I swapped e-mails with Don Imus yesterday. Imus is at his ranch in New Mexico and says he will return to New York in September. Now don't read anything into that other than he'll be back sometime next month. I can't tell you that he'll be back on the air then because obviously he's not ready to make an announcement quite yet. For months I had been trying to reach the I-man to send not only my support but best wishes from some of the folks we had on the staff at WNBC when I was program director there in '76-'77. Although he didn't say so, I'm sure he appreciated that support. It had been years since we corresponded and he figured I was about 80 years old by now. I assured him that was not the case. We wished each other well and he said he considers my blog as being "very cool"...The name of another "I-man" surfaces in my Commentary below...
10 Timeline Memories:
- 1869] Roll 'em: The motion picture projector is patented by O.B. Brown...
- 1885] A streetcar not named Desire: The 1st electric streetcar to be used commercially was operated in Baltimore by Leo Daft. You would have to be daft to operate a streetcar...
- 1921] Polio strikes: Franklin D. Roosevelt is stricken with polio at his summer home on the Canadian island of Campobello...
- 1945] Raising the white flag: Following their second nuclear bombing, Japan announces they will surrender to the U.S...
- 1948] Smile, you're on 'Candid Camera': 'Candid Microphone' which will become 'Candid Camera' one year later, debuts on New York's ch. 7 (WJZ-TV which will become WABC). Here's a typical scene from CC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSf1GppmthQ ...
- 1969] Bodies discovered: The bodies of the LaBianca's (Rosemary and Leno), victims of Charles Manson's murder spree are discovered...
- 1977] Son of Sam: Postal employee David Berkowitz a.k.a. "The Son of Sam", is captured and arrested in Yonkers (NY). He will be sentenced to 6-consecutive terms of 25 years to life for killing 6 people on his killing spree...
- 1984] Tripped and clipped: Mary Decker trips on the heels of Zola Budd in the Olympics with an outsider winning the race and a gold medal...
- 1994] Presidential immunity: That's what Bill Clinton claims when asking a federal judge to dismiss a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by Paula Corbin Jones...
- 1995] Guilty as charged: Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols are charged with 11 counts in the Oklahoma City bombing...
Music Memories:
- 1966] #1 on this date: "Summer in the City" - Lovin' Spoonful: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91uLJ00B1h4 ...1986] "Papa Don't Preach" - Madonna...
- 1968] Released on this date: "Magic Bus" - The Who...
- 1985] Platinum plus: Madonna's "Like A Virgin" becomes the 1st LP by a female artist to be certified for 5 million in sales...[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]...
Commentary...
Congratulations to Dan Ingram, one of 5 new members of the National Radio Hall of Fame Class of 2007. One of the best Top 40 personalities in radio history, Big Dan was behind the WABC mic, making us laugh for 20 years. He made his debut at WABC in 1961. He spent the last 12 years of his career at WCBS-FM. Big Dan is entering the Hall with Jerry Coleman, the late Jimmy Durante, the late Richard Durham and Jazz piano great and former radio host Marian McPartland. The one-hour induction ceremony on November 3, 2007 will be carried on ABC Radio and Fox News Channel at 10 pm (EST) on that date...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Angie Harmon (35), Antonio Banderas (47), Rosanna Arquette (48), Ian (Jethro Tull) Anderson (60), Veronica Spector Greenfield (64) and here's the all-time classic Ronettes hit, "Be My Baby": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oL_l7m4gRk&mode=related&search= , Eddie Fisher (79), Jimmy Dean (79), Rhonda Fleming (84) and Al (Four Aces) Alberts (85)...
Timeline Countdown: 24 days until Labor Day and 27 days until the NFL opener...
Saturday-Sunday, August 11-12, 2007...
10 Timeline Memories:
- 1877] Phonograph sighting: Thomas Edison invents the phonograph and makes the 1st sound recording. Clive Davis signs the Tom Edison Band to a longterm contract (8/12)...
- 1934] The Rock: Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay, receives federal prisoners for the 1st time. Get ready for the 'Birdman', mates (8/11)...
- 1965] Watts explodes: 34 are killed and more than 1,000 injured during rioting in Watts (8/11)...
- 1969] For Sale...SOLD: The Boston Celtics are sold for $6 million. The highest price for an NBA franchise at the time (8/12)...
- 1972] "D-I-V-O-R-C-E": Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley file for divorce. They married in May of '67 (8/11)...
- 1972] A good morning Viet Nam: The last American combat ground troops leave Vietnam (8/12)...
- 1981] The 1st PC: IBM rolls out the 1st PC (8/12)...
- 1984] Not funny to the Russians: Ronald Reagan jokes: "today we have signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes." (8/11)...
- 1994] Strike 3 - You're out: Major league baseball players go on strike rather than allow team owners to limit their salaries. The strike lasts 232 days, cancelling the World Series for the 1st time in 90 years (8/12)...
- 2006] "Happy Trails": Former talk/variety show host Mike Douglas dies on his 81st birthday. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1990 but was considered cancer-free when he dies from unknown causes (8/11)...
Music Memories:
- 1956] Released on this date: 1956] "Don't Be Cruel" - Elvis Presley (8/11)...1962] "Surfin' Safari" - Beach Boys (1962)..."Green Onions" - Booker T and MG's (both 8/11)...1968] "Hey Jude" - Beatles (8/11). The first Beatles release on Apple... 1973] "Free Ride" - Edgar Winter Group (8/11). This is from April, 2007 and Edgar still rocks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL8A0KmqE9Y ..
- 1964] #1 on this date: "Everybody Loves Somebody" - Dean Martin (8/11)...1974] "The Night Chicago Died" - Paper Lace (8/11). Whoever submitted this video has to be from Chicago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwwaGXcZ6Wo ...1984] "Endless Love" - Diana Ross and Lionel Richie (8/11)...
- 1966] Farewell Tour: The Beatles begin their final tour of America in Chicago. At a press conference at O'Hare, John Lennon apologizes for his statements comparing the Beatles with Jesus Christ (8/11)...
- 1967] Making their debut: Fleetwood Mac make their stage debut in Great Britain at the Windsor Jazz & Blues Festival (8/12)...1969] Diana Ross invites 350 guests to the Daisy Club in Beverly Hills to unveil her new discovery: The Jackson Five (8/11)...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
(8/11) Joe Rogan (40), Singer Joe Jackson (53), Hulk Hogan (54), Steve Wozniak (57), Eric Carmen (58), Kenny Gamble (64) and Arlene Dahl (79)...
(8/12) Pete Sampras (36), Peter Krause (42), Suzanne Vega (48), Mark Knopfler (58) who no doubt get 'money for nothing': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U82WISdfT3A , George Hamilton (68) and Porter Wagoner (80)...
Happy Anniversary Diane (8/12)...
Timeline Countdown for Sunday (8/12): 22 days until Labor Day and 25 days until the NFL opener...
