Friday, December 30, 2005

Friday-Monday, December 30, 2005 - Jan. 2, 2006

Happy New Year !!!

The celebration of the new year is the oldest of all holidays and it was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4,000 years ago. Early new year celebrations were observed after the first day of spring and lasted for 11 days (no more talk about a hangover from New Year's Eve please). The Roman senate in 153 BC declared January 1 as the beginning of the new year although the date bounced back and forth until our pal Julius Caesar established January 1 as the permanent date in 46 BC. HAIL CAESAR !!!

The first major city to celebrate the new year will be Sydney, Australia, given that they're 18 hours ahead of us. Sydney (sorry, New York) will also have the biggest crowd when the ball, or kiwi or whatever they use there, drops. 1.2 million will usher in 2006 down under. New York and London will average between 800,000 and a million celebrants...

We've been dropping the ball in Times Square for 100 years and this year we add an additional second of time because of a formula I still don't understand that states that somewhere we lost a second. Don't ask, just enjoy...

Dick Clark will make his first appearance since suffering a stroke a year ago and we all wish Dick well and look forward to seeing him on New Year's Eve again, as we have since 1972. And it will indeed be a happy new year for the Phillips household as my son Rob and his wife Mervin are the proud parents of a new baby girl. Allyson Mireya Phillips was born this morning at 3:52 at Long Island Jewish Hospital. Mother and baby are well and looking forward to a happy new year...

And more on the Times Square celebration follows in my commentary...

December 30 Memories...

1861) U.S. banks stop making payments in gold (bank robbers rejoice, no more hernias)...

1731) The 1st music concert is held in the U.S. in Peter Pelham's great room in Boston (entertainment provided by the J. Geils Band)...

1903) Nearly 600 die when fire breaks out in the Iroquois Theater in Chicago...

1922) The USSR was formed (Communists rejoice)...

1953) The 1st color TV sets go on sale for $1,175...

1954) The 24-second shot clock is used for the 1st time in the NBA in a game between the Celtics and Rochester...

1956) The Giants win their 3rd NFL championship, 47-7 over Chicago at a frozen Yankee Stadium. Alex Webster rushes for 2 TDs and catches 5 passes from Chuck Conerly for 76 yards. The Giants wear sneakers on the frozen field...

1962) The Green Bay Packers beat the Giants 16-7 to win the NFL championship...

1963) "Let's Make A Deal" joins the daytime lineup on NBC-TV...

1967) "Hello Goodbye" by the Beatles tops the charts for the 1st of 3 weeks...

1970) Paul McCartney sues the other 3 Beatles to dissolve the partnership and gain control of his interest (4 years to the date, The Beatles are legally disbanded)...

1971) The Long Island NHL franchise is purchased. The Islanders are born...

1972) President Nixon halts the heavy bombing of North Vietnam...

1978) Ohio State University fires coach Woody Hayes (follow up of yesterday's feature story)...

1981) Wayne Gretzky scores 5 goals in an Edmonton win, bringing his season total to a record setting 50 goals in his 39th game (from this game on, Gretzky becomes known as "The Great One")...

1999) George Harrison and his wife are attacked in their West London estate. Harrison was stabbed in the chest 4 times but he and his wife somehow manage to subdue the assailant until police arrive...

2002) Diana Ross is arrested in Tucson on suspicion of drunken driving (hey c'mon, it's New Years)...

2003) The federal government bans ephedra, an herbal stimulant linked to 155 deaths and dozens of heart attacks and strokes...

To ensure accuracy, multiple reference sources were used in the timeline...

Happy Birthday To...

1928) Bo Diddley...

1935) Baseball Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax...

1937) Paul (Peter, Paul & Mary) Stookey...

1942) Michael Nesmith (Monkees)...

1945) Davy Jones (Monkees)...

1946) Patti Smith...

1957) Matt Lauer...

1959) Tracey Ullman...

1975) Tiger Woods...

1984) LeBron James...

2005) Allyson Mireya Phillips...

Commentary...

The Times Square ball statistics:

  • Over 500 Waterford crystal triangles are used for the exterior...
  • measures 6 feet in diameter...
  • weighs 1,070 pounds...
  • travels a distance of 77 feet on a pole atop One Times Square to light up the new year, 2006...

Happy New Year...Happy New Year...Happy New Year...Happy New Year...Happy New Year...Happy New Year...Happy New Year...2006...

Saturday, December 31, 2005...

December 31 Memories...

1857) Britain's Queen Victoria decides to make Ottawa the capitol of Canada...

1879) Thomas Edison publicly demonstrates his electric incandescent light for the 1st time in Menlo Park, NJ...

1897) Brooklyn spends its last day as a separate entity before becoming part of New York City...

1929) Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians play "Auld Lang Syne" as a New Year's Eve song for the 1st time...

1935) Charles Darrow patents the game of Monopoly...

1943) Times Square greets Frank Sinatra at the Paramount Theater...

1946) President Truman officially proclaims the end of hostilities in World War II...

1947) Many "Happy Trails" to follow as Roy Rogers and Dale Evans walk down the aisle...

1955) GM becomes the 1st U.S. corporation to earn more than one billion dollars in a single year...

1956) The front page of The Wall Street Journal reports that in the past few months Elvis Presley merchandise has grossed $22 million in sales...

1961) The Beach Boys play a show under their name for the 1st time at a Ritchie Valens memorial concert in Long Beach, CA (they earn $300 for their efforts)...

1962) "The Match Game" debuts in daytime on NBC-TV with Gene Rayburn as host...

1966) "I'm a Believer" by the Monkees goes to #1 where it stays for 7 weeks...

1967) The Green Bay Packers beat Dallas in the "Ice Bowl" 21-17 to win the NFL championship (the wind chill was 40 below zero on the "frozen tundra")...

1972) Future Baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente is killed on a mission of mercy when the cargo plane he had chartered crashes into the Caribbean (Clemente, 38, was on his way to help victims of a Nicaraguan earthquake)...

1974) Free agent pitcher Catfish Hunter signs a $3.75 million, 5-year contract with the Yankees...

1974) Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks join Fleetwood Mac...

1975) Elvis Presley performs for 60,000 fans at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan and sets a world record by earning $800,000 for a single concert by a single performer...

1976) The Cars make their debut at Pease Air Force Base in Plymouth, NH...

1985) One of America's 1st teen idols, Rick Nelson dies in a plane crash on his way to a New Year's Eve concert in Dallas, Texas. Probable cause of the crash was mechanical problems. Rick was just 45...

1986) A fire at the Dupont Plaza Hotel in San Juan, PR. kills 97 and injures 140 (3 hotel workers later plead quilty to charges in connection with the fire)...

1997) Michael Kennedy, 39-year old son of the late Bobby Kennedy, is killed in a skiing accident on Aspen Mountain in Colorado...

1999) Russian President Boris Yeltsin resigns, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is named acting president...

1999) Control of the Panama Canal reverts to Panama...

1999) Sarah Knauss dies at 119. Sarah was the world's oldest person, born on September 24, 1880...

To ensure accuracy, multiple reference sources were used in the timeline...

Happy Birthday To...

1937) Anthony Hopkins...

1943) Ben Kingsley...

1947) The Guess Who's Burton Cummings...

1948) Donna Summer...

1958) Bebe Neuwirth...

1959) Val Kilmer...

1972) Joey McIntyre...

Happy New Year...Happy New Year...Happy New Year...Happy New Year...Happy New Year...Happy New Year...Happy New Year...2006!!!

Sunday, January 1, 2006...

January 1 Memories...

0404) The last gladiator competition is held in Rome (what would that fetch on pay-per-view ?)...

1785) London's oldest daily paper, "The Daily Universal Register" (later renamed "The Times" in 1788) is published for the 1st time...

1797) Albany becomes the capital of New York state, replacing New York City...

1863) Abraham Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation declaring that slaves in rebel states are free...

1892) The Ellis Island Immigrant Station opens in New York Harbor...

1898) Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island are consolidated into New York City ("I'll take Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island too", etc.)...

1902) The 1st Tournament of Roses (later renamed the Rose Bowl) collegiate football game is played in Pasadena, CA (still is)...

1929) In this Rose Bowl game, California's Roy Riegels picks up a fumble and "he could go all the way", only it's in the wrong direction until a teammate turns him around. He's tackled on the 1-yard line, preventing a very embarassing safety. Georgia Tech wins the game 8-7...

1938) Stanford University's Hank Luisetti becomes the 1st college player to score 50 points as the Cardinal beat Duquesne 92-27 (Luisetti is the player who revolutionized the one-handed "runner")...

1953) Hank Williams is found dead in his car, a victim of a drug and alcohol overdose at 29...

1956) Elvis Presley records "Heartbreak Hotel" for RCA in Nashville...

1959) Fidel Castro overthrows the government of Fulgencio Batista and seizes power in Cuba...

