Wednesday, July 6, 2005-Sunday, July 10, 2005

The reign begins...

July 7th marks the 51st anniversary of listening to Elvis Presley music. It was on that date in 1954 that disc jockey Dewey Phillips of WHBQ introduced "The King" to his Memphis subjects, the world was next for the taking.

"That's All Right" was premiered that night in Memphis and for the first time anywhere, Elvis spoke in an interview conducted by the disc jockey. My commentary will give you some insights into Elvis, the person, from one of Elvises closest friends...

July 6th Memories...

1933) Baseball's first All-Star game is played in Chicago with the American League on top of the National League 4-2...(see 1983 Memory)

1957) Althea Gibson becomes the first black person to win at Wimbledon, winning the women's singles title...

1963) #1 "Easier Said Than Done"-The Essex...

1965) The Jefferson Airplane is formed...

1971) Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong plays his final note...

1971) Karen and Richard Carpenter host their own summer TV series, "Make Your Own Kind of Music"...

1975) In a classic match race between Foolish Pleasure and Ruffian, the filly Ruffian breaks down and is destroyed...

1978) Eddie Mahoney changes his name to Eddie Money...

1980) Giant great Willie McCovey plays his last game (he'll be elected to baseball's Hall of Fame in 1986)...

1983) The AL beats the NL 13-3 in Chicago to mark the 50th anniversary of the All-Star game...

1998) Happy Trails to the King of the Cowboys, Roy Rogers, 86...

2001) Former FBI agent, Robert Hansen pleads quilty to spying for Russia...

Happy Birthday to...

1921) Nancy Reagan...

1925) Merv Griffin...

1931) Della Reese...

1935) Dalai Lama (Lhama Dhondrub Tenzin Gyatso)...

1937) Gene (Duke of Earl) Chandler...

1946) Sylvester Stallone...

1946) Burt Ward...

1954) Willie Randolph...

1976) 50 Cent...

July 7th Memories...

1954) First Elvis record airs (see lead story and commentary)...

1964) Shea Stadium hosts 35th All-Star game, a 7-4 win for the National League...

1965) Otis Redding records "Respect"...

1967) The Doors top the charts with "Light My Fire"...

1968) The Yardbirds break up. Guitarist Jimmy Page will form Led Zeppelin...

1987) Oliver North begins his testimony at Iran-Contra hearings...

2000) A record 400,000 copies of "Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire" are sold on Amazon.com...

Happy Birthday to...

1922) Pierre Cardin...

1927) Doc Severinsen...

1940) Ringo Starr...

1946) Joe Spano...

1949) Shelley Duvall...

1950) David Hondo (Village People construction guy)...

1963) Vonda Shepard ("Ally McBeal")...

1968) C.S.I.'s Jorja Fox...

July 8 Memories...

1889) The Wall Street Journal is published...

1947) Ground is broken in Manhattan for the UN...

1969) U.S. troop withdrawal begins in Vietnam...

1970) The Everly Brothers TV summer series begins and runs through September...

1981) The Senate confirms Sandra Day O'Conner as Supreme Court Justice...

1985) Madonna poses nude in "Playboy" and "Penthouse"...

2000) Roger Clemens beans Mike Piazza...

Happy Birthday to...

1931) Roone Arledge...

1932) Jerry Vale...

1935) Steve Lawrence...

1944) Jeffrey Tambor...

1949) Wolfgang Puck...

1951) Anjelica Huston...

1958) Kevin Bacon...

1961) Toby Keith...

1970) Beck...

July 9 Memories...

1953) New York Airways begins first commuter passenger service by helicopter...

1956) Dick Clark makes his debut as host of "Bandstand" on a local Philadelphia TV station...

1968) The first indoor (Astrodome in Houston) All-Star game is played...

1968) The Temptations appear minus David Ruffin for first time...

1971) The U.S. turns demilitarized zone over to South Vietnam units...

1972) Paul McCartney begins his first tour since Beatle breakup, with Wings...

1975) After 9 days of marriage, Cher serves papers on Gregg Allman...

1985) Herschel Walker of the New Jersey Generals is named MVP in USFL...

1992) Mick Jagger becomes a grandfather...

1997) Mike Tyson is banned from boxing and fined $3 million for making a snack of Evander Holyfield's ear

Happy Birthday to...

1927) Ed Ames...

1929) Lee Hazlewood...

1932) Donald Rumsfeld...

1938) Brian Dennehy...

1942) Richard Roundtree...

1947) O.J. Simpson...

1954) Sister Debbie Sledge...

1955) Jimmy Smits...

1956) Tom Hanks...

1957) Kelly McGillis...

1964) Courtney Love...

1976) Fred (The Wonder Year's) Savage...

July 10 Memories...

1962) Telstar communications satellite is launched, relays TV and telephone signals between Europe and the U.S...

1965) "Satisfaction" is #1 for Rolling Stones...

1965) "Beatles VI" LP goes #1 and stays #1 for 6 weeks...

1967) Bobbie Gentry records "Ode to Billie Joe"...

1968) Eric Clapton announces break-up of Cream...

1969) The National League breaks up into 2 divisions...

1984) Doc Gooden of the Mets becomes youngest player (at 19.7) to appear in an All-Star game...

1985) Coca-Cola cans old formula, renames it "Coca-Cola Classic" and continues to sell "New" Coke...

1989) The voices of Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig are stilled when Mel Blanc checks out at 81...

1992) Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega is sentenced to 40 years in the slammer...

2000) Diana Ross cancels "The Supremes Reunion Tour" in a huff...

Happy Birthday to...

1921) Jake Lamotta...

1921) Eunice Kennedy Shriver...

1927) David N. Dinkins...

1933) Jerry (Hello Dolly) Herman...

1939) Mavis Staples...

1947) Arlo Guthrie...

1980) Jessica Simpson...

Commentary...

Whenever the RKO Program Directors got together for meetings, fellow PD George Klein would always regale us with his gifts from good friend, Elvis Presley who was loyal to a fault with those that he had befriended. George was there from the beginning with Elvis, often describing to us the rather odd way his friend would dress, many times in clothes bought from a Memphis retail outlet that specialized in clothing preferred by blacks. Elvis loved the color purple and always wore his shirts with the collar up. The King did not have many friends in school but he remained steadfast and loyal to those who accepted him and never forgot them at Christmas time or on birthdays...

George Klein is often a spokesman for his late friend and I'll never forget the many times the ex-Memphis PD would flash his latest ring from The King and give us every detail of the new Caddy Elvis just deposited in his driveway. I would later meet Elvis backstage in Las Vegas, thanks to a meeting set up by George and was amazed by the low-key personality and candor of George's friend...

Since starting this blog, now renamed "Mel Phillips Remembers", Elvis Presley has more mentions, stories and commentaries than anyone else. There's bound to be many more and I'll provide my insight whenever possible...