Friday, April 28, 2006

Friday-Sunday, April 28-30, 2006

"Man, Rocket, you got a chance for an all-time record" - Al Nipper (4/29/86)...

Twenty years ago tomorrow, baseball witnessed a rocket launch that still hasn't come down. That was the day that Roger Clemens came of age. All "The Rocket" did that day was what had never been done before - strike out 20 batters in one game. The game was of little consequence, a 3-1 win over the Seattle Mariners although it did place another brick in the Red Sox wall that would lead to a meeting with the Mets in October. By striking out 20, Clemens topped the 19 of Carlton, Seaver and Ryan, all in the Hall of Fame by the way...

A small gathering of the Fenway Faithful, 13,414 on a chilly Tuesday New England night offered their support knowing that history was about to be made with each strikeout and then it happened. Phil Bradley was victim #20 and when third baseman Wade Boggs came to the mound to shake Clemens hand, Roger thought "Hey, the game is over"...

Can lightning strike twice ? In September 1996 it did. "The Rocket" did it again. Clemens struck out 20 for the second time at the age of 34 against the Detroit Tigers...

Ten years after his second 20K masterpiece and now 44, Clemens is as hot a property as ever as the guessing goes on, will he end his career with the team he started with ? The Red Sox. Will he go to the Yankees ? Will he stay at home and play for the locals in hometown Houston ? Stay tuned. We'll find out soon...

April 28 Memories...

1789] Remember the movie, "The Caine Mutiny" ? It really happened when the crew of the British ship set Captain William Bligh and 18 sailors adrift in a launch in the South Pacific...

1914] W.H. Carrier patents the design of his air conditioner...

1945] Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci were executed (hey, at least they went together)...

1947] A 6-man expedition sailed from Peru aboard a balsa wood raft named the Kon-Tiki on a 101 day journey across the Pacific to Polynesia (and I couldn't get my balsa plane to fly with that damn metal tip in the front)...

1959] "Arthur Godfrey and His Friends" (he had friends ?) fades to black on CBS-TV. The show started on television in 1949...

1965] The "My Name is Barbra" (starring...who else spells Barbara, without the second "a" ?) special scores high numbers on CBS-TV...

1965] Lindsey Nelson does the Mets game from the Astrodome from a gondola, 208 feet above second base and as always does a superb job but privately complains of a nosebleed. After the game he parachutes down...

1966] The Young Rascals are #1 with "Good Lovin"...

1966] Led by Bill Russell, Sam Jones, John Havlicek, Tom "Satch" Sanders and Don Nelson, the Boston Celtics win their 8th straight NBA title (no other team has won 8 years in a row in any sport, including marbles)...

1967] Cassius Clay (not yet Muhammed Ali, but soon) is stripped of his heavyweight title when he refuses to be inducted into the Army (that's when he became Ali)...

1969] French President Charles de Gaulle resigns (or was he pushed ? and do we care ?)...

1974] Grand Funk takes "Loco-Motion" to the top of the charts for the 2nd time (remember Little Eva in '62)...

1975] Two Beatles on the tube: Ringo is on "The Smothers Brothers, John on "The Tonight Show"...

1983] Michael Jackson "Beat(s) It" to #1 with a little help from Eddie Van Halen on lead guitar...

1985] Billy Martin becomes Yankee manager for the 4th time (do you see a George Steinbrenner pattern developing here ?)...

1988] The Baltimore Orioles set a new American League record for consecutive losses with loss #21 to the Twins (Mgr. Cal Ripken Sr. was 0-6 and his replacement, Frank Robinson 0-15) but ah, there's relief on the way. The O's snap the streak the next day against the White Sox (too bad, they were only 2 losses shy of the modern major league record of 23 by the 1961 Phillies)...

1994] Former CIA operative Aldrich Ames, a double spy for the Soviets, pleads guilty to espionage and tax evasion and is sentenced to life in prison without parole...

2001] The 1st space civilian, California businessman Dennis Tito and 2 cosmonauts are launched on a journey to the international space station (Tito forgot his passport and was forced to parachute back to earth)...

2004] The 1st photos of Abu Ghraib (oops) are shown on tick...tick...tick "60 Minutes II"...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

"E-mails, we get e-mails. We get lots and lots of e-mails. Dear Melly, etc. etc"...

So great to hear from Norm N. Nite who enjoys reading this blog. Thank you Norm, I feel honored with praise coming from someone like you who has written the "Rock On" series of books, made television appearances (including "The Today Show") and continues on radio with his own show on Sirius' Gold (channel 5) from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (wed-sun 3-6 p.m.). Norm is the unofficial, official keeper of the Alan Freed flame and we go back to our NBC Radio days together in 1976 and then later WCBS-FM. Norm is also in wikipedia with his own page. Now that's impressive Norm. Check Norm out on Sirius...

Happy Birthday To...

1941] Ann-Margaret...

1949] Paul (Capt. Brass on "CSI") Guilfoyle...

1950] Jay Leno...

1953] Mary ("Dances with Wolves") McDonnell...

1974] Penelope Cruz...

1981] Jessica Alba...

[Today is the 118th day of 2006 with 247 days left in the year and 31 days till Memorial Day]...

Saturday, April 29, 2006...

April 29 Memories...

1852] The 1st edition of Peter Roget's "Thesaurus" is published (lets see, what's another word for "thouest" ?)...

1941] The Boston Bees agree to change their name to the Braves (worker bees in New England protest by staging a swarm-in and attacking their former namesakes)...

1944] "Dancing Romeo" becomes the last "Our Gang" film (but relax, you would have your "Little Rascals" on television in the future)...

1945] Adolph Hitler marries Eva Braun in a Berlin bunker but the next day they commit suicide (but at least they went together)...

1945] American soldiers liberate the Dachau concentration camp in Germany...

1960] Dick Clark denies any involvement in payola before a House subcommittee (Dick however, divests himself of his record interests)...

1961] ABC's "Wide World of Sports" debuts (oh, "the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat" symbolized by the skiier doing a wheelie and a cartwheel and wiping out several cameramen at the same time)...

1967] Aretha Franklin releases "R-e-s-pect"...

1986] Roger Clemens strikes out a record 20 batters (feature story)...

1988] Eric Clapton files for divorce from Patti "Layla" Boyd...

1990] "Tear down that wall Mr. Gorbachev"...The Berlin Wall starts to come down...

1992] Paula Adbul (uh..uh..I mean...you...are...an...American Idol, sniff, sniff) and Emilio Estevez walk down the aisle (Simon Cowell is not Paula's best man)...

1992] Deadly rioting erupts in Los Angeles after a jury in Simi Valley acquits 4 LAPD officers of almost all charges in the beating of Rodney King, captured on video tape (54 die and $1 billion in damages are the result)...

1993] An animated Barry White appears on "The Simpsons"...

1996] Former CIA Director William Colby is missing and presumed drowned after an apparent boating accident in Maryland (Colby's body is later discovered) (HELLO !)...

1996] Exactly 12 years after he gained his 1st save as a Red, Mets' reliever John Franco becomes the 1st lefty to record 300 saves (I was at that game)...

1997] Staff Sgt. Delmar Simpson, a drill intructor at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland is convicted of raping 6 female trainees (he's sentenced to 25 years and a dishonorable discharge)...

1997] Astronaut Jerry Linenger and cosmonaut Vasily Tsibliyev go on the 1st U.S.-Russian space walk...

2003] Mr. T (Laurence Tureaud, files a lawsuit against Best Buy that claims the store did not have permission to use his likeness in a print ad ("I pity that Best Buy fool")...

2004] A national World War II monument saluting both the men and women who served, opens to the public in Washington, D.C...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, miltiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

Happy Birthday To...

1919] Actress Celeste Holm...

1928] Carl Gardner of the Coasters...

1933] Poet Rod McKuen...

