Friday September the 19th

ON THIS DAY in 1904,
Dr. Bergen Evans was born in Franklin, Ohio.  As an English professor he was the ultimate authority, The Question Supervisor, on CBS's $64,000 Question

in the mid 1950's.  He died Feb. 4 1978 at age 73.

On this day in 1931, singer Brook Benton was born Benjamin Franklin Peay in Camden South Carolina.  Hits include It’s Just a Matter of Time, Endlessly, Think Twice, Kiddio,  & The Boll Weevil Song. He died Apr 9, 1988 at age 56.

On this day in 1932, the soap opera "Just Plain Bill" was first heard as an early evening quarter-hour on a regional CBS network from Chicago.

It was "The real life story of people just like people we all know."  Stories centred around the town barber (just plain) Bill Davidson and his daughter, Nancy, who lived in (just plain) Hartville.  It moved to NBC daytime in 1935, and continued daily for another 20 years.

On this day in 1934, Beatles' manager Brian Epstein was born in England.  He died Aug 26, 1967 at age 32.

On this day in 1935, bass player & singer Nick Massi of The Four Seasons was born.  He died Dec 24, 2000, at age 65.

On this day in 1939, U.S. citizen William Joyce, Lord Haw-Haw became radio host of Germany's  Reichsrundfunk Overseas Service, broadcasting propaganda out of Berlin.   Six years later to the day, Lord Haw Haw was sentenced to death for treason.

On this day in 1941, "Mama" Cass Elliott
                                                                      
(of the Mamas & the Papas) was born Ellen Naomi Cohen in Baltimore.  She died less than 33 years later July 29, 1974.

On this day in 1951, the first broadcast of the soap "Search for Tomorrow" aired on CBS-TV.    The final curtain came down 35 years later ..on NBC.

On this day in 1953, Winnipeg-born Gisele MacKenzie took over as host on NBC-TV's Your Hit Parade. Her biggest hit during that stint (1953-57) was Hard to Get in June of 1955.  

On this day in 1955, a big night of live TV drama, as Eva Marie Saint, Frank Sinatra and Paul Newman starred in the Producer's Showcase presentation of "Our Town" on NBC-TV.

On this day in 1958, Elvis Presley set sail for Germany, where he would serve a tour of duty for the U-S Army. He arrived in West Germany on October first.

On this day in 1963, the Crystals

Then He Kissed Me debuted on U.K. charts. It had hit U.S. charts on Aug 17, and made it to #6 for three weeks.

On this day in 1967, the original host of radio's "Make Believe Ballroom" (1934), and announcer for TV's Chesterfield Supper Club,
Martin Block died at age 64.

On this day in 1968, country singer Red Foley died at age 58.

Also this day in 1968, Steppenwolf won its first gold record for "Born to be Wild."

On this day in 1970, the song "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Diana Ross topped the charts and stayed there for 3 weeks.

Also this day in 1970, the theme lyric "She could turn the world on with her smile" aired for the first time, as The Mary Tyler Moore Show debuted on CBS-TV.

It became one of the most successful television shows of the 1970s, lasting 94 episodes & seven seasons.  

On this day in 1973, singer-songwriter Gram Parsons died under mysterious circumstances in Joshua Tree, California. Parsons played with The Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers. His coffin was later stolen by two of his associates and set on fire.

On this day in 1974, Eric Clapton received a gold record for "I Shot the Sheriff". The song had reached #1 on the charts on September 14th.

On this day in 1981, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel reunited for a free concert to benefit New York City parks, their first joint effort in years.  The concert attracted a crowd of 500,000 people in Central Park and was broadcast to a TV audience in the millions.

On this day in 1983, the final episode of "M*A*S*H" was aired on CBS-TV, attracting a record viewership.

Also in 1983, the syndicated "Wheel of Fortune" began its long-running current version.  

On this day in 1984, NBC began airing
"Highway to Heaven".


On this day in 1987, Dick Clark's American Bandstand left ABC TV after 30 years, and went into first-run syindication.  ABC had shortened the program to 30 minutes, and Clark wanted it to return to the original one-hour format.

