Monday, May 15, 2006

The "Columbus of New England"...

New Englanders have been singing "How high's the water, mama ?" for what seems like an eternity as up to 15 inches of rain have created states of emergency in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine with more rain on the way today. Eventually the rain will end and one of the prettiest vacation spots in America will provide sunny days, salty air, beautiful beaches and you if you're lucky enough to visit Cape Cod this summer. I may be biased (ya think ?) and this may sound like a press release from the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce but I defy you to find a nicer place in the summer than the Cape...

We have the Cape thanks to an English explorer by the name of Bartholomew Gosnold, who with the exception perhaps of the surviving generations of the Columbus family, has been referred to as "The Columbus of New England". All Mr. Gosnold did in 1602 was drop anchor off the Massachusetts coast, go ashore and discover a land teeming with sassafras, cedar trees, furs and an abundance of fish. Good old Bart had the presence of mind to name the land, Cape Cod. For an encore, Gosnold found an island covered with wild fruit which he proclaimed "Martha's Vineyard", in honor of his daughter Martha...

Not only did Gosnold inspire the next English effort to establish a permanent settlement in the new world at Jamestown, Virginia, but he gave untold generations a summer paradise for centuries to come and your humble blogger and Mrs. humble blogger will be making our annual voyage to his discovery in July and singing along with Patti Page:

"If you're fond of sand dunes and salty air. Quaint little villages here and there, you're sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod"...

More May 15 Memories...

1602} See above feature...

1912] The Tiger's Ty Cobb is suspended indefinitely for beating a fan who was missing a hand and only had 2 fingers on the other hand. Tiger players refuse to play until Cobb is reinstated (who was their manager, Tony Soprano ?)...

1918] Airmail service begins between Washington, Philadelphia and New York...

1926] The New York Rangers are granted an NHL franchise (along with Chicago and Detroit)...

1930] Ellen Church becomes the 1st airline stewardess on an United Airlines flight between San Francisco and Cheyenne, Wyoming (serving Bruce from the Bay and Cowboy Bob from the plains on the same flight)...

1940] Nylon stockings go on general sale for the 1st time in the U.S. (robbers rejoice)...

1941] Joe DiMaggio goes 1 for 4 starting his 56-game consecutive hitting streak (a record that still stands)...

1948] Hours after declaring it's independence, the new state of Israel is attacked by Transjordan, Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon (the more things change, the more they stay the same)...

1948] The great Citation wins the 2nd leg of the Triple Crown by a comfortable 6 lengths in the Preakness Stakes (Citation, ridden by Eddie Arcaro, will win the triple crown by winning the Belmont Stakes in June)...

1957] Elvis Presley does something not easily done, inhaling a cap from one of his teeth. He's rushed to an L.A. hospital to have it removed from his lung...

1963] Tony Bennett's "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" wins a Grammy for "Record of the Year" and Vaughn Meader's "The First Family" wins a Grammy for "Album of the Year"...

1964] The Smothers Brothers give their 1st concert at Carnegie Hall...

1965] Jackie DeShannon & the Ronettes guest on "American Bandstand" doing "What The World Needs Now is Love" and "Be My Baby"...

1967] Paul McCartney and Linda Eastman meet...

1968] Archie Bell & the Drells ("from Houston, Texas") are #1 with "Tighten Up"...

1972] Democratic Presidential would-be nominee George C. Wallace is shot and paralyzed by Arthur Bremer while campaigning in Laurel, Maryland...

1985] Prince releases "Raspberry Beret"...

1992] New York department store Alexander's closes all of its 11 stores...

1996] Bob Dole leaves the Senate to campaign for the Presidency against Bill Clinton...

2003] June Carter Cash dies of complications following heart surgery in Nashville at 73...

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

Happy Birthday To...

1918] Eddy Arnold...

1936] Anna Maria Alberghetti...

1937] Madeleine Albright...

1937] Trini Lopez...

1940] Lainie Kazan...

1951] Chazz Palminteri...

1953] Baseball Hall of Famer George Brett...

{Today is the 135th day of 2006 with 230 days remaining in the year and 14 days until Memorial Day]...

...

Friday-Sunday, May 12-14, 2006

Mel's Top Ten Mother's Day Songs...