1947] Tommy James...

1955] Jerry Seinfeld...

1957] Daniel Day-Lewis...

1957] Michelle Pfeiffer...

1970] Uma Thurman (Lettermen's favorite Hollywood name)...

1970] Andre Agassi...

[Today is the 119th day of 2006 with 246 days remaining in the year and 30 days till Memorial Day]...

Sunday, April 30, 2006...

April 30 Memories...

1789] George Washington takes office in New York as 1st President of the United States (on Wall Street)...

1901] The Red Sox win their 1st game as Cy Young beats the A's 8-6 in Philadelphia...

1931] The George Washington Bridge, spanning from Manhattan to New Jersey opens...

1939] Lou Gehrig plays his last game with the Yankees...

1939] The New York World's Fair, billed as a look at "the world of tomorrow" opens in Flushing Meadow...

1957] Elvis records "Jailhouse Rock" (with some of the strangest lyrics of any Elvis song, not that there's anything wrong with that)...

1961] Using utility player Joey Amalfitano's bat, Willie Mays of the San Francisco Giants becomes the 9th player in history to hit 4 home runs in a game as the Giants beat up on Milwaukee 14-4 at Milwaukee County Stadium...

1970] President Richard Nixon announces that the U.S. will send troops into Camodia...

1991] An estimated 125,000 die as a cyclone hits Bangladesh...

1993] Top-ranked women's tennis player Monica Seles is stabbed in the back during a match in Hamburg, Germany by a 38-year old Steffi Graf fan (Seles will never be the same after the wound that's reported to be 1/2" deep)...

1997] ABC-TV airs the "coming out" episode of "Ellen" in which the title character played by Ellen DeGeneres admits she's a lesbian (ya think Ellen was trying to tell us something ?)...

2001] Federal government intern Chandra Levy is last seen at a health club near her apartment in Washington, D.C. (her remains are found more than a year later in a city park)...

2003] The U.S. Navy withdraws from its disputed Vieques bombing range in Puerto Rico...

2004] Former Net star Jayson Williams is acquitted of aggravated manslaughter in the shotgun slaying of his limo driver at his New Jersey mansion...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

Happy Birthday To...

1926] Cloris Leachman...

1933] Willie Nelson...

1940] Burt (Paulie in "Rocky") Young...

1941] Johnny Farina of Santo & Johnny ("Sleep Walk")

1943] Bobby Vee...

1944] Jill Clayburgh...

1961] Isiah Thomas (so you wanted the Knick job, did ya ?)...

[Today is the 120th day of 2006 with 245 days remaining in the year and 29 days until Memorial Day]...













































































































Thursday, April 27, 2006

Thursday, April 27, 2006

Rocky and The Babe bow out...

Two great champions said goodbye on April 27th some nine years apart..

Over 58,000 fans jammed Yankee Stadium for Babe Ruth Day in 1947. The great Bambino bid farewell with a voice ravaged by cancer. Ruth's voice could barely be heard above a whisper as the greatest player who ever lived faced the end of a life that would be taken a year later...

The year was 1956 when The Brockton Blockbuster retired as the first and only undefeated world heavyweight champion with a perfect 49 and 0, as in zip, nada, zilch, no losses, a perfecto. Rocky Marciano was only 31 when he called it quits and when he made the announcement in New York, he added "you will never see Rocky Marciano make a comeback". The son of a shoe factory worker was true to his word, there would be no comeback but at the age of 44 one of the greatest boxers of all-time was killed in a small plane crash in Iowa.

More April 27 Memories...

1805] The Marines have landed as a force led by the Marines capture the city of Derna, on the shores of Tripoli (and that folks is why we have the line, "to the shores of Tripoli")...

1897] Grant's Tomb is dedicated in New York City...

1903] Jamaica Race Track opens in Jamaica, New York...

1937] The 1st U.S. Social Security checks are distributed...

1947] The Bambino says goodbye to his loyal fans at Yankee Stadium (see feature story)...

1956] Rocky Marciano calls it quits (see feature story)...

1959] Lloyd Price releases "Personality"...

1960] Two years after baseball comes to the west coast, the NBA votes to allow the Lakers to move from Minneapolis to L.A...

1965] Pampers is patented by R.C. Duncan (so why aren't they called Duncan's ? Dun-can's, get it ?)...

1967] Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson lights a flame to open Expo 67 in Montreal...

1968] Simon & Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson" is released...

1973] Opryland opens in Nashville...

1981] After grunting their way through the movie "Caveman", Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach (dressed like Fred & Wilma) get married in Durango, Mexico...

1981] Dodger rookie hurler Fernando Valenzuela becomes an overnight sensation by pitching his 4th shutout of the season over the Giants and lowering his era to a microscopic 0.20. (more on the then 20-year old (?) sensation in my commentary...

1982] John W. Hinckley Jr. goes on trial in Washington, D.C. in the shooting of President Ronald Reagan (Hinckley will be acquitted by reason of insanity)...

1983] Nolan Ryan of Houston passes Walter Johnson in career strikeouts for 1st place on the all-time list (the victim is Brad Mills of Montreal) P.S. Ryan still has the record to this day...

1987] The Justice Department bars Austrian President Kurt Waldheim from entering the U.S. saying he aided the deportation and execution of thousands of Jews and others as a Germany Army officer in WWII...

2002] The Red Sox' Derek Lowe becomes the 1st pitcher to throw a no-hitter at Fenway Park since Dave Morehead in 1965. Facing 28 batters, Lowe totals only 97 pitches in the 10-0 whitewashing of Tampa Bay...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

Commentary...

When Mexico's Fernando Valenzuela of the Dodgers became the hottest pitcher in baseball as a rookie in 1981, his age was listed as 20 but few believed it. Fernando would lead the Dodgers to the world championship over the Yankees that year and I just ran across a Tommy Lasorda quote that I wanted to share with you: "Fernando Valenzuela now makes one million dollars a year. Three years ago, Valenzuela's alarm clock was a rooster"...

Happy Birthday To...

1922] Jack Klugman...

1932] Casey Kasem...

1939] Judy Carne of "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-in"...

1944] Cuba Gooding (the father)...

1950] Ace Frehley of Kiss...

1959] Sheena Easton...

[Today is the 117th day of 2006 with 248 days remaining in the year and 32 days until Memorial Day]...




























Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

The legend of Studio 54 begins...

Before Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager took over Studio 54 on this date in 1977, the location at 254 West 54th Street housed an opera house, legitimate theatre and CBS radio & television studios. Studio 54, of course, would become the most famous disco and late night gathering place in America until it closed its doors in March, 1986...

Rubell and Schrager owned a chain of small steakhouses in New York before buying Studio 54. The pair were as different as night and day. Steve Rubell was a showman with a gift for pairing the strange and flamboyant nobodies who stood for hours behind the ropes outside and the beautiful, rich and famous while Schrager was always the silent and mostly unseen partner. You were as likely to see Liza Minelli or Andy Warhol in the crowd as Disco Sally or the guy from the mailroom with orange hair...

In the first year of operation, Studio 54 reportedly made an estimated $7 million but in December of '79 when the IRS found garbage bags filled with cash stuffed into the insulation of the building and started asking questions, the euphoria and aura of Studio 54 started to fade quicker than a puff of smoke from something someone would often be seen dragging on at the disco. Rubell and Schrager were sentenced to 3 1/2 years each but wound up serving only 13 months after making a plea...

Studio 54 has had several incarnations since 1986 as now serves as a venue for the Roundabout Theatre Company. Threepenny Opera is currently playing with Cyndi Lauper in the female lead. In today's commentary I share my memories of Studio 54...

More April 26 Memories...

1607] English colonists go ashore at Cape Henry, VA to establish the 1st permanent English settlement in the Western Hemisphere (as Paul Revere gets his steed ready)...