1962) Decca Records in London passes on The Beatles (signing the immortal Brian Polle & the Tremeloes instead)...

1964) The Beach Boys record "Fun, Fun, Fun"...

1966) Simon and Garfunkel's "Sounds of Silence" tops the charts...

1966) Tobacco companies in the U.S. start carrying "Caution: cigarette smoking may be hazardous to your health" warnings...

1966) The final episode of "The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet" is filmed...

1967) The FCC starts requiring AM/FM stations to be at least 50% separate in programming...

1968) The Blue Velvets change their name to Creedence Clearwater Revival...

1971) Tobacco commercials (representing $20 million in advertising) are banned from TV and Radio...

1984) AT&T is broken up into 22 Bell System companies under terms of an antitrust agreement...

1985) VH-1 premieres...

1985) The 1st mandatory seat belt law goes into effect in New York...

1990) David Dinkins is sworn in as New York City's 1st black mayor...

1992) ESPN starts a Radio Network...

1994) Bill Gates, CEO of Microsoft and Marilyn French merg-uh, marry...

1994) NAFTA (The North American Free Trade Agreement) goes into effect...

1995) Nebraska wins the national championship by defeating Miami 24-17 in the Orange Bowl coming back from a 17-9 deficit (it's coach Tom Osborne's 1st title after more than 2 decades as a coach)...

1995) The last "Far Side" cartoon runs. Started in 1980 by Gary Larson, "Far Side" books and calendars continue to be published...

1999) The "euro" becomes currency for 11 member states of the European Union (coins and notes vanish after 1/1/02)...

2000) The calendar switches over to 2000 with none of the computer glitches that were predicted (thanks to computer geeks everywhere that stuck "2YK" stickers on everything that moved)...

To ensure accuracy, multiple reference sources were used in the timeline...

Happy Birthday To...

1919) J. D. Salinger (he's out there somewhere in New Hampshire)...

1940) Frank Langella...

1942) Country Joe (Country Joe & the Fish) McDonald...

1943) Don (a.k.a. Father Guido Sarducci) Novello...

Happy New Year...Happy New Year...Happy New Year...Happy New Year...Happy New Year...Happy New Year...Happy New Year 2006...

Monday, January 2, 2006...

January 2 Memories...

1842) The 1st wire suspension bridge is opened to traffic, in Fairmount, PA...

1870) Construction begins on the Brooklyn Bridge...

1872) Brigham Young, 71-year old leader of the Mormon Church is arrested on a charge of bigamy for having 25 wives (what's the over/under on wives, 24 ?)...

1935) Bruno Hauptmann goes on trial in Flemington, NJ on charges of kidnapping and murdering the Lindbergh baby. Hauptmann is found guilty and executed...

1938) Simon and Schuster is founded...

1948) Channel 13 (WNDT) begins broadcasting in the New York Metropolitan area (call letters will later change to WNET)...

1960) Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy announces his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination...

1962) The nighttime version of "Password" with Allen Ludden premieres on CBS-TV...

1965) Alabama quarterback Joe Namath signs a 3-year, $427,000 contract with the New York Jets (standing under the goal posts of the Orange Bowl where his team lost to Texas one day earlier)...

1968) Newark, NJ police confiscate a shipment of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's LP, "Two Virgins" because it contained a nude cover...

1974) President Nixon signs legislation requiring states to limit highway speeds to 55 mph...

1979) The trial of ex-Sex pistol Sid Vicious for the October, 1978 murder of girlfriend Nancy Spungen opens in New York City. Vicious will die from a heroin overdose and not live to hear the verdict...

1980) Larry Williams ("Short Fat Fannie", "Bony Maronie") is found dead in his Los Angeles home (the gunshot wound to his head is never confirmed as the result of a murder of suicide)...

1982) The highest scoring playoff game in NFL history goes to San Diego as they beat Miami 41-38...

1984) Bernie Kosar-led Miami beats Nebraska 31-30 for the national title as coach Tom Osborne's attempt at a 2-point conversion fails...

1987) Penn State intercepts Miami's Heisman Trophy winner Vinny Testaverde 5 times on their way to a Fiesta Bowl win (14-10) to give coach Joe Paterno his 2nd national title in 5 seasons...

1998) An autopsy of comedian Chris Farley shows he overdosed on opiates and cocaine...

To ensure accuracy, multiple reference sources were used in the timeline...

Happy Birthday To...

1930) Julius LaRosa...

1939) TV evangelist Jim Bakker...

1964) Lynn Suzanne Phillips (my daughter now living in New Zealand)...

1967) Tia Carrere...

1968) Cuba Gooding Jr...

1969) Christy Turlington...

1972) Taye Diggs...

Happy New Year...Happy New Year...Happy New Year...Happy New Year...Happy New Year...Happy New Year...Happy New Year 2006...


Thursday, December 29, 2005

Thursday, December 29, 2005

Woody goes wacko...

The New York Times in its headline called it "The Punch Heard 'Round the Gator Bowl" but for those of us watching Buckeye coach Woody Hayes go off it would be a slightly more aggressive take, more like "Woody goes wacko"...

Taking a page from the Bobby (now known by the more mellow, "Bob") Knight tantrum repertoire of chair throwing and player choking, Woody Hayes, incensed by the interception of an Ohio State pass by Clemson middle guard, Charlie Bauman, took matters into his own hands by grabbing Bauman and giving him a punch or two for his audacious act. The interception came in the final 2 minutes of a 17-15 Gator Bowl loss to the Clemson Tigers. It was also seen by, oh, I dunno, about 10 million viewers. Woody would lose more than a Gator Bowl game for administering that facial to Bauman...

Woody Hayes was dismissed the next day after 28 years as the Ohio State coach for one of the most shocking episodes of an attack on a player by a coach in sports history (Latrell Sprewell has the record for player's attacks on a coach). Woody's achievements as a coach follow in my commentary...

More December 29 Memories...

1813) The British burn Buffalo during the War of 1812 (starting the renaissance of Buffalo still in progress)...

1851) The 1st YMCA is organized in Boston (The Village People take note and start composing a song)...

1862) The bowling ball is invented...

1890) The U.S. Seventh Cavalry massacres over 400 men, women and children at Wounded Knee Creek, SD (this was the last major conflict between Indians and U.S. troops)...

1934) The 1st college basketball doubleheader is played at Madison Square Garden. Promoter Ned Irish, credited for popularizing the game, rents the Garden for $4,000 as 16,000 fans watch NYU beat Notre Dame 25-18 in the opener and Westminster (PA) beat St. John's 37-33 (if you add the total scores you get 62-51 which is still a low scoring game)...

1945) Sheb Wooley (of "Purple People Eater" fame) records the 1st commercial record cut in Nashville (on the tiny Bullet label, it was not a hit)...

1949) KC2XAK of Bridgeport, CT. becomes the 1st UHF TV station to begin operating on a regular daily schedule...

1952) The 1st transistorized hearing aid goes on sale by Sonotone Corporation (WHAT, WHAT'S THAT YOU SAY ???)...

1957) Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme walk down the aisle (Eydie blames it on the bossa nova while Steve says "go away little girl")...

1963) The folk group, The Weavers, give their last farewell concert at Orchestra Hall in Chicago (surviving members have held reunions several times since)...

1963) Papa Bear, George Halas wins his 6th and final NFL championship as the Bears defeat the Giants 14-10 on a frozen Wrigley Field field (Halas will retire in 1967)...

1965) The Supremes release "My World is Empty Without You"...

1968) The Jets beat Oakland to win the AFL championship 27-23...

1972) Following 36 years of publication, the last weekly issue of Life Magazine hits the newsstands (the magazine will later become a monthly publication and then a Sunday supplement which it is now)...

1974) Elton John's version of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" is #1 (the original Beatles' version was contained in their "Sgt. Pepper" LP)...

1975) Paul Kantner and Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane agree to disagree and divorce...

1975) Terrorists explode a bomb in the main terminal of LaGuardia Airport killing 11 and injuring 75 (this was believed to be an act by a Croation terrorist group that was never captured)...

1978) Woody Hayes goes berserk during the Gator Bowl (feature story)...

1989) Jane Pauley says goodbye to NBC-TV's "Today Show"...

1992) Governor Mario Cuomo grants Scarsdale Diet Doctor killer, Jean Harris clemency...

1994) Lisa "Left-Eye" Lopez pleads quilty to arson charges for setting fire to and destroying boyfriend Andre Rison's $1 million Atlanta mansion (Lisa claims her left eye failed to notice what her right eye was up to)...

1997) Hong Kong begins killing 1.25 million chickens, the entire population, for fear of the spread of "bird flu" (Frank Perdue was heard muttering "Oh the humanities")...

To ensure accuracy, multiple reference sources were used in the timeline...

Happy Birthday To...

1925) Dina Merrill...