Sunday is Mom's day which can be traced back to ancient Greece in honor of Rhea (not Perlman), just Rhea, the Mother of the Gods. In the U.S. Mother's Day was first suggested in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe (who wrote the lyrics to the Battle Hymn of the Republic) as a day dedicated to peace. Ms. Howe would hold organized Mother's Day meetings in Boston every year. In 1907 Ana Jarvis of Philadelphia began a campaign to establish a national day of celebration and Grafton, West Virginia along with Philadelphia celebrated Mom the following year. Finally in 1914 President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Mother's Day as a national holiday that was to be held each year on the second Sunday of May. And now my top ten Mother's Day Songs:

• 10) Mother-John Lennon (John pours his heart out to his mother. "Mama don't go. Daddy come home")...
• 09) Mama (not a dry eye in the house as you can just visualize the tears streaming down Connie Francis' face and she sings part of the song in Italian)...
• 08) Your Mother Should Know (this is a 'Mom always knows best' kinda song by the Beatles, not terribly serious but nice and they manage to keep it light)...
• 07) I'll Always Love My Mama (first of all, you gotta love any song that mentions 'my mama' and any song written by Gamble & Huff and McFadden & Whitehead has gotta be great and this song is)...
• 06) Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby/Mother's Little Helper (I put these 2 Rolling Stones song together. I mean this is typical Rolling Stones material. Why is your mother standing in the shadows any way ? and I guarantee you that 'Mother's Little Helper' is not little Mick Jagger)...
• 05) Your Mama Don't Dance (and your Daddy loves rock and roll) (just a great uptempo Loggins & Messina song)...
• 04) Mother and Child Reunion (one of my favorite Paul Simon songs which I hope he does on Saturday Night Live tomorrow night in honor of Mother's Day)...
• 03) Mother-in-Law (hey we can honor Mothers-in-Law too. Everything about this song is great starting with the name of the artist, Ernie K-Doe a.k.a. Ernie Kador Jr. and the lyrics are classic)...
• 02) Mama Told Me Not To Come (just great Randy Newman fun lyrics and Three Dog Night at the top of their game)...

And the #1 Mother's Day Song of all-time (appropriate tymp roll):

• 01) Mama Said (tell me one day that you haven't thought that your mother said you'd have days like this...go ahead, just one day. I didn't think so)...

May 12 Memories...

1926] Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators joins Cy Young as the only 400-game winners in baseball history with a win over the St. Louis Browns (take a good look at these 2 names because you'll never see another pitcher with 400 wins, never)...

1932] The body of the kidnapped son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh is found in a wooded area near Hopewell, NJ...

1948] The 1st televised game at Fenway Park is seen on WBZ-TV (not many details on this game but there were probably just a handful of people who saw it. Anyone in Boston have any knowledge of this that you'd like to share ?)...

1956] The Dodgers' Carl Erskine pitches a no-hitter against the cross-town Giants. The 2-0 shutout is Erskine's 2nd no-hitter...

1959] Liz Taylor says "I do", "I do", "I do" and "I do" for the 4th time. The victim ? Popular singer Eddie Fisher...

1960] Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley appear on the same TV special and perform the other's hit with Elvis singing "Witchcraft" and Ole Blue Eyes doing "Hound Dog" (just kidding). It was "Love Me Tender"...

1963] Bob Dylan is invited to appear on "The Ed Sullivan Show" but walks off when Ed won't allow him to sing "Talking John Birch Society Blues"...

1965] The Rolling Stones record "Satisfaction"...

1970] The Cubs "Mr. Baseball", Ernie Banks, becomes the 9th major leaguer to hit 500 (or more) career home runs...

1971] Mick Jagger and Bianca Perez-Mora rock down the aisle in St. Tropez (is it san-tropez or san-tropay ?)...

1972] In honor of Mick and Bianca's 1st anniversary, the Stones release "Exile on Main Street" (that's all they could afford ?)...

1974] The Boston Celtics beat Milwaukee in 7 games for another NBA title...

1977] "Hotel California" earns a gold record for the Eagles...

1983] Meatloaf files for bankruptcy (but "Meat" will recover nicely when his star shines in England)...

1984] Nelson Mandela sees his wife for the 1st time in 22 years (but Nelson forgets to bring flowers and she refuses to see him)...