1819] The 1st Odd Fellows lodge in America is established in Baltimore (exactly how odd a fellow do you have to be to join ?)...

1865] John Wilkes Booth, assassin of President Abraham Lincoln is surrounded by federal troops and killed near Bowling Green, VA...

1912] Red Sox 1st baseman Hugh Bradley hits the 1st home run at Fenway Park (it's Bradley's 2nd and final home run of his career)...

1928] The 1st Madame Tussaud's opens in London (price of admission ? A candle)...

1931] Lou Gehrig hits a home run but passes a Yankee runner, nulifying the home run. Not only do the Yankees lose the game but Gehrig loses the home run which would have put him ahead of Babe Ruth at the end of the season and 2 RBIs to add to his record setting 184 for the season (Gehrig and Ruth ended with 46 homers each)...

1937] LIFE magazine is printed without the word LIFE on the cover (it could've been worse. They could have used LOOK instead)...

1941] A tradition is born at Wrigley Field in Chicago as Roy Nelson serenades the crowd on his organ (the Cubs still lose 4-2 to the Cardinals)...

1961] Roger Maris hits the 1st of his record breaking 61 home runs against Paul Foytack of the Tigers...

1964] The Boston Celtics win their 6th straight NBA title (they will win 2 more to set the greatest of all sports consecutive title seasons)...

1966] Arnold "Red" Auerbach retires as Celtic's coach (he still attends games when health permits)...

1975] The New York Islanders win the NHL quarterfinals 4 games to 3 over the Pittsburgh Penguins...

1975] B.J. Thomas has the longest title of a #1 song in Billboard chart history with "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song"...

1977] Studio 54 opens (see feature story and commentary)...

1982] Rod Stewart is mugged as a gunman steals his $50,000 Porsche (here's one person that didn't think he was sexy)...

1984] Led by Buck Williams and Micheal Ray Richardson, the New Jersey Nets stun defending NBA champion Philadelphia by winning the decisive Game 5 of the 1st round of the playoffs (they will lose to the Lakers in the finals though)...

1986] The world's worst nuclear accident happens at Chernobyl in the Ukraine. An explosion and fire in the #4 reactor sends radioactivity into the atmosphere killing at least 31 immediately...

1986] Arnold Schwarzenegger and newscaster Maria Shriver strike a pose on their way down the aisle (Ahnold is now the Governator and Maria, 1st lady of Cahleeforni-uh)...

1988] After 45 years of frustration in their division playoffs and 18 straight post-season series losses, the Boston Bruins defeat the Canadiens in Game 5 to win the Adams Division Title (but the Bruins will later be swept by Edmonton in the Stanley Cup finals)...

1989] Legendary actress-comedian Lucille Ball dies at 77...

1990] Striking out 16 batters, Ranger pitcher Nolan Ryan ties Bob Feller's major league record of 12 one-hitters, beating the White Sox on a one-hitter (future Hall of Famer Ryan would total 14 one-hitters and a record 7 no-hitters in his phenomenal career)...

1999] Ch-ching...Daniel Snyder buys the Washington Redskins from the estate of Jack Kent Cooke for $800 million, the highest price tag ever for a sports franchise...

2000] Vermont Gov. Howard Dean signs the nation's 1st bill allowing same-sex couples to form civil unions...

2004] The government unveils new colorized $50 bills (is it just me or do the new colorized bills not look like monopoly money ?)...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

Commentary...

The first time I entered Studio 54 my immediate impressions were that the place was 1) cavernous and 2) dark. That had to be the darkest place I've ever seen. The depicted drug paraphernalia hanging from the ceiling gave you the first clue that drug use may not only be accepted but encouraged. Then there was the balcony that was even darker than it was downstairs and the pairs and multiple groups of people who were massed and huddled but definitely not passing the Statue of Liberty. You would see something happening and immediately turn your head like you do when you see someone you know but want to avoid...

Studio 54 was it in the late 70s but every time I went there I would leave feeling dirty. I recently read a book about the history of the infamous disco and when I finished it, the first thing I did was wash my hands...

Happy Birthday To...

1933] Carol Burnett...

1938] Duane Eddy (that twangy guitar guy)...

1938] Maurice Williams (of the Zodiacs from "Stay" fame)...

1941] Claudine ("Party Lights") Clark...

1942] Bobby Rydell...

1965] Kevin ("King of Queens") James...

[Today is the 116th day of 2006 with 249 days remaining in the year and 33 days till Memorial Day]


Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Rick Monday - American hero...

Rick Monday is in his 13th season as play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Dodgers. On April 24th, 1976 Rick wore a Chicago Cubs uniform and patrolled centerfield. It was during the 4th inning of a game against the Dodgers that Rick noticed 2 men and an American flag on the field to the right of him. "I was angry when I saw them start to do something to the flag and I'm glad that I happened to be geographically close enough to do something about it"...

The 2 men who happened to be father and son were about to desecrate the American flag by burning it and in our bicentennial year no less. "What these people were doing and their concept of what they were trying to do was wrong. That feeling was very strongly reinforced by 6 years in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves. I still think it's wrong to do that".

Rick Monday rescued the flag from the men before that were able to set it on fire and became a true American hero overnight. Monday was presented with the flag in a ceremony at Wrigley Field by Dodger executive Al Campanis in 1976. He still has the flag and has been offered "an outrageous amount of money for it" but insists "it's not for sale". In addition to the flag, Monday has a copy of the 16-mm footage taken by a fan who was at the game as well as Vin Scully's play-by-play of the incident. Also among his souvenirs is a copy of the now famous photo as he grabbed the flag...

Over the weekend a video tribute was shown before the game at Dodger Stadium and Monday threw out the first ball. Tonight the Houston Astros will honor Monday before their game with the Dodgers. Well whatd'ya know, a baseball story with no mention of asterisks or steroids and one with a good ending for a change, thank you Rick Monday...

More April 25 Memories...

1792] Highwayman (wonder if he sang with them on "Michael" ?) Nicolas Jacques Pelletier becomes the 1st person under French law to be executed by guillotine (and you thought your shirts were too tight at the neck)...

1831] The New York and Harlem Railway is incorporated in New York City...

1886] Sigmund Freud opens his practice in Vienna (what comes to mind as you read that ?)...

1898] The U.S. declares war on Spain (sorry folks but the day before, Spain declared war on us. Is this payback ?)...

1901] New York becomes the 1st state to require automobile license plates and they were all vanity plates because they contained your initials. They cost a buck...

1959] The St. Lawrence Seaway opens to shipping. The water way connects the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean...

1961] Robert Noyce is granted a patent for the integrated circuit...

1967] The Beatles record "All You Need Is Love" during a British TV broadcast (Marianne Faithfull is one of the voices in the chorus)...

1968] The Beatles refuse to perform for the Queen of England at a British Olympic Appeal Fund show because "Our decision would be the same no matter the cause. We don't do benefits" (not even for Save the Whales ?)...

1974] The NFL adopts 2 new rules: allowing for a 15-minute sudden-death overtime period during regular season games and moving the goal posts to the back of the end zone...

1976] Rick Monday rescues the flag (see feature story)...

1978] The Phillie Phanatic makes its 1st appearance (didn't you love it when Tommy Lasorda and the PP were on the field at the same time so you could see whose stomach was bigger ?)...

1981] Wings break up with the departure of Denny Laine (think he was named after "Penny Lane" ?)...

1983] Soviet Leader Yuri V. Andropov invites Samantha Smith to visit his country after receiving a letter in which the Maine schoolgirl expresses fears about nuclear war...

1983] The Pioneer 10 spacecraft crosses Pluto's orbit (Pluto is enraged and enlists the support of Mickey, Minnie and Goofy)...

1984] David Anthony Kennedy , the son of Robert F. Kennedy is found dead of a drug overdose in a hotel room...

