Wednesday August the 6th

ON THIS DAY in 1881
actor Leo Carrillo was born in Los Angeles.  

Although he played character roles in 90 films, he is best remembered as Pancho, the amiable sidekick in the 1950's Cisco Kid TV Series starring Duncan Renaldo.  He died of cancer Sep 10, 1961 at age 80.

Also in 1881, gossip columnist Louella Parsons was born in Freeport Illinois.  Her rather poor radio personality didn't keep her from fronting a succession of big budget star vehicles on network radio, including Hollywood Hotel & Hollywood Premiere.  For six years she also had a 15 minute showbusiness gossip show on Sunday night.  She died of arteriosclerosis Dec 9, 1972 at age 91.


In 1911, actress/comedienne Lucille Ball was born in Jamestown New York.

She was successful in film, on stage & in radio, but is best remembered as the Emmy Award-winning star of CBS TV's I Love Lucy, and her successive sitcoms The Lucy Show & Here's Lucy. Her career in TV spanned some 30 years. She died of an aortic aneurism April 26, 1989 at age 77.

In 1917, actor Robert Mitchum was born in Bridgeport Connecticut.  After a succesful bigscreen career he starred in two of the most watched TV miniseries of all time, The Winds of War, and War and Remembrance.

He succumbed to lung cancer & emphysema July 1, 1997 at age 79.

In 1928, one of radio’s first serials, Real Folks debuted on NBC radio.

In 1939, after becoming a success with Ben Bernie and Eddie Cantor on network radio, and being featured on NBC's Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street, Dinah Shore started her own show on the NBC Blue radio network.

Dinah sang every Sunday evening.  Dinah also had a successful TV career spanning more than three decades.

In 1940, Columbia Records cut the prices of its 12-inch 78 rpm classical records.  The records were priced to sell at $1.  Within two weeks, RCA Victor did the same and ended a record-buying slump brought on by disinterested consumers.

In 1973, after one of the biggest promotional blitzes in TV history, writer/reporter Sally Quinn joined Hughes Rudd as co-host of the CBS Morning News.

Not long after her TV debut, Quinn found that she wasn’t suited so much for TV and went back to writing for The Washington Post.

In 1973, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was "The Morning After,' by' Maureen McGovern. The song was the theme to the film "The Poseidon Adventure.''

Also in 1973, Wolfman Jack did his first broadcast on WNBC-AM, New York, New York.

http://www.wolfmanjack.org

Still in 1973, Stevie Wonder came close to losing his life, following a freak auto accident. Wonder, one of Motown’s most popular recording artists, was in a coma for 10 days. Miraculously, he recovered and was back in the recording studio in less than eight weeks.

In 1981, Stevie Nicks’ first solo album, Bella Donna, was released. The lead singer for Fleetwood Mac scored a top-three hit with Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around (9/05/81) from the album. Nicks went on to record a total of 11 hits for the pop-rock charts through 1988.

In 1984, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was "Ghostbusters,'' by Ray Parker Jr. Huey Lewis sued Parker, claiming the Academy Award-nominated song sounded too much like his "I Want a New Drug.''

In 1991, TV newsman Harry Reasoner, who anchored the ABC evening news between two stints with the CBS newsmagazine "60 Minutes," died at age 68, just three months after he retired.  The cause .. a blood clot on the brain which resulted from a fall.    


In 1995, R&B singer Brandy received four trophies at the first Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards. TLC took group honors for single and solo of the year.

In 1996, Vince Neil, the former singer of '80's metal band Motley Crue, attempted to play a show at a club in Indiana.

The show, starting more than four hours late, ended after only three songs. Neil claimed that he wasn't feeling well, and that the audience of "rednecks" didn't appreciate his talent. No refunds were offered, and police, called to the scene shortly thereafter, barely staved off a riot of over 500 irate ticket-holders.

In 2002 at 6am, MOJO RADIO debuted in Vancouver on AM730 with "talk radio for guys."  The station had been off the air for over a month, then stunted for two weeks with modern rock before initiating the new format.

In 2004, funk legend Rick James died at 56 years of age. James was best known for his 1981 hit Super Freak -- before his career disintegrated amid drug use and violence that sent him to prison.


Today's Birthdays:

Jazz bassist Charlie Haden is 71.

Actor-director Peter Bonerz (Bob Newhart Show, Murphy Brown) is 70.

Actor Dorian Harewood (Roots: the Next Generations, Boomtown, 7th Heaven) is 58.

Actress Catherine Hicks (Seventh Heaven) is 57.

Singer Pat MacDonald of Timbuk 3 is 56.

Actress Stepfanie Kramer (Hunter) is 52.

Actress Faith Prince (Huff, Spin City) is 51.

Singer Randy DeBarge of DeBarge is 50.

Actor Leland Orser (ER) is 48.

Country singers Peggy and Patsy Lynn of The Lynns are 44.

Actor Jeremy Ratchford (Cold Case) is 43.

Country singer Lisa Stewart is 40.

Actress Merrin Dungey (Summerland, Alias) is 37.

Singer Geri Halliwell (Spice Girls) is 36.

Actress Soleil Moon Frye (Sabrina The Teenage Witch, Punky Brewster) is 32.

Singer Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes is 27.

Bassist Eric Roberts of Gym Class Heroes is 24.


Chart Toppers - August 6th

1945
The More I See You - Dick Haymes
Dream - The Pied Pipers
Sentimental Journey - The Les Brown Orchestra (vocal: Doris Day)
Oklahoma Hills - Jack Guthrie

1954
Sh-Boom - The Crew Cuts
The Little Shoemaker - The Gaylords
Hey There - Rosemary Clooney
One by One - Kitty Wells & Red Foley

1963
So Much in Love - The Tymes
Fingertips - Pt 2 - Little Stevie Wonder
(You’re the) Devil in Disguise - Elvis Presley
Ring of Fire - Johnny Cash

1972
Alone Again (Naturally) - Gilbert O’Sullivan
Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl) - Looking Glass
(If Loving You is Wrong) I Don’t Want to Be Right - Luther Ingram
It’s Gonna Take a Little Bit Longer - Charley Pride

1981
Jessie’s Girl - Rick Springfield
Theme from "Greatest American Hero" (Believe It or Not) - Joey Scarbury
I Don’t Need You - Kenny Rogers
Dixie on My Mind - Hank Williams, Jr.

1990
Vision of Love - Mariah Carey
Cradle of Love - Billy Idol
Rub You the Right Way - Johnny Gill
Good Times - Dan Seals

1999
Beautiful Stranger - Madonna
All Star - Smash Mouth
If You Had My Love - Jennifer Lopez
Amazed - Lonestar