1985] The New York Knicks win the rights to Patrick Ewing in a special NBA drawing (raise of hands for those that thought the drawing was fixed. I thought so)...

1990] Even though SNL producers vow to use a time delay for Andrew Dice Clay's appearance on an upcoming 'Saturday Night Live' show, Nora Dunn and Sinead O'Connor boycott the show in protest (to which Lorne Michaels says we'll miss you Nora and Sinead, uh, "who invited you" ?)...

1991] With Ted Williams in attendance, Lansdowne Street is renamed "Ted Williams Way" on the 50th anniversary of his great 1941 season (he was the last hitter to hit .400)...

1992] 4 suspects are arrested in the beating of trucker Reginald Denny at the start of the L.A. riots...

2001] Perry Como passes away at his home in Florida after a lengthy illness at 87 (one of the biggest singers of the 50's Perry was one of the nicest people I have ever met)...

2002] Dionne Warwick is arrested at Miami International Airport when baggage screeners find 11 marijuana joints inside her listick container (she's charged with possession of less than 5 grams of the stuff, signs an affidavit promising to appear in court, passes "Go", does not pick up $200 and is released anyway)...

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

"Happy Trails To You"...

Floyd Patterson who died at 71 of alzheimer's disease and prostate cancer. I met Floyd after watching one of Howard Cosell's TV shows in an ABC-TV studio many, many years ago. There were 2 things about him that surprised me. First of all he was a small man and secondly he was not only quiet, he was shy, the two probably going hand in hand. In 1952 when he won a gold medal at the Olympics, he won the middleweight title yet as soon as he turned pro he became a heavyweight. Even though he was a "light" heavyweight he would be the youngest boxer to win a heavyweight crown at 21 (Tyson would break that record later). Patterson was light for a heavyweight but he was as tough as they came, took on all-comers and was a fitting though underrated champ who deserved more praise. His classic trilogy of fights with Ingemar Johansson (in which he would win 2 of the 3 fights) started the use of the word trilogy to describe 3 events between opponents in sports according to noted boxing historian Bert Sugar. Happy Trails Floyd Patterson...

Happy Birthday To...

1925] Yogi Berra (the toughest interview I've ever done but a nice, nice, "regular" guy)...

1929] Burt Bacharach...

1936] Tom Snyder...

1937] George Carlin...

1948] Steve Winwood...

1961] Ving Rhames...

1962] Emilio Estevez...

[Today is the 132nd day of 2006 with 233 days remaining in the year and 17 days until Memorial Day]...

Saturday, May 13, 2006...

May 13 Memories...

1607] The English colony at Jamestown, VA. is settled (what's next ? New York, New England, the whole Northeast ?)...

1675] A Boston jury finds Mary Bliss Parsons of Northampton "not guilty" of witchcraft (with a middle name like "bliss", last name of "parsons" how could she be a witch ?)...

1846] The U.S. declares that a state of war exists against Mexico...

1880] Thomas Edison tests his experimental electric railway in Menlo Park, NJ...

1917] 3 peasant children near Fatima, Portugal report seeing a vision of the Virgin Mary...

1929] When the Indians beat the Yankees 4-3 in Cleveland, it was the 1st game that featured numbers on the backs of players for both teams...

1940] Winston Churchill tells the British House of Commons: "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat" in his 1st speech as prime minister (so the group should have been named Blood, Toil, Tears & Sweat !)...

1958] VP Richard Nixon's limo is battered by rocks thrown by anti-U.S. demonstrators in Caracas, Venezuela...

1966] The Kinks record "Sunny Afternoon"...

1970] Badfinger begin recording "No Matter What"...

1970] The Beatles movie "Let It Be" premieres in New York...

1976] Led by Dr. J, the New York Nets win their 2nd ABA title with a thrilling come from behind (a 22-point deficit with 17 minutes left) victory over Denver at the Nassau Coliseum...

1977] Dolly Parton makes her New York City debut at the Bottom Line...

1977] Linda Ronstadt denies reports that she was offered $1 million to be photographed nude for a Hustler centerfold (but she doesn't deny it was for $999,999 or less)...

