
The Reason - Hoobastank
Burn (facts) - Usher
Leave (Get Out) (facts) - JoJo
If You Ever Stop Loving Me - Montgomery Gentry