Saturday July the 26th

ON THIS DAY in 1895
              
George Burns' longtime partner & wife Gracie Allen was born in San Francisco. She performed in vaudeville, radio, TV, and on stage as comedienne with her husband. The Burns & Allen Show debuted on radio in 1932, and ended on TV with Gracie's retirement 25 years later. She died after a heart attack Aug 27, 1964 at age 69.

In 1903, orchestra leader Donald Voorhees was born in Allentown Pa.  He is best remembered as the musical director of NBC radio's Bell Telephone Hour, which began an 18 y]ar run in 1940, and continued for another 10 years on television.  Voorhees conducted for the entire 28 years. He died of pneumonia Jan 10 1989 at age 85.

In 1909, actress Vivian Vance (below) was born Vivian Roberta Jones in Cherryvale Kansas. She is best remembered for her Emmy-winning role as the neighbour & Lucille Ball's best friend on I Love Lucy & The Lucy Show. She died of breast & bone cancer Aug 17, 1979 at age 70.
                

In 1914, trumpeter & bandleader Erskine Hawkins was born in Birmingham Alabama. Dubbed "The 20th Century Gabriel," he is most remembered as the composer of the jazz standard, "Tuxedo Junction" (1939), which became a popular hit during World War II. He died Nov 11, 1992 at age 78.

In 1922, Oscar, Tony & Emmy-winning actor Jason Robards Jr. was born in Chicago. He won his leading-man Emmy for the 1988 TV production of Inherit the Wind. He was among the recipients at the Kennedy Center Honors in 1999. He died of mestasticized lung cancer Dec, 26 2000 at age 78.

In 1939, sixteen-year-old singer Kay Starr got a big break. She recorded Baby Me with Glenn Miller and his orchestra on Victor Records. Starr was filling in for Marion Hutton who, at the last minute, was unable to attend the recording session.

                
In 1942, Judy Garland joined Gene Kelly to record For Me and My Gal for Decca Records. The song was featured in the movie of the same name.

In 1943, Gene Autry, the world's most famous singing cowboy, joined the U-S Army Air Corps. Autry flew cargo and supply planes over enemy territory in the Middle and Far East.

In 1944, actor Kiel Martin was born in Pittsburgh. He is best remembered as lovable rogue Detective John "J.D." La Rue on the 80s television drama Hill Street Blues. He succumbed to lung cancer Dec 28, 1990 at age 46.

In 1947, the Abe Burrows Show premiered on CBS radio.

In 1949, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was "Some Enchanted Evening,'' by Perry Como.

              
In 1952, "Half As Much" by Rosemary Clooney topped the charts and stayed there for 3 weeks.

In 1959, Ottawa's pop singer Paul Anka's single 'Lonely Boy' hit #1 on the Billboard charts.

In 1963, Bob Dylan appeared at the Newport Folk Festival, where he sang "Blowin' in the Wind.'' Dylan had written the song in April 1962. 'Blowin' in the Wind'' became the unofficial anthem of the civil rights movement -- and a hit for Peter, Paul and Mary.

In 1963, "Mickey's Monkey" was released by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles.

In 1968, Jeannie C. Riley recorded her million-selling "Harper Valley P-T-A.'' The song, written by Tom T. Hall, topped both the country and pop charts in the fall of that year.

In 1968, John Lennon and Paul McCartney completed "Hey Jude'' during a writing session at Paul's home. The song hit No. 1 in the U.S. a month later.

              
Also in 1968, London Records in the U-S delayed the release of the Rolling Stones' "Beggar's Banquet" because it did not like the cover photograph of graffiti on a bathroom wall.

In 1969, in Las Vegas, Elvis Presley opened his first live engagement in nearly eight years.

Also in 1969, Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones celebrated his 26th birthday with the release of the album, Beggar’s Banquet. It was the first time that Jagger’s guitar playing had been featured on any of the Stone’s records.

In 1969, two members of the Fifth Dimension, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Junior, were married. They split up in 1980.

                  
In 1972, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was "Alone Again (Naturally),'' by Gilbert O'Sullivan.

In 1974, UBC radio station CiTR was approved for operation on 650 KHz via AM carrier current, to cover the campus only.  UBC's previous incarnation, CYVR had been ruled off the air six months earlier for continuing to operate  after the CRTC began its regulation of carrier current stations. The station first began operating on carrier current in 1964.

In 1975, Van McCoy and The Soul City Symphony reached the top spot on the Billboard record chart for the first -- and only -- time. The disco hit The Hustle became the top record in the U.S. The instrumental remained in the reflection of the disco mirror ball for only one week ... though plenty of other disco hits followed.

In 1977, Robert Plant's six-year-old son, Karac, died suddenly of a respiratory ailment. The remaining seven dates on Led Zeppelin's U-S tour were cancelled.

Also in 1977, Canadian composer Gena Branscombe died in New York at 95. Born in Picton, Ontario in 1881, she lived and worked in the U-S for more than 75 years. Branscombe is known mainly for her works in the vocal and choral field.

In 1979, the Clash's first album was released in the U-S and Canada, two years after it came out in the group's native Britain.

In 1980, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me,'' by Billy Joel. It was Joel's first No. 1 single.

              
Also in 1980, the Blues Brothers single 'Gimme Some Lovin' peaked at #18 on the Billboard pop singles chart; featuring John Belushi and Ottawa's Dan Ackroyd.

In 1984, NBC took a giant step back to the way things were done in the 1950s. NBC started shooting 15-minute episodes of Punky Brewster to use when football games spilled over into the Punky time.

In 1986, "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel topped the charts, but just for the one week.

In 1987, singer Billy Joel began a series of six concerts in the Soviet Union with a performance in Moscow. About 300 of the 10-thousand people in attendance swarmed to the front of the auditorium, waving posters and climbing on each other's shoulders. It was an unusual display of enthusiasm for a Soviet audience.