Also this day in 1987, Michael Jackson's I Just Can't Stop Loving You, from Jackson's "Bad" LP, rose to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

On this day in 1994, NBC aired the very first episode of "ER."
                                                                  

On this day in 1995, rocker Bryan Adams opened GM Place in Vancouver before a sold-out crowd of 18,000.

On this day in 1996, CBC President Perrin Beatty announced 2,500 job cuts to be made in the coming months.

On this day in 1999, the first episode of "Judging Amy" aired on CBS.

On this day in 2004, country singer Skeeter Davis   succumbed to breast cancer at 72.   She'd sung on the Grand Ole Opry for 40 years.
Her big crossover hit was "The End of the World."

On this day in 2007, TV news star Dan Rather filed a $70-million lawsuit alleging that CBS and its former parent company (Viacom) attempted to curry favor with the Bush administration by intentionally botching the aftermath of a discredited story about the military service of U.S. President George W. Bush.


Today's Birthdays:  

Toronto-born journalist/entertainer Don Harron (CBC Morningside, "Charlie Farquarson") is 84.  

"Inside the Actor's Studio" host James Lipton is 82.

Walla Walla-born actor Adam West (Batman) is 78.

Actor David McCallum (NCIS, Man from UNCLE) is 75.

Singer Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers is 68.

Singer-songwriter Paul Williams is 68.

Singer David Bromberg is 63.

Actor Randolph Mantooth (Emergency, As The World Turns) is 63.

Singer Freda Payne is 63.

Guitarist Lol Creme of 10cc is 61.

Actor Jeremy Irons is 60.

Actress-model Twiggy Lawson is 59.

TV personality Joan Lunden is 58.

Actor Scott Colomby (Days of Our Lives, One Day at a Time)  is 56.

Guitarist-producer Nile Rodgers of Chic is 56.

Singer-actor Rex Smith (Street Hawk, As the World Turns) is 53.

Actor/director Kevin Hooks (Prison Break, 24) is 50.

Actress Carolyn McCormick (Law and Order) is 49.

Country singer Jeff Bates is 45.

Country singer Trisha Yearwood is 44.

Comedian Cheri Oteri (Saturday Night Live) is 43.

News anchor Soledad O'Brien is 42.

Actress Sanaa Lathan (Nip/Yuck, LateLine) is 37.

Comedian Jimmy Fallon (Saturday Night Live) is 34.

TV personality Carter Oosterhouse (Trading Spaces, Three Wishes) is 32.

Actress/host Alison Sweeney (Days of Our Lives, The Biggest Loser) is 32.

Musician Ryan Dusick is 31.

Actor Columbus Short {Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip) is 26.

Rapper Eamon is 25.

Ontario-born actor Kevin Zegers (Traders, Road to Avonlea) is 24.

Actress Danielle Panabaker (Summerland, Empire Falls) is 21.


Chart Toppers - Sept. 19

1944
I’ll Walk Alone - Dinah Shore
Swinging on a Star - Bing Crosby
Time Waits for No One - Helen Forrest
Soldier’s Last Letter - Ernest Tubb

1953
You, You, You - The Ames Brothers
Vaya Con Dios - Les Paul & Mary Ford
Crying in the Chapel - June Valli
A Dear John Letter - Jean Shepard & Ferlin Husky

1962
Sherry - The 4 Seasons
Ramblin’ Rose - Nat King Cole
Green Onions - Booker T. & The MG’s
Devil Woman - Marty Robbins

1971
Go Away Little Girl - Donny Osmond
Ain’t No Sunshine - Bill Withers
Maggie May /Reason to Believe - Rod Stewart
The Year that Clayton Delaney Died - Tom T. Hall

1980
Upside Down - Diana Ross
All Out of Love - Air Supply
Fame - Irene Cara
Lookin’ for Love - Johnny Lee

1989
Don’t Wanna Lose You - Gloria Estefan
Girl I’m Gonna Miss You - Milli Vanilli
Heaven - Warrant
Nothing I Can Do About It Now - Willie Nelson

1998
I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing - Aerosmith
Tearin’ Up My Heart - ’N Sync
I’ll Never Break Your Heart - Backstreet Boys
How Long Gone - Brooks & Dunn

2007
The Way I Are - Timbaland featuring Keri Hilson
Big Girls Don't Cry (Personal) - Fergie
Who Knew - Pink
More Than a Memory - Garth Brooks