Friday August the 8th

ON THIS DAY in 1907

jazz musician Benny Carter was born in Harlem.  The versatile alto saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader was a major figure in jazz from the 1930s to the 1990s, and was recognized as such by other jazz musicians who called him King.  He died July 12, 2003 at age 95.


In 1910, actress Sylvia Sidney was born in the Bronx NY.  After her movie career tailed off in the late 1940's she began 46 years of TV guest appearances, playing among others, the imperious mother of Gordon Jump in the WKRP pilot episode, the troubled grandmother of Melanie Mayron in Thirtysomething and her final assignment, as the crotchety travel clerk on the short-lived late-1990s revival of Fantasy Island. She died July 1, 1999 at age 88.

In 1921, country singer Webb Pierce was born at West Monroe Louisiana. He became a star performer on radio's Louisiana Hayride and later was a regular on the Grand Ole Opry. His biggest hit, 1953's "There Stands the Glass" is regarded as one of country's classic "drinking songs". He was the number one country artist of the 1950s with his singles spending 113 weeks at #1. He died of pancreatic cancer Feb 24, 1991 at age 69.

In 1922, actor Rory Calhoun was born Francis McCown in Los Angeles. He starred in over 80 movies and 1,000 television episodes. The TV assignments included the lead in the late 50's series The Texan, a general in the mini-series The Blue & the Grey, and a judge in the soap opera Capitol.

He died Apr 28, 1999 at age 76.

In 1923, Benny Goodman was 14 years old as he began his professional career as a clarinet player. He took a job in a band on a Chicago-based excursion boat on Lake Michigan

In 1923, blues shouter Jimmy Witherspoon was born in rural Arkansas.   His first hit in 1949 was "Ain't Nobody's Business", a song which came to be regarded as his signature tune. In 1950 he had hits with two more songs closely identified with him: "No Rollin' Blues" and "Big Fine Girl". He continued performing & recording into the 1990's, and died Sep 18, 1997 at age 74.

In 1933, singer Joe Tex was born Joseph Arrington, Jr. in Baytown Texas. This soul and Disco singer-songwriter was most popular during the 1960s and 1970s leading the Joe Tex Band. His style of speaking over music, which he called "rap", made him a predecessor of the modern style of music. His hits include I Gotcha, Hold What You�ve Got, Skinny Legs and All, and Ain�t Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman. He died following a heart attack Aug 13, 1982 just days after his 49th birthday.

In 1934, Bing Crosby became the first singer to record for the newly created Decca Records.

His songs, Just A-Wearyin� For You and I Love You Truly, were waxed as Decca number D-100.

In 1941, Les Brown and His Band of Renown paid tribute to baseball�s �Yankee Clipper�, Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees, with the recording of "Joltin� Joe DiMaggio" on Okeh Records. From that time on, DiMaggio adopted the nickname, Joltin� Joe.

In 1959, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was "A Big Hunk O'Love,'' by Elvis Presley. The song entered the Hot 100 at No. 6.

In 1960 - Tell Laura I Love Her, by

Ray Peterson, wasn�t a big hit in Great Britain. Decca Records in England said the song was �too tasteless and vulgar for the English sensibility.� They destroyed 25,000 of the platters this day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhye2ANR40I

In 1963, the Pacifc Northwest Group The Kingsmen released their soon-to-be-smash "Louie, Louie"

With well over 1000 different versions, it remains among the most "covered" songs of all time, right behind the Beatles ' "Yesterday."  

In 1968, Tom Lucas first hit the airwaves, at CKAY Duncan BC, using the name Alan Boyle. He stayed a year before leaving for Ontario and, in 1974, he returned to B.C. radio.

In 1969, the cover photo was taken for the Beatles' "Abbey Road'' LP.


In 1970, rocker anis Joplin bought a headstone for the grave of blues singer Bessie Smith, one of her idols. Smith died in 1937 after being refused admission to a whites only hospital.

In 1974, singer Roberta Flack received a gold record for the single, Feel Like Makin� Love. Flack, born in Asheville, NC and raised in Arlington, VA, was awarded a music scholarship to Howard University in Washington, DC -- at the age of 15. One of her classmates became a singing partner on several hit songs. Donny Hathaway joined Flack on You�ve Got a Friend, Where is the Love and The Closer I Get to You. She had 10 hits on the pop charts in the 1970s and 1980s.


In 1975, jazz alto saxophonist Julian �Cannonball� Adderley died of a stroke at age 47. Adderley recorded more than 60 albums as a feature artist and collaborated as a sideman on at least 60 more. He performed with many other legendary musicians such as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Quincy Jones and Chuck Mangione.  He became one of the masters of hard bop and later originated what became known as soul jazz, taking his influence from the black church.

