Friday-Sunday, September 8-10, 2006

He was simply, 'The King'...

New York radio in 2006 is divided into 4 successful format camps that dominate the market. There's the perennial #1 rated Lite Radio, Spanish, Urban and all-News/News-Talk (which I have linked together) formats. Among those highly-rated stations there is not one single personality that dominates New York radio. Minus Opie and Anthony, Imus, Howard Stern (who most listeners have written off because he's not on free radio), Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, you can't single out any one dominant personality. Such was not the case in 1954 when the disc jockey known as "The King of Rock 'n' Roll" debuted at WINS...

Alan Freed started on WINS on this date in 1954 and quickly dominated New York radio. Prior to Freed, I can recall some strong personalities who were MOR dee jays. Martin Block, Ted Brown, William B. Williams and R&B jocks like Dr. Jive (Tommy Smalls), Jack Walker and Hal Jackson come to mind. Alan Freed was the most dynamic disc jockey I have ever heard. Freed ushered in the era of Rock and Roll. He used that term as if he owned it. He tried to own in with a copyright but Rock and Roll had already become generic, thanks to his popularity...

Alan Freed would only spend 5 years in New York but what 5 years they were. For those who'd like to reminisce, for those who never heard Freed, there's a website that offers Alan Freed audio. Just click on and enjoy "The King of Rock and Roll":

http://www.alanfreed.com/media.html

Ten Timeline Memories for September 8th...

1. [1664] The Dutch surrender New Amsterdam to the British, who rename it New York...
2. [1921] Margaret Gorman of Washington (DC) is crowned the 1st Miss America in Atlantic City (NJ)...
3. [1945] Bess Myerson of New York City becomes the 1st Jewish Miss America...
4. [1965] A Variety ad announces auditions for "The Monkees" TV show. Those who fail the audition include Stephen Stills, future Three Dog Night member Danny Hutton, Paul Williams and Charles Manson (yes that Charles Manson). No need to tell you who passed the audition...
5. [1965] A's infielder Bert Campaneris becomes the 1st player ever to play all 9 positions in a game (won by Kansas City). The Twins' Cesar Tovar repeats the feat 3 years later...
6. [1974] President Gerald R. Ford grants an unconditional pardon to former President Richard M. Nixon...
7. [1975] Boston's public schools begin a court-ordered citywide busing program amid scattered incidents of violence...
8. [1996] "ER", Dennis Franz and Kathy Baker are the big winners at the 48th Emmy Awards...
9. [1998] Mark McGwire hits his 62nd home run breaking Roger Maris' 37-year old record of 61 (McGwire winds up with 70 with a little help from Andro)...
10. [2004] Dan Rather gives us something to remember him by as "60 Minutes Wednesday" airs a report questioning George W. Bush's National Guard Service. Memos featured in the report were challenged as forgeries (Rather wishes he could go back to the good old "what's the frequency, Kenneth" days)...

#1 on this date: 1974] "I Shot the Sheriff" - Eric Clapton...

Premiered on this date: 1966] "That Girl" starring Marlo Thomas...1968] "Funny Girl" starring Barbra Streisand...

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

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday"...

Pink (27), The Giants Amani Toomer (32), David Arquette (35), Jose Feliciano (61), Willie Tyler (66) (age of sidekick "Lester" is unknown) and Sid Caesar (84)...

Timeline Countdown: 26 days until MLB playoffs, 114 days until 2007 and The Mets Magic Number: 7 (any combination of 7 Met wins or losses by 2nd place team and The Mets will clinch the NL East)...

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Saturday, September 9, 2006...

Ten Timeline Memories...

