Saturday August the 2nd

ON THIS DAY in 1890
the first weekly music chart was published in the United States.  It consisted mainly of sales of sheet music and the first commercial musical recordings.  The first #1 charted song was "Semper Fidelis" by the U.S. Marine Band under the leadership of John Phillip Sousa.  It was #1 for 6 weeks and replaced by "Washington Post" also by the U.S. Marine Band.

In 1892, movie mogul Jack L. Warner was born Jack Eichelbaum in London Ontario.
              
He was one of Hollywood’s famed Warner Brothers, whose studio was instrumental in developing programs for early  television. He died of severe heart problems Sep 9, 1978 at age 86.

In 1905, actress Myrna Loy was born in Radersburg Montana.  After a lengthy & productive bigscreen career she made a small handful of guest appearances on TV, three of them on the drama anthology General Electric Theatre.  Her final job was guest starring in the Tony Randall sitcom Love Sidney in 1982.  She is best remembered for her movie role as the wife of The Thin Man, Nora Charles. She died during surgery Dec 14, 1993 at age 88.

In 1915, actor Gary Merrill was born in Hartford Conn.  
                
His rich voice led to success in radio soaps, then to 50 feature films, and frequent TV guest work (Playhouse 90, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Littlest Hobo, etc) including recurring roles on Young Dr. Kildare & Then Came Bronson. He died of lung cancer Mar 5, 1990 at age 74.  

In 1918, actress Beatrice Straight was born in Old Westbury NY.  An acclaimed stage actress, she won an Oscar for the movie Network, and plaudits for 40 years of guest work on television. She won an Emmy nomination for the miniseries The Dain Curse.  She was the Queen Mother of the heroine Wonder Woman in that 70's series, and had running roles in Love of Life, Beacon Hill, King's Crossing & St. Elsewhere. She died of pneumonia Apr 7, 2001 at age 82.

In 1922, telephone pioneer Alexander Graham Bell died at his Beinn Bhreagh home on Cape Breton Island.
              
To mark his death, all telephone service in Canada was halted for 80 seconds on Aug 4, starting at 6:25 pm.

In 1924, actor Carroll O’Connor was born in Manhattan New York City.  In 1971 he found the role that would make him a star as Archie Bunker in CBSTV's All in the Family.  He went on to headline a second TV series, In the Heat of the Night.  He died of a heart attack triggered by diabetes June 21, 2001 at age 76.

In 1953, the TV station now known as KCPQ (FOX 13) in Tacoma-Seattle, began broadcasting as KMO-TV Tacoma.

In 1958, Johnny Cash's contract with Sun Records expired. He switched labels to Columbia and stayed with them for 28 years.

              
In 1960, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini,'' by Brian Hyland. The song was a true story inspired by songwriter Paul Vance's two-year-old daughter.

In 1961, the Beatles began their engagement as regular headliners at Liverpool's Cavern Club. They performed about 300 shows over the next two years.

In 1962, singer/songwriter Robert Zimmerman legally changed his name to Bob Dylan.

In 1963, British guitarist Eric Clapton quit The Roosters to form Casey Jones and the Engineers.

In 1964, comedy actor Jack Kirkwood, who portrayed a very funny character on radio with Fibber McGee and Molly & later Bob Hope, and who had his own daily radio show for a time, died of a heart attack, 4 days short of his 70th birthday.

              
In 1965, Canadian-born CBS correspondent Morley Safer sent the first TV report from Vietnam indicating the US was losing the war.
    
In 1969, Bob Dylan showed up unexpectedly to his tenth year high school reunion in Hibbing, Minnesota. He and his wife left early after a drunk tried to pick a fight with him.

In 1971, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart,'' by The Bee Gees. The song was the first of nine No. 1 singles for the Gibb brothers.

In 1972, Brian Cole of the Association died of a heroin overdose. The group's biggest hit was the million-selling No. 1 single "Windy.''

In 1974, a funeral was held in Hollywood for Mama Cass Elliot. Her body was cremated and her ashes were buried in Maryland.

In 1975, "One of These Nights" by The Eagles topped the charts, just for the one week.

              
In 1978, comedienne Totie Fields, a big favorite on the Ed Sullivan Show (40 appearances), and a regular on the Mike Douglas & Merv Griffin talk shows, died of a heart attack at about 48 years of age.  

In 1980, "Magic" by Olivia Newton-John topped the charts and stayed there for 4 weeks.

