The Grammy Awards - One Big Red Carpet...
You can be sure that Sunday night's "Grammy Awards" will finish top 5, maybe #1 in ratings but what do the awards mean today? It may have meant something more than who was there, who were they with, what did they wear when the awards were first awarded 48 years ago. To begin with, do you have any idea how many awards are given out? They have 108 as in one hundred and eight Grammy Awards to present. They list them as "categories". There aren't 108 categories of music. There are 6 important categories: Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. "Thank you for coming, drive home safely"...
Of slightly more significance than the Grammy Awards is the historic music event that occurred on the night of February 9th, 1964 when Ed Sullivan introduced the Beatles. When I watched the video this morning what stood out was how self-confident the Fab Four was. They soaked up the screams and applause and played flawlessly. Remember this was live television. They served that crowd breakfast, lunch and supper in their sweaty palms. What a performance! Guess what our video link is today? Almost 9 minutes (8:54) with all the songs the Beatles sang that night. Enjoy it as much as I did: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB2eWPxAmQ8 ...
An update on Anna Nicole Smith in my Commentary follows the timeline...
Timeline Memories...
"Happy Trails": 1973] Max Yasgur who owned the farm where the original Woodstock took place, dies of a heart attack at 53...1981] Bill Haley suffers a fatal heart attack at his home in Harlingen, Texas. Haley was 56...2002] Britain's Princess Margaret suffers a fatal massive stroke at 71...
Homer the Hero: 1997] "The Simpsons" passes "The Flintstones" as the longest running prime-time animated series...
Hanging chads and dimples: 1825] The U.S. House of Representatives elects John Quincy Adams president after no candidate receives a majority of electoral votes...
Undulating patterns and circular swirls arrive: 1870] The U.S. Weather Bureau is authorized by Congress. Officially it's known as the National Weather Service...
Bikinis to follow: 1895] The game of volley ball is invented by W.G. Morgan...
"What Time Is It?": 1942] Daylight-savings "War Time" goes into effect with clocks turned ahead one hour. That's what the N.Y. Times said but wouldn't it be back one hour???
"Better Dead than Red": 1950] Senator Joseph McCarthy charges that the State Department is filled with Communists as we usher in that fun era - McCarthyism...
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the Beat-uls": 1964] The Beatles make their 1st appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show"...
Recorded on this date: 1962] "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" - Neil Sedaka (1st version)...
Released on this date: 1983] "Little Red Corvette" - Prince...
#1 on this date: 1955] "Sincerely" - McGuire Sisters (originally done by The Moonglows)...1976] "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" - Paul Simon (Simon's 1st #1 hit since the breakup of Simon & Garfunkel)...
The 3rd time is the charm: 1971] The Apollo 14 spacecraft returns to earth after man's 3rd landing on the moon...
"Don't look back, someone might be gaining on you": 1971] Satchel Paige becomes the 1st Negro League player elected to Baseball's Hall of Fame...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]...
Commentary...
Latest news as of Friday morning on the bizarre death of Anna Nicole Smith is that an autopsy will be performed today to find out the official cause of death but results could be weeks away. Her bizarre death was preceded by her bizarre life. You all know the story by now. All I will say is that our society loves watching a train wreck and our fascination with her life is an example of that...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Mookie Wilson (51), Mia Farrow (62), Joe Pesci (64), Barbara Lewis (64), Carole King (65), Barry Mann (65), Roger Mudd (79) and Kathryn Grayson (85)...
Timeline Countdown: 6 days for 'pitchers and catchers' and 40 days until spring...
Saturday, February 10, 2007...
Timeline Memories...
"Happy Trails": 1992] "Roots" author Alex Haley dies of a heart attack at 70...2005] Playwright Arthur Miller succumbs to heart failure at 89...
Ice Queens: 1968] Peggy Fleming wins a gold medal in women's figure skating at the Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France...1992] Bonnie Blair wins gold in 500-meter speed skating at Albertville, France becoming the first woman to win gold medals in consecutive Winter Olympics..
"Why doubya Cee A": 1870] The YWCA is founded in New York City...
"All the news that's fit to print": 1897] The New York Times begins printing that slogan on their front page. The slogan they use in their advertising now is "These Time's demand The Times"...
Get ready for a bad version of "Happy Birthday": 1933] The singing telegram is introduced by the Postal Telegram Company of NYC...
That sinking feeling: 1942] The Normandie, the former French liner capsizes in New York Harbor after catching on fire while being fitted for the U.S. Navy the day before...
Recorded on this date: 1956] "Long Tall Sally" - Little Richard...
Released on this date: 1971] "Tapestry" LP - Carole King...
#1 on this date: 1970] "Thank you (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)/Everybody is a Star" - Sly & The Family Stone...1980] "Do That To Me One More Time" - The Captain & Tennille...
"Guilty as Charged": 1992] Mike Tyson is convicted in Indianapolis of raping a Miss Black America contestant...
Joining the arms race: 2005] North Korea publicly announces for the 1st time that it has nuclear arms...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Laura Dern (40), George Stephanopoulos (can't wait to see spell checking on this name) (46), Greg "The Shark" Norman (52), Mark Spitz (57), Jimmy Merchant (The Teenagers) (67), Roberta Flack (70) and Robert Wagner (76)...
Timeline Countdown: 5 days until 'pitchers and catchers' and 39 days until spring...
Sunday, February 11, 2007...
Timeline Memories...
Hail to Honest Abe: 1861] President-elect Abraham Lincoln departs Springfield (IL) for Washington, D.C...
The cycle begins: 1878] The 1st U.S. bicycle club, The Boston Bicycle Club is formed...
Drop the puck eh: 1957] The NHL Players Association is formed in New York City (what's a league without a players union?)...
"I kid you not": 1960] Jack Paar walks off "The Tonight Show" over network censorship when they cut a joke about a "water closet" claiming it was in poor taste. Paar storms off the set in tears and doesn't return for one month...
A Fab Fourum: 1964] The Beatles play their 1st U.S. concert at Washington (D.C.) Coliseum. Opening are The Chiffons and Tommy Roe as 8,600 scream their brains out...
Wedding Bells: 1965] Ringo Starr and Maureen Cox rock down the aisle. The couple will divorce in 1975...
Recorded on this date: 1966: "Bang Bang" - Cher...
MSG opens: 1968] The new, nearly 20,000 seat Madison Square Garden (the 4th Garden) officially opens...
"Mama tollahme there'd be days like this": 1979] Followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini seize power in Iran 9 days after the religious leader returns after 15 years of exile...
"Blowin' in The Winds": 1982] ABC-TV's presentation of "The Winds of War" concludes. The 18-hour miniseries cost $40 million to produce but was the most watched TV program in history at the time...
Free at Last: 1990] South African activist Nelson Mandela is freed after 27 years in prison...
Tyson dropped: 1990] James "Buster" Douglas beats the unbeatable Mike Tyson to win the heavyweight crown in a 10th round KO in Tokyo...
Reno rocks: 1993] Bill Clinton names Janet Reno the 1st female Attorney General...
"Nyet!": 2002] The Canadian pairs couple, David Pelletier and Jamie Sale are robbed of a gold medal when a French judge tries to fix the event to favor the Russians at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics (eventually they would be awarded that gold medal)...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Brandy (Norwood) (28), Jennifer Aniston (38), Sheryl Crow (45), Bobby "Boris" Pickett (67), Burt Reynolds (71), Gerry Goffin (72), Tina Louise (73) and Leslie Nielsen (81)...
Timeline Countdown: 4 days until 'pitchers and catchers' and 38 days until spring...
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