1934) Broadcast journalist Tom Jarriel...

1938) Mary Tyler Moore...

1938) Jon Voight...

1946) Marianne Faithfull...

1947) Ted Danson...

1972) Jude Law...

Commentary...

Here's where we separate the personality from the talent and records achieved by Woody Hayes. In his 28 years as Ohio State coach:

  • From 1951 to 1978 Woody had a record of 205-68-10...
  • He won 13 Big Ten Titles...
  • 3 National championships...

Woody Hayes ended his coaching career with 241 total wins...

On March 12, 1987 Woody Hayes passed away at the age of 74...


Wednesday, December 28, 2005

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

"The greatest game I've ever seen"- Bert Bell, NFL commissioner...

The late Bert Bell made that quote on this date in 1958 after witnessing what many agree, was one of the most dramatic and exciting games in the history of the NFL. The championship of the league was in the balance when the Cinderella Giants and Johnny Unitas-led Colts battled it out on a frozen Yankee Stadium field. The Giants were on their way to victory late in the game but with 7 seconds left in regulation Baltimore tied it, 17-17 on a field goal by Steve Myrha to send the contest into the first sudden-death game in league history...

8 minutes and 15 seconds into overtime Alan "The Horse" Ameche, thanks to a great block by Lenny Moore on Emlen Tunnell, plunged into the end zone giving the Colts a thrilling 23-17 win and the championship of the NFL...

Most of the 64,185 sat in stunned silence, although there were 15,000 or so brave Colt fans who journeyed up to the Bronx for the championship game in what many have called pro football's defining moment...

More December 28 Memories...

1869) William Finley Semple of Mt. Vernon, Ohio, patents chewing gum (samples of which are still displayed under every piece of furniture in the Semple home which is wrapped in tin foil)...

1895) The world's 1st movie theater opens in Paris...

1902) The 1st professional indoor football game is played at Madison Square Garden as Syracuse beats the Philadelphia Nationals 6-0...

1944) The musical "On The Town" opens on Broadway featuring the song "New York, New York"...

1945) Congress officially recognizes "The Pledge of Allegiance"...

1956) After 5 years on television, the last "Ding Dong School" airs on NBC-TV (hosted by Miss Francis (Horwich))...

1968) The Doors release "Touch Me"...

1968) The "Beatles White Album" goes to #1 where it stays for 9 weeks...

1973) Alexander Solzhenitsyn publishes "Gulag Archipelago", an expose of the Soviet prison system...

1973) The Chamber of Commerce of Akron, Ohio, terminates its association with the All-American Soap Box Derby, stating that the race has become "a victim of cheating and fraud" (c'mon, next you're gonna tell us that wrestling is fixed)...

1983) Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys drowns while swimming near his boat in the harbor at Marina del Ray, California (ironically, Dennis was the only real surfer in the group). Dennis was 39...

1984) The TV soap, "Edge of Night" fades to black after 28 years...

1991) Ted Turner is named Time Magazine's Man of the Year...

To ensure accuracy, multiple reference sources were used in the timeline...

Happy Birthday To...

1913) Lou Jacobi...

1921) Johnny ("Hand Jive") Otis...

1934) Maggie Smith...

1946) Edgar Winter...

1950) Alex (The Boxtops) Chilton...

1954) Denzel Washington...

1960) Hockey Hall of Famer, ex-Bruin great Ray Bourque...

1972) Patriot kicker Adam Vinatieri...

1981) Sienna Miller...

Commentary...

David Hinckley of the New York Daily News wrote an excellent article in his "Critic at Large" column called "Cultural attention span growing ever shorter". David bemoans the removal of cultural reference points of the past and the lack of historical knowledge possessed by much of the public, pointing out that the present makes more sense when we know the past. It's well worth reading (www.nydailynews.com) in the entertainment section of today's New York Daily News...

And with that in mind, I hope that my daily blogs provide a link to the past for all of you. My vow to you is to keep it brief, jog a memory or two and do it in an entertaining, interesting and hopefully at times, witty way...


Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Tuesday, December 27, 2005

The Showplace of the Nation...

The largest indoor theater in the world opened on this date way back in 1932 and if you were around then you were living in a nation that was in the throes of the Great Depression, not exactly a ringing endorsement for opening anything other than an apple stand...

Radio City Music Hall was on property owned by John D. Rockefeller Jr. One of its first tenants was The Radio Corporation of America (RCA), which is where the "Radio City" came from. The "Music Hall" was, well, just that. It would probably be easier to compile a list of performers that haven't performed there but those that have include Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Liberace, Sammy Davis Jr., Ray Charles, Itzhak Perlman, Stevie Wonder, Tony Bennett, you get the idea. On opening night in 1932, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Mary Pickford, Barbara Stanwyck, Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell were some of the guests assembled. In the past decade alone, Radio City Music Hall has hosted the Grammy's, Tony's, MTV Video Awards and the ESPY's...

These days the 6,000 seat Art Deco showplace is owned by Cablevision/MSG and continues to host the Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring the high-kicking Rockettes, a Music Hall tradition since 1933. Since 1932 over 300 million people have seen at least one show. What were prices like in 1932 ? That follows in my commentary...

More December 27 Memories...

1831) Charles Darwin sets sail for the Pacific aboard the HMS Beagle. Darwin's discoveries during the voyage help him form the basis of his theories on evolution...

1900) Carrie Nation stages her 1st raid on a saloon at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, KS. Before she's through she'll break each and every one of the liquor bottles in sight without breaking a sweat (but she would have if that was in a bottle)...

1903) "Sweet Adeline" is sung for the 1st time by a barbershop quartet in New York city...

1904) James Barrie's play "Peter Pan" premieres in London...

1932) Radio City Music Hall opens (feature story)...

1947) "Howdy Doody" debuts on NBC-TV, hosted by Buffalo Bob Smith...

1964) The Supremes make their 1st appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" on CBS-TV...

1967) Red Holzman is named head coach of the Knicks, replacing Dick McGuire (Holzman turns the Knicks around, winning 2 NBA titles before retiring in 1982)...

1968) "The Breakfast Club" (with Don McNeill) signs off for the last time on ABC Radio after 35 years on the air...

1970) "Hello, Dolly!" closes on Broadway after an initial run covering 4 1/2 years (but don't worry, it will return several times since and will continue to do so)...

1971) "The Sonny & Cher Show" begins airing as a regular series on CBS-TV (after starting as a summer replacement on August 1)...

1971) Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy and Woodstock of Charles Schulz' "Peanuts" comic strip are featured on the cover of Newsweek Magazine...

1974) "Dear Abby" ends its run on CBS Radio after 11 years...

1975) The Four Seasons release "December 1963 (Oh, What A Night)"...

1985) Dian Fossey, an American naturalist who studied gorillas in the wild, is found murdered at a research station in Rawanda...

1991) "The Carol Burnett Show" last airs on CBS-TV (this was the short-lived, reincarnated show that ran for 2 months, not the original one)...

2000) Mario Lemeiux returns to the NHL as the 1st owner-player in the modern era with the Pittsburgh Penguins...

2002) Clonaid announces the birth of the 1st cloned human baby, born December 26th...

To ensure accuracy, multiple reference sources were used in the timeline...

Happy Birthday To...

1931) Original Sun Records and Elvis musician Scotty Moore...

1939) John Amos...

1943) Cokie Roberts...

1944) Mick Jones of Foreigner...

1952) Tovah Feldshuh...

1953) Scud Stud Arthur Kent...

Commentary...

When Radio City Music Hall opened on this date in 1932:

  • FDR had replaced Herbert Hoover as President...
  • Gas was 18 cents a gallon...
  • You could pack the family in a new Chrysler for $935...
  • Coffee was 19 cents a pound...
  • Men's suits were on sale for $18.50, Women's dresses for $7.50...
  • Your morning newspaper was 2 cents...
  • And you could rent half a 6-room house for $35 a month or buy a cottage for $2,500...


Friday, December 23, 2005

Friday-Monday, December 23-26, 2005

Merry Christmahannukwanzaa...

Try as I might I couldn't squeeze "holiday" into my season's greetings but next year, look out. Somehow we manage to create controversy in a season of peace and goodwill and without sounding like a seasonal Rodney King, I offer my take on the whole mess...

I think a "Christmas" tree is just that. It's not a "holiday" tree. For generations it has been the symbol of, guess what ? Christmas ! If I choose not to celebrate Christmas, I will not buy a "Christmas" tree but I won't consider it a "holiday" tree when looking at one nor do I deny Christians the right to celebrate "Christmas" with a tree...

I think a menorah is a "menorah" but believe me if someone could come up with a substitute name, we would've had one. It is the symbol of Chanukkah for millions of Jews around the globe. If you do not celebrate Chanukkah, don't buy a menorah but please don't call it anything else. It's a menorah. The biggest controversy created by my people is how to spell "Chanukkah". Let's see, does it start with a "c" or an "h" ? Are there 2 "k"s or one ? I'm still not sure...