In 1981, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was "Jessie's Girl,'' by Rick Springfield. The song won Springfield a Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwqaXBK0-dw

In 1982, English actress Cathleen Nesbitt (below) died at age 93.  She is probably best-remembered in North America for her role as Agatha Morley on the TV series The Farmer's Daughter from 1963 to 1966, playing the mother of a Congressman (played by William Windom). She guest starred The United States Steel Hour; Wagon Train; Naked City, Dr. Kildare and Upstairs, Downstairs.  She won an Emmy for her work in the TV drama The Mask of Love (1974).
              

Also in 1982, the radio show Roger Ebert's Movie News premiered on the ABC FM network.  

In 1983, WHTZ-FM, Newark, New Jersey (serving New York City and surrounding area) - signed on as "Z100" with Scott Shannon and the "Morning Zoo".  It went from "worst to first" in just a few months.

In 1986, "Glory of Love" by Peter Cetera, co-written with Victoria's David Foster, topped the charts and stayed there for 2 weeks.

In 1991, Rick James was arrested in Los Angeles and charged with the sex torture of a 24-year-old woman.

In 1997, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, critic of Nigeria's military regime and a pop superstar who fused rock with African rhythms into a blend known as "Afrobeat," died of AIDS. He was 58.

              
In 1998, puppeteer Shari Lewis, a giant star of US kids TV with her creations "Lamb Chop" & "Charley Horse," died of uterine cancer at age 65.
    
In 2000, composer Gilles Thibault, who co-penned the hit "Comme D'Habitude," which Paul Anka adapted to English as "My Way," died in Paris of unknown causes. He was 72.

Also in 2000, Madonna's video "Music" had its premiere.

in 2004, Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Murphy, the original voice of the New York Mets, died at age 79.

In 2005, CHUM-owned TV stations in Victoria, London, Barrie, Wingham, Windsor and Ottawa became A-Channels.  Simultaneously, all of the prairie A-Channels became City-TV.
            


Today's Birthdays:

Actor Peter O'Toole (Heaven & Hell: North & South Book III) is 76.

Country singer Hank Cochran is 73.

London-Ont.-born keyboardist Garth Hudson of The Band is 71.

Singer Kathy Lennon of The Lennon Sisters is 65.

Actor Max Wright (Alf, Norm) is 65.

Actress Joanna Cassidy (Six Feet Under, Boston Legal) is 63.

Actress Kathryn Harrold (Chicao Hope, I'll Fly Away, Larry Sanders Show) is 58.

Singer Andrew Gold is 57.

Actor Butch Patrick (The Munsters) is 55.

Singer Mojo Nixon is 51.

Actress Victoria Jackson (Ocean Ave., Romeo, Sat. Night Live) is 49.

Vancouver-raised actress Cynthia Stevenson (Men In Trees, Dead Like Me, Hope and Gloria) is 46.

Actress Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds, West Wing, Angels in America) is 44.  

Actor Edward Furlong (CSI:NY, Andy Dick Show) is 31.

Drummer Devon Glenn of Buckcherry is 28.

Actress Hallie Eisenberg (Miracle Worker, The Goodbye Girl) is 16.


Chart Toppers:  August 2

1950
Bewitched - The Bill Snyder Orchestra
Mona Lisa - Nat King Cole
I Wanna Be Loved - The Andrews Sisters
I’m Moving On - Hank Snow

1959
Lonely Boy - Paul Anka
The Battle of New Orleans - Johnny Horton
Tiger - Fabian
Waterloo - Stonewall Jackson

1968
Grazing in the Grass - Hugh Masekela
Stoned Soul Picnic - The 5th Dimension
Hurdy Gurdy Man - Donovan
Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash

1977
I Just Want to Be Your Everything - Andy Gibb
I’m in You - Peter Frampton
My Heart Belongs to Me - Barbra Streisand
It Was Almost like a Song - Ronnie Milsap

1986
Glory of Love - Peter Cetera
Papa Don’t Preach - Madonna
Mad About You - Belinda Carlisle
Nobody in His Right Mind Would’ve Left Her - George Strait

1995
Waterfalls - TLC
One More Chance/Stay with Me/The What - The Notorious B.I.G. and Method Man
Don’t Take It Personal (just one of dem days) - Monica
Any Man of Mine - Shania Twain

2004
Leave (Get Out) - JoJo
Dip It Low - Christina Milian
Pieces of Me - Ashlee Simpson
Live Like You Were Dying - Tim McGraw