1. [1926] The Radio Corporation of America (RCA) creates NBC...
2. [1956] Elvis Presley's 1st Ed Sullivan Show appearance attracts an audience of 50 million, about one-third of the population. Elvis, shot from the waist up, will make a total of 3 appearances on the show...
3. [1960] The Boston Patriots lose the 1st AFL game ever played, 13-10 to Denver (a great trivia question for you)...
4. [1965] Future Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax of the Dodgers pitches his 4th no-hitter, a perfecto ! He shuts out the Cubs 1-0. It's the 8th perfect game in major league history...
5. [1966] John Lennon and Yoko Ono meet at an avant-garde art gallery (is this the perfect place for these 2 to meet or what ?)...
6. [1971] (ATT-I-CA...ATT-I-CA) Prisoners seize control of maximum security Attica prison in upstate New York. Tragically, 43 perish...
7. [1974] 22-year old Jimmy Connors wins his 1st U.S. Open Mens title...
8. [1979] At age 16, Tracy Austin becomes the youngest player to win the U.S. Open Womens title...
9. [1984] The Bears' Walter Payton breaks Jim Brown's combined yardage record when he reaches 15,517...
10. [1998] Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols appears on "Judge Judy" as the defendant in a case involving a drummer who sued Rotten for allegedly head-butting (boy would I love to see this)...

Wedding Bells: 1995] Chynna Phillips and William Baldwin (tick...tick...tick)...

"Happy Trails": 1976] Communist Chinese leader Mao-Tse-tung of natural causes at 82...2003] Nuclear scientist Edward Teller of natural causes at 95...

Released on this date: 1967] "Soul Man" - Sam and Dave...1971] "Imagine" LP - John Lennon...1972] "Witchy Woman" - Eagles...1978] "Beast of Burden" - Rolling Stones...

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

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday"...

"ER" male lead Goran Visnjic (34), Adam Sandler (40), Hugh Grant (46), Tom Wopat (55), Joe Theismann (57), Dee Dee Sharp (61), Inez Foxx (64), Topol (71), Sylvia Miles (74)...

Timeline Countdown: 25 days until MLB playoffs and 113 days until 2007 (Mets Magic Number going into play on Friday Night: 7)...

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Sunday, September 10, 2006...

Ten Timeline Memories...

1. {1846] Elias Howe of Spencer (MA) receives a patent for the sewing machine (from that day on, Elias was known as "that old sew and sew" but he continued to wear a smile that looked like it had been sewn on)...
2. [1953] Swanson begins selling "TV dinners" and here were those delicious choices: Salisbury Steak, Meatloaf, fried Chicken and Turkey...all came with potatoes and the brightest green peas imaginable...Yummy...
3. [1955] Bert Parks begins a 25-year career of singing "Here She Comes Miss America" as host of the "Miss America Pageant" (NBC-TV)...
4. [1963] 20 Black students enter public schools in Alabama following a standoff between federal marshalls and Alabama Governor George C. Wallace...
5. [1972] Gayle Sayers of the Bears retires after only 7 years in the NFL (he's the lifetime return leader at the time and his career numbers: 9,435 combined net yards and 336 points)...
6. [1974] The Cardinals' Lou Brock sets a new major league record for stolen bases as he swipes #105...
7. [1989] Deion Sanders scores a touchdown in his NFL debut 5 days after hitting a home run for the Yankees. Sanders becomes the 1st athlete to play in a World Series and Super Bowl...
8. [1993] NBC-TV airs its last episode of "Late Night With David Letterman" as Letterman moves to CBS-TV...
9. [1995] "NYPD Blue", "ER", "Frasier" and Candice Bergen are winners at the 47th Emmy Awards...
10. [2000] "The West Wing" wins a record 9 Emmy's including "Best Drama Series"...

Premiered on this date: 1935] "Popeye" on NBC radio...1955] "Gunsmoke" on CBS-TV...1990] Will Smith as "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"...1990] Ellis Island (re-opens)...1993] "The X-Files"...

Released on this date: 1966] "If I Were A Carpenter - Bobby Darin..."Last Train To Clarksville" - Monkees...

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

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday"...

Guy Ritchie (38), Randy Johnson (43), Amy Irving (53), Aersosmith's Joe Perry (56), Danny Hutton (64) and Arnold Palmer (77)...

Timeline Countdown: 24 days until MLB playoffs and 112 days until 2007. Mets Magic # was 7 going into play on Friday Night...

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