Monday, July 31, 2006

Monday, July 31, 2006

The heat is on...

Proving the old adage, "politics make strange bedfellows" George McGovern chose Thomas Eagleton as his running mate in his quest for the presidency in 1972 despite Eagleton's mental health problems. I mean, no one accused Eagleton of being as nutty as, say, a fruitcake or even an O'Henry bar but McGovern's running mate nevertheless had seen a shrink or two. With this knowledge in hand, Eagleton was forced to withdraw from the race and Kennedy in-law, Sargent Shriver replaced him. Frankly, I really think that listening to McGovern's impersonation of Liberace every day on the campaign trail would have done him in anyway. The date was July 31, 1972...

Let's flash ahead to July 31, 2006, which happens to be today and in a totally unrelated way present to you (thanks to those of you who supplied us with your picks) our "Hate Parade" list. Because of the names you've provided, the list has grown to a top 10 list which we will continue to update:

1) Barry Bonds (01) 65% polled by the New York Daily News want the government to continue to investigate Bonds for steroid usage...

2) Alex Rodriguez (02) A-Rod stays in the top 5 unless the Yankees win the world series...

3) Terrell Owens (05) Up 2 notches from #5 because training camp has started. Let's see how long the love-fest lasts between Bill Parcells and the most famous initials in America...

4) Floyd Landis (--) Debuts on our HP list. 62.5% believe the testosterone results in an ESPN poll...

5) Tiger Woods (03) Tiger drops 2 positions for winning the British Open and not whining and for winning one for dad...

6) Lance Armstrong (04) Drops 2 positions even though he backs Landis. 71.8% don't believe the allegations against Lance in an ESPN poll...

7) Jose Canseco (--) He should have been on the original list. How could I forget him ?

8) Mike Tyson (--) Ditto...

9) Ron Artest (--) Ditto #2...

10) Pete Rose (--) Back in the spotlight after another Hall of Fame induction - something he'll never see...

Bumbling under: Venus and Serena Williams, Latrell Sprewell, Kobe Bryant, Charles Barkley, Rafael Palmeiro and Reggie Jackson...

For your future votes: No deceased people or folks who have been out of the spotlight and not likely to return to it, will be used...Thank you for voting and when you exit the ballpark, drive home safely...

Ten Timeline Memories...

1928] MGM's Leo the lion roars for the 1st time when he's introduced to the big screen for "White Shadows on the South Seas" (Leo was more famous than anyone in the movie)...

1948] President Harry S. Truman helps dedicate Idlewild International Airport (later changed to JFK) with N.Y. Governor (and his upcoming opponent in the Presidential election) Thomas Dewey and Mayor William O'Dwyer in attendance. There was coverage on both radio & TV...

1964] The American space probe, Ranger 7 transmits pictures of the moon's surface back to earth...

1964] Country singer Jim Reeves dies when the single-engine Beechcraft that he was piloting goes down during a violent thunderstorm near his home in Nashville. His business partner and manager, Dean Manuel is also killed. "Gentleman Jim" was just 40...

1968] The Beatles recording of "Hey Jude" is completed at Trident Studios in London...

1976] The U.S. picks up 5 gold medals in boxing at the Montreal Olympics. Sugar Ray Leonard, Michael and Leon Spinks, Howard Davis and Leo Randolph are the winners (Sugar Ray, Michael and Leon Spinks will make their mark in professional boxing)...

1979] James Taylor plays a free concert in Central Park to help the city's campaign to restore the park's Sheep Meadow...

1981] The 7-week baseball players strike comes to an end when the players and owners agree on the issue of free agent compensation...

1990] Nolan Ryan becomes the 20th major league pitcher to win 300 games as his Texas Rangers beat the Milwaukee Brewers 11-3...

1995] The Walt Disney Company agrees to buy Capital Cities-ABC Inc. for $19 billion (the rich get richer)...

Released on this date: 1976] "Still The One" - Orleans..."Don't Fear The Reaper" - Blue Oyster Cult...

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

"E-mails"...

Got a nice note from the "Morning Mayor" of New York City, Harry Harrison who's enjoying life. Harry's note pad includes his signature, "Every brand new day should be unwrapped like a precious gift"...We miss you Harry...

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

Dean Cain (40), J.K. Rowling (41), Wesley Snipes (44), Evonne Goolagong Cawley (55), Gary Lewis (60), William Weld (61), Sherry Lansing (62), Geraldine Chaplin (62), Ahmet Ertegun (83)...

[Timeline countdown: 36 days until Labor Day, 40 days until NFL kickoff, 65 days until MLB playoffs and 153 days remaining in 2006]

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Friday, July 28, 2006

Friday-Sunday, July 28-30, 2006

The money keeps rolling in beyond the grave...

Benjamin Franklin would have amended his most famous line if he were alive today to "In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes but the money doesn't stop after death". Ask Robert FX Sillerman (what the devil does FX stand for ?) who smiles every time an Elvis record goes to #1 in England and with every velvet matted portrait of The King sold. Sillerman owns the Elvis Presley estate legally, at the request of Lisa Marie Presley, who will never need a hit single to get rich. But what about the people who made money off of Abbott and Costello, Laurel and Hardy and many countless others illegally? They would pay for it by getting smacked with law suits by the heirs of these legendary comedians. July 28th marks the anniversary of 2 such famous cases...

In 1987 you might say The Beatles and Yoko Ono were fit to be tied. On July 28th, the remaining members of the Fab Four and John Lennon's wife, sued Nike from using "Revolution" in one of their sneaker ads. While no official record of the conclusion of this lawsuit was made public you can be sure that a hefty out-of-court payment to the litigants was made. On the same July 28th date in 1995 a settlement returned the rights to Jimi Hendrix's estate to his father. The ruling included all unmastered tapes, concert recordings, photographs and other personal possessions...

There also have been suits brought involving the legal use of group names in recent years by artists suing for the right to use those names as is the case with The Doors, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, Shangri-las, Marvelettes, Drifters, Platters and Creedence Clearwater Revival. It is common today to see an act with some ridiculous name like, oh I don't know - Sammy & the guys who sang along at home with all the hits of the Songbirds who sounded exactly like the Drifters. It could happen...

Ten Timeline Memories...

1945] A U.S. bomber crashes into the 79th floor of the Empire State Building, killing 14 and injuring 26. The building only sustained minor damage...

1957] Jerry Lee Lewis makes his TV debut on "The Steve Allen Show". "The Killer" sings "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" (which would not, in any way, hurt record sales)...

1973] Lee Majors and Farrah Fawcett tie the knot (and in time will tie each other's neck in a knot). The couple (of what ?) would separate in 1979 in an "on-again, off-again" relationship (which will only be matched by Farrah and Ryan O'Neal)...

1973] A throng of 600,000 gathers at Watkins Glen (NY) for "The Summer Jam" festival starring the Allman Brothers and Grateful Dead (I can smell it now)...

1978] At Old Timer's Day at Yankee Stadium it's announced that Billy Martin will return as Yankee manager in 1979 (I remember being at this game. My jaw didn't shut for a week after this bizarre announcement)...

1991/1994] Texas pitcher Kenny Rogers pitches a perfect game against California, 4-0. Three years to the date in 1994, the next perfect game is pitched by Montreal's Dennis Martinez against the Dodgers...

1995] A jury in Union (SC) rejects the death penalty for Susan Smith, sentencing her instead to life in prison for drowning her 2 young sons. We just had a similar ruling yesterday for Andrea Yates who drowned her 5 kids (have mercy)...

1999] Detroit running back Barry Sanders, in the prime of his career, retires after 10 years at the age of 31 (a lot of teams would sign him today if they could)...