If you celebrate Kwanzaa, God bless. What's that ? You don't celebrate anything ? That's okay too...

And if you find my seasonal greeting of "Merry Christmahannukwanzaa" offensive, perhaps there's an alternative. How about Festivus, "for the rest of us" ? One thing that can never be deemed controversial is "Happy New Year", which I wish for all of you...

December 23 Memories...

1823) The poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" ("'Twas the night before Christmas") by Clement C. Moore is published in the Troy (NY) Sentinel...

1834) English architect Joseph Hansom patents his "safety cab", better known as the Hansom cab (still available for hire outside Central Park so gather up the kiddies, tap out your credit card at the closest ATM and enjoy)...

1888) Following a quarrel with Paul Gauguin, Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh cuts off part of his own earlobe (how come he didn't cut off Gauguin's earlobe ?)...

1942) Bob Hope does his 1st Christmas show to entertain U.S. airmen stationed in Alaska and starts an annual tradition...

1942) Bing Crosby tops the charts with "White Christmas" (his version of the seasonal classic will top the charts again in 1945 and 1947 and will be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1974)...

1951) The 1st NFL championship game to be televised features the Rams beating the Browns 24-17 (The DuMont Network pays $75,000 for the rights)...

1959) "Run, run Chuc-Rudolph". Chuck Berry is arrested for "transporting a minor across a state line for an immoral purpose"...

1959) The Drifters record "This Magic Moment"...

1959) Frankie Avalon has the last #1 song of the 50s, "Why" (the shortest title of any chart topping hit)...

1964) The Beatles are #1 with "I Feel Fine" (this is the 30th song by the group to reach the charts in 1964, the most songs in one year by any group)...

1964) The Beach Boys make their 1st appearance on "Shindig!"...

1968) 82 crew members of the U.S. intelligence gathering ship, Pueblo are released by North Korea after being captured 11 months earlier...

1969) Elton John and Bernie Taupin begin their songwriting team...

1972) Pittsburgh beats Oakland 13-7 in an NFL playoff game on a last-second play called the "Immaculate Reception" (made by the Steelers' Franco Harris)...

1972) John Lennon's film "Imagine" premieres on national TV...

1977) Cat Stevens converts to Islam, changing his name to Yusef Islam...

1977) The Bee Gees top the charts with "How Deep Is Your Love" (the 1st song from the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack to become a single. The LP remains at #1 for 24 weeks)...

1978) Rod Stewart's "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" is released...

1986) The experimental airplane Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, complete the 1st non-stop, around-the-world flight without refueling...

1989) Phil Collins has the #1 song of the week and year, "Another Day In Paradise"...

1995) Fans pelt players, coaches and the San Diego equipment manager with snow balls in an ugly outing in the Meadowlands, a 27-17 Giant loss to the Chargers (Sid Brooks, equipment manager is knocked unconscious by a direct hit. This whole mess precipitates a new NFL policy making it mandatory for all snow and ice being removed in the stands before a game starts)...

1997) A jury in Denver convicts Terry Nichols for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing...

1997) Woody Allen, 62, marries the adopted daughter of wife Mia Farrow, 27-year old Soon-Yi Previn (I won't go there)...

To ensure accuracy, mulitple reference sources were used in the timeline...

Happy Birthday To...

1942) Ex-Met pitcher Jerry Koosman...

1943) Harry Shearer...

1946) Susan Lucci...

1964) Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder...

Saturday, December 24, 2005...

December 24 Memories...

1812) The War of 1812 between the U.S. and Britain ends with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent in Belgium...

1818) Franz Gruber of Oberndorf, Germany, composes the music for "Silent Night" to words written by Josef Mohr...

1865) Several veterans of the Confederate Army form a private social club in Pulaski, TN, called the Ku Klux Klan...

1906) Canadian physicist Reginald A. Fessenden becomes the 1st person to broadcast a music program over the radio from Brant Rock, MA (contrary to popular belief, Fessenden, not Cousin Brucie, becomes the 1st disc jockey)...

1920) Enrico Caruso gives his last public performance at the Metropolitan Opera in New York (he was available for weddings and bar mitzvahs however)...

1948) A midnight Mass is broadcast on TV for the 1st time, from St. Patrick's Cathedral...

1953) NBC-TVs "Dragnet" becomes the 1st network program to be sponsored (Fatima cigarettes has the honors)...

1954) R&B singer Johnny Ace shoots himself fatally while playing Russian roulette backstage at a concert in Houston. Ace was 25...

1955) ('Thank you uh-Lennon-uh sisters-uh") The Lennon Sisters debut on "The Lawrence Welk Show" on ABC-TV...

1956) The infamous "I Love Lucy" Christmas show airs...

1966) Tommy James records "I Think We're Alone Now"...

1967) Joe Namath becomes the 1st NFL quarterback to pass for 4,000 yards...

1968) The Apollo 8 astronauts, orbiting the moon, read passages from the Old Testament Book of Genesis during a Christmas Eve TV broadcast...

1978) Bjorn Ulvaeus & Agnetha Falkstad (both are members of ABBA) announce their separation and filing for divorce (the group changes its name to "BA")...

1981) Guardian Angels Curtis Sliwa and Lisa Evers walk down the aisle in their red berets...

1990) Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman say "I Do" (Cruise celebrates by reading "Dianetics" while jumping on a couch)...

1992) President Bush (#41) pardons former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger and 5 others in the Iran-Contra scandal...

1997) Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, a.k.a. Carlos the Jackal, is sentenced to life in prison for the 1975 murders of 2 French investigators and a Lebanese national...

To ensure accuracy, multiple reference sources were used in the timeline...

Happy Birthday To...

1920) Fats Domino cohort Dave Bartholomew...

1944) Recording company executive Mike Curb...

1966) Drew Carey funnyman Diedrich Bader...

1971) Ricky Martin...

1974) (If there's a show on radio or TV, he's hosting it...) Ryan Seacrest...

Sunday, December 25, 2005...

December 25 Memories...

1776) General George Washington and his troops cross the Delaware River for a surprise attack against Hessian forces in Trenton (they pass the bridge that says "Trenton makes, the world takes")...

1818) "Silent Night", completed the day before, is performed for the 1st time at the Church of St. Nikolaus in Austria...

1896) John Philip Sousa finally titles his melody, "The Stars and Stripes Forever"...

1939) Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" is read for the 1st time on CBS Radio...

1946) W.C. Fields dies at 66...

1948) The Perry Como Show debuts...

1950) Dick Tracy marries Tess Truehart (but keeps his fedora on during the honeymoon)...

1958) Alan Freed's "Christmas Rock 'n Roll Spectacular" at the Loew's State Theater stars Frankie Avalon, Chuck Berry, Eddie Cochran, the Everly Brothers, Moonglows, Johnnie Ray & Jackie Wilson...

1959) Richard Starkey, a.k.a. Ringo Starr, 18, gets his 1st drum set for Christmas...

1964) "Goldfinger" premieres...

1967) Paul McCartney & Jane Asher get engaged (but they never marry)...

1971) The longest NFL game to-date ends when Miami kicker Garo Yepremian kicks a field goal in the 2nd quarter of overtime to give the Dolphins a 27-24 win over Kansas City, putting Miami into the NFC championship game the following week (the game lasts 82 minutes and 40 seconds)...

1977) Harlem's famed Apollo Theater re-opens after renovation...

1977) Charlie Chaplin dies at 88...

1984) The Knicks' Bernard King scores 60 points but they still lose to the Nets 120-114...

1989) Ousted Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu and wife Elena, are executed following a popular uprising (not very popular with Nicolae and Elena however)...

1989) Former (and probably future) Yankee manager Billy Martin dies in a truck crash in Fenton, New York...

1990) "Godfather III" premieres...

1991) Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev goes on TV to announce his resignation...

1995) Singer Dean Martin dies at 78...

1997) For the 1st time in history U.S. movie box office receipts pass $6 billion...

1998) Seven days into their journey, Richard Branson, Steve Fossett and Per Lindstrand give up their attempt to make the 1st nonstop around-the-world baloon flight, ditching near Hawaii...

2002) Katie Hnida becomes the 1st woman to play in a Division I football game when she attempts an extra point for New Mexico against UCLA in the Las Vegas Bowl (the attempt failed)...

To ensure accuracy, multiple reference sources were used in the timeline...

Happy Birthday To...

1912) Singer Tony Martin...

1946) Jimmy Buffet...

1946) Football Hall of Famer Larry Csonka...

1949) Sissy Spacek...

1950) Sr. White House Adviser Karl Rove...

1954) Annie Lennox...

1958) Rickey Henderson...

Monday, December 26, 2005...

1620) The Pilgrim Fathers land at New Plymouth, MA to found Plymouth Colony with John Carver as Governor...

