Sunday September the 7th

ON THIS DAY in 1920
guitarist and orchestra leader Al Caiola was born.  His best remembered recordings are the themes from The Magnificent Seven and Bonanza.

On this day in 1921, Arthur Ferrante of the piano team of Ferrante and Teicher was born.  Hits include the Theme from Exodus, Tonight, Theme from The Apartment, & Midnight Cowboy.

In 1924, pioneering Vancouver radio station CKFC began broadcasting from First Congregational Church, with a power of 50 watts.  It was one of the stations which were later amalgamated into the present-day CKWX (News 1130.)

On this day in 1927, television pioneer Philo T. Farnsworth   at age 21, succeeded in transmitting the image of a line through purely electronic means with a device called an "image dissector."

On this day in 1929, the forerunner to Let's Pretend, a Saturday morning radio show for kids was heard for the first time on CBS. The Adventures of Helen & Mary became Let's Pretend 5 years later, all of it written & directed by Nila Mack, and hosted by 'Uncle' Bill Adams.  It continued until 1954.

On this day in 1936, actor & Rat Pack member Peter Lawford (TV's Thin Man) was born in London England.

Also this day in 1936, singer Buddy Holly was born Charles Hardin Holley in Lubbock Texas.

With his group The Crickets they produced hits like That'll Be the Day, Oh, Boy, Peggy Sue, & Maybe Baby.  He died in a plane crash Feb 3, 1959.

On this day in 1940,  Artie Shaw and his orchestra recorded Temptation on the Victor label.

On this day in 1943, singer/songwriter Frank Crumit died at 53.   For 14 years beginning in 1929 he and Julia Sanderson were "the singing sweethearts of the air":  the very first husband-wife team to achieve radio stardom.

In 1964, the Beatles played Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. The top ticket price for the group's first appearance in the city was $5.50.

On this day in 1966, the final episode of the original The Dick Van Dyke Show was seen on CBS-TV.  

Dick played Rob Petrie, the head comedy writer for The Alan Brady Show.  His wife Laura was played by Mary Tyler Moore.

On this day in 1966, double talk comedian Al Kelly, who was featured in many early TV shows such as the Ernie Kovacs Show, died at 67.

On this day in 1967, the situation comedy "The Flying Nun" debuted on A-B-C.
                                                                              
Sally Field starred as a novice nun who discovers she can fly.

On this day in 1971, actress Spring Byington (who played the lead role of Lily Ruskin on TV's December Bride), died at 84.

Also this day in 1971, the Beverly Hillbillies was seen for the last time on CBS-TV, after nine years and 216 shows.

The show was in syndication for years after it left the network.

On this day in 1972, Curtis Mayfield earned a gold record for his Superfly album, from the movie of the same name. The LP contained two million sellers, Freddie's Dead and Superfly.

On this day in 1975, the Winnipeg-based rock group Guess Who held their final concert, in the Montreal Forum.


On this day in 1978, Who drummer Keith Moon died in London of an overdose of a drug he was prescribed to combat alcoholism.

On this day in 1979, ESPN, the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, made its debut on US cable TV as the first fulltime sports station.

On this day in 1980, the national telethon supporting Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope raised  over $10 million for cancer research.  Terry succumbed to the disease the following year.

In 1984, disc jockey Rick Dees replaced singer Marilyn McCoo as host of the ``Solid Gold'' T-V show.

On this day in 1985, Montreal-born actor William Shatner's action drama T.J. Hooker had its last broadcast on ABC.
  
The show was picked up by CBS for late-night airing.  

Also this day in 1985, the song "St Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" by 'John Parr topped the charts and stayed there for 2 weeks.  

In 1987, Bob Dylan cancelled without explanation a meeting with foreign minister Shimon Peres during a concert tour of Israel. Dylan also cancelled a visit to the Western Wall, failed to show up for a traditional Sabbath meal in his honour, missed an appearance on a T-V talk show and failed to turn up for a guided tour of Tel Aviv by the city's mayor. Israeli newspapers panned both Dylan's concerts and his behaviour.

