John Lennon has a home...
Three years and four months earlier, U.S. immigration ordered the former Beatle to pack his bags and head back to Liverpool. He was no longer wanted on these U.S.A. shores. It would've been no surprise for John to answer his door and find luggage and a one-way plane ticket wrapped up in a tidy union jack bow. Heavy support from the record and radio business, supported by lots of telegrams and letters (no cell phones or e-mails yet) to the White House may have swayed Richard Nixon to ask immigration to back off. I mean, even Howard Cosell campaigned for John, though there were those who were willing to swap Lennon for Cosell - even up. John Lennon was granted permanent residency in the U.S. on this date in 1976...
Now it's well documented that Lennon mis-used drugs, something not to be condoned but the greater good he contributed to society, far out-weighed his self-abuse. He did not deserve to be deported. He would remain in the land he adopted, the land that he loved - America, until that fateful day in 1980...
Lots of people were part of the cause that kept John Lennon in America. In my commentary you'll read about the Beatle promotion man who played a major part in that cause...
Ten Timeline Memories...
1940] Bugs Bunny makes his 1st appearance on the silver screen in "A Wild Hare". Bugs was the would-be dinner for frustrated hunter Elmer Fudd. The voice of Bugs Bunny was supplied by Mel Blanc who also created the voices or sounds of: Road Runner, Sylvester and Tweety Bird and many other cartoon characters...
1959] Attorney William Shea announces the formation of the Continental League and the promise of bringing a baseball team to New York in 1961 (Major League Baseball did not want competition from another baseball league and decided to allow New York a new franchise in 1962). The New York Mets were born thanks to Branch Rickey, Shea and others. This was Rickey's goal all along...
1960] Nixon's the One...VP Richard Nixon is nominated for President at the Republican national convention in Chicago (one of the funniest signs seen at the convention was a pregnant Republican delegate with a "Nixon's The One" sign on her belly)...
1965] The Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act was signed into law. The law requires health warnings on all cigarette packages...
1976] Tina Turner files for divorce from Ike Turner (Tina, what took you so long ?)...
1986] Greg Lemond is the 1st American to win Tour de France (guess who was the second American 7 times in a row ?)...
1992] Tragedy strikes the Celtics when Reggie Lewis dies after collapsing on a Brandeis University basketball court during practice. He was 27 years old...
1996] A homemade bomb explodes in Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta (GA), killing one person and injuring over 100. The games continued and a suspect (Richard Jewell) was charged in the case in 2003...
2003] Lance Armstrong becomes the 2nd cyclist in history to win the Tour de France 5 times in a row (he goes on to capture 7 in a row after his victory in 2005)...
2003] Legendary comedian Bob Hope dies at the age of 100...
Released on this date: 1959] "Sleepwalk" - Santo and Johnny...1974] "Sweet Home Alabama" - Lynyrd Skynyrd...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]..
Commentary...
Beatle promotion man Pete Bennett was the biggest influence at radio stations in the successful effort to keep John Lennon in America. Not only did Pete know every major radio station program director, he had ties at the White House, as well. Pete came to Boston for a front page story in Rolling Stone titled "A Day In The Life of a Beatle Promotion Man". Most of the interview took place in a Boston seafood restaurant which I attended with Pete and the writer from Rolling Stone. This article is on Pete's website at: www.petebennett.com. This is an interesting article that's worth reading...
Thanks to Joe McCoy for alerting me to this item: Veteran radio programmer Mike Phillips has serious health problems and has asked those who know him to pray for him. He has moved in with his brother in Portland (OR) and I have his e-mail address for those who know Mike. You may e-mail me for it...
July 27th birthdays:
The much-maligned Alex Rodriguez (31), Maya Rudolph (daughter of Minnie Riperton) of "Saturday Night Live" (34), Maureen McGovern (57), Peggy Fleming (58), Bobbie Gentry (62), Jerry Van Dyke (75), Harvey (of The Moonglows) Fuqua (77) and Norman Lear (84)...
[ Timeline Countdown: 40 days until Labor Day, 44 days until NFL kickoff, 69 days until MLB playoffs and 157 days left in the year]
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