1776) The British suffer a major defeat in the Battle of Trenton during the Revolutionary War...

1799) George Washington is eulogized by Col. Henry Lee as "first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen"...

1865) James H. Nason of Franklin, MA, receives a patent for a coffee percolator (thank you James H. Nason)...

1908) Jack Johnson knocks out Tommy Burns in Sydney, Australia, becoming the 1st black heavyweight champion...

1947) A major snowstorm blankets New York City under 25.8" in 16 hours (the severe weather is blamed for 80 deaths in the northeast)...

1954) "The Shadow" airs on radio for the last time...

1956) Fidel Castro attempts a secret landing in Cuba to overthrow the Batista regime (all but 11 of his supporters are killed)...

1961) Jay & the Americans record "She Cried"...

1963) Capitol Records releases the Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand/I Saw Her Standing There" as a single...

1968) Led Zeppelin begins their 1st U.S. tour in Boston, opening for Vanilla Fudge...

1972) Harry S. Truman, 33rd president, dies in Kansas City at 88...

1973) "Exorcist" starring Linda Blair and rated X, premieres...

1974) Jack Benny dies at 80...

1982) The Man of the Year in Time Magazine is a computer (it's the 1st time a non-human receives the honors)...

1986) "Search for Tomorrow" is seen for the last time on CBS-TV after a run of 35 years...

1992) Sports play-by-play man (and voice of the Jets) Marty Glickman retires at 75...

1993) Rodney Dangerfield, 72, marries Joan Child (appropriate name), 41...

1996) Six-year old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey is found beaten and strangled in the basement of her family's home in Boulder, Colorado (the murder remains unsolved)...

1999) R&B singer and songwriter Curtis Mayfield dies at 57...

2000) Jason Robards dies at 78...

To ensure accuracy, multiple reference sources were used in the timeline...

Happy Birthday To...

1914) Richard Widmark...

1935) Abdul "Duke" Fakir (The Four Tops)...

1940) Phil Spector...

1945) John Walsh ("America's Most Wanted" host)...

1947) Baseball Hall of Famer and ex-Red Sox great Carlton Fisk...

1954) Baseball Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith...

Make it a safe and happy holiday, Mel...


Thursday, December 22, 2005

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Subway Justice...

In the mid-80s New York City had a crime rate that was over 70% higher than the rest of the U.S. On average, 38 crimes were reported on the subways every day. Bernie Goetz was determined not to add to that total by taking justice into his own hands when he got on a #2 train at 14th Street on the afternoon of December 22nd, 1984...

When 4 young black men, on a mission to steal money from video arcade games in Manhattan approached what they considered an easy mark, they couldn't have imagined how wrong or sorry they would be. When one of the men demanded that Bernie give him five dollars, Goetz responded by pulling out a .38 five-shot Smith & Wesson and firing, hitting all 4 targets and adding to one, "you don't look too bad, here's another" only to find the gun empty. Goetz fled the subway and was later captured in New Hampshire on New Year's Eve...

Goetz was acquitted of the shooting in a case of self-defense but was found quilty of illegal weapons possession, serving 8 months of a one-year sentence. The public opinion verdict was mixed but most viewed Goetz, labeled as the "subway vigilante", as a hero for defending himself...

The aftermath of the subway shooting follows in my commentary...

More December 22 Memories...

1882) The 1st string of Christmas tree lights is created by Thomas Edison...

1910) U.S. Postal savings stamps are issued for the 1st time (they would be discontinued in 1914)...

1937) The Lincoln Tunnel, connecting Manhattan and New Jersey opens to traffic...

1957) Pat Boone is #1 with "April Love"...

1961) James Davis becomes the 1st U.S. soldier to die in Vietnam (U.S. involvement at that time was limited to the provision of military advisers)...

1965) The Dave Clark Five's version of "Over and Over" tops the charts...

1965) "Dr. Zhivago" premieres...

1968) Julie Nixon and David Eisenhower exchange wedding vows...

1968) Eric Burdon and the Animals agree to disagree as Burdon pursues a solo career...

1976) The last show of "Let's Make A Deal" airs (several attempts to resurrect the show continue)...

1984) Bernhard Goetz shoots 4 in self defense on a New York City subway (feature story)...

1984) Madonna tops the charts with the #1 song of the week and year, "Like a Virgin"...

1990) Lech Walesa takes the oath of office as Poland's 1st popularly elected president...

1995) Lawrence Berk, founder of Berklee College of Music dies of natural causes at 87 in Boston...

2000) Madonna (no longer "like a virgin") and film director Guy Ritchie marry in Scotland...

2002) Joe Strummer, lead singer of The Clash dies at 50...

To ensure accuracy, multiple reference sources were used in today's timeline...

Happy Birthday To...

1912) Lady Bird Johnson...

1936) Hector Elizondo...

1944) Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Steve Carlton...

1945) Diane Sawyer...

1946) Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen...

1949) Robin Gibb...

1962) Ralph Fiennes...

Commentary...

After reaching an all time peak in 1990, crime in New York City dropped dramatically in the '90s and by 2003 New York has become statistically the safest major city in the U.S. Author of the best-selling book, "The Tipping Point", Malcolm Gladwell suggests that perhaps Bernie Goetz may have played a part in that drop...

Darrell Cabey who was paralyzed in the shooting filed a civil suit against Goetz in 1985 and won when the jury awarded Cabey $43 million. Goetz filed bankruptcy. It's not likely that Cabey will ever see even a portion of that $43 million...

Goetz left the city for awhile but returned and in November unsuccesfully ran for Public Advocate of New York City. The "subway vigilante", who became a hero of sorts, has been mentioned in several songs over the years, most notably in Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire"...

l


Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

"Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it's off to work we go. A transit strike, it's time to hike. Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, heigh-ho"...

My sincere apologies to Larry Morey and Frank Churchill, writers of "Heigh-ho" but I just couldn't resist. There is however a reason for all this madness and it's to mark the anniversary on this date of the premiere of the 1st full-length animated feature film in color and sound...

Walt Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" premiered on December 21st, 1937 at the Carthay Circle Theatre in Hollywood. Four years in the making at a cost of $1.7 million, it was the 1st commercially successful film of its kind. It was also the 1st film to release a motion picture soundtrack album containing "Whistle While You Work", "Heigh-Ho", "Some Day My Prince Will Come" and more. Walt Disney was awarded an Honorary Oscar for "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" for his "pioneering efforts and significant screen innovation". In late 1994 "Snow White" was the last major classic film that Disney released to consumers on videotape...

And for all you fans of the "Seven Dwarfs", here are their names: Doc, Happy, Bashful, Sneezy, Sleepy, Grumpy and Dopey who was originally a buck-toothed buffoon named Deafy. All together now: "Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it's off to work we go"...

More December 21 Memories...

1620) Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower go ashore for the 1st time at present-day Plymouth, Mass...

1898) Scientists Pierre and Marie Curie discover the radioactive element radium...

1913) What's a 9-letter word for a puzzle ? The New York World Sunday edition includes a "crossword" puzzle, the 1st to be published...

1937) "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" premieres (feature story)...

1945) General George S. Patton dies in Heidelberg, Germany of injuries suffered in a car accident. Patton was 60...

1952) Jimmy Boyd tops the charts with "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"...

1955) LaVern Baker records "Jim Dandy"...

1960) Philip K. Wrigley, owner of the Chicago Cubs announces that his team will no longer use a manager. They will use a "college of coaches" (Charlie Grimm, Lou Boudreau, Harry Craft, Bob Kennedy and Charlie Metro). 5 years later, the experiment ends when Leo Durocher is named manager...

1967) The Rolling Stones release the album "Their Satanic Majesties Request" (containing "Sympathy for the Devil")...

1968) Crosby, Stills and Nash perform together in public for the 1st time...

1968) Janis Joplin makes her solo debut in Memphis...

1968) Apollo 8 is launched on a mission to orbit the moon...

1969) Diana Ross makes her final TV appearance ("The Ed Sullivan Show") as a member of the Supremes singing "Someday We'll Be Together" (they will perform together one more time at a live date)...

1970) Elvis Presley meets with President Nixon in the Oval Office to discuss fighting drugs (who picked Elvis as the poster boy for this movement ?)...

1971) Martha & the Vandellas break up...

1976) "Barry Manilow on Broadway" opens for a two-week sold-out run...

1978) Police in Des Plaines, Ill. arrest John W. Gacy Jr. and begin unearthing the remains of 33 men and boys that Gacy would be convicted of murdering...

1980) John Lennon tops the charts with "(Just Like) Starting Over"...

1984) Georgeann Wells of West Virginia becomes the 1st woman to dunk the ball in a women's college game...

1985) "Say You, Say Me" from the movie "White Nights" is #1 for Lionel Richie (the #5 single, "Separate Lives" by Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin is also from the movie)...