1988] In Israel, John "Ivan the Terrible" Demjanuk is sentenced to death as a Nazi war criminal...

1990] The Hubble Space Telescope is deployed from the space shuttle Discovery...

1991] Sports reporter Lisa Olson brings suit against the New England Patriots for sexual harassment...

1995] Howard Cosell dies at 77 (see my commentary for some personal views of Howard)...

1998] Whitewater prosecutors questioned first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton on videotape about her work as a private lawyer for a failed savings and loan (Mrs. Clinton insists that the camera be positioned to her left)...

2002] Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, a member of TLC dies in a car crash at 30...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

Commentary...

I first met Howard Cosell when I worked in the mailroom of the ABC network, not exactly a plum job but not bad for a 17-year old in his first fulltime job. I was also taking courses at The School of Radio Technique at night. I never did like or get used to being called a mailboy but I was surrounded by the world of radio and tv and the biggest names in the business (which I will document one day). Howard Cosell was not one of them. At the time he was only doing a 15-minute sports show on television but it was the start of all the features ("speaking of sports", etc.) he would hone and develop over the years. Having access to all the radio and tv studios, I would watch Howard do his show and hang around to meet his guests, a "who's who" of the sports world. I wasn't into autographs preferring to just meet them and shake their hand...

Some 35 or so years later I worked for the ABC Radio Network clearing the syndicated Dick Bartley "Double Golden" package of shows (Dick is one of the nicest and most talented people I ever met in this business and a reader of this blog, I'm proud to add). Howard Cosell did his radio show from the same building (125 West End Avenue). He was nearing the end and we shared the elevator one day after he had just returned from a stay in the hospital. The conversation went something like this: MP: "How are you doing, Mr. C ?" HC: "I'm fine but you look terrible" MP: "coming from you Howard, I consider that a compliment". Expecting the unexpected became the norm when you spoke to Howard Cosell, who many referred to as "coach" but he was just being Howard...

Happy Birthday To...

1932] Meadowlark Lemon (Harlem Globetrotters)...

1933] Jerry Leiber (Leiber and Stoller)...

1940] Al Pacino...

1945] CCR's Stu Cook...

1945] ABBA's Bjorn Ulvaeus...

1946] Talia (Yo Adrian) Shire...

1964] Hank Azaria...

1965] Jason ("My Name is Earl") Lee...

1969] Renee Zellweger...

And a special Happy Birthday to my Diane with much love...

[Today is the 115th day of 2006 with 250 days remaining in the year and 34 days until Memorial Day]...






















Monday, April 24, 2006

Monday, April 24, 2006

A Bob Dylan Debut...

For those who worship at the altar of Bob Dylan, this is a special day. On April 24, 1961, Dylan would make his recording debut. Actually it was Robert Zimmerman who walked into the recording studio that day since Dylan wouldn't legally become Bob Dylan until the following year...

Now you might be wondering what vocal Dylan sang that day but it was as a musician that the pop icon debuted, playing harmonica. Bob Dylan was 20 years old when he played on the title track of Harry Belafonte's (yes, that Harry Belafonte) "Midnight Special" album on RCA (RCA LPM-2449)...

And what pricely sum did the future pop icon get for his efforts ? Reportedly, less than one hundred dollars...

Can't you just see Harry and Bob Dylan performing on the same stage ?

More April 24 Memories...

1833] Jacob Evert and George Dulty are granted a patent for the 1st soda fountain...

1897] William Price becomes the 1st White House news reporter...

1898] Spain declares war on the U.S. after rejecting America's ultimatum to withdraw from Cuba...

1901] The 1st official American League game is played with the Chicago White Stockings beating the Cleveland Blues 8-2 before more than 10,000 in Chicago (the 1st game was promoted by the former sportswriter Ban Johnson as a rival to the already established National League)...

1923] Colonel Jacob Schick patents Schick Shavers...

1953] Winston Churchill is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II (the Queen, not the ship) at Buckingham Palace (Churchill lights up a stogie to celebrate and is quickly escorted out of Buckingham Palace)...

1957] Ricky Nelson releases his 1st record, "A Teenager's Romance"...

1961] Robert Zimmerman a.k.a. Bob Dylan makes his recording debut (see feature story)...

1961] President Kennedy accepts "sole responsibility following the Bay of Pigs fiasco...

1963] Led by Bob Cousy & Bill Russell, the Celtics win their 5th straight NBA title...

1968] Apple Records passes on David Bowie...

1968] War protesting students at Columbia University begin a weeklong occupation of several campus buildings...

1984] Jerry Lee Lewis and Kerrie McCarver rock down the aisle (wife #6 for The Killer)...

1990] Space shuttle Discovery blasts off from Cape Canaveral carrying the $1.5 billion Hubble Space Telescope...

1990] Junk-bond salesman Michael Milken pleads quilty to 6 felonies and agrees to a $600 million penalty (Milken is later sentenced to 10 years in prison)...

1992] Exactly 24 years after being turned down by Apple, David Bowie signs another kind of contract with model Iman in Switzerland...

1994] The New York Rangers sweep the Islanders in the NHL playoffs...

2000] ABC-TV airs the TV movie "The Three Stooges"...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

Happy Birthday To...

1934] Shirley MacLaine...

1942] Barbra Streisand (did you get a card from the President, Babs ?)...

1945] Doug "Cosmo" Clifford...

1964] Cedric the Entertainer...

1977] The Mets' Carlos Beltran...

Doug "Cosmo" Clifford..."Then and Now"...

Drummer Doug Clifford, Stu Cook and John Fogerty formed The Blue Velvets in the late 50's. They would morph into Creedence Clearwater Revival and John's brother Tom would join the trio when they became CCR. Together they would become the hottest group in America until October, 1972 when the group would split up. In 1993 when CCR was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the broken relationship took a turn for the worse when John Fogarty wouldn't allow the other members of CCR to join him on stage at induction ceremonies. John stood there alone (brother Tom had died in 1990)...

Doug Clifford now performs with Creedence Clearwater Revisited, formed by Doug and former CCR guitarist Stu Cook who also celebrates his 61st birthday tomorrow...

[Today is the 114th day of 2006 with 251 days remaining in the year and 35 days until Memorial Day]


Friday, April 14, 2006

Friday-Sunday, April 14-23, 2006

Breaking the barrier...

April 15th is now officially known as "Jackie Robinson Day" throughout baseball for it was on that date in 1947 that Jack Roosevelt Robinson made his debut as the first black player in the game...

A crowd of 25,623 looked on at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn as Robinson made his debut at first base against the Boston Braves going hitless in 3 at bats. Before he retired on January 5, 1957, rather than play for the rival Giants, a team he was traded to, he would accomplish the following in his 10 short years in baseball:

  • 6 World Series appearances (including a winning one in 1955)...
  • 6 All-Star Game appearances (4 as a second baseman, one as a third baseman and one as an outfielder)...
  • A Rookie of the Year Award in 1947...
  • A National League MVP Award in 1949...
  • Induction into Baseball's Hall of Fame in 1962...

In additional to the racial slurs, death threats, hate mail and discrimination he would be subjected to when he played, Jackie Robinson's family life would be marked by tragedy as well. Eldest son, Jackie Jr. who had a history of drug abuse was killed in an automobile accident in 1971 while working as a counselor for Daytop Village. The diabetes that plagued Jackie would leave Robinson virtually blind and contribute to severe heart problems. It would eventually take his life on October 24, 1972...

Jackie Roosevelt Robinson is buried in Cypress Hills Cemetery in his beloved Brooklyn close by what was originally called the Interborough Parkway, now called the Jackie Robinson Parkway...

April 14 Memories...

1828] The 1st edition of Noah Webster's "American Dictionary of the English Language is published...