In 1992, Bryan Adams finally performed for 20-thousand fans at Big Valley, Alberta after a two-day delay caused by snow and freezing temperatures.

About two-thousand people camped out for four days at a tent city known as ``Mudville.'' Over 40-thousand tickets were sold, but more than half the concert-goers went home after the show was postponed for two days.

Also in 1992, lead singer Rob Halford left the heavy metal band Judas Priest. He formed a new group, Fight.

On this day in 1996, Tupac Shakur and Marion "Suge" Knight were shot while in Las Vegas after a Mike Tyson fight. Shakur died six days later.  

In 2001, "Animal Planet" launched a Canadian digital TV service along with 25 other TV channels.
  

On this day in 2002, musician Warren Zevon died in his sleep at his home near Los Angeles, a year after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. He was 56. His final album, "The Wind," had been released just two weeks earlier.

In 2004, CJRY-FM Edmonton signed on branded as Shine-FM at 105.9 MHz.

In 2007, Victoria's CHEK TV Ch. 6 which rebranded as "CH" six years earlier, became "E! Everything Entertainment" with much of its programming from the E! Network in the U.S.  Local news returned to the use of local call letters CHEK.
                                                                            

Today's Birthdays:

Pianist Arthur Ferrante (Ferrante & Teicher) is 87.

Jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins is 78.

Actor John Phillip Law (Young & the Restless, Alaska Kid) is 71.

Singer Alfa Anderson of Chic is 62.

Singer Gloria Gaynor is 59.

Singer Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders is 57.

Actress Julie Kavner (Rhoda, The Simpsons) is 57.

Actor Corbin Bernsen (LA Law) is 54.

Keyboardist Benmont Tench of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is 54.

Pianist/singer Michael Feinstein is 52.

Singer Margot Chapman (Starland Vocal Band) is 51.

Saxophonist Leroi Moore of the Dave Matthews Band is 47.

Actor W. Earl Brown (Deadwood) is 45.

Model Angie Everhart (Ex-Wives Club, UC:Undercover, Dream Team) is 39.

Actor Tom Everett Scott (Saved, ER, The Street) is 38.

Drummer Chad Sexton of 311 is 38.

Actress Diane Farr (Numb3rs, Rescue Me) is 37.  

Actress Shannon Elizabeth (Cuts, That 70's Show) is 35.

Actor Oliver Hudson (Rules of Engagement, Dawson's Creek) is 32.

Vancouver-born actor Devon Sawa (Action Man, KidZone) is 30.

Actress Evan Rachel Wood (Once & Again, Profiler) is 21.


Chart Toppers - Sept. 7

1950
Mona Lisa - Nat King Cole
Play a Simple Melody - Bing Crosby
Goodnight Irene - The Weavers
Goodnight Irene - Red Foley-Ernest Tubb

1959
The Three Bells - The Browns
Sleep Walk - Santo & Johnny
I’m Gonna Get Married - Lloyd Price
The Three Bells - The Browns

1968
People Got to Be Free - The Rascals
Born to Be Wild - Steppenwolf
Light My Fire - Jose Feliciano
Mama Tried - Merle Haggard

1977
Best of My Love - Emotions
(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher - Rita Coolidge
Easy - Commodores
Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue - Crystal Gayle

1986
Venus - Bananarama
Take My Breath Away - Berlin
Dancing on the Ceiling - Lionel Richie
Desperado Love - Conway Twitty

1995
You are Not Alone - Michael Jackson
Gangsta’s Paradise - Coolio featuring L.V.
Run-Around - Blues Traveler
Not on Your Love - Jeff Carson

2004
She Will Be Loved - Maroon 5
Pieces of Me - Ashlee Simpson
Move Ya Body - Nina Sky
Somebody - Reba McEntire