2000] Kathie Lee Gifford makes her final appearance as co-host of "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee" (if Kathie Lee walked into the receptionist at the show, he/she would ask: "and you arrrrreeee ?")...

2004] The Democratic National Convention in Boston nominates Massachusetts Senator John Kerry for president (Vietnam veterans drop what they're doing and call information for the number of the White House)...

#1 on this date: 1956] "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" - Elvis Presley...

Released on this date: 1973] "We're An American Band" - Grand Funk Railroad...

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

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

Sally (Gloria Stivic on "All In The Family") Struthers (58), Georgia (Georgette on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show") Engel (58), Jonathan ("Sunshine") Edwards (60), "Garfield" cartoonist Jim Davis (61), Bill Bradley (63)...

[Timeline countdown: 39 days until Labor Day, 43 days until NFL kickoff, 68 days until MLB playoffs and 156 days remaining in 2006]

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Saturday, July 29, 2006...

Ten Timeline Memories...

1957] Jack Paar becomes the new host of the "Tonight Show". Paar will host until 1962 and the arrival of Johnny Carson...

1961] Dick Clark premieres his "Dick Clark Caravan of Stars" stage show. First stop: Atlantic City's Steel Pier. The show goes on the road with Chubby Checker, Duane Eddy, Bo Diddley and others and becomes a summer staple...

1966] Bob Dylan crashes his motorcycle near his home in Woodstock, breaking his neck. He remains in critical condition for a week. When he recovers he becomes a recluse for months...

1974] Mama Cass Elliot dies from heart failure in London at the age of 32 (reports that circulated for years about her choking on a ham sandwich were bogus according to the coroner)...

1981] England's Prince Charles, 32 and Lady Diana Spencer, 20, tie the royal knot at St. Paul's Cathedral in London (the royals will divorce in 1996)...

1987] Ben & Jerry introduce a new flavor in honor of the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia: "Cherry Garcia" (their #1 best-selling flavor in 2006. Many assume that they created the flavor after Garcia died...not true)...

1989] Texas Rangers' owner George W. Bush makes what he describes as his "worst trade": Sammy Sosa and 2 lesser players for Harold Baines (a pretty good hitter) and the immortal Fred Manrique. Sosa will only hit about 400 home runs after the trade. (Best butchering of Sosa's name was made by Teddy Kennedy who called him "Sammy Sousa" and then corrected it to "Sammy Soosa")...

1993] The Israeli Supreme Court acquits retired Ohio autoworker John ("Ivan the terrible") Demjanjuk as a Nazi death camp guard but then throws out the death sentence...(Why ???)...

1998] Miramax buys the rights to the Beatles film, "A Hard Day's Night"...

2003] Bill Mueller of the Red Sox becomes the 1st player in major league history to hit grand slams from both sides of the plate in a single game which the Sawx win 14-7 over Texas...

Recorded on this date: 1959] "Shout" - Isley Brothers...

Released on this date: 1978] "Whenever I Call You Friend" - Kenny Loggins/Stevie Nicks...

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

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

Martina McBride (40), Patti Scialfa Springsteen (50), Ken Burns (53), Gary Busey (62), Senator Elizabeth Dole (70), Robert Horton (82)...

[Timeline countdown: 38 days until Labor Day, 42 days until NFL kickoff, 67 days until MLB playoffs and 155 days remaining in 2006]

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Sunday, July 30, 2006...

Ten Timeline Memories...

1942] FDR signs a bill creating a women's auxiliary agency in the Navy a.k.a. Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Services but you can call it The WAVES...

1956] By order of Congress and approved by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, "In God We Trust" becomes our national motto...

1960] In the 1st American Football League (AFL) pre-season game, the Patriots beat the Buffalo Bills 28-7...

1965] President Lyndon B. Johnson signs into law, the Social Security Act, establishing Medicare and Medicaid...

1970] The Rolling Stones fire Allen Klein as their business manager...

1975] Former Teamster union president Jimmy Hoffa disappears in suburban Detroit. Although presumed dead, his remains have never been found (which includes a recent attempt to find them)...

1990] George Steinbrenner, principal owner of the Yankees is ordered (by the commissioner) to resign for hiring a private detective (Howie Spira) to spy on outfielder Dave Winfield. Although banned for life, he is reinstated in 1993...

1998] Buffalo Bob Smith, Howdy Doody's daddy, dies of lung cancer at 80 (I had a picture taken with him and Howdy when they visited CBS-FM shortly before his death and he looked like the picture of health)...

2000] Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt walk down the aisle (you know the rest). They were divorced in 2005...

2003] Sun Records founder Sam Phillips (no relation but I did meet him) who discovered Elvis Presley, dies of respiratory failure in Memphis at 80...

#1 on this date: 1966] "Yesterday...and Today" LP - Beatles...

Released on this date: 1971] "Bangledesh" - George Harrison...

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

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

Jaime Pressley (My Name is Earl") (29), Lisa Kudrow (43), Laurence Fishburne (45), Anita Hill (50), Delta Burke (50), Cahleeforneeuh Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (59), Paul Anka (65), Peter Bogdanovich (67), Edd "Kookie" Byrnes (73)...

[Timeline countdown: 37 days until Labor Day, 41 days until NFL kickoff, 66 days until MLB playoffs and 154 days remaining in 2006]

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Thursday, July 27, 2006

Thursday, July 27, 2006

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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Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

"I started with the idea 'Hey Jules', which was Julian, 'don't make it bad, take a sad song and make it better" - Paul McCartney...

The song, of couse was "Hey Jude", one of the most enduring of all Beatle hits. Julian Lennon didn't know that the song was written for him until 20 or so years later. "Paul and I used to hang about quite a bit, more than dad and I did". The song was completed at Paul's home with finishing touches by John Lennon on July 26th, 1968...

"Hey Jude" was recorded at Trident Studios in London on July 31st. Released in the U.S. on August 26th, the single entered the charts on September 14th and went to #1 two weeks later for a period of 9 weeks. It was the longest number of weeks at #1 for any Beatles single. The original version was over 7 minutes but an edit was made for radio...

"Hey Jude" has become Paul McCartney's signature song and he closes every show with it. The song will go down as one of the all-time top 3 "Battle of the Bands" tunes in the history of radio. At WRKO it was usually in this order: 1) "Hey Jude", 2) "A Day In The Life" and 3) "Colour My World". Enduring ? You bet. Our children's, children's children will know the song...

Ten Timeline Memories...

1775] A postal system is established by the 2nd Continental Congress. The 1st Postmaster General is Benjamin Franklin...

1908] Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte issues an order creating an investigative agency that will become the FBI...

1948] Babe Ruth is seen publicly for the last time, attending the premiere of "The Babe Ruth Story" in Manhattan...

1953] Fidel Castro begins his revolt against Fulgencio Batista with an unsuccessful attack on an army barracks in eastern Cuba (Castro eventually ousts Batista 6 years later)...

1981] New York Mayor Ed Koch is given the Heimlich maneuver when he chokes on food at a Chinese restaurant. It saved his life (this is one time he will not ask "How'm I doin")...

1984] Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn suspends pitcher Vida Blue for the remainder of the season for cocaine possession (Blue explained that he thought it was talcum powder)...

1984] Prince's movie "Purple Rain" premieres in Hollywood (I would've loved to see the people at that opening)...

1987] Inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame: Catfish Hunter, Billy Williams and Ray Dandridge (from the Negro Leagues)...

1992] Mary Wells, Motown's 1st Diva, dies of cancer of the larynx, diagnosed in 1990. Mary was just 49...

1997] Giants owner Wellington Mara and Dolphins coach Don Shula are inducted into the football Hall of Fame in Canton (OH)...