In 1986, David Crosby of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young was released from prison after serving time for drug and weapons charges.

In 1987, less than three months after they got to No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 for the first time with "With or Without You,"

U2 returned to the top of the chart with "I Still Haven't Found what I'm Looking For," the second single from "The Joshua Tree."

In 1992, Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses walked off stage after 55 minutes at a concert at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, complaining of a sore throat. Many of the 53,000 fans who came see the group and Metallica riotted.

In 1996, singer Mel Torme was hospitalized after a stroke that left his left side weakened and affected his speech.

In 1998, the Rolling Stones performed their first concert in Russia, playing through a driving rain before an appreciative crowd estimated at 70,000.

In 2002, the FCC ordered TV manufacturers to install tuners for digital signals in new TV sets by 2007. (The order was modified in 2005 setting a July 1, 2007 deadline for manufacturers to equip half of their most popular sets with digital tuners.)

In 2004, a bus driver for the Dave Matthews Band dumped human waste from the bus into the Chicago River and onto a tour boat carrying more than 100 passengers. The band later settled with the state of Illinois, and the driver plead guilty to reckless conduct and pollution charges.


Today's Birthdays

Movie producer Dino DeLaurentiis is 89.

Actress Esther Williams is 87.

Actor Richard Anderson (The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman) is 82.

Actress Nita Talbot is 78.

Country singer Mel Tillis is 76.

Actor Dustin Hoffman is 71.

Actress Connie Stevens is 70.

Country singer Phil Balsley of The Statler Brothers is 69.

Actor Larry Wilcox (CHiPS) is 61.

Actor Keith Carradine is 59.

Singer Airrion Love of The Stylistics is 59.

Country singer Jamie O'Hara is 58.

Howard Stern sidekick Robin Quivers is 56.

Actor Donnie Most (Happy Days) is 55.

Keyboardist Dennis Drew of 10,000 Maniacs is 51.

News anchor Deborah Norville is 50.

Singer/actor Harry Crosby (son of Bing) is 50.

Guitarist The Edge of U2 is 47.

Drummer Rikki Rockett of Poison is 47.

Rapper Kool Moe Dee is 46.

Singer Scott Stapp is 35.

Country singer Mark Wills is 35.

Guitarist Tom Linton of Jimmy Eat World is 33.

Singer J.C. Chasez of 'N Sync is 32.

Singer Drew Lachey of 98 Degrees is 32.

Singer Marsha Ambrosius of Floetry is 31.

Actress Lindsay Sloane (Wonder Years, Dharma & Greg) is 31.

Actress Countess Vaughn (The Parkers, Moesha) is 30.

Actor Michael Urie (Ugly Betty) is 28.


Chart Toppers - August 8th

1947
Peg o� My Heart - The Harmonicats
That�s My Desire - The Sammy Kaye Orchestra (vocal: Don Cornell)
I Wonder, I Wonder, I Wonder - Eddy Howard
Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette) - Tex Williams

1956
My Prayer - The Platters
Hound Dog/Don�t Be Cruel - Elvis Presley
The Flying Saucer (Parts 1 & 2) - Buchanan and Goodman
I Walk the Line - Johnny Cash

1965
I�m Henry VIII, I Am - Herman�s Hermits
Save Your Heart for Me - Gary Lewis & The Playboys
I Got You Babe - Sonny & Cher
The First Thing Ev�ry Morning (And the Last Thing Ev�ry Night) - Jimmy Dean

1974
Annie�s Song - John Denver
Feel like Makin� Love - Roberta Flack
Rikki Don�t Lose that Number - Steely Dan
Rub It In - Billy "Crash" Craddock

1983
Every Breath You Take - The Police
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) - Eurythmics
She Works Hard for the Money - Donna Summer
Your Love�s on the Line - Earl Thomas Conley

1992
Baby Got Back - Sir Mix-A-Lot
This Used to Be My Playground - Madonna
Baby-Baby-Baby - TLC
Boot Scootin� Boogie - Brooks & Dunn

2001
All Or Nothing - O-Town
Bootylicious - Destiny�s Child
Someone To Call My Lover - Janet Jackson
When I Think About Angels - Jamie O�Neal


AUG 31 1941, the Great Gildersleeve debuted on NBC radio, a spinoff from Fibber McGee & Molly.  The family comedy would last 16 years, surviving a cast change in the title role and a switch from a weekly 30 minute format to a Mon-Fri 15 minute strip.