Monday September the 15th

ON THIS DAY in 1903,
the "King of Country Music" Roy Acuff

was born in rural Tennessee.  Among his many hits were the Wabash Cannonball,  Night Train to Memphis & The Great Speckled Bird.  Acuff, the first living artist to be elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame(1952), died Nov. 23 1992.  

On this day in 1904, actor Tom Conway

was born in Russia.  He played Sherlock Holmes on radio, on TV he starred in Mark Saber, & the Betty Hutton Show.

On this day in 1907, radio & TV host Jack Bailey
                                                                      
was born in Hampton Iowa.  He will always be indelibly identified with the sob story show
"Queen for a Day". The program was simulcast on both radio & TV for much of its 1945-62 run. Bailey died in 1980 from cancer at age 72.

On this day in 1908, actress Penny Singleton

was born Mariana McNulty.  She made a career out of playing the comic strip character Blondie in B movies & on radio.
She died Nov 12, 2003 at age 95.

On this day in 1915, actor & announcer John Conte
                                                  
was born in Plamer Mass. He was the radio voice of Chase & Sanborn Coffee on the Burns & Allen & Baby Snooks radio programs, on TV he appeared in such shows as The Untouchables,” “Perry Mason, Bonanza,Your Show of Shows and ��Studio One."   Conte, who ended up a Calif. TV station owner, died Sept. 4 2006, a few days short of his 91st birthday.

On this day in 1921, Westinghouse's WBZ,

Springfield, Mass, received the first U.S. broadcast license.

On this day in 1924, singer & Pianist Bobby Short

was born.  He was a regular on the first Playboy TV series; died Mar 21, 2005 at age 80.

On this day in 1928, jazz alto saxaphone icon Julian �Cannonball" Adderly
                                                                
was born. He died Aug 8, 1975 at age 46, after suffering a stroke.

On this day in 1930, Hoagy Carmichael

recorded his own composition Georgia on My Mind on the Victor label. It became the official state song of Georgia in 1979.

On this day in 1934, NBC radio introduced The "Gibson Family" to American audiences. Ernest Whitman and Eddie Green were featured members of the cast and were billed as network radios only colored comedians.Very little record of the show survives to this day.

In 1948, Vernon Dalhart,

whose 1924 recording of ``The Prisoner's Song'' was the biggest-selling non-Christmas record of the pre-rock 'n' roll era, died at 65. Dalhart recorded ``The Prisoner's Song'' for no less than 28 labels under numerous pseudonyms. Total sales of all versions were estimated at 25- (m) million.

On this day in 1949, "The Lone Ranger" premiered on ABC.-TV, after 16 years on radio.

Clayton Moore was the Lone Ranger and Jay Silverheels was Tonto.

On this day in 1957, the family sitcom "Bachelor Father" with John Forsythe
                                                        
premiered on CBS-TV, and lasted 5 seasons.

On this day in 1962, the song "Sherry" by the
Four Seasons

topped the charts and stayed there for 5 weeks.

On this day in 1964, the Beatles were ordered off the stage at Cleveland's Public auditorium so the screaming crowd could calm down.

On this day in 1965, 8-track music players were marketed to the public for the first time.

(An 8-track cartridge of Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols)

On this day in 1965, the rural comedy Green Acres debuted on CBS-TV, with Eddie Albert & Eva Gabor
                                                            
as Oliver (Wendell) Douglas and his socialite wife Lisa.  It was the first of six successful seasons on the network.  Above is the first "moving picture" on PSR.

The same day in 1965, "Lost in Space"

premiered on CBS-TV, while "I Spy" debuted on NBC-TV.

In 1969, Ed Sullivan released "The Sulli-Gulli," his first and only rock record. He was hoping it would create a new dance.

On this day in 1971, the first broadcast of "Columbo"
starring Peter Falk, aired on NBC-TV.


On this day in 1973, the song "Delta Dawn" by Helen Reddy topped the charts, but only stayed there the one week.

On this day in 1979, the Swedish group Abba   began its first North American tour, in Vancouver, B.C.

On this day in 1980, jazz pianist Bill Evans, whose introverted, romantic approach influenced such later artists as Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett and Chick Corea, died of a bleeding ulcer at age 51.

In 1985, Vancouver radio station CJAZ FM dropped its jazz format and its call letters.  The station switched to a light R&B station, called FM 97.  Within 18 months it would develop an adult contemporary format and become 97 KISS FM.  Since 2002 it has been branded Jack FM. .  

On this day in 1986, the first broadcast of "LA Law" aired on NBC-TV.