Released on this date: 1963] "Mickey's Monkey" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, 1969] "Beggar's Banquet" LP - Rolling Stones...

#1 on this date: "Alone Again (Naturally)" - Gilbert O'Sullivan...

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

Commentary...

Thanks for your response to my request for your own "Hate Parade" top 5. Once all the votes are in I'll post your all-time top 10 list. Stand by for that next week...

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

Kate Beckinsale (33), Jeremy Piven (41), Sandra Bullock (42), Kevin Spacey (47). Dorothy Hamill (50), Mick Jagger (63), Dobie Gray (64), Brenton Wood (65), Darlene Love (65) and Blake Edwards (84)...

[timeline dateline: 41 days until Labor Day, 45 days until the NFL kickoff, 70 days until the MLB playoffs and 158 days left in 2006]

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Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

July 25th - Another day at the office for Lance Armstrong...

Everyone has a lucky day. For most of us it's a day of the week like Friday. It's the end of the week and for most and most importantly, it's pay day. Lance Armstrong has a favorite date - July 25th. The day of the week doesn't matter as long as it falls in July and is on the 25th. Case in point - July 25, 1999. That's the year the cancer surviving Texan won his 1st Tour de France. Same date, different year (2004) Armstrong outdistanced the field on the steepest portions of the course to win his 6th consecutive Tour. Last year was an aberration. He won his 7th consecutive race on July 24th, 2005...

This year Armstrong tutored winner Floyd Landis and is still celebrating. As he puts it: "I'm glad that a guy who came through our program has won. We can take a small bit of credit for helping develop Floyd". Now you can take that quote a couple of different ways. Lance is happy for Landis' success or he's taking a bow for his victory. Armstrong, who has his detractors is often taken the wrong way. To have survived the cancer that had spread through his body is beyond heroic. Not many people could survive what he went through. That is a given. But (and isn't there always a but ?) there's a whole bunch of questions people have about whether or not Lance has taken any performance enhancing drugs (although he's never failed a drug test). Then there's leaving his wife and kids for Sheryl Crow and then finally, questions linger about why he's no longer with Crow...

The controversy surrounding Lance Armstrong has given me an idea. Lance is one of several athletes who has to be included in what I will call my Hate Parade list. These athletes are known by not only sports fans - but those who don't know the difference between a grand slam and a touchdown. It's a list of athletes that are either loved or hated or whose motives and demeanor are mostly questioned and in many cases, maligned. All of these athletes are lightning rods for controversy. They are magnets for those who blame them for everything, from starvation in Uganda to the war in Iraq and perhaps even for the poor folks in Queens who still are power-less. So here we go with my 1st Hate Parade top 5:

5) Terrell Owens

T.O. has quickly outlived his welcomed wherever he's played. Now he's Big Tuna's problem. Once the NFL season begins he will be moving up this list...

4) Lance Armstrong

The answer my friend is not "Blowin' in the Wind". It's in my feature story...

3) Tiger Woods

It doesn't matter what he does or does not achieve, he will stay on this list forever...

2) Alex Rodriguez

Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani has thrown his hat in the ring. Not for the Presidency but behind A-Rod. He's told Yankee fans to lay off the booing. Like Tiger, he will stay on this list forever and will surely be #1 before the end of the baseball season. By the way, A-Rod is now comparing himself to Tiger Woods. Like Tiger, it doesn't matter what he does or does not achieve. I mean he could be the league MVP, pick up his 2,000th hit at 30 or hit 450 home runs and he would still be booed. Oh wait, he has done all of those things...

1) And.....#1 on my Hate Parade Top 5 list...(tymp roll and under) Who else ? Barry Bonds

If you don't know why he's #1 now...you never will...Your own HP-Top 5's are welcome...

Ten Timeline Memories...

1871] The Carousel is patented by Wilhelm Schneider of Davenport, Iowa...

1946] Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis make their debut as an act at Club 500 in Atlantic City (as you read yesterday, they broke up one day earlier (July 24) 10 years later)...

1952] Puerto Rico becomes a self-governing commonwealth of the U.S...

1956] The Stockholm collides with the Andrea Doria off the coast of Nantucket. 1,660 survive but 51 (including the crew) are lost at sea (the ship lies in over 200 feet of water, 45 miles south of Nantucket yet divers continue to brave the depth and sharks to salvage valuables that still remain)...

1965] Bob Dylan goes electric and gets booed doing his 1st non-acoustic set (behind the Paul Butterfield Blues Band) at the Newport Jazz Festival. The song Dylan sang was "Maggie's Farm"...

1966] Casey Stengel is inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame. Also at the Cooperstown ceremony was the great Ted Williams, inducted on the same day...

1969] With Neil Young now a member, he and Crosby, Stills and Nash make their debut at the Fillmore East in Manhattan...

1978] One day after Billy Martin's "one is a born liar (Reggie Jackson), the other (George Steinbrenner) a convict" speech, he's replaced as Yankee manager by Bob Lemon (what took so long ?)...

1978] Louise Joy Brown, the 1st test-tube baby is born in England (Louise is a postal worker who is happily married with a 6 month-old daughter who was born naturally and lives in Bristol, England)...

1990] Rosanne Barr gets booed off the field in San Diego for her screeching and totally tacky (cleverly acting like a baseball player, she spits on the field and grabs her crotch) version of the National Anthem (she would not be invited back)...

Released on this date:
1966] "You Can't Hurry Love" - The Supremes
1970] "25 or 6 to 4" - Chicago
1971] "Surf's Up" LP - The Beach Boys

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

Still "Twistin'"...

Paul Power adds: "I bought that 45 (Hank Ballad's "The Twist" (and still have it on King) back, I believe in '58 or '59. It was originally the "B" side of "Teardrops On Your Letter", a ballad that charted big R&B but not pop. I also remember Don Parker playing it on WMEX and always liked it better. I think Bob Sherwood was right about hearing it pre-1960)...

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

Mets relief pitcher Billy Wagner (35), Matt LeBlanc ("Joey") (39), Iman (51), Earth, Wind and Fire's Verdine White (55), Estelle ("Golden Girls") Getty (82)...

"Timeline Countdown": 42 days until Labor Day, 46 days until NFL kickoff, 71 days until MLB playoffs and 159 days remaining in 2006.

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Monday, July 24, 2006

Monday, July 24, 2006

The Pine Tar game - July 24, 1983...

If you weren't watching this game on TV or in person as I and 16-year Robert Phillips a.k.a. my son, were, then there is no way you could explain it to anyone, but I'll try. KC's George Brett had done what he always did when facing Goose Gossage - hit a home run. This gave the Royals a 5-4 lead in the 9th inning. After Brett crosses the plate, Yankee manager Billy Martin comes on the field for a pow-wow with the umpires at home plate. Martin points to Brett's bat and home plate umpire Tim McClelland examines it and gives the bat and Brett a thumbs-up gesture which did not indicate a good movie review. It did indicate that Brett was out, his home run erased. What followed next was pure theater...

George Brett came charging out of the KC dugout hoping to aply some pine tar to McClelland's neck with his bare hands. He would have had he not been restrained by his coaches and the other umpires who had to fear for their own lives as well. In all my years of watching games I have never seen a player get thisclose to killing an umpire. The score reverted back to what it was (4-3 Yankees), minus Brett's 2-run home run and the game was completed after the Royals 3rd and final out of the 9th inning or was it ???

Brett's bat had so much pine tar on it that if someone shook a pillow out of one of the Bronx tenement windows surrounding Yankee Stadium, Brett's gender would have been seriously challenged. Not only would his home run have been disallowed, he would've been arrested for impersonating Phyllis Diller. His home run was taken away because the bat handle exceeded the legal amount of pine tar (17") but AL President Lee MacPhail overruled the umpires saying the rule needed to be rewritten and clarified. The home run stands and the game was resumed from that point (5-4 KC with 2 outs in the Royals half of the 9th inning) on August 18th...