In 1990, Brent Mydland, keyboard player for the Grateful Dead, was found dead of a drug overdose in his California home. He was 37. Mydland wrote the well-known Dead tune "Far From Me."

              
Also in 1990, the ABC soap General Hospital taped its 7,000th episode.

In 1991, children's TV entertainer Paul Reubens (Pee Wee Herman) was arrested in Florida, for exposing
himself at an adult movie theater.

Also in 1991, Holly Dunn and Warner Brothers Records asked radio stations and video outlets to stop playing the country singer's "Maybe I Mean Yes." There were complaints the song encouraged date rape. But Dunn said she wrote it as a "lighthearted look at one couple's attempt at dating."

Still in 1991, legendary radio personality Don Percy did his last morning show on Vancouver's oldies station CISL AM 650. Percy moved back to Winnipeg, where he'd experienced gigantic success a decade before, to host mornings on AC formatted 103 U FM (CKLU). He had been with CISL since January 1988.

In 1992, singer Mary Wells (below)died in Los Angeles of cancer at 49. Wells had Motown's first number-one record, "My Guy," in 1964.
              

In 1993, Noel Dinn, founder of the Newfoundland band Figgy Duff, died in St. John's of cancer at 45. Figgy Duff, under Dinn's direction, spread the traditional Celtic music of Newfoundland across the country.

Also in 1993, U-2's "Zooropa" became the first album to debut at number one on the Top Retail Albums chart in The Record, the Canadian music industry trade magazine.

In 1994, Jerry Lee Lewis settled a 4.1-million-dollar U-S federal tax debt by promising to pay the Internal Revenue Service 560-thousand dollars.

In 1995, Laurindo Almeida, one of Brazil's greatest guitarists, died in Los Angeles at age 77. His "Viva Bossa Nova" album was a Top-20 hit in the U-S in '62. Almeida also won five Grammys for his classical guitar work.

              
In 1996, singer Donnie Osmond apologized to TV host Rosie O'Donnell for making a comment about her weight during an earlier appearance on her show. She made him sing "Puppy Love" to her in a dog suit.

In 1998, David-Allen (Chico) Ryan, who sang and played bass with the rock 'n' roll revival group Sha Na Na for 25 years, died in a nursing home in Beverly, Massachusetts. He was 50. Ryan also appeared with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in the 1978 movie musical "Grease.''

In 2000, U.S. District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel (in federal court, San Francisco ) issued a preliminary injunction against online music service Napster. The judge ordered Napster to stop distributing copyrighted songs on the Web. Although Napster fought the ruling for months, this was the beginnning of the end for the Internet music distribution site.

Also in 2000, Oasis stormed off stage after being hit with bottles, can and coins at a Swiss music festival.

              
In 2001, Sir Paul McCartney announced his engagement to former model Heather Mills.  Their subsequent split in 2006 & acrimonious divorce has repeatedly made headlines in the last two years.


Today's Birthdays:

Actress Marjorie Lord (Make Room for Daddy) is 90.

Movie director Blake Edwards is 86.

Actor James Best (The Dukes of Hazzard) is 82.

Singer Dobie Gray is 68.

Singer Darlene Love is 67.

Singer Brenton Wood is 67.

Singer Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones is 65.

Actress Helen Mirren (Prime Suspect) is 63.

Legendary top 40 deejay Charlie Van Dyke is 61.

Drummer Roger Taylor of Queen is 59.

Actress Susan George (EastEnders, Tales of the Unexpected) is 58.

Actor Kevin Spacey (Wiseguy, The Murder of Mary Phagan) is 49.

Singer Gary Cherone (Extreme, Van Halen) is 47.

Actress Sandra Bullock (Working Girl, George Lopez) is 44.

Actor Jeremy Piven (Entourage, Ellen) is 43.

Singer Wayne Wonder is 42.

Actor Cress Williams (Close to Home) is 38.

Actress Kate Beckinsale (Emma, One Against the Wind) is 35.
  
Drummer Dan Konopka of OK Go is 34.

Gospel/Contemporary Christian singer Rebecca St. James is 31.


Chart Toppers - July 26th

1952
I’m Yours - Eddie Fisher
Walkin’ My Baby Back Home - Johnnie Ray
Auf Wiedersehn, Sweetheart - Vera Lynn
Are You Teasing Me - Carl Smith

1961
Tossin’ and Turnin’ - Bobby Lewis
The Boll Weevil Song - Brook Benton
Yellow Bird - Arthur Lyman Group
Heartbreak U.S.A. - Kitty Wells

1970
(They Long to Be) Close to You - Carpenters
Band of Gold - Freda Payne
Make It with You - Bread
Wonder Could I Live There Anymore - Charley Pride

1979
Bad Girls - Donna Summer
Good Times - Chic
Makin’ It - David Naughton
Shadows in the Moonlight - Anne Murray

1988
Hold on to the Nights - Richard Marx
Pour Some Sugar on Me - Def Leppard
New Sensation - INXS
Set ’Em Up Joe - Vern Gosdin

1997
I’ll Be Missing You - Puff Daddy & Faith Evans
Bitch - Meredith Brooks
Quit Playing Games (With My Heart) - Backstreet Boys
Carrying Your Love with Me - George Strait

2006
Promiscuous - Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland
Unfaithful - Rihanna
Me & U - Cassie
The World - Brad Paisley

On a local (Vancouver) note, on this date back in 1991, legendary radio personality Don Percy did his last morning show on oldies station CISL. Percy moved back to Winnipeg, where he'd experienced gigantic success a decade before, to host mornings on AC formatted 103 U FM (CKLU). He had been with CISL since January 1988.