1981] Pope John II (who else can segue from a "nude" Linda Ronstadt to the Pope ?) is shot and seriously wounded in St. Peter's Square by Turkish assailant Mehmet Ali Agca (the Pope recovers nicely from the wound)...

1985] Bruce Springsteen and Julianne Phillips rock down the aisle (Happy Birthday Julianne but sadly, the couple will separate in 1989)...

1993] One day before his 40th birthday, George Brett becomes only the 6th player with 300 (or more) home runs and 3,000 hits (the historic ball is picked up by a fan on a veteran's hospital outing. The fan was blind)...

2000] The Mets release Ricky Henderson after he fails to hustle and turns a double into a single (he was also batting .219 with no home runs at the time)...

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

Happy Birthday To...

1923] Bea Arthur...

1939] Harvey Keitel...

1950] Stevie Wonder...

1950] Bobby Valentine...

1961] Dennis Rodman (will he wear a wedding gown to celebrate ?)...

1962] Julianne Phillips...

1966] Darius (Hootie and the Blowfish) Rucker...

[Today is the 133rd day of 2006 with 232 days remaining in the year and 16 days until Memorial Day]

Sunday, May 14, 2006...

May 14 Memories...

1787] Delegates begin gathering in Philadelphia for a convention to draw up the U.S. Constitution...

1796] English physician Edward Jenner administers the 1st vaccination against smallpox to an 8-year old boy...

1804] The Lewis and Clark expedition to explore the Louisiana Territory leaves St. Louis...

1853] Gail Borden applies for a patent for condensed milk (and all along I thought we got the milk from Elsie the Cow)...

1874] In Cambridge, MA. Harvard defeats McGill University of Montreal 3-0 in what's recognized as the 1st rudimentary football game ever played...

1878] The name Vaseline is registered by Robert A. Chesebrough...

1897] "The Stars and Stripes Forever" by John Philip Sousa is performed for the 1st time for a George Washington statue unveiling...

1897] Guglielmo Marconi make the 1st communication by wireless telegraph...

1904] The first U.S. Olympics opens in St. Louis...

1942] The Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (the WAAC's, not a very complimentary name) is established...

1948] Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion proclaims the independent State of Israel as British rule in Palestine comes to an end...

1964] Jan and Dean begin recording "Little Old Lady From Pasadena"...

1967] Mickey Mantle becomes the 6th player to hit 500 home runs (he will finish his career with 536)...

1968] Paul McCartney and John Lennon are guests on "The Tonight Show" with Joe Garagiola sitting in for Johnny Carson...

1968] The Rascals record "People Got To Be Free"...

1970] Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young release "Ohio" 10 days after the fatal Kent State shootings...

1972] 41-year old Willie Mays makes a dramatic debut with the Mets, hitting a home run against his former team, the Giants in a 5-4 Met win...

1973] The U.S. launches Skylab I, our 1st manned space station...

1996] 31-year old Dwight Gooden pitches a no-hitter as a member of the Yankees in a 2-0 shutout of Seattle at Yankee Stadium (why couldn't he have pitched one for the Mets who at least would have one now ?)...

1997] A wild melee breaks out in the Knicks-Miami playoff game (a Heat win) as Knick coach Jeff Van Gundy grabs on to Alonzo Mourning's leg and mops up the sweat on the court after Mourning tries to get him off of his leg (producing one of the more embarassing sports photos of all-time)...

1998] Pop Icon Frank Sinatra dies at 82 following a heart attack...

1998] The final episode of "Seinfeld" airs after 9 years on NBC-TV (to me, this was one of the worst final episodes of all-time)...

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

Happy Birthday To...

1925] Patrice Munsel...

1943] Cream bass player Jack Bruce...

1944] "Star Wars" guru George Lucas...

1952] Talking Head David Byrne...

1969] Cate Blanchett...

1983] "Joan of Arcadia's" Amber Tamblyn...

[Today is the 134th day of 2006 with 231 days remaining in the year and 15 days until Memorial Day]...

...

Thursday, May 11, 2006

A May(s) Day To Remember...