The conclusion of the game on August 18th was played in just 12 minutes and was witnessed by 1,245 as in one thousand, two-hundred and forty-five in a cavernous and empty Yankee Stadium. The final score stayed at 5-4 in Kansas City's favor. It was the only game played that day and the game ended as oddly as it left off with lefty Don Mattingly playing second base and pitcher Ron Guidry in center field. Can you imagine Desi asking Lucy to 'splain this game to him ???

Ten Timeline Memories...

1847] Richard M. Hoe patents the rotary-type printing press (and not a minute too soon)...

1956] Following a performance at the Copacabana, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis split up after a partnership that began 10 years earlier on July 25th, 1946. Their 1st appearance as a team was at Atlantic City's infamous 500 Club...

1965] At the age of 75 and nursing a broken hip, Casey Stengel calls it quits as manager of the New York Mets...

1969] The Apollo 11 astronauts (Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins) splash down safely in the Pacific Ocean after their historic walk on the moon...

1974] The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously rules that Richard Nixon must turn over subpoenaed White House tapes to the Watergate special prosecutor...

1978] The movie "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" premieres in New York City...

1978] A tearful Billy Martin gives his famous "One is a born liar, the other, a convict" speech. The "Liar" was Reggie Jackson, the "convict" - George Steinbrenner. With that statement made, Billy Martin "retires" as Yankee manager...

1987] "La Bamba", the movie biography of Richie Valens premieres...

1995] Frank Sinatra celebrates his 80th year with 3 nights at Carnegie Hall...

2003] The U.S. releases pictures of Odai and Qusai Hussein to prove that they now sleep with the fishes...

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

E-mails, we get e-mails. We get lots and lots of e-mails...

Corinne Baldassano, Senior VP, Programming & Marketing of "The Dr. Laura Program" remembers being at the July 21st, 1983 Diana Ross downpour performance at Central Park: "I distinctly remember all of the celebrities scrambling for cover and I think we all dodged under one tent. What I do remember is as I was wringing out the clothes that were still on me, I realized I was standing next to a very drenched Calvin Klein, who did not look terribly fashionable in his rain-soaked garb. I was just glad to get home, turn on the TV and see what was going on that I didn't see first-hand"...

Bob Sherwood who thought he remembered hearing "The Twist" by Hank Ballard prior to it's release in 1960, tracked down the answer to that by going to Tom Noonan, Dave Williams and Barry Salberg (who supplied a music survey from KWBR, circa 1959) for the information. Follow along folks. Tommy who did the Billboard charts from 1954 to 1965, comments: "The Twist" might have been released prior to debuting on the pop chart on 7/18/60 and while it had gotten a lot of R&B airplay, I doubt it happened in 1958 (as Sherwood believed). Hank Ballad's "The Twist" made it to peak position 24 and was on the (pop) chart for 16 weeks". Sherwood noticed on the KWBR music survey, a jock by the name of Big Don Barksdale who was not only a jock but played for the Boston Celtics and became the 1st black player to make the NBA All-Star Game in 1953. Barksdale died in 1993. Thanks for all the good information Bob...

And thanks to an alum of WRKO, Frank Santos for the kind words. Frank, as long as you keep reading - I'll keep writing...

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

Kristin Chenoweth (36), Jennifer Lopez (37), Barry Bonds (42), "Wonder Woman" Lynda Carter (55), Michael ("Kramer") Richards (57), Dan Hedaya (66) and Ruth Buzzi (70)...

"Happy Trails"...

Character actor Jack Warden who had been suffering from medical problems, at 85. Warden appeared in "Shampoo", "Heaven Can Wait", "Brian's Song" and "Twelve Angry Men" and had a prolific TV career in the 60's...

Timeline Countown: 43 days until Labor Day, 47 days until the NFL kickoff, 72 days until the MLB playoffs and 160 days left in 2006...

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Friday, July 21, 2006

Friday-Sunday, July 21-23, 2006

Don't Rain On My Parade...

Our headline is the title of the song that Diana Ross should have been singing on the night of July 21st, 1983 when the heavens opened up on Central Park. There stood Diana, soaking wet but still managing to perform some of her classic Motown hits during the torrential summer rains that drenched her and those brave enough to weather her free concert. After 40 minutes the show was cancelled as over a quarter of a million fans rushed for the park exits while soaked to the bone. By dawn some 6 inches of rain had fallen. The weather cleared for the make-up date but what followed was ugly, real ugly...

In the closing minutes of the diva's appearance, gangs of unruly kids snatched chains, grabbed pocketbooks and romped on a rampage that spilled from Central Park to as far south as Times Square, over a mile away. Hundreds were beaten, some were stabbed and there were over 100 arrests made by New York's Finest in what was decidely not New York's finest hour.

Mayor Ed ("Hey, how'm I doin' "?) Koch and the New York City Council considered ending all free concerts in the aftermath but perhaps sensing this and in a spirit of good will, Diana Ross would make her atonement by donating a generous amount of t-shirt and merchandise sales money from the concert to the city. The city used the money for "The Diana Ross Playground", located at West 81st Street and Central Park West...

Ten Timeline Memories...

1861] The 1st Battle of Bull Run is fought at Manassas (VA). The Confederates draw 1st blood in this one...

1925] The "Monkey Trial" ends in Dayton (TN) with John T. Scopes convicted of violating the state law for teaching "Darwin's theory of evolution". The conviction was later overturned (Scopes was heard muttering "that judge is an ape" as he leaves the courtroom)...

1957] Althea Gibson becomes the 1st black woman to win a major U.S. tennis title when she wins the Women's National Clay-Court singles competition...

1961] Gus Grissom becomes the 2nd American to rocket into a sub-orbital pattern around the Earth on the Liberty Bell 7 (Alan Shepard was the 1st)...

1969] Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin blast off from the moon aboard the lunar module...

1975] Here's something Joe Torre never talks about: As a member of the Mets, Torre hits into 4 doubleplays, each time he follows a hit by Felix Millan (who was heard muttering, "you better do something else man, like become a manager or somethin")...

1976] The 1st outbreak of "Legionnaire's Disease" is reported in the city of Philadelphia...

1987] Mary Hart of "Entertainment Tonight" has her legs insured by Lloyd's of London for $2 million (her liver for $500,000, her kidneys for $250,000 and her earrings for $100,000)...

1998] Our 3rd timeline headline about astronauts but a sad one: 74 year-old Alan Shepard dies from leukemia...

1999] Navy divers find the bodies of John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife Carolyn and sister-in-law, Lauren Bessette in the wreckage of Kennedy's plane in the Atlantic Ocean off the shore of Martha's Vineyard...

#1's on this date...
1970] "(They Long To Be) Close To You" - Carpenters, 1975] "The Hustle" - Van McCoy, 1985] "Everytime You Go Away" - Paul Young...


[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"...

Frank Kingston Smith a.k.a. Bobby Mitchell at WRKO comments on the moonwalk: "and who was on the air when they launched ? I was on for the touchdown. Do you remember that when they lifted off I played "Everyone's Gone To The Moon" ? And guess who got home in time to watch Neil Armstrong climb down the ladder a couple of hours later ? I got to meet Armstrong and Aldrin not that long ago. Armstrong detests all the publicity and Mike Collins became a curator at the Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian. My dad became close friends with Collins"...

Harvey Mednick remembers that Armstrong's "That's one small step for man", etc. line was garbled and some people thought that Neil may have said "for a man", referring to himself. I could have sworn that he said "Paul is dead" but hey, I might be wrong...