1865] President Abraham Lincoln is shot and mortally wounded by actor John Wilkes Booth while attending the comedy "Our American Cousin" at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C. He would die from his wounds the following day...

1894] The 1st public showing of Edison's kinetoscope (moving pictures) is held...

1902] James Cash Penney (J.C. Penney) opens his 1st retail store (The Golden Rule Store) in Kemmerer WY...

1910] President William Howard Taft throws out the 1st ball for the Washington Senators-Philadelphia A's game in Washington and a tradition is born...

1912] The Titanic, on its maiden voyage hits an iceberg and begins to sink. 1,517 would lose their lives but more than 700 survive...

1925] WGN becomes the 1st radio station to broadcast a regular season major league baseball game and "The Cubs win, the Cubs win, the Cubs win" 8-2 over the Pirates...

1939] John Steinbeck publishes "The Grapes of Wrath"...

1955] Elston Howard becomes the Yankees 1st black player...

1955] Fats Domino releases "Ain't That A Shame"...

1956] Ampex Corporation demonstrates the 1st commercial magnetic tape recorder for sound and picture...

1959] The Fleetwoods are #1 with "Come Softly To Me"...

1965] Millie Small sings "My Boy Lollipop" on this night on "Shindig"...

1969] The 1st major league baseball game is played in Canada (in Montreal)...

1974] MFSB (featuring the Three Degrees) is #1 with TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia), the theme song of "Soul Train"...

1988] The Devils beat the Islanders 6-5 and take the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs 4 games to 2...

1980] Blondie is #1 with "Call Me", the single of the year in 1980 in Billboard Magazine..

2002] Tiger Woods becomes only the 3rd player to win back-to-back Masters titles...

2003] Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit falls to U.S. led forces with unexpectedly light resistance...

[To ensure accuracy of years and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

Happy Birthday To...

1935] Loretta Lynn...

1941] Julie Christie...

1941] Pete Rose...

1945] Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple...

1960] Brad Garrett ("Everybody Loves Raymond")...

1966] Future Baseball Hall of Famer Greg Maddux...

1968] Anthony Michael Hall...

[Today is the 104th day of 2006 with 261 days remaining in the year and 45 until Memorial Day]...

Saturday, April 15, 2006...

April 15 Memories...

1817] The 1st American school for the deaf opens in Hartford, Connecticut...

1865] Andrew Johnson becomes the 17th President of the U.S. after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln who dies from his wounds on this day...

1892] The General Electric Company is organized...

1912] The Titanic sinks at 2:27 a.m. in the North Atlantic. 1,517 are lost at sea but more than 700 survive...

1934] Dagwood and Blondie Bumstead welcome a baby boy to their comic strip. His name is Alexander...

1947] Jackie Robinson becomes baseball's 1st black player (see opening feature)...

1955] Ray Kroc starts McDonald's...

1959] Cuban leader Fidel Castro begins a U.S. goodwill tour (question: Did anyone get goodwill from this tour ?)...

1965] In a call made famous by Johnny Most ("Havlicek Stole The Ball") the Celtics win the Eastern Division championship over Philadelphia when John Havlicek steals an in-bound pass as time runs out...

1966] Buffalo Springfield performs for the 1st time as the opening act for the Byrds in San Bernadino, CA...

1967] Richard Speck is found quilty of murdering 8 student nurses...

1968] The longest 1-0 game in baseball history is a 24-inning game between the Astros and Mets with Houston winning in 6 hours and 6 minutes...

1982] Billy Joel is seriously hurt in a motorcycle accident on Long Island. Joel will be hospitalized for a month...

1985] Marvelous Marvin Hagler retains his world middleweight title in a great battle with Thomas ("Hitman") Hearns that ends in a TKO in round 3...

1986] The U.S. launches an air raid against Libya in response to the bombing of a disco in Berlin on April 5. Libya says 37 die, mostly civilians...

1990] Legendary actress Greta Garbo dies at 84...

1997] Jackie Robinson's #42 is retired 50 years after becoming the first black player in baseball...

2001] Punk rocker Joey Ramone dies at 49...

2003] Umpire Laz Diaz is attacked by a fan during a Kansas City-Chicago game (the fan is later sentenced to 6 months in jail and to being forced to watch the rest of the Royals' baseball season)...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

Happy Birthday To...

1922] Michael Ansara...

1933] Roy Clark...

1942] Allan Clarke of the Hollies...

1944] Dave Edmunds...

1966] Samantha Fox...

[Today is the 105th day of 2006 with 260 days remaining in the year and 44 days until Memorial Day]...

Sunday, April 16, 2006...

April 16 Memories...

1789] President-elect George Washington leaves Mount Vernon, VA for his inauguration in New York City (yes New York City, the 1st capital of our country)...

1900] The 1st book of postage stamps is issued in books of 12, 24 and 48, two-cent stamps...

1940] Bob Feller pitches the 1st and only opening day no-hitter, as the Indians beat the White Sox 1-0 in Chicago...

1947] The Zoomar lens, invented by Dr. Frank Back is demonstrated in New York City as the 1st lens to exhibit zooming effects (leading to the Aretha song, "Who's Zooming who ?")...

1952] Sugar Ray Robinson comes off the canvas to KO Rocky Graziano to win the middleweight championship...

1962] Walter Cronkite succeeds Douglas Edwards as anchor of the CBS Evening News ("and that's the way it is, April 16th, 1962")...

1965] The Hollies make their American debut on a Murray the K show at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater...

1972] Apollo 16 blasts off on a voyage to the moon. It's the 5th manned moon landing...

1977] The ban on women attending West Point is lifted...

1996] Britain's Prince Andrew and his wife, Sarah (Fergie) announce their intention of getting a divorce...

1999] Wayne Gretzky announces his retirement from the Rangers and the NHL after a 21-year career...

2003] Michael Jordan plays his last NBA game (really !) as his Washington Wizards end their season with (what else ?) a loss to Philadelphia...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

Happy Birthday To...

1920] Barry Nelson...

1927] Edie Adams...

1935] Bobby Vinton...

1947] Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul Jabbar...

1954] Ellen Barkin...

1965] Martin Lawrence...

[Today is the 106th day of 2006 with 259 days remaining and 43 days until Memorial Day]...

Monday, April 17, 2006...

April 17 Memories...

1524] Giovanni da Verrazano reaches present day New York harbor (and demands that a bridge be named after him)...

1704] John Campbell publishes what will eventually become the 1st successfull American newspaper. It is known as the Boston "News-Letter"...

1790] Benjamin Franklin dies in Philadelphia at 84 (many living comics have died in Philadelphia)...

1860] New Yorkers learn of a new law requiring fire escapes to be provided for tenement buildings (hey the building I grew up in in Brooklyn had a fire escape and that wasn't a "tenement")...

1875] The game "snooker" is invented by Sir Neville Chamberlain (didn't he have anything better to do ?)...

1937] Daffy Duck debuts in "Porky's Duck Hunt"...

1947] Jackie Robinson gets his 1st hit, a bunt single...

1953] Mickey Mantle hits that famous 565 foot home run in Washington (which is the start of measuring home runs in games)...

1960] Eddie Cochran dies in Bath, England from injuries sustained in a car crash that seriously wounds Gene Vincent...

1963] Paul Hornung of Green Bay and Alex Karras of Detroit are suspended from the NFL for a full season for betting on NFL games...

1964] Ford unveils its new Mustang...

1965] The Beach Boys release "Help Me Rhonda"...

1967] "The Joey Bishop Show" debuts on ABC-TV with Regis Philbin as the announcer (the show would run through 1969 with its last show on December 26th)...

1970] The astronauts of Apollo 13 return to Earth safely after an on-board accident with an oxygen tank...

1970] Johnny Cash performs at the White House at the invitation of President Richard M. Nixon (Cash sings "A Boy Named Sue")...