Willie Mays returned to New York the place he called home before being transplanted to San Francisco 14 years earlier in 1958. On May 11th, 1972 the "Say Hey Kid" was traded to the Mets for righthanded pitcher Charlie Williams and $50,000 in cash. This was a pit stop for Willie on his way to Cooperstown and the Baseball Hall of Fame and being traded for a .500 pitcher and cash was an insult to one of baseball's greatest players. That didn't stop Met fans from being ecstatic with the reality of seeing #24 playing for their team and they came out in droves to see him at Shea...

Mays didn't disappoint the fans in his first game as a Met as he homered to help the Mets beat, who else, the Giants, 5-4. Mays led off that game playing first base, went 1 for 2, drove in a run and scored 2. Willie would play less than half a season in each of his two seasons with the Amazin's and his diminshed skills would produce a meager .238 average and 14 home runs. The end was near for the future Hall of Famer but he made it to another world series in 1973 and his final at-bat was a hitless appearance as a pinch hitter in Game 3 against Oakland, a series the Mets would lose...

Having seen Willie Mays come up to the Giants as a rookie in 1951 and witness his greatness over the years, it was painful watching him mis-judge routine fly balls in his final year with the Mets. Sadly Mays joined the ranks of Rickey Henderson, Johnny Unitas, Joe Namath, George Foreman, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran and Thomas "Hitman" Hearns in staying too long...

More May 11 Memories...

1647] Peter Stuyvesant arrives in New Amsterdam (which will become New York) to become governor (he picks out a plot of land in Manhattan and declares it "Peter Stuyvesant Town". That's for the New Yorkers in the audience)...

1812] The Waltz is introduced into English ballrooms and most observers consider it "disgusting" (wait till they see the Hucklebuck)...

1947] B.F. Goodrich Company introduces the tubeless tire (creating a whole new sport for kids at the ole fishing hole)...

1949] Think "King and I"....Siam changes its name to Thailand...

1949] The 1st Polaroid camera sells for $89.95 in New York City ("but for you, $75")...

1957] Buddy Holly and the Crickets audition for "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts" but are rejected (Arthur is heard mumbling backstage: "they just don't have any humility" and somewhere Julius La Rosa had a big smile on his face)...

1964] Mary Wells is #1 with the Smokey Robinson song, "My Guy"...

1965] The Byrds make their TV debut with "Mr. Tambourine Man" on NBC-TV's "Hullabaloo"...

1968] "MacArthur Park" replaces Sominex when Richard Harris releases the single...

1969] The British comedy troupe Monty Python is formed...

1972] Making an appearance on "The Dick Cavett Show", John Lennon says his phone is being tapped by the FBI (whose phone wasn't ?)...

1972] Willie Mays is traded to the Mets (feature story)...

1972] The Boston Bruins beat the Rangers to win their second Stanley Cup in 3 years. No surprise here - Bobby Orr is the MVP...

1974] Steely Dan's "Rikki, Don't Lose That Number" is released...

1976] The long-running TV medical drama Marcus Welby, M.D. ends after 8 years (Robert Young played Dr. Welby. The show also starred James Brolin, Elena Verdugo, Anne Baxter and Sharon Gless)...

1977] Braves owner Ted Turner puts on a uniform and manages his team for one game in an attempt to stop Atlanta's 16-game losing streak and guess what ? After the game they had a 17-game losing streak (nice work Ted)...

1981] Reggae musician Bob Marley dies of cancer in a Miami hospital at 36...

1981] Kim Carnes has "Bette Davis Eyes". She also has a #1 hit...

1984] Sparky Anderson's Detroit Tigers beat the California Angels to lift their record to 26-4, the best start in major league history before or since (the Tigers breeze to the AL title and a world series win over San Diego)...

1985] Madonna's "Crazy For You". She's also #1...

1988] A star-studded concert is held at Carnegie Hall in celebration of Irving Berlin's 100th birthday. Performers include: Frank Sinatra, Willie Nelson, Marilyn Horne and others. Irving did not attend but watched it on TV...

1989] The Yankees trade future Hall of Famer Dave Winfield to the Angels for pitcher Mike Witt who will make Yankee fans add an "sh" to his name and remove the "w"...

1989] The final episode of "Dynasty" is aired (the show started on January 12, 1981)...

1991] "Hey Joey"...After a heckler calls him "Joey", a name he dislikes and then makes references to his problems with alcohol, Albert Belle goes off and throws a ball, hitting the offender in the chest from about 15 feet away (the outfielder gets fined and suspended for one week, the fan who was sitting at field level winds up in the upper deck)...