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

U.S. Soccer star (who took her shirt off after the U.S. won gold) Brandi Chastain (38), Robin Williams (55), Cat Stevens a.k.a. Yusuf Islam (58), Jon Lovitz (59), Edward Herrmann (63), Janet Reno (68) and 50's favorite Kay Starr (84)...

Timeline Countdown: 46 days until Labor Day, 50 days until NFL kickoff, 75 days until MLB playoffs and 163 days remaining in 2006...

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Saturday, July 22, 2006...

Ten Timeline Memories...

1916] A bomb goes off during a Preparedness Day parade in San Francisco, killing 10 (who apparently were not prepared)...

1963] Sonny Liston defends his heavyweight title by KOing Floyd Patterson (for the second time) in one round. The fight in Las Vegas was a rematch of the 1st fight in 1960...

1967] The rock group Vanilla Fudge make their concert debut in New York City...

1977] Tony Orlando surprises everyone (including Dawn) when he announces on stage in Cohasset (MA) they he was retiring from performing...

1979] The Reverend Richard Penniman a.k.a. Little Richard, warns his North Richmond (CA) congregation against the evils of rock and roll music...

1991] Police arrest Jeffrey Dahmer after finding the remains of 11 victims in his apartment in Milwaukee. Dahmer confesses to 17 murders and is sentenced to life in prison...

1994] O.J. Simpson pleads innocent to the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole and her friend Ronald Goldman...

1995] Susan Smith is convicted by a jury in Union (SC) of first-degree murder for drowning her 2 sons...

2003] Months after her P.O.W. ordeal, Pvt. 1st Class Jessica Lynch returns home to a hero's welcome in Elizabeth (WV)...

2003] Saddam Hussein's sons Odai and Qusai are killed when U.S. forces storm their villa in Mosul, Iraq...

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

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

David Spade (42), Albert Brooks (59), Don Henley (59), Danny Glover (59), Estelle (Ronettes) Bennett (62), Bobby Sherman (63), Secretariat jockey Ron Turcotte (65), Alex Trebek (66), Louise Fletcher (72), Oscar de la Renta (74), Orson Bean (78), Margaret Whiting (82) and Bob Dole (83)...

Timeline Countdown: 45 days until Labor Day, 49 days until NFL kickoff, 74 days until MLB playoffs and 162 days left in 2006...

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Sunday, July 23, 2006...

Ten Timeline Memories...

1715] The 1st lighthouse in America is authorized for construction at Little Brewster Island (MA)...

1827] The 1st swimming school in the U.S. opens in Boston...

1886] Saloonkeeper Steve Brodie must have been sampling his brew. He jumps from the Brooklyn Bridge into the East River and survives...

1904] The ice cream cone is invented by Charles E. Menches during the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis (MO)...

1950] "The Gene Autry Show" premieres on CBS-TV and runs for 6 years. If you guessed that the "Singin' Cowboy" used "Back in the Saddle Again" as his theme song, you would be right...

1986] Britain's Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson walk down the aisle at Westminster Abbey in London (they will divorce in 1996)...

1997] Police find the body of Andrew Cunanan, the suspected killer of designer Gianni Versace, on a houseboat in Miami Beach (FL). Cunanan is believed to be a suicide...

2000] Tiger Woods becomes the youngest golfer to complete a career Grand Slam when he wins the British Open at 24...

2000] Lance Armstrong wins his second Tour de France...

2003] The Massachusett's attorney general issues a report citing that members of the clergy and others in the Boston Archdiocese probably sexually abused more than 1,000 people over a period of 6 decades...

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

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

Omar ("Dr. Foreman" of "House") Epps (33), Philip Seymour Hoffman (39), Slash (Guns 'n' Roses) (41), Woody Harrelson (45), David Essex (59), Tony Joe White (63), Don Imus (66), Calvert ("Larry 'Bud' Melman) DeForest (78) and Gloria DeHaven (81)...

Timeline Countdown: 44 days until Labor Day, 48 days until NFL countdown, 73 days until MLB playoffs and 161 days remaining in 2006

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Thursday, July 20, 2006

Thursday, July 20, 2006

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" - Neil Armstrong (7/20/69)...

This was the day that JFK dreamed of when he told Congress "this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth". That was part of his speech to a special joint session of Congress on May 25, 1961. Oh, if he had only been able to watch the events on the moon unfold...

Well, one of the things that astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin proved was that the moon was not made out of cheese otherwise they would have been the bacon in some gigantic grilled cheese sandwich floating in space for all eternity. Instead they planted the American flag, walked the surface of the moon and hit a golf ball still orbiting in space 37 years later but no worries - if it does come down it will fall in the Indian Ocean, where all of the cosmos will probably wind up...

Wasn't there a 3rd astronaut you might ask. The answer to that is that someone had to stay with the double-parked command module and that was Michael Collins' job. By the way, the astronauts left behind a plaque which read: "Here, men from the planet Earth first set foot on the moon--July, 1969 A.D.--We came in peace for all mankind". The cherry on the whipped cream...

Ten Timeline Memories...

1858] All-Star baseball teams from Brooklyn and Manhattan play the 1st in a series of 3 games at Fashion Park Race Course on Long Island. For the 1st time, admission (50 cents) was charged for watching a game. It will be 11 more years before the 1st players, the Cincinnati Red Stockings, will get paid to play...

1881] Sioux Indian leader Sitting Bull, a fugitive since the Battle of the Little Big Horn, surrenders to federal troops...

1931] CBS airs the 1st radio and television simulcast. The show features singer Kate Smith, songwriter George Gershwin and New York City Mayor Jimmy Walker (no, not J.J.)...

1940] Billboard publishes its 1st "Music Popularity Chart". The 1st #1 hit ? "I'll Never Smile Again" by Frank Sinatra (actually the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra w/vocal by "Old Blue Eyes")...

1958] After a decade on the air, the final episode of "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts" airs. Stars that cut their teeth on this show include Rosemary Clooney, Pat Boone, Steve Lawrence, Connie Francis and Patsy Cline. P.S. Elvis flunked his audition in 1955...

1968] Jane Asher breaks her engagement to Paul McCartney on a live British TV show...

1976] Hank Aaron hits his 755th and final home run off of Angels pitcher Jerry Augustine...

1984] Vanessa Williams is asked to resign as Miss America for posing nude (leading to: "Vanessa the undressa") in Penthouse. Suzette Charles will replace her (Vanessa became the 1st, Suzette the 2nd, black Miss America)...

1988] Boston's Michael Dukakis is chosen as the Democrat's presidential nominee (I used to see Mike on the "green line" of the T on the way to Riverside station back in the early 70's)...

1993] White House deputy counsel Vince Foster is found shot to death in a park near Washington in an apparent suicide (hmmmm)...

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

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

"Lost" star Josh ("Sawyer") Holloway (37), Carlos Santana (59), Kim Carnes (60), Diana ("Emma Peel") Rigg (68), Nelson Doubleday Jr. (former co-owner of Mets) (73), Sally Ann Howes (76) and Basketball Hall of Fame coach Chuck Daly (76)...

Timeline Countdown: 164 days left in 2006, 47 days until Labor Day, 51 days until NFL Kickoff and 76 days until the MLB playoffs...

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Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Olympic memories...

The highlight of the 1996 Olympics was the lighting of the Olympic flame by Muhammad Ali. Badly shaking from Parkinson's disease, Ali ignited the Olympic torch as thousands of spectators at the games and millions more at home looked on. The stadium erupted as Olympic legend Janet Evans describes it for us, "I thought the stadium was gonna fall down". There were only 2 things that were memorable about the XXVI Olympiad, a.k.a. the "Centennial Olympics" because it marked the 100th anniversary of the modern Olympic games and those were the bombing in Centennial Olympic Park and the opening ceremony. Rarely does the lighting of the Olympic flame steal the spotlight. This one did...