1972] The Boston Marathon allows women for the 1st time in its 76-year history...

1993] 2 former L.A. police officers are convicted of violating the civil rights of beaten motorist Rodney King. 2 other officers are acquitted...

1996] Erik and Lyle Menendez are sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murder of their parents...

1998] Linda McCartney dies at 56...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

Happy Birthday To...

1934] Rock promoter and label head Don Kirshner...

1961] Boomer Esiason...

1972] Jennifer Garner...

1974] "Posh Spice" Victoria Adams Beckham...

[Today is the 107th day of 2006 with 258 days remaining in the year and 42 days until Memorial Day]...

Tuesday, April 18, 2006...

April 18 Memories...

1775] Paul Revere and William Dawes set out on their ride from Charlestown to Lexington, Massachusetts to warn American colonists that "the british are coming"...

1846] The telegraph ticker is patented by R.E. House (and all along you thought his name was probably dash or dot, c'mon admit it)...

1895] New York State passes an act that establishes free public baths (signed for the 1st appearance at the bath house: Cher, Bette Midler, Elton John and Barry Manilow)...

1906] San Francisco is devastated by an earth quake (the original toll was announced as 700 but there may have been 3 to 4 times the number of fatalities)...

1923] John Philip Sousa's band plays the national anthem as Yankee Stadium opens in the Bronx (the Yankees beat the Red Sox 4-1)...

1924] Simon and Shuster, Inc. publishes the 1st "Crossword Puzzle Book"...

1934] The 1st laundromat opens (in Fort Worth, TX)...

1939] Gene Autry records "Back in the Saddle Again"...

1945] American war correspondent Ernie Pyle is killed by Japanese gunfire off Okinawa (Pyle was 44)...

1949] The republic of Ireland is established...

1954] Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser seizes power in Egypt...

1955] Albert Einstein dies in Princeton, NJ at 76...

1956] Actress Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco walk down the aisle...

1960] The Mutual Broadcasting System is sold to the 3M Company of Minnesota for $1.25 million...

1962] Red Auerbach's Celtics win a then-record 4th straight NBA title by beating the Lakers in Game 7 of their playoffs...

1981] Yes announces their break-up after 13 years...

1983] The U.S. Embassy in Beirut is blown up by a suicide car bomber killing 62 including 17 Americans...

1994] Former President Richard M. Nixon suffers a stroke at his home in Park Ridge, NJ and will die 4 days later...

2002] Police arrest actor Robert Blake in the shooting death of his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley one year earlier (Blake would be acquitted of the killing)...

2002] Norwegian adventurer Thor Heyerdahl dies at the age of 87...

2003] Scott Peterson is arrested in the death of his wife, Laci, who was 8 months pregnant when she vanished on Christmas eve in 2002 (Peterson is later convicted and sentenced to death)...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

Happy Birthday To...

1922] Barbara Hale (Della Street on "Perry Mason")...

1934] James ("The Virginian") Drury...

1946] Hayley Mills...

1947] James Woods...

1956] Eric Roberts...

1963] Jane Leeves (Daphne on "Frasier")...

1963] Conan O'Brien...

[Today is the 108th day of 2006 with 257 days remaining in the year and 41 days until Memorial Day]...

Wednesday, April 19, 2006...

April 19 Memories...

1689] Residents of Boston get rid of their Governor, Edmund Andros (where was Whitey Bulger on this date ?)...

1775] The American Revolutionary War begins with the battles of Lexington and Concord...

1892] The prototype of the 1st commercially successful American automobile is completed in Springfield, Massachusetts by Charles E. Duryea and his brother Frank...

1897] The 1st Boston Marathon is run from Ashland to Copley Square (same route) with 15 runners. John J. McDermott of New York is the winner in 2 hours, 55 minutes and 10 seconds...

1933] The U.S. goes off the gold standard...

1943] Tens of thousands of Jewish people living in the Warsaw Ghetto begin an uprising against Nazi forces...

1951] General Douglas MacArthur bids farewell to Congress with his famous line: "Old soldiers never die, they just fade away"...

1958] The San Francisco Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers play the 1st major league baseball game on the West Coast...

1960} Baseball uniforms begin displaying player's names on their backs on away uniforms (except for the Yankees who still don't do it)...

1981] The longest pro baseball game ever played between Pawtucket and Rochester is suspended after 32 innings, 8 hours and 7 minutes with the score tied 2-2 at 4:07 a.m. 2 months later Pawtucket wins in the 33rd inning (future major league players, Wade Boggs of Pawtucket and Cal Ripken, Jr of Rochester played in the game)...

1986] Patti Smith releases "Because the Night"...

1987] The Islanders beat the Capitals 3-2 in 4 overtimes to win their opening round playoff series in 7 games...

1989] A white female jogger in New York's Central Park is brutally beaten and raped. Five black and Hispanic teenagers are convicted and sent to prison but the convictions are overturned in 2003 after a serial rapist confessed and DNA tied him to the crime...

1993] A 51-day seige at the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, TX ends when fire destroys the compound after federal agents break in. Dozens including sect leader David Koresh, are killed...

1994] When asked "boxers or briefs ?" on MTV, President Bill Clinton replies "briefs" (a little too much information, Mr. President)...

1995] The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City is destroyed by a bomb, it's the worst bombing on U.S. territory with 168 killed including 19 children, 500 are injured. Timothy McVeigh was found quilty of the bombing on June 2, 1997 and was eventually executed...

2001] The Mel Brooks musical "The Producers" opens on Broadway...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

Happy Birthday To...

1925] Hugh O'Brian ("Wyatt Earp")...

1937] ("Father Knows Best") Elinor Donahue...

1944] Mark "Flo" Volman (Turtles, Flo and Eddie)...

1946] Tim Curry...

1968] Ashley Judd...

1979] Kate Hudson...

[Today is the 109th day of 2006 with 256 days remaining in the year and 40 days until Memorial Day]...

Thursday, April 20, 2006...

April 20 Memories...

1865] Safety matches are 1st advertised...

1902] Scientists Marie and Pierre Curie isolate the radioactive element radium...

1912] Fenway Park opens with the Red Sox beating the Highlanders (who will be renamed "the Yankees") 7-6. Boston mayor John "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald throws out the 1st ball. For the 100th anniversary in 2012, grandson of Fitzgerald, Teddy Kennedy will throw out the 1st ball...

1916] Wrigley Field opens in Chicago with the Cubs beating Cincinnati 7-6 ("Cubs win, Cubs win, Cubs win")...

1934] Shirley Temple debuts in "Stand Up And Cheer"...

1939] Ted Williams makes his debut with the Red Sox at the age of 20...

1959] "Desilu Playhouse" on CBS-TV presents a 2-part show titled "The Untouchables" which becomes a regular series...

1961] FM Stereo broadcasting is approved by the FCC...

1963] Rick Nelson and Kris Harmon say "I Do"...

1964] "Viva Las Vegas", the Elvis movie premieres...

1972] The manned lunar module from Apollo 16 lands on the moon...

1977] Woody Allen's film "Annie Hall" premieres...

1980] The 1st Cubans sail to the U.S. as part of the massive Mariel boatlift that reaches Florida...

1988] The Stealth bomber is officially unveiled ("there it went")...

1989] Scientists announce the successful testing of high-definition TV (and we're just getting it now ?)...

1992] Madonna signs a deal with Time Warner to set up a multimedia company (the deal makes Madonna the highest paid woman in pop music)...

1999] 12 students and 1 teacher are killed at Columbine High School in Littleton, CO when 2 teenagers open fire before killing themselves...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

Happy Birthday To...

1924] Nina Foch...

1937] George ("Sulu" of "Star Trek") Takei...

1939] Johnny Tillotson...

1941] Ryan O'Neal...

1949] Jessica Lange...