1996] An Atlanta-bound ValuJet DC-9 catches fire shortly after take off from Miami and crashes into the Everglades killing all 110 aboard (I can't think of a worse place to crash)...

1997] The Deep Blue IBM computer defeats Garry Kasparov to win a 6-game chess match between man and machine in New York (lacking good sportsmanship, Kasparov takes a sledge hammer to Deep Blue)...

1999] For the 1st time in the 20th century 2 starting pitchers share the same name as Bobby (M) Jones faces the Mets' Bobby (J) Jones and they both wind up on the Mets at the same time...

2004] A video on an al-Qaida linked website shows the beheading of American hostage Nicholas Berg, kidnapped earlier in Iraq...

2004] The Lakers Kobe Bryant pleads not guilty in a Colorado court to rape (prosecutors later drop the case but Mrs. Kobe winds up with a nice multi-million dollar ring)...

2004] "I'm a Yankee, uh...Red Sox doodle dandy..." Red Sox outfielder Manny Ramirez misses a game to become a U.S. citizen but leads his team out in the next game waving an American flag with Neil Diamond's "America" playing on the P.A. system...

[To ensure 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"...

Nice to hear from Jay Clark about the memory of "The Day The Music" died at WABC. Jay was the operations manager when that format change happened on May 10, 1982. Yes Jay, the 24 years have really flown by...

Paul Power asked who the 3-6 PM jock was in the original WABC lineup. It was Jack Carney. I put Jack in the lineup earlier and omitted Farrell Smith who was on from 1-3 PM. Thanks for spotting that Paul...

Harvey Mednick's goose-bumps had baby goose-bumps when he read about the WABC anniversary but that was probably from the globally-cooled California air. Harvey mentioned Rick Sklar's trip to KABC to get the birds-eye view of a how a good talk radio station should sound and no doubt applied some of that knowledge at WABC...

Happy Birthday To...

1927] Mort Sahl (still cranky after all these years)...

1941] Eric Burdon (the Animals, War, solo)...

1959] Former MTV VJ Diva Martha Quinn...

1963] Natasha Richardson...

[Today is the 131st day of 2006 with 234 days remaining in the year and 18 days until Memorial Day]

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

The WABC music chime is silenced...

The death of musicradio followed the playing of the final WABC music chime at 11:59:55 AM on Monday, the 10th day in the not so merry month of May. The year was 1982. At 9 AM on that last day, Dan Ingram joined Ron Lundy for 3 memory packed hours of the radio station that started it's successful quest to dominate the New York market in December of 1960...

The first WABC jock lineup in December, 1960:

6-10 AM Herb Oscar Anderson, 10-11 AM Don McNeill's Breakfast Club, 11-1 PM Charlie Greer, 1-3 PM Jack Carney, 6-7:30 PM Newscope, 7:30-10 PM Chuck Dunaway, 10-12 M Scott Muni, 12M-4 AM Big Joe's Happiness Exchange, 4-6 AM Bill Owen. Programming consultant: Mike Joseph..

The final WABC jock lineup on the morning of May 10, 1982 on "The Day The Music Died"

5-9 AM Ross and Wilson, 9-11:59:55 AM Ron Lundy and Dan Ingram. Operations Manager: Jay Clark...

At exactly 12 Noon, Musicradio 77 became Talkradio 77...

For a review of jocks and programming people that made WABC the highest rated station in America for 22 years, airchecks, great interviews and memories, the best source of information on Musicradio 77 is available at http//www.musicradio77.com but I will offer some personal memories of the station I tried to beat a couple of times in my commentary...

More May 10 Memories...

1869] A golden spike is driven at Promontory, Utah, marking the completion of the 1st transcontinental railroad in the U.S. ("westward ho")...

1872] Victoria Woodhull becomes the 1st woman nominated for the U.S. presidency (sorry Hillary, it's been done)...

1908] The 1st Mother's Day observance takes place during church services in Grafton, WV and Philadelphia (meanwhile in Orthodox Temples the women still sit upstairs)...

1924] J. Edgar Hoover is appointed head of the FBI, a job he will hold until his death in 1972...