On this same July 19th date 20 years earlier in the Montreal games, the Manhattans topped the charts with "Kiss and Say Goodbye" when tiny 14-year old Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci took her turn at the parallel bars and all Nadia would do was score a perfect 10 and become an overnight sensation in the blink of an eye...

Both Olympic events happened on the same July 19th date, giving us 2 great memories of the summer games...

Ten Timeline Memories...

1954] Sun Records releases "That's All Right (Mama)" by Elvis Presley...

1958] "Will the real Drifters please stand up"...Drifters manager George Treadwell goes backstage at the Apollo Theater and fires his group. George then walks across to the dressing room of the group's opening act, The Crowns, hires them and then christens them The Drifters. You may have heard of The Crowns lead singer ? Ben E. King (this really happened and is one of my favorite stories)...

1961] TWA shows the 1st in-flight movie (which reminds me of the time they showed "Airport" on one of my flights in the 70's. I had white knuckles for days)...

1967] The 1st air conditioned New York City subway (the "F" train) rolls down the tracks...

1969] Apollo 11 and astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and Michael Collins circle the moon in orbit (tomorrow is the big day)...

1976] It's splitsville for the rock group Deep Purple, who agree to disagree...

1980] Olympics ? What Olympics ?...The Moscow Summer Olympics begin minus about half the nations of the world who were boycotting because of the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan...

1982] Future Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn makes his major league debut with 2 hits (Tony would win a record 8 National League batting titles and wind up with 3,141 hits when he ends his career in 2001)...

1985] New Hampshire's Christa McAuliffe is chosen as the 1st school teacher to ride aboard the space shuttle (Christa was on the ill-fated Challenger in 1986 when it exploded)...

1990] Baseball's all-time hits leader Pete Rose is sentenced in Cincinnati to 5 months in prison for tax evasion (see ya, see ya, wouldn't want to be ya)...

#1's on this date: 1968] "Grazing in the Grass" - Hugh Masekela, 1976] "Kiss and Say Goodbye" - Manhattans...

Wedding Bells...

1966] 50-year old Frank Sinatra and 21-year old Mia Farrow (he had kids older than her)...

1986] Partay at the Compound...Caroline Kennedy, 28-year old daughter of JFK, walks down the aisle with Edwin A. Schlossberg in Centerville (MA)...

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

In the Summertime...

Dick Summer has a new podcast which can be heard and downloaded thanks to suburban New York's WHUD in Peekskill. This is a great opportunity to hear Dick's "Good Night" podcasts, 9 to 10 minutes in length. This is an exciting new venture from one of Boston's all-time favorite personalities and we wish you all the best Dick. Go to whud.com for more information...

Happy Birthday...happy birthday...

Former "ER" actor Anthony Edwards (44), Queen's Brian May (59), The Eagles' Bernie Leadon (59), Tennis Hall of Famer Ilie Nastase (60), Vikki Carr (65), George Hamilton IV (69), Sue Thompson (81), veteran actor Pat Hingle (82), George McGovern (84)...

Starting with this thread we will track, in addition to Labor Day, days leading up to the NFL opener on Sept. 7th and the major league playoffs on October 3rd...

[Today is the 200th day of 2006 with 165 days remaining in the year, 48 days until Labor Day, 52 days until the NFL opener and 77 days until the major league playoffs]

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Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Remembering Chappaquiddick...

Visiting Martha's Vineyard over the weekend brought back memories of the two tragedies associated with the island, namely JFK Jr.'s plane going down off shore in 1999 and that day 30 years earlier that Mary Jo Kopechne, a Teddy Kennedy campaign worker, lost her life on Chappaquiddick Island...

28-year old Mary Jo was in the car driven by the Massachusetts Senator that plunged off a bridge. Mary Jo drowned. What unfolded just hours after the tragedy was the stuff that soap operas are made of. Kennedy, wearing a neck brace, went before the public on live television re-telling the story of a car careening out of control, landing in the water and of his valiant attempt to save Mary Jo to no avail...

Almost no one at WRKO believed Teddy's version of events but the public bought it. A TV poll conducted in Boston showed that a majority of those polled believed the Senator. What usually happens in a tragedy like this is that the credibility of whoever survives becomes more important than the event itself. All I know is that a 28-year old woman who had everything to live for, lost her life on July 18th, 1969 and she shouldn't have. And that's the tragedy...

Ten Timeline Memories...

1927] Ty Cobb playing with the Philadelphia A's collects his 4,000th hit against the Tigers (Cobb held the record until Pete Rose broke it. Rose wound up with 4,256 hits vs. Cobb with 4,189)...

1936] A giant day in Wienerville...The 1st Oscar Meyer Wienermobile rolls out in Chicago (IL)...

1960] Hank Ballard and the Midnighters release the original version of "The Twist". Chubby Checker's version wouldn't become a hit until later in the year...

1969] Joe Namath agrees to sell his interest in Bachelor's 3 to stay in the NFL (the commish said sell your interest or "see ya")...

1985] Jack Nicklaus II, 23, makes his pro debut on the golf circuit (can I hear a "Jack Nicklaus III" ?)...

1987] The Yankees' Don Mattingly homers in his 8th consecutive game to tie the major league record set by Dale Long in 1956 (Ken Griffey Jr. also tied the mark at 8 in 1993)...

1992] Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown smile a lot walking down the aisle (I do not want to know what was consumed at that wedding)...

1999] Yankee (and ex-Met) pitcher David Cone pitches a perfect game (the 16th ever pitched) against the Montreal Expos at Yankee Stadium...

2003] Barry White dies of renal (kidney) failure at 58 (according to reports, Barry's last words were "Can't get enough of your love, baby" (for real)...

2003] Kobe Bryant is charged with sexually assaulting a 19-year old woman at a Colorado Spa (the charge is later dropped because the woman didn't want to go to trial)...

#1 on this date...

1977] "Looks Like We Made It" - Barry Manilow...1980] "Glass Houses" (LP) - Billy Joel...

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

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

Martha Reeves (65), Lonnie "Memphis" Mack (65), James Brolin (66), Joe Torre (66), Dion DiMucci (67), Dick Button (77), John Glenn (85) and Nelson Mandela (88)...

"Happy Trails"...

Mickey Spillane, writer of Mike Hammer mysteries and some-time actor and fulltime character died yesterday of unknown causes. Mickey was 88. Early television comedian Red Buttons who had a hit TV show in the 50's. Red made his high school in the Bronx (Evander Childs) famous. Red died on July 13th from vascular disease at his home in Century City (L.A.) at 87. We thank Mickey for his writing and the character he was and for Red Buttons who made us laugh...

[Today is the 199th day of 2006 with 166 days remaining in the year and 49 days until Labor Day]

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Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Wednesday-Monday, July 12-17, 2006

The Stones roll and the Sun shines on Elvis...

July 12th gave us two of Rock and Roll's legendary acts. On this date in 1962 the Marquee Club in London presented for the first time anywhere, the Rolling Stones. That was 44 years ago. Just think - we'll probably be seeing them perform somewhere (some of us will anyway) 44 years from now. You know some of the original Stones (Jagger, Richards and Brian Jones) but there was also Dick Taylor and Mick Avory who would be replaced by Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts a year later...

Same July 12th date 8 years earlier in 1954, Elvis Presley quit his day job (driving a truck) to sign his first recording contract with Sun Records in Memphis on his first step to stardom...