1988) 270 are killed when a Pan Am Boeing 747 explodes over Lockerbie, Scotland (a terrorist attack is responsible)...

1995) The city of Bethlehem passes from Israeli to Palestinian control...

1998) The 1st vaccine for Lyme Disease is approved...

To insure accuracy, multiple reference sources were used in the above timeline...

Happy Birthday To...

1926) Recently voted "College Coach of the Year" Joe Paterno...

1935) Phil Donahue...

1937) Jane Fonda...

1942) Carla Thomas...

1948) Samuel L. Jackson...

1954) Chris Evert...

1957) Ray Romano...

1966) Kiefer Sutherland...


Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Remembering Bobby Darin...

Although Bobby Darin made a splash as a Rinky Dink with "Early in the Morning", we didn't know at the time: 1) Who Bobby Darin was and 2) That he was one of the Rinky Dinks. We didn't know who the man was until he really made a splash with "Splish Splash" in 1958...

Born Walden Robert Cassotto in the Bronx, the singer's father had abandoned his mother shortly before Bobby was born and his mother turned out to be his sister or who he thought his "sister" Nina was. Darin was stricken with rheumatic fever which left him with a damaged heart at age 8, so it was an uphill battle for Bobby from Day 1 but boy did he ever pack a talented life into 37 years...

Any resemblance between the Bobby Darin we first heard in "Splish Splash" to the ultimate entertainer he would become is purely coincidental. His biggest hit, the chart-topping "Mack the Knife" was a multi-million selling single that would win a Grammy for "Record of the Year" and let's not forget such hits as "Queen of the Hop", "Dream Lover", "Beyond the Sea", "Things", "If I Were a Carpenter". On and on the list goes and add to that his film credits highlighted by a nomination for "Best Supporting Actor" for his role in "Capt. Newman M.D.". By the mid-60s, Darin was headlining the major casinos in Las Vegas, something he would still be doing today had he lived. And in 1990, Darin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...

Kevin Spacey immortalized Bobby Darin on the big screen in the movie "Beyond The Sea" in 2004, in a very good and, critically acclaimed portrayal of Bobby. While not being a boxoffice smash it is worth renting nonetheless...

Today marks the 32nd anniversary of Bobby's passing on December 20th, 1973 from surgery to repair a faulty heart valve. His talent is sorely missed...

More December 20 Memories...

1879) Thomas A. Edison privately demonstrates his incandescent light at Menlo Park, NJ...

1880) Broadway becomes "The Great White Way" when it is lighted by electricity...

1946) The Frank Capra film "It's A Wonderful Life" has a preview showing for charity at the Globe Theatre in Manhattan, a day before its "official" world premiere (and over 5 trillion viewings on TV to come)...

1950) James Stewart stars in another big one as "Harvey" premieres in New York City...

1957) Merry Christmas Elvis Presley. Elvis has left the draft board. The King receives his U.S. Army draft notice...

1962) The Osmond Brothers appear on NBC-TVs "Andy Williams Show" for the 1st time...

1963) The Berlin Wall opens for the 1st time to allow West Berliners to visit relatives on the east side for the holidays. It re-closes on January 6, 1964...

1967) Jethro Tull is formed...

1967) "The Graduate" premieres starring Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft...\

1968) Author John Steinbeck dies at 66...

1969) Peter, Paul and Mary top the charts with the John Denver written "Leaving on a Jet Plane"...

1973) Bobby Darin dies from complications following heart surgery at 37 (feature story)...

1975) Joe Walsh joins the Eagles replacing Bernie Leadon who pursues a solo career...

1976) Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley dies at 74...

1980) No announcers allowed. The Jets beat the Dolphins 24-17 in a regular season game in an experiment without announcers (thank you Don Ohlmeyer, producer)...

1981) "Dreamgirls"opens at the Imperial Theater in Manhattan...

1985) Denis Potvin (better known to Ranger fans as "Denis s---ks") breaks the NHL record for most career points for a defenseman with his 916th point (the old record was held by the greatest defenseman who ever laced up a pair of skates, the immortal Bobby Orr)...

1993) Donald Trump says "you're hired" to Marla Maples as the couple walk down the aisle...

1996) Astronomer Carl Sagan joins the galaxy at 62...

1999) Legendary country star Hank Snow dies of natural causes in Nashville at 85...

2002) Trent Lott resigns as Senate Republican leader 2 weeks after making racially charged remarks...

Happy Trails To...

John Spencer ("L.A. Law" "West Wing") who left us over the weekend just 4 days short of his 59th birthday today...

Happy Birthday To...

1927) Wacky comedian Charlie Callas...

1932) John ("Magnum P.I.") Hillerman...

1944) Blood, Sweat & Tears drummer/TV host/record executive Bobby Colomby...

1945) Peter Criss (Kiss)...

1946) Illusionist Uri Geller...

Commentary...

A couple of things you might not know about Bobby Darin:

  • he graduated from Bronx High School of Science (still only 1 of 3 high schools along with Stuyvesant and Brooklyn Tech that requires passing a special test for admittance)...
  • "Splish Splash" was co-written by Bobby and Murray the K...
  • he became politically active and worked on Bobby Kennedy's presidential campaign...
  • Paul Anka made Bobby's induction speech when Darin entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990...


Monday, December 19, 2005

Monday, December 19, 2005

"I'm king of the world"...

That self proclamation belongs to: a) Larry King, b) Don King, c) King Kong or d) none of the above. Give yourself 10 points for guessing the correct answer, d) none of the above. But who was it that made that quote ? The correct answer is a) Leonardo DiCaprio playing Jack Dawson, b) Director James Cameron, c) all of the above or d) none of the above. Give yourself 10 points for guessing c) all of the above...

It was on December 19th, 1997, the day "Titanic" premiered that the quote was first used by Jack Dawson, a.k.a. Leonardo DiCaprio to Rose DeWitt Bukater, a.k.a. Kate Winslet. 11 Oscars later, on the night of March 23rd, 1998 it was "Titanic" director James Cameron who uttered one of the most famous of all movie quotes...

For those boxoffice fans keeping score, "Titanic" has grossed $1.835 billion, that's billion, to-date including global boxoffice receipts, DVD and VCR sales and even mercury and non-mercury based fillings. The #2 all-time grossing film ? "Jurassic Park" with a measly $920 million. The original "Titanic" soundtrack album has sold more than 25 million units worldwide and is 10 times platinum in the U.S...

More December 19 Memories...

1732) Benjamin Franklin begins publishing "Poor Richard's Almanac"...

1777) General George Washington leads his army of 11,000 men to Valley Forge to camp for the winter...

1903) The Williamsburg Bridge, connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan opens (it's the 1st major suspension bridge in America)...

1917) The first games of the new NHL are played (the original 5 teams played in Toronto, Ottawa, Quebec and 2 in Montreal, eh ?)...

1918) Robert Ripley begins his "Believe It or Not" column in the New York Globe...

1955) Carl Perkins records "Blue Suede Shoes"...

1957) Meredith Wilson's "The Music Man" opens at the Majestic Theatre in New York City for a run of 1,375 shows...

1958) "The Chipmunk Song" is #1 (this was Ross Bagdasarian, a.k.a. David Seville's 2nd chart topper. In April he topped the charts with "Witch Doctor". This and "Tom Dooley" were 2 of the 1st songs I ever played in my radio career)...

1960) "Calendar Girl" by Neil Sedaka is released...

1961) "Judgment At Nuremberg" premieres in New York City...

1965) Jim Brown scores his 126th and final NFL touchdown, winning his 8th rushing title in 9 years in the Browns final regular season game of 1965 (The future Hall of Famer will gain 50 yards in a playoff loss to Green Bay and never play again)...

1971) Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange" premieres...

1973) Apollo 17, last of the Apollo Moon landing series, returns to Earth...

1974) Nelson A. Rockefeller is sworn in as VP, replacing Spiro Agnew who resigned...

1975) Ron Wood joins the Rolling Stones...

1979) Rupert Holmes is #1 with "Escape (Pina Colada Song)" (the last #1 song of the 70s)...

1980) "9 to 5", starring Dolly Parton premieres...

1984) Buffalo's Scotty Bowman becomes the NHL's career leading coach in victories with #691 when his team beats Chicago 6-3...

1984) Britain and China sign an accord returning Hong Kong to the Chinese on July 1, 1997...

1985) ABC Sports cuts ties with Howard Cosell (Cosell stays on ABC radio for another 5 years)...

1987) It's "all Paul Simon, all the time" on Saturday Night Live as the singer and presidential candidate co-host...

1989) U.S. troops invade Panama to overthrow the regime of General Noriega...

1990) Bo Jackson becomes the 1st athlete to be chosen for All Star games in 2 sports as he's selected for the NFL's Pro Bowl...

1996) The school board of Oakland votes to recognize black english. Ebonics is born, English dies...