1927] The Hotel Statler in Boston becomes the 1st hotel to install headsets in each of its 1,300 rooms (of course there was nothing to listen to in 1927 but hey, you can't have everything)...

1954] "Rock Around The Clock" is released as a single commercially (promo copies went out on May 6th). This, the 1st time around, the single charts for only one week. One year later after the release of "Blackboard Jungle" the song will top the charts in July of 1955...

1964] Dusty Springfield makes her U.S. television debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show"...

1965] This was a big date for the baseball rivalry (Yankees-Red Sox) that started in 1903 (they're playing against each other now at Yankee Stadium). Dating back to May 10, 1946 each team has won twice on this date after the game in 1965 when the final score was: Yaz 3 Mantle 2 with those 2 stars providing all the runs in a 3-2 Red Sox win...

1969] The merger of the AFL and NFL becomes official with Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Baltimore agreeing to become part of the AFL. The AFC and NFC are formed featuring two-13 team conferences...

1969] ("Whaaaa was in that punnnnch anyway ? I thought it tasted funnnny") The Turtles perform at the White House and Mark Volman celebrates by falling off the stage 4 times (they we're happy but not together)...

1970] In one of the greatest sports photos ever, Boston Bruin Superstar Bobby Orr flies through the air after taking a pass from Derek Sanderson and putting the puck in the St. Louis net for the winning overtime goal that produced an NHL championship for the hometeam...

1973] Led by Willis Reed's 18 points and 12 rebounds, the Knicks win their 2nd and last NBA championship in decisive Game 5 against the Lakers...

1974] Led by the great Dr. J, Julius Erving, the New York Nets win the 1st of their 2 ABA titles by defeating Utah (Erving scores 20 and pulls down 16 boards)...

1974] Eric Clapton records "I Shot the Sheriff" (he will top the charts with it)...

1982] WABC changes format (feature story)...

1983] "Laverne and Shirley" bows out on ABC-TV (the series started on January 27, 1976 as a spinoff of "Happy Days")...

1985] The Go-Go's announce their breakup. The all-girl group had 2 top 10 hits with "We Got The Beat" and "Vacation" (they will launch a reunion tour in 1990)...

1986] Tommy Lee and Heather Locklear rock down the aisle...

1996] "Twister" premieres and just in time for tornado season...

1997] The state of Illinois executes convicted serial killer John Wayne Gacy for the murders of 33 young men and boys...

2002] Robert Hanssen is sentenced to life with no parole (the FBI agent sold U.S. secrets to the Russians for $1.4 million in cash and diamonds)...

2003] The New York Times announces that one of its reporters, Jayson Blair had "committed frequent acts of journalistic fraud" according to an investigation conducted by the paper (something you'll never find in this blog because you have to be a journalist to committ journalistic fraud)...

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

Commentary...

For a Brooklyn kid who dreamed all of his life of becoming a disc jockey on WABC but not quite get there, I was able to have some Kevin Bacon like separations with America's number one rated radio station. I mean I worked in the same building that housed the station. Before they would get their own building the station was on West 66th Street which combined AM, FM and TV (local and network). So I worked in the mailroom but I was only 17 and going to radio school at night so cut me a break. In addition to meeting all the television celebrities I was surrounded by, I also knew most of the radio people, none more than Herb Oscar Anderson who offered this advice, "be an individualist kid". I was finally able to thank HOA for his good advice at a CBS-FM radio greats weekend. I could talk about being the PD at KQV which was owned by ABC but there's no New York connection there except for the conference call between all the Major Market ABC PD's each week . Let's see...oh, I know. I was program director of 2 (technically 3) radio stations that competed (or at least tried) with WABC. The first attempt was in 1972-73 at WOR-FM which would become WXLO when I was there and then there was WNBC in 1976-77. Of course in each case management didn't provide me with enough promotion money to get the job done. Let's face it, it was David vs. Goliath and guess which role I played ? Times up. Hey at least I gave it a shot...

Happy Birthday To...

1930] Pat Summerall...

1936] Gary ("Laugh-In") Owens...

1945] Dave Mason (Traffic and solo)...

1946] Donovan Leitch...

1955] ESPN's Chris "Boomer" Berman...

1960] Paul Hewson a.k.a. Bono...

[Today is the 