How many of today's acts will still have their music played for 44 or 52 years like the Rolling Stones and Elvis ? Do I need to answer that question ???

Ten Timeline Memories...

1862] Congress authorizes the Medal of Honor...

1901] Boston's Cy Young wins the 300th game of his career, beating the Philadelphia A's 5-3...

1960] The 1st Etch-A-Sketch goes on sale (I don't know about you but the stuff inside looked to me like a mixture of black pepper, graphite or gunpowder. What was that stuff anyway ?)...

1979] Minnie Riperton of "Lovin' You" fame (which was a #1 hit) dies of breast cancer at 31, way too soon...

1979] "Disco Demolition Night", the brainchild of WLUP (Chicago) nearly rips apart Comiskey Park and causes a White Sox game to be forfeited. Jocks Garry Meier and Steve Dahl help fans blow up disco records on the field. Need I add they were never invited back ?..

1984] Walter Mondale chooses U.S. Rep. Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate for his Democratic Presidential run. Ferraro is the 1st woman to run for VP on a major party ticket. Sexists have a field day with reference to "Fritz" and well, let's just say, a certain part of Geraldine's anatomy...

1989] Yankee pitcher Ron Guidry, "Louisiana Lightning" retires after surgery at 39 (he's now their pitching coach)...

1990] One of my favorite shows, "Northern Exposure" debuts. The cult favorite will run 5 seasons...

1996] NBC network news anchor John Chancellor dies of stomach cancer 2 days short of his 69th birthday...

2001] Abner Louima agrees to an $8.7 million settlement in a police brutality case in New York City...

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

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

Topher ("That 70's Show") Grace (28), figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi (35), Cheryl Ladd (55), Jay Thomas (58), Richard Simmons (58), Fleetwood Mac's Christy McVie (63), Bill Cosby (69) and pianist Van Cliburn (72)...

"Happy Trails"...

Syd Barrett, a founder of Pink Floyd (60), complications of diabetes, Tony-Award winning actor Barnard Hughes, who would have been 91 on July 16th, after a brief illness, Smiling Jack Smith (92), known as "the man with the smile in his voice" who replaced Art Baker as host of "You Asked For It" and early TV comedian Jan Murray who recently passed away...

[Today is the 193rd day of 2006 with 172 days remaining in the year and 55 days until Labor Day]

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Thursday, July 13, 2006...

Ten Timeline Memories...

1835] John Ruggles receives patent #1 for a traction wheel used in locomotive steam engines. All previous patents numbering almost 10,000 were not numbered (John Ruggles died with a smile on his face]...

1863] Opponents of the Civil War draft begin 3 days of rioting in New York City, resulting in more than 1,000 casualties...

1966] Jim Brown (my pick for greatest running back of all-time) retires from the NFL to become an actor...

1972] The owners of the Baltimore Colts (Robert Irsay) and Los Angeles Rams (Carroll Rosenbloom) swap teams (not your usual run-of-the-mill NFL trade)...

1982] The All-Star game is played outside the U.S. for the 1st time, it's played in Montreal (if they played on the Moon the AL would win. What's wrong with you National Leaguers ?)...

1984] Philippe Wynne, former lead singer of the Spinners, dies of a heart attack while on stage in Oakland (at 43)...

1985] Live-Aid concerts are held with a host of stars in Philadelphia and London and televised globally with 1.5 billion viewers looking on. $70 million is raised for famine relief in Africa...

1985] The Yankees retire uniform #9 for Roger Maris and #32 for Elston Howard...

1994] Tonya Harding "ex", Jeff Gillooly is sentenced to 2 years in prison for his role in the attack on Nancy Kerrigan...

1999] Pedro Martinez strikes out the 1st 4 batters of the All-Star game, played at Fenway, to earn the game's MVP Award. At that game Ted Williams was honored as almost all of the living players of MLB's All-Century team take a bow...

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

#1 on this date...

1964] "Rag Doll" - Four Seasons, 1975] "Listen To What The Man Said" - McCartney & Wings, 1985] "A View To A Kill" - Duran Duran...

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

Didi ("Grease") Conn (55), Cheech Marin (60), The Byrds' Roger McGuinn (64), Harrison Ford (64), Jack Kemp (71)...

[Today is the 194th day of 2006 with 171 days left in the year and 54 days until Labor Day]

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Friday, July 14, 2006...

Ten Timeline Memories...

1868] Alvin J. Fellows patents the tape measure (and baseball still can't measure the length of home runs accurately)...

1946] Dr. Benjamin Spock publishes "The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care" (this wasn't on the best seller list, this was the best seller list. Total sales to date ? Over 50 million books)...

1966] 25-year old Richard Speck goes on a rampage in a Chicago dormitory killing 8 student nurses (Speck would die of a heart attack in prison in December of 1991. His body was not claimed and was then cremated)...

1967] In a rather bizarre pairing, The Who opens for Herman's Hermits in New York City...

1970] In one of the most famous of all All-Star game plays, Pete Rose bowls over catcher Ray Fosse to score, forcing this remark from the catcher, "humuhnuhhumuhmuhnuh"...

1973] The Everly Brothers break up (literally) on stage at the John Wayne Theatre in Buena Park (CA) as Phil slams down his guitar and storms off stage in the middle of a song...

1976] Georgia peanut farmer, Jimmuh Carter wins the Democrat's Presidential nomination...

1992] Olivia Newton-John announces that she has breast cancer but expects a full recovery (which she will have)...

1992] A very pregnant Demi Moore appears nude on the cover of "Vanity Fair"...

1999] Race-based school busing in Boston ends after 25 years...

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

#1 on this date...

1950] "Mona Lisa" - Nat "King" Cole, 1960] "I'm Sorry" - Brenda Lee...

Joining the 500-home run club...

1967] The Braves' Eddie Mathews, 1968] The Braves' Hank Aaron...

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

Rosey Grier (74), Polly Bergen (76), Harry Dean Stanton (80), Dale Robertson (83), Ingmar Bergman (88) and former President Gerald R. Ford (93)...

[Today is the 195th day of 2006 with 170 days remaining in the year and 53 days until Labor Day]

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Saturday, July 15, 2006...

Ten Timeline Memories...

1916] In Seattle (WA), Pacific Aero Products is incorporated by William Boeing. The company will later be renamed Boeing Co...

1952] Patti Page makes her TV debut in a summer replacement series for Perry Como...

1964] Barry Goldwater is nominated for President at the Republican Convention...

1965] Mariner IV sends back the 1st closeup pictures of Mars...

1968] The soap "One Life To Live" debuts (it's still on the air)...

1968] The New Jersey Americans move to Commack (LI) and become the New York Nets (then they move to Joisey and soon if real estate mogul Bruce Ratner gets his way - Brooklyn)...

1973] Paul Getty III (grandson of J. Paul), 16, is kidnapped. When his parents get a lock of hair and one ear in a box, they get concerned. Paul will be ransomed for $2 million with less hair and one ear...

1973] Nolan Ryan becomes the 1st pitcher in 2 decades to pitch and win, 2 no-hitters in one year (previously Allie Reynolds of the Yankees did it in 1951)...

1992] Aretha Franklin sings the National Anthem as Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton is nominated for the presidency by the Democrats (at Madison Square Garden)...

1996] MSNBC makes its debut (originally co-owned by NBC and Microsoft, Bill Gates got richer in 2005 when he sold about 32% of his shares. NBC is now principal owner with 82%, Gates has 18%)...

Bonus Timeline Memory...

1997] Designer Gianni Versace is shot to death by Andrew Phillip Cunanan outside his home in Miami Beach. Cunanan was found dead 8 days later...

