Saturday September the 20th  

ON THIS DAY in 1911
orchestra leader & songwriter Frank DeVol was born in rural West Virginia. He had gigs on many radio & TV shows, and wrote themes for The Brady Bunch, Get Smart, My Three Sons, & The Love Boat; as well as the scores for more than 50 films.  DeVol died Oct 27, 1999 at the age of 88.

On this day in 1918, actress Peg Phillips was born in Everett Wash.   She is best remembered for her role as the eccentric shopkeeper Ruth-Anne in TV's Northern Exposure.  More recently she was Mrs. Hinkle in 7th Heaven. Peg died Nov 7 2002 of lung disease at age 84.

On this day in 1921, the first US radio station KDKA in Pittsburgh started one of the first daily radio newscasts in the country. The broadcast came from the city desk of The Pittsburgh Post.
Link to a recreated First Broadcast of KDKA  
http://www.kdkaradio.com/pages/15486.php

On this day in 1948, one of the most popular singing groups of the 1950s got their professional start.
   The Four Freshmen

did their first gig in Fort Wayne, Indiana and went on to major success with Capitol Records. Hits included It's a Blue World, Charmaine and Love is Just Around the Corner.

On this day in 1953, actress Loretta Young hosted a weekly TV show, Letter to Loretta. Later (February 14, 1954), the name was changed to The Loretta Young Show. As you might suspect, the show featured dramatic responses to letters Loretta had received from her fans during the years she had been a movie star.

On this day in 1953,
Jimmy Stewart

debuted in The "Six Shooter" on NBC Radio. He played Britt Ponset on the well-produced Western series.

On this day in 1955, "You'll Never Get Rich" started its run on CBS-TV. Because of weak ratings, the name of the show was changed (less than two months later) to The Phil Silvers Show.  The change worked. The show, "An outrageous satire on military life," became a hit on the tube and ran thru 1959.

On this day in 1964, New York's Paramount theater presented the Beatles & Steve & Eydie.  Then, at the end of their U.S. tour, the Beatles appeared on CBS TV's  "Ed Sullivan Show."

On this day in 1969, the song "Sugar, Sugar", by The Archies, hit number one in Billboard. The Archies sat at the top of the hit heap for four weeks.

On this day in 1970, Jim Morrison

of The Doors was found guilty of indecent exposure and use of profanity in connection with a concert in Miami in 1969. He was found innocent of lewdness and public drunkenness. The guilty verdicts were appealed, but Morrison died before the case was resolved.

On this day in 1971, supporting actor James Westerfield died of a heart attack at age 59.  He played in 1950's live & filmed TV, and had a running role in the 1963 TV series that introduced us to a young Kurt Russell, the Travels of Jaime McPheeters.  

Also this day in 1971, Peter Frampton quit Humble Pie to follow a solo career.

On this day in 1973, the "in" place for radio and record types to see, and be seen, opened in Los Angeles -- to a sold-out crowd. On the opening bill at the Roxy Theatre: Elton John, Carole King and Jackson Browne.

On this day in 1973, singer
        Jim Croce,

his lead guitarist, Maury Muehleisen, and four others died when their plane crashed into a tree while taking off for a concert in Sherman, Texas.  

Also this day in 1973, the actor who played Sam the Bartender on TV's Gunsmoke, Glenn Strange died at age 74.

On this day in 1975, the song "Fame" by David Bowie topped the charts and stayed there for 2 weeks.

Also this day in 1975, Scotland's Bay City Rollers appeared live on the premiere of the Howard Cosell's Saturday Night show on ABC-TV. It was their U.S. debut.

Also in 1975, the single "Born to Run" was released by Bruce Springsteen.

On this day in 1976, at  5 am radio station KISM FM 92.9 Bellingham switched from oldies to album rock. First song played: "Don't Fear the Reaper" by Blue Oyster Cult.

Also in 1976, the Captain & Tennille Show

premiered on ABC-TV.

On this day in 1984, NBC-TV debuted The Cosby Show. Bill Cosby played Dr. Heathcliff (Cliff) Huxtable. His lovely wife, Clair, was played by Phylicia Rashad. The show went on to become an Emmy Award-winner and one of the most popular on television for eight years.

Also this day in 1984, the first episode of
"Who's the Boss?"

aired on ABC.

On this day in 1986, NBC's Golden Girls won best comedy honors and CBS's Cagney & Lacey won for top drama at the 38th Emmy Awards.

Also in 1986, "Matlock" starring Andy Griffith, premiered on NBC.


Still in 1986, the number one pop hit in the U.S. was "Stuck With You", by Huey Lewis & The News. The song was stuck at #1 for three weeks.

On this day in 1993, Vancouver's CKLG AM 730 ended 29 years of Contemporary Hit Radio (CHR) music programming, and went fulltime talk.

On this day in 1996,
bandleader Paul Weston

died at age 84. He worked with Rudy Vallee & Dinah Shore in radio, was NBC-TV's musical director for 5 years, and handled the music for Danny Kaye, Jonathan Winters & Jim Nabors for a decade on CBS-TV.

On this day in 2004, CBS News announced they could not authenticate several documents that had been used in a "60 Minutes II" story that questioned U.S. President George Bush's service in the National Guard. Two days later CBS announced that a panel would be appointed to investigate the story.

On this day in 2005, J.D. Fortune

of Toronto was chosen as the new singer for INXS (in-ex-ES') on the C-B-S reality show "Rock Star: INXS."


TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS

Singer Gogi Grant (Wayward Wind) is 84.

English jazz sax man Johnny Dankworth is 81.

Pop psychologist Joyce Brothers (she won the $64,000 Question) is 80.

Actress-comedian Anne Meara (King of Queens, Archie Bunker's Place) is 79.

Bassist Chuck Panozzo (Styx) is 61.

Jazz guitarist Peter White is 54.

Actress Betsy Brantley (Tour of Duty, From the Earth to the Moon) is 53.

Actor Gary Cole (Midnight Caller, Fatal Vision) is 52.

Actress Kristen Johnston (3rd Rock From The Sun) is 41.

Singers Gunnar and Matthew Nelson twin-sons of the late Rick Nelson are 41.

Bassist Ben Shepherd (Soundgarden) is 40.

Drummer Rick Woolstenhulme of Lifehouse is 29.

Rapper Yung Joc is 26.


Chart Toppers - Sept. 20

1945
Till the End of Time - Perry Como
On the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe - Johnny Mercer
If I Loved You - Perry Como
You Two Timed Me One Time Too Often - Tex Ritter

1954
Sh-Boom - The Crew Cuts
Skokiaan - The Four Lads
The High and the Mighty - Les Baxter
I Don’t Hurt Anymore - Hank Snow

1963
My Boyfriend’s Back - The Angels
Blue Velvet - Bobby Vinton
Heat Wave - Martha & The Vandellas
Abilene - George Hamilton IV

1972
Black & White - Three Dog Night
Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me - Mac Davis
Saturday in the Park - Chicago
When the Snow is on the Roses - Sonny James

1981
Endless Love - Diana Ross & Lionel Richie
Queen of Hearts - Juice Newton
Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around - Stevie Nicks with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
You Don’t Know Me - Mickey Gilley

1990
Release Me - Wilson Phillips
Do Me! - Bel Biv DeVoe
Have You Seen Her - M.C. Hammer
Jukebox in My Mind - Alabama

1999
Bailamos - Enrique Iglesias
Someday - Sugar Ray
Unpretty - TLC
You Had Me from Hello - Kenny Chesney