[Today is the 110th day of 2006 with 255 days left in the year and 39 days until Memorial Day]...

Friday, April 21, 2006...

April 21 Memories...

1865] Abraham Lincoln's funeral train leaves Washington, D.C...

1918] German ace fighter Baron von Richthofen ("The Red Baron") is shot down and killed during World War I...

1956] Leonard Ross, age 10, becomes the youngest prizewinner on the "Big Surprise", winning $100,000...

1956] Elvis Presley has his 1st #1 hit when "Heartbreak Hotel" goes to #1 in Billboard...

1960] Dick Clark testifies before a congressional committee investigating payola. He will be forced to divest himself of record properties he has a financial interest in...

1965] The Beach Boys sing "Do You Wanna Dance" on ABC-TV's "Shindig!...

1977] Natalie Cole and John Denver are guests on Frank Sinatra's ABC-TV special "Sinatra and Friends"...

1977] "Annie" opens on Broadway...

1980] When Rosie Ruiz crosses the finish line 1st at the Boston Marathon sweatless, officials get suspicious. Rosie who took the "T" at least part of the way is disqualified...

1986] A vault in Chicago's Lexington Hotel that was linked to Al Capone is opened on live TV and except for some empty beer bottles, the vault is empty (the special was hosted by who else ? Geraldo Rivera)...

1992] Robert Alton Harris becomes the 1st person executed by the state of California in 25 years as he's put to death in the gas chamber for the 1978 murder of 2 teenage boys...

1995] The Boston Celtics play their last game at Boston Garden, their home since 1946 (the Garden will be razed and replaced by the Fleet Center next door with a piece of the parquet floor from the old Garden used on the new floor)...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

Happy Birthday To...

1926] Britain's Queen Elizabeth II...

1932] Elaine May...

1935] Charles Grodin...

1947] Iggy Pop...

1949] Patti LuPone...

1951] Tony Danza...

1958] Andie MacDowell...

[Today is the 111th day of 2006 with 254 days remaining in the year and 38 days until Memorial Day]...

Saturday, April 22, 2006...

April 22 Memories...

1864] Congress authorizes the use of the phrase "In God We Trust" on U.S. coins...

1876] The 1st official National League game is played with the Boston Red Stockings beating the Philadelphia Athletics 6-5...

1915] The New York Yankees wear pinstripes and use their bat in top hat logo for the 1st time...

1952] An atomic test conducted in Nevada is the 1st nuclear explosion shown on live network television...

1954] Syracuse Nationals owner Danny Biasone invents the 24-second clock which debuts in the NBA on this day...

1954] The U.S. Senate Army-McCarthy televised hearings start...

1956] Elvis Presley makes his Las Vegas debut at the Frontier Hotel...

1966] The Troggs release "Wild Thing"...

1968] Herb Alpert debuts "This Guy's in Love with You" on his self-titled CBS-TV special...

1969] John Lennon legally changes his middle name from Winston to Ono...

1970] Tom Seaver of the Mets ties the single game strike record with 19 against San Diego at Shea Stadium...

1970] The 1st "Earth Day" is observed...

1976] Johnnie Taylor's "Disco Lady" becomes the 1st single to sell over 2 million copies...

1976] Barbara Walters becomes the 1st female nightly news anchor...

1978] John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd make their 1st appearnce as The Blues Brothers on "Saturday Night Live"...

1990] Over 750,000 witness an "Earth Day" concert starring Hall & Oates, Ben E. King and the B-52's in Central Park...

1994] Richard Milhous Nixon dies at 81, after suffering a stroke 4 days earlier...

2000] In a pre-dawn raid, armed immigration agents seize Elian Gonzalez from his relatives' home in Miami (the 6-year old boy is reunited with his father at Andrews Air Force Base before being flown to Cuba where he now resides)...

2004] NFL player Pat Tillman who traded a career in the NFL for life as an Army Ranger in Afghanistan, is killed by friendly fire at the age of 27...

2005] Zacarias Moussaoui pleads guilty to conspiring with hijackers in the 911 plot to attack American buildings and citizens (unfortunately we have to see his smirking face in a courtroom every day now as 911 is relived in agonizing detail)...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

Happy Birthday To...

1923] Aaron Spelling...

1926] Charlotte ("Facts of Life") Rae...

1932] "Seinfeld's" Estelle Harris (George's mother)...

1936] Glen Campbell...

1937] Jack Nicholson...

1950] Peter Frampton...

1951] Paul (Squeeze) Carrack...

[Today is the 112th day of 2006 with 253 days remaining in the year and 37 days until Memorial Day]...

Sunday, April 23, 2006...

April 23 Memories...

1789] President-elect George Washington and his wife move into the 1st executive mansion, the Franklin House in New York City...

1896] The Vitascope system for projecting movies onto a screen is demonstrated in New York City...

1900] The word "hillbilly" is 1st used in print in an article in the New York Journal (it was spelled "Hill-Billie")...

1908] President Theodore Roosevelt signs an act creating the U.S. Army Reserve...

1950] Led by George Mikan, the Minneapolis Lakers win the 1st NBA championship over Syracuse in 6 games...

1954] Hank Aaron of the Milwaukee Braves hits the 1st of his record 755 home runs against the St. Louis Cardinals...

1963] Jan & Dean record "Surf City"...

1964] Ken Johnson of Houston throws the 1st no-hitter for a loss (to Cincinnati on 2 errors)...

1971] The Rolling Stones release their "Sticky Fingers" LP...

1975] Pete Ham of Badfinger hangs himself in his London garage at the age of 27...

1985] Coca-Cola changes its 99-year old secret formula but "New Coke" bombs and they go back to the original Coke...

1987] An apartment complex in Bridgeport, CT collapses and 28 construction workers are killed...

1988] A U.S. federal law takes effect banning smoking on flights under 2 hours...

1989] Kareem Abdul-Jabbar plays his final NBA game for the Lakers...

1995] Howard Cosell dies at 77...

1998] James Earl Ray who at first confessed to killing Martin Luther King and then said he was framed, dies at age 70...

2003] Global health officials warn travelers to avoid Beijing and Toronto because of an outbreak of SARS...

2004] President George W. Bush eases Reagan-era sanctions against Libya in return for Moammar Gadhafi's giving up WMD...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

Happy Birthday To...

1921] Janet Blair...

1928] Shirley Temple Black...

1939] Lee Majors...

1954] Michael Moore (did you get your card from W ?)...

1960] Valerie Bertinelli...

1967] ("CSI:NY") Melina Kanakaredes...

[Today is the 113th day of 2006 with 252 days remaining in the year and 36 days until Memorial Day]

Happy Holidays everyone...


Thursday, April 13, 2006

Thursday, April 13, 2006

The 'Bear and the 'Tiger...

April 13th was a very good date for 2 masters of their sport. They would both wear the green jacket (couldn't they have picked a better color or at least put seagulls on it to capture the true essence of the well dressed golfer ?) emblematic of capturing the Masters title at Augusta...

At the age of 46, few thought Jack Nicklaus would ever win another tournament, no less the Masters. But win it he would. The Golden Bear would wear the jacket for the 6th time in 1986. He had won his career long battle of golf supremacy over Arnold Palmer some time ago but with 6 Masters titles to Palmer's 4, this title would seal it...

Eleven years later, in 1997, same April 13th date, 21-year old Tiger Woods became the youngest golfer to ever capture the Masters and he did it "with AUTHORITY" as ESPN would say every time a basketball player makes a slam dunk. Tiger's 12 stroke advantage was the largest of the 20th century. His score of 18 under was the best in Masters history, breaking Jack Nicklaus' (hello !) 32-year old record...

April 13th was a day for the wearing of the green and it wasn't even St. Patrick's Day...

More April 13 Memories...

1782] Washington, NC is incorporated as the first town to be named for George Washington...