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

Brigitte Nielsen (43), Kim Alexis (46), "LOST" actor Terry O'Quinn (54), Linda Ronstadt (60), R&B singer Millie Jackson (62), Alex ("Webster") Karras (71), "One Life To Live" mainstay Philip Carey (81)...

[Today is the 196th day of 2006 with 169 days left in the year and 52 days until Labor Day]

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Sunday, July 16, 2006...

Ten Timeline Memories...

1935] The 1st parking meters are installed and used in Oklahoma City...

1951] The J.D. Salinger novel "Catcher In the Rye" is published...

1966] Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker form the rock group Cream...

1969] Apollo 11 blasts off from Cape Kennedy to begin the 1st landing on the moon by man...

1972] After 18 years with The Miracles, Smokey Robinson makes his final appearance with the group in Washington, D.C...

1976] Loggins and Messina go their separate ways...

1979] Saddam Hussein becomes president of Iraq after forcing Hasan al-Bakr to resign...

1981] Harry Chapin dies on the Long Island Expressway at 38. He was on his way to a benefit concert...

1999] Another day ends in tragedy for the Kennedy's as John F. Kennedy Jr.'s plane crashes off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. JFK Jr.'s wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and her sister Lauren Bessette were also aboard (all the bodies are found on July 21)...

2004] Martha Stewart is sentenced to 5 months in prison for lying about a stock sale...

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

Wedding Bells...

1988] Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan...1994] Anna Nicole Smith (26) and billionaire J. Howard Marshall II (89)...

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

NFL Hall of Famer Barry Sanders (38), Will Ferrell (39), Phoebe Cates (43), former NFL coach Jimmy Johnson (63), Bess Myerson (82)...

[Today is the 197th day of 2006 with 168 days left and 51 days until Labor Day]

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Monday, July 17, 2006...

Ten Timeline Memories...

1941] The longest hitting streak in baseball ends when Cleveland pitchers hold Yankee Clipper Joe DiMaggio hitless for the 1st time since he started his record-setting 56 game hitting streak (a streak that may never be broken)...

1954] The 1st Newport Jazz Festival is held at the Newport (RI) Casino...

1955] Disneyland opens in Anaheim (CA)...

1959] The great jazz artist Billie Holliday dies from cirrhosis of the liver at 44...

1967] Here's another strange combo: The Jimi Hendrix Experience opens for the Monkees in Forest Hills...

1974] John Lennon is ordered to leave America in 60 days...

1975] An Apollo spaceship and Soyuz spacecraft dock in orbit for the 1st superpower linkup of its kind...

1978] Yankee manager Billy Martin and Reggie Jackson duke it out in the dugout during a game against the Red Sox at Fenway (the whole world watches on live TV)...

1996] TWA flight 800 crashes off Long Island, killing all 230 aboard...

1997] The Woolworth Corp. closes its last 400 five-and-ten stores...

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

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

Islander hero Bryan Trottier (50), Phoebe Snow (54), David Hasselhoff (54), Lucie Arnaz (55), Diahann Carroll (71) and Donald Sutherland (72)...

[Today is the 198th day of 2006 with 167 days left in the year and 50 days until Labor Day]

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Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Say hello to the "Moondog"...

If Alan Freed who called himself the "Moondog" hadn't started in Cleveland on WJW today, had he not gone to WINS in New York three years later, well, just maybe, we don't have "Rock and Roll". It was Freed who coined the phrase once he arrived in New York thanks to the strange Broadway character dressed like a viking, the real "Moondog"...

This was the day in 1951 that Alan Freed, a lover of big-band music, starting playing Rhythm & Blues records on WJW. After 3 years in Cleveland, Freed's next destination was 1010 WINS New York where he would go from the "King of the Moondoger's" to the "King of Rock and Roll". Freed and legendary music mogul Morris Levy, veteran Cleveland promoter Lew Platt and the "King" himself copyrighted the phrase "Rock and Roll" but the tidal wave of the new genre of music made the copyright virtually useless...

The "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" resides in Cleveland because of Freed's tenure in that city but in my commentary I'll give you the "rest of the story" (hopefully as well as Paul Harvey might) so stay tuned...

Ten Timeline Memories...

1798] The U.S. Marine Corps was created by an act of Congress...

1804] A pistol duel near Weehawken (NJ) between VP Aaron Burr and Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton results in the death of Hamilton the following day. Hamilton was 49...

1914] 19-year old Babe Ruth makes his major league debut as a pitcher for the Red Sox. The Bambino holds Cleveland to 8 hits in 7 innings in a game won by Boston 4-3. Ruth does not figure in the decision. At the plate Babe goes 0 for 2 (in 1918 Ruth goes to the outfield)...

1936] The Triborough Bridge, linking Manhattan, the Bronx and Queens opens to traffic (if you're going to New England, that's the bridge you take)...

1967] Kenny Rogers forms The First Edition. Rogers previously performed with the New Christy Minstrels (on one of the 1st promotional tours Kenny and the group made they visited Boston)...

1979] In a post-July 4th fireworks display, the U.S. space station Skylab returns to Earth burning up in the atmosphere and showering debris over the Indian Ocean and Australia...

1982] The more things change, the more they stay the same: Italy wins its 3rd World Cup and first in 44 years by beating West Germany 3-1 in Madrid (over the weekend Italy won its 4th World Cup over France)...

1985] Nolan Ryan of the Astros becomes the 1st major leaguer to earn 4,000 strikeouts in a career (his 4,000th strikeout victim was a Met, Danny Heep)...

1989] The Royals' Bo Jackson is named MVP of the All-Star game in Anaheim. Bo's 450-foot home run helps the AL beat the NL 5-3 (Jackson was a two-sport star becoming an NFL Pro Bowler as a running back for the Raiders in 1990)...

1989] Sir Laurence Olivier dies at 82...

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

Commentary...

No one was more influencial than Norm N. Nite, known as the "keeper of the Alan Freed flame" in getting "The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" to Cleveland. Norm, a Cleveland native, pitched the idea to anyone that would listen and eventually flew the Cleveland mayor, Ohio Governor and the guy who beats the drums at Indian games (well maybe not him) to New York for a meeting with the people, principally Ahmet Ertegun that would form the board of directors of the hallowed Hall. Norm does a show from "The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" on Sirius...

I was directly influenced (as was Joe McCoy, celebrating a birthday today) by listening to Freed at WINS, so much so that it led to a career in radio for both of us. Although I watched Freed rehearse his television show from the ABC-TV studios, I never met the man. The closest I got to meeting "The King of Rock and Roll" was a visit to WINS only to discover that Paul Sherman was sitting in for Freed but Alan would always read every dedication I would send him...

No WJW, no Freed, no "Rock and Roll" and I probably would have been a "tool and die" man which my Mom wanted me to be. On second thought, how much do they make ???

#1 on this date...

1959] "Lonely Boy" - Paul Anka, 1969] "In the Year 2525" - Zager & Evans, 1970] "Mama Told Me Not To Come" - Three Dog Night, 1979] "Bad Girls" - Donna Summer, 1989] "If You Don't Know Me By Now" - Simply Red...

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

Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi) (47), Sela Ward (50), Leon Spinks (53), Bonnie Pointer (55), Jeff Hanna (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) (59), Tab Hunter (79)...

"Happy Trails"...

Eleanor Geisman a.k.a. June Allyson passed away from pulmonary respiratory failure and bronchitis after a long illness over the weekend at 88. Born in the Bronx, June was often "the perfect wife" of James Stewart, Van Johnson and others. Her sunny disposition and raspy voice made her a distinctive star in Hollywood. She also did commercials for something you hope you never see, Depends. Happy Trails June Allyson...

[Today is the 192nd day of 2006 with 173 days remaining in the year and 56 days from Labor Day]

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