2000) Former New York City Mayor John Lindsay dies at 79...

2002) Citing new DNA evidence, a judge throws out the convictions of 5 men in a 1989 attack on a Central Park jogger who was raped and left for dead...

Happy Birthday To...

1920) Little Jimmy Dickens...

1933) Cicely Tyson...

1934) Baseball Hall of Famer Al Kaline...

1941) Maurice White of Earth, Wind and Fire...

1945) John McEuen of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band...

1957) Former Celtic great Kevin McHale...

1963) Jennifer Beals...

Commentary...

Can it be that this blog has become a kiss of death ? A blog version of the dreaded Sports Illustrated curse ? Friday's feature on "The Perfect Season" of the 1972 Miami Dolphins and the possibility of the Indianapolis Colts tying that 14-game victory mark would fall short for Indianapolis when the Colts suffered their 1st defeat on Sunday. Only time and the possibility of the Patriots 3rd consecutive Super Bowl victory will tell. Stay tuned...


Friday, December 16, 2005

Friday-Sunday, December 16-18, 2005

The Perfect Season...

The Miami Dolphins became the 1st post-Super Bowl age team to finish a regular season undefeated on this date in 1972 by virtue of their 16-0 whitewashing of the Baltimore Colts. They would put the cherry on top by running the table in the playoffs and then beating the Washington Redskins 14-7 in the Super Bowl...

The Indianapolis Colts have a chance to go 14-0 against San Diego on Sunday posing the question "will the Colts be the 1st team to finish a season undefeated since those 1972 Miami Dolphins ?" Well football fans, we won't know the answer to that until Sunday. We do know the Colts can tie the 14-0 mark set by the '72 Dolphins who would finish the season 17-0. Should they win the Colts have 2 more games to play in the regular season before the playoffs and Super Bowl. Back in '72 teams played 14 games as opposed to 16 today but that's not all that has changed in 33 years...

1972 vs. Today...

1972 Average price of a new home: $30,500...Today: $288,100...

1972 Price of a gallon of regular gas: 36 cents...Today: $2.20...

1972 Blockbuster movie: "The Godfather"...Today: "King Kong"...

1972 Hot new female artist: Roberta Flack...Today: Shakira...

1972 TV buzz phrase: "Stifle it Edith"...Today: "You're fired"...

1972 Don Shula's job: Coach of Miami...Today: Member of NFL Hall of Fame, owner of a steak house, hotel and golf club...

1972 Games people play: Pong, scrabble...Today: Xbox 360, Sudoku...

1972 New tech toy: Texas Instruments 2500 Datamath...Today: Blackberry 8700c...

More December 16 Memories...

1773) The Boston Tea Party takes place as American colonists board a British ship and dump more than 300 chests of tea overboard in Boston Harbor to protest tea taxes...

1809) Napoleon Bonaparte divorces Empress Josephine by an act of the French Senate (Liz Taylor would have stayed married the 1st time if she had to go through that)...

1905) The 1st issue of "Variety" is published (to which we add "Boffo")...

1951) NBC-TV previews "Dragnet" on "Chesterfield Sound Off Time" (the show officially begins on January 3, 1952)...

1960) A United Air Lines DC-8 and a TWA Super Constellation collide over Staten Island, killing 134...

1964) The Supremes become the 1st group to top the charts with 3 consecutive singles when "Come See About Me" goes to #1 (they'll do it with their next 2 singles too)...

1966) Jimi Hendrix releases his 1st single, "Hey Joe"...

1967) The Lemon Pipers release "Green Tambourine"...

1971) Don McLean's 8-minute plus version of "American Pie" is released...

1972) "Hi, Hi, Hi" by Paul McCartney is released...

1972) The Miami Dolphins become the 1st NFL team to go unbeaten and untied in a 14-game regular season (feature story)...

1973) Buffalo's O.J. Simpson becomes the 1st runner in NFL history to gain over 2,000 yards in a season when he runs for 200 yards in a game against the Jets. Following the game Jet coach Weeb Ewbank announces his retirement...

1974) Mott the Hoople breaks up...

1982) Tom Seaver becomes a Met again after Cincinnati trades him to New York...

1983) Yogi Berra is named Yankee manager for the second time...

1983) The Who officially disbands...

1985) Organized crime chief Paul Castellano is gunned down outside Sparks Steakhouse on 2nd Avenue in Manhattan...

1986) The Bangles are #1 with "Walk Like An Egyptian"...

1987) George Michael tops the charts with "Faith"...

1997) Singer Nicolette Larson dies from brain swelling at 45...

2000) President-elect George W. Bush selects Colin Powell to be the 1st African-American secretary of state (Powell will be sworn in January 20, 2001)...

Happy Birthday To...

1939) Liv Ullmann...

1941) Lesley Stahl...

1943) Steven Bochco...

1946) Benny (one of the "B"'s in ABBA) Andersson...

1963) Benjamin Bratt...

Saturday, December 17, 2005...

December 17 Memories...

1791) A traffic regulation in New York City establishes the 1st "one-way" street...

1903) Orville and Wilbur Wright make the 1st successful flight in history at 10:35am at Kitty Hawk, NC (the biplane stayed aloft 12 seconds and covered 120 feet on its inaugural flight. Jet Blue announces a regular air schedule from Kitty Hawk the following day)...

1955) Carl Perkins writes "Blue Suede Shoes" and less than 48 hours later, records it in Memphis...

1959) "On The Beach" premieres in New York City and becomes the 1st movie to debut simultaneously in major cities around the world (18 cities in all, including Moscow)...

1964) 6 weeks after CBS-TV buys controlling interest in the Yankees, the "Voice of the Yankees", Mel Allen is fired (Allen had called Yankee games since 1940)...

1965) Judy Garland and the Supremes (I hope they didn't sing together) perform at the opening of Houston's Astrodome...

1969) TV history is made when Tiny Tim and Miss Vicki (Budinger) are married on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" (an estimated 50 million viewers reach for the Kleenex)...

1969) The U.S. Air Force closes its Project "Blue Book" by concluding there's no evidence of UFO's (yeah, un-huh, okay)...

1975) Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme is sentenced to life in prison for her attempt on the life of President Gerald R. Ford...

1976) WTCG-TV Atlanta becomes WTBS, uplinks via satellite becoming the 1st commercial TV station to cover the entire U.S...

1977) Elvis Costell and the Attractions appear on "Saturday Night Live" in place of the Sex Pistols who could not get visas to enter the U.S...

1982) The Who play the last concert of their "farewell tour" at Toronto's Maple Leaf Garden...

1984) Miami's Dan Marino finishes the regular season with 4 touchdown passes in a Dolphin win over Dallas and finishes with a record 48 touchdowns and 5,084 yards (both are NFL records)...

1986) Wayne Newton wins a $19.2 million suit against NBC News after the network claimed a link between the "Danke Schoen" singer and mob figures which proved to be false...

1994) Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora and Heather Locklear walk down the aisle (obviously to Bon Jovi music)...

2004) President George W. Bush signs into law the largest overhaul of intelligence gathering in 50 years...

Happy Birthday To...

1929) Newspaper columnist William Safire...

1930) Penthouse publisher Bob Guccione...

1945) Ernie Hudson...

1946) Eugene Levy...

1953) Barry Livingston ("Ernie" of "My Three Sons")...

1974) Giovanni Ribisi...

Sunday, December 18, 2005...

December 18 Memories...

1865) Slavery is abolished by the 13th Amendment to the Constitution...

1892) Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker Suite" publicly premieres in St. Petersburg, Russia...

1956) "To Tell The Truth" debuts on CBS-TV...

1956) Phil Rizzuto is hired as a Yankee radio and television announcer...

1964) Funeral services are held in Los Angeles for Sam Cooke...

1965) Army Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler records "The Ballad of the Green Berets"...

1966) Dr. Seuss' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" airs for the 1st time on CBS-TV...

1969) Britain's Parliament abolishes the death penalty...

1970) Divorce becomes legal in Italy...

1971) Jerry Lee Lewis and his cousin Myra Brown are divorced (not in Italy). They married when Myra was 13 (but an "old" 13)...

1975) Rod Stewart and Faces divorce as Stewart goes solo...

1983) Bucking this divorce trend, Keith Richards and model Patti Hansen are married...

1984) Likewise, Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest...

1984) Madonna tops the charts for the 1st time with "Like a Virgin"...

1987) Ivan F. Boesky is sentenced to 3 years in prison for insider trading...

1997) Comedian Chris Farley becomes the latest SNL tragedy. Farley is found dead in his Chicago apartment at 33...

2003) In Santa Maria, California, Michael Jackson is charged with 7 counts of molesting a child under 14 and 2 counts of supplying the child with "an intoxicating agent" ("Jesus juice" to you and I)...

Happy Birthday To...

1927) Ramsey Clark (we know where he'll be celebrating)...