On this day in 1986, actress Virginia Gregg,

one of the most versatile & busiest of all the network radio actors, died at 69 of lung cancer. She was often used by Jack Webb in his radio & TV "Dragnet"productions.

On this day in 1990, the 42nd Emmy Awards were handed out, with LA Law & Murphy Brown among the big winners.

On this day in 1990, the song "Release Me" by Wilson Phillips topped the charts and stayed there for 3 weeks.

On this day in 1991, one of the great announcers of network radio (and Pathe Newsreels,) Andre Baruch died at age 83.  Your Hit Parade, The Shadow, The Kate Smith Hour & American Album of Familiar Music were among the many big shows he was featured on.  

Also this day in 1991, Canadian journalist & broadcaster Warner Troyer
                                                                          
died at age 59.  He was a veteran of the CBC's This Hour Has Seven Days & The Fifth Estate; also co-host of CTV's W5.  

In 1993, Michael Jackson played to a half-empty stadium in Moscow as part of his "Dangerous" world tour. Bad weather and tickets costing up to two months' average wages helped keep fans away. And those that did show up had to suffer through freezing drizzle and a fuzzy sound system.

On this day in 1994, Hamilton-born SCTV veteran Martin Short
introduced his comedy variety program, "The Martin Short Show", on NBC.

In 1995, the first episode of "Xena: Warrior Princess" aired in syndication.

On this day in 1997, Elton John updated "Candle in the Wind" sold more than 600,000 copies in its first day in British stores.  The single was released in North America Sep 23 and hit #1 two weeks later.

Also this day in 1997, Oprah Winfrey announced she would continue her show through 2000.

On this day in 1998, country music's Reba McEntire

received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

On this day in 2000, Ron Dixon, the majority owner of Vancouver's CKST (now all-sports Team 1040), died in a car crash in Mexico.

On this day in 2001, CHNU-TV officially signed on at 7:00 p.m. as Now-TV on UHF Channel 66. It recently became Joytv10.

Also in 2001, Fred De Cordova, executive producer of The Jack Benny Show & The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, died in Woodland Hills, CA at age 90.

On this day in 2004, punk rocker Johnny Ramone

died in his sleep at age 55, after a five-year battle with prostate cancer.


Today's birthdays:  

Actor Jackie Cooper (Hennessy, The People's Choice) is 86.

Actor Forrest Compton (Gomer Pyle, Edge of Night) is 83.

Comedian Norm Crosby (Dean Martin's Celebrity Roasts) is 81.

Actor Henry Darrow (High Chaparral) is 75.

Actor-sportscaster Merlin Olsen (Little House on the Prairie) is 68.

Actor Tommy Lee Jones (One Life to Live, Amazing Howard Hughes) is 62.

Drummer Mitch Dorge of Crash Test Dummies is 48.

Actor Danny Nucci (Falcon Crest) is 40.  

Rap DJ Kay Gee (Naughty By Nature) is 39.

Rock drummer Allen Shellenberger of Lit is 39.

Actor Josh Charles (In treatment, Sports Night) is 37.

Actress Amy Davidson (8 Simple Rules) is 29.


Chart Toppers - Sept. 15

1949
Room Full of Roses - The Sammy Kaye Orchestra (vocal: Don Cornell)
You’re Breaking My Heart - Vic Damone
Maybe It’s Because - Dick Haymes
Why Don’t You Haul Off and Love Me - Wayne Raney

1958
Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare) - Domenico Modugno
It’s All in the Game - Tommy Edwards
Rock-in Robin - Bobby Day
Bird Dog - The Everly Brothers

1967
Ode to Billie Joe - Bobbie Gentry
Reflections - Diana Ross & The Supremes
Come Back When You Grow Up - Bobby Vee
Your Tender Loving Care - Buck Owens

1976
(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty - KC & The Sunshine Band
Play that Funky Music - Wild Cherry
I’d Really Love to See You Tonight - England Dan & John Ford Coley
I Don’t Want to Have to Marry You - Jim Ed Brown/Helen Cornelius

1985
St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion) - John Parr
We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) - Tina Turner
Money for Nothing - Dire Straits
Modern Day Romance - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

1994
I’ll Make Love to You - Boyz II Men
Wild Night - John Mellencamp Me’Shell NdegeOcello
When Can I See You - Babyface
XXX’s and OOO’s (An American Girl) - Trisha Yearwood

2003
Crazy In Love - Beyoncé Knowles featuring Jay-Z
Shake Ya Tailfeather - Nelly, P. Diddy & Murphy Lee
Can’t Hold Us Down - Christina Aguilera featuring Lil’ Kim
It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere - Alan Jackson (with Jimmy Buffett)