1796] The 1st known elephant arrived in the U.S. from Bengal, India (the 1st man to follow elephants with a shovel was close behind the elephant)...

1870] The Metropolitan Museum of Art is founded in New York City...

1940] The New York Rangers win the Stanley Cup by beating Toronto in the NHL playoffs...

1943] President Franklin Roosevelt dedicates the Jefferson Memorial...

1954] Hank Aaron makes his major league debut with Milwaukee going 0 for 5 in the Braves' 9-8 loss to Cincinnati...

1957] More wearing of the green as the Boston Celtics win the NBA title over the St. Louis Hawks thanks to the play of rookies Bill Russell and Tommy Heinsohn...

1963] Pete Rose gets his 1st major league hit (a double) for Cincinnati...

1964] Sidney Poitier becomes the 1st black in a leading role to win an Academy Award for "Lillies of the Field"...

1965] Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto win a Grammy for Record of the Year ("Girl from Ipanema"). Getz also wins for Album of the Year (with Joao Gilberto) and the Beatles win for Best New Artist of the Year...

1965] The Beatles record "Help"...

1971] The Rolling Stones release "Brown Sugar", the 1st release on their new Rolling Stones label...

1978] In the Yankee home opener, Reggie Jackson hits a 1st-inning home run and "Reggie Bars" (given away that day) rain down on the field. I was at that game with my son Rob but we ate the candy and it wasn't bad (round and nutty and covered with chocolate)...

1985] "We Are The World" is #1...

1986] Jack Nicklaus wins his 6th Masters title (see feature story)...

1986] Prince & the Revolution are #1 with "Kiss"...

1992] Lou Carneseca retires as coach of St. John's basketball team [Lou ran out of hideous sweaters to wear]...

1994] Christie Brinkley gets ready to move downtown as Christie and Billy Joel announce their separation...

1997] The Hartford Whalers play their last game in Hartford (they will move to Charlotte, NC)...

1997] Tiger Woods becomes the youngest golfer to win the Masters (see feature story)...

1998] Nations Bank and Bank of America announce a $62.5 billion merger...

1999] Jack Kervorkian is sentenced to 10 to 25 years for the second-degree murder of a man whose assisted suicide was shown on "60 Minutes" in 1998...

1999] Sir Elton John appears as a guest performer on "VH1 Divas Live" which stars Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, Cher, Faith Hill, Brandy, LeAnn Rimes and Mary J. Blige...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]

Happy Birthday To...

1935] Lyle Waggoner...

1939] Paul Sorvino...

1942] Composer Bill Conti...

1946] Al Green...

1963] Chess champion Gary Kasparov...

1970] Rick Schroder...

[Today is the 103rd day of 2006 with 262 days remaining in the year and 46 days remain until Memorial Day]...


Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

"I hope you guys don't need any rehearsal time with the clock song. We've only got time for a couple of takes" - Producer Milt Gabler...

Bill Haley and the Comets were looking for the "B" side of "Thirteen Women (and only One Man in Town)" on that Monday, April 12th in 1954 when producer Milt Gabler made his pronouncement. Gathered in a studio where the ghost of King Tut could have materialized at any moment, the Pythian Temple on Manhattan's westside was chosen for its great accoustics. On an off day for the "Knights of Pythias", Bill Haley would lay down one track while the Comets would lay their's down separately...

"Rock Around The Clock" would become the "A" side of the single but only spend one week on the charts at #23. When Decca Records took out a full page ad in the May 15th issue of Billboard Magazine, along with a picture of Bill Haley and the group, "Thirteen Women" dominated the ad that listed "(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock" as an afterthought. It wasn't an afterthought for the producer's of the 1955 movie, "Blackboard Jungle" who liked the song enough to use it for the film's theme song. After the movie opened, sales of "
Rock Around The Clock" skyrocketed and by the end of 1955, more than 6 million units were sold. On July 9th, 1955 the single would become the first rock and roll song to reach #1...

A Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, class of '87, Bill Haley would die of a heart attack in 1981 at the age of 55. Haley sold more than 60 million records worldwide with hits like "Crazy Man Crazy", "See You Later Alligator", "Skinny Minnie", "Shake, Rattle and Roll" and "Dim, Dim the Lights". But they all pale in comparison to the granddaddy of them all, "Rock Around The Clock"...

Most of the information used in today's feature story is available in a great book on Bill Haley that was published in 2005, "Rock Around The Clock". The author is Jim Dawson and the publisher is Backbeat Books...

See my commentary for more interesting information about "Rock Around The Clock"...

More April 12 Memories...

1606] England adopts the original version of the Union Jack as its flag (maybe what the JACK format needs is a flag)...

1861] The Civil War begins as Confederate forces fire on Fort Sumter...

1877] The catcher for Harvard's baseball team, James Tyng, wears a modified fencing mask behind the plate (it's believed to be the 1st catcher's mask ever used in a baseball game)...

1938] The 1st U.S. law requiring a medical test for a marriage license is enacted in New York...

1945] President Franklin Delano Roosevelt dies of a cerebral hemorrhage in Warm Springs, Georgia at 63. Harry S. Truman is sworn in as our new President...

1954] Bill Haley & His Comets record "Rock Around The Clock". It will top the Billboard charts for 8 weeks and is inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1982 (see feature story)...

1954] Joe Turner releases the original version of "Shake, Rattle and Roll"...

1960] Bill Veeck and Chicago's Comiskey Park introduces the 1st "exploding scoreboard"...

1961] Ray Charles walks off with 4 Grammy's, including Best Male Vocalist for "Georgia on my Mind"...

1966] The Righteous Brothers are #1 with "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration"...

1966] Jan Barry (Jan & Dean) crashes his car at "Dead Man's Curve" (hmmm, might make a good song title)...

1969] Simon & Garfunkel release "The Boxer"...

1971] Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's live album, "Four Way Street" reaches gold status...

1972] The Rolling Stones release "Exile on Main Street"...

1975] Linda Ronstadt releases "When Will I Be Loved"...

1985] Senator Jake Garn of Utah listens to his constituents who pleaded for Garn to get lost, and becomes the 1st senator to fly in space as the Discovery lifts off from Cape Canaveral (of course, John Glenn will become the 2nd senator to do it several years later)...

1987] Aretha Franklin & George Michael team together for the #1 single, "I Knew You Were Waiting (for me)" (it's Aretha's 1st chart topper in almost 20 years and the 4th for George)...

1988] Sonny Bono is elected mayor of Palm Springs...

1989] Radical activist Abbie Hoffman is found dead at home at 52...

1989] Former middleweight champion Sugar Ray Robinson dies at 67...

1992] Lisa Bonet files for divorce from Lenny Kravitz...

1995] Drew Barrymore jumps on David Letterman's desk, lifts up her sweater with her back to the audience and gives Letterman a peep show for his birthday...

2004] Barry Bonds ties Godfather Willie Mays for 3rd place with his 660th home run...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, mulitple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

Commentary...

"Rock Around The Clock" has been recorded by over 500 artists in 30 languages. Those who sing in our native tongue include: Mickey Katz (although he may also have done a Yiddish version. By the way Mickey Katz is the father of Joel Gray), Isley Brothers, Tiny Tim, Sex Pistols (anybody have a copy of that ?), Chubby Checker, Henry Mancini, Pat Boone and Harry Nilsson...

Speaking of Yiddish, Passover begins tonight at sundown. To those who observe, enjoy your seder and Pesach...

Happy Birthday To...

1926] Jane Withers...

1940] Herbie Hancock...

1944] Steppenwolf's John Kay...

1947] David Letterman...

1950] David Cassidy...

1956] Andy Garcia...

1957] Vince Gill...

1971] Shannen Doherty...

1979] Claire Danes...

[Today is the 102nd day of 2006 with 263 days remaining in the year and 47 days remain until Memorial Day]