1932) Roger Smith...

1943) Keith Richards...

1947) Steven Spielberg...

1963) Brad Pitt (act surprised when you get that vial of blood necklace Brad)...

1978) Katie Holmes (don't be surprised when Tom jumps up and down on the couch when he gives you your present)...

1980) Christina Aguilera...


Thursday, December 15, 2005

Thursday, December 15, 2005

The fastest selling album of its time...

As verified by Trivial Pursuit, the answer to the question, what was the fastest selling album ever ? lasted long enough to be used in the card game. The answer to that question was the name of the album that went to #1 on the LP charts on this date in 1962 and stayed there for 12 weeks. If you're thinking Elvis, Ray Charles, Dion, Sam Cooke, Brenda Lee or Paul Anka, think again. The artist whose album would win an Album of the Year Grammy in 1962 couldn't even sing but then he didn't have to. He was a comedian...

His name was Vaughn Meader and the album was "The First Family", a spoof on the Kennedy's. Meader, from Waterville, Maine, easily slipped into an authentic impersonation of JFK. He even looked like our new president. Recorded on October 22, 1962, the album had sold a million by Christmas, 4 million by the end of the year. The following year it totaled 7.5 million copies sold, unprecedented for any album let alone a comedy album...

The LP was filled with JFK impersonations ("you drive a hahd bahgain", "move ahead with great vigah", "let me say thhhhisss about thhhhaht") as well as the soft whisper of wife Jackie, the New England brogue of brother Bobby, humorous tales of PT-109, rocking chairs, the clan's well-known gatherings and the straight announcer's plea ("go to the poles and vote. Vote for the Kennedy of your choice but vote"). Even JFK got into the act, giving copies of the LP as Christmas favors and greeting a Democratic National Committee group by saying, "Vaughn Meader was busy tonight, so I came myself"...

It was a great ride for Vaughn Meader but it came to a crashing end on November 22, 1963 when JFK was assassinated. Meader got the news in Milwaukee from a cab driver. Appearing at a New York nightclub, Lenny Bruce offered this: "Vaughn Meader is screwed". Meader was more direct when he was quoted as saying: "I died on November 22, 1963"...

More on Vaughn Meader in my commentary...

More December 15 Memories...

1925) The 3rd Madison Square Garden opens at 8th Avenue & 50th Street in Manhattan as Montreal defeats the Rangers 3-1 (the old Garden lasted until 1968 when it was razed and replaced by the current one at 7th Avenue & 33rd Street)...

1938) Ground is broken for the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C...

1939) "Gone With The Wind" premieres at the Loew's Grand Theater in Atlanta...

1944) A single-engine plane carrying U.S. Army Major Glenn Miller disappears in thick fog over the English Channel while en route to Paris (the plane is never found)...

1946) Chicago wins their 5th NFL championship with a 24-14 win over the Giants...

1959) The Everly Brothers record "Let It Be Me" in New York City (their 1st record session out of Nashville)...

1961) Former Nazi official Adolf Eichmann is sentenced to death by an Israeli court...

1962) Vaughn Meader's "First Family" LP tops the charts for the 1st of 12 weeks (feature story)...

1966) Walt Disney dies at 65...

1969) John Lennon gives his last performance in England for a UNICEF benefit in London...

1982) Paul "Bear" Bryant announces his retirement as head coach at the University of Alabama (the winningest coach in college football history at the time would be replaced by Ray Perkins, a former Tide player. The Bear would suffer a fatal heart attack at 69 one month after he retires)...

1982) Bill Parcells becomes the Giants 12th head coach...

1985) Sylvester Stallone and Brigitte Nelson tie the knot...

1988) James Brown is sentenced to a 6-year jail term for leading police on a late-night chase (he's released on February 27, 1991)...

1990) Rod Stewart and Rachel Hunter walk down the aisle...

1993) John Williams conducts the Boston Pops for the final time...

2001) Legendary R&B star Rufus Thomas dies in Memphis after a short illness, at 84...

2003) The late Senator Strom Thurmond's family acknowledges Essie Mae Washington-Williams' claim that she was his illegitimate mixed-race daughter...

Happy Birthday To...

1933) Tim Conway...

1939) Former Blue Belle & Supreme Cindy Birdsong...

1942) Dave Clark...

1949) Don Johnson...

1972) Patriot safety Rodney Harrison...

Commentary...

Vaughn Meader had a rough time after JFK's assassination, failing to make a decent living, he moved back to Maine. He would record a couple of comedy albums for Verve but with his act dead, sales were virtually nonexistent. He would take up bluegrass and country singing, becoming a popular local performer in Maine. Meader and 4th wife, Sheila spent 3 years in Florida before returning to Maine where Meader would die October 29, 2004 at the age of 68...




Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Taking the temperature of life in the 70s...

The late film critic Gene Siskel called the movie that debuted on the night of December 14th, 1977, his favorite. He really must have loved it because he saw it 17 times. It was great music that made the movie, not a classic plot or dialogue like, "would you just watch the hair? I work on my hair a long time and you hit it. He hits my hair". Dopey lines similar to "yo Adrian" from "Rocky" and a backdrop of the entire borough of Brooklyn dancing to a disco beat couldn't kill this movie but it was the music that made it...

"Saturday Night Fever" was a film based on a 1975 New York Magazine article by Brit Nik Cohn. The piece he wrote was called "Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night". In the late 90s Cohn admitted that the article had been completely fabricated. I mean what does a newly arrived import from Britain know about Brooklyn or a disco lifestyle ? Exactly...

The Bee Gees wrote the musical score and the soundtrack was one of the biggest selling albums of the 70s. The movie would help popularize disco music and make John Travolta a household name. In addition to Travolta and half his family, the movie featured Donna Pescow and Karen Lynn Gorney who would not become household names. Fran Drescher has a bit part and even Monti Rock III sneaks in, playing, what else? A deejay...

If you saw "Saturday Night Fever" for the 1st time today you would probably laugh a lot at the dopey dialogue ("Tony, you're the king out there. You're a great dancer") and lack of a plot other than living for another night at the disco but you would still like the music that made the movie...

More December 14 Memories...

1799) George Washington, our 1st president, dies at his home in Mount Vernon, Virginia at 67...

1911) Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen becomes the 1st person to reach the South Pole (35 days ahead of Captain Robert F. Scott)...

1915) Jack Johnson becomes the 1st black world heavyweight champion...

1946) The U.N. General Assembly votes to establish U.N. headquarters in Manhattan...

1955) The Tappan Zee Bridge opens to traffic...

1961) Jimmy Dean's "Big Bad John" becomes 1st country song to go gold...

1963) Dinah Washington dies of a drug overdose at 39 (She had 34 top 10 hits on the R&B charts. Her biggest hit is the duet with Brook Benton, "Baby (You've Got What It Takes)" that tops the R&B charts for 10 weeks and becomes a big pop hit but none of her hits was as great as "What A Difference A Day Makes")...

1968) Tommy James & the Shondells release "Crimson & Clover"...

1969) The Jackson Five make their 1st appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show"...

1970) Smokey Robinson & the Miracles top the charts with "The Tears of a Clown"...

1974) Styx releases "Lady"...

1977) "Saturday Night Fever" premieres in New York City (feature story)...

1980) Yoko Ono calls for a 10-minute silent vigil around the world for her husband John Lennon, shot to death 6 days earlier...

1995) White House classified documents are released revealing that the FBI spied on John Lennon in the early 70s in an attempt to have the former Beatle deported. One report criticized Yoko Ono's singing ability (and that's wrong because ?)...

1995) "Frank Sinatra: 80 Years My Way" airs on ABC-TV...

1999) BMI names "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin" as the #1 composition on the performing rights group's list of "Top 100 Songs Of The Century"...

1999) A former Beatle plays the Cavern Club in Liverpool for the 1st time in 36 years when Paul McCartney does a one-nighter there...

1999) Charles M. Schulz announces he's retiring the "Peanuts" comic strip (the last original "Peanuts" comic strip is published on February 13, 2000)...

2000) The FTC approves the $111 billion merger of AOL and Time Warner...

Happy Birthday To...

1922) "60 Minutes" producer Don Hewitt...

1932) Abbe Lane...

1946) Patty Duke...

1946) Dawn's Joyce Vincent-Wilson...

1949) Okay Red Sox fans, close your eyes...Bill Buckner...

Commentary...

The late film critic Gene Siskel liked "Saturday Night Live" so much that in addition to seeing it 17 times he bought the famous white disco suit worn by John Travolta in the movie...

The original version of the movie was rated "R" but there was a "PG" version that was released in 1978 in an attempt to attract a more youthful audience. Only the R-rated version is available and in widescreen only...

A sequel, "Staying Alive" was released in 1983 with John Travolta reprising his Tony Manero role but "Staying Alive" was no "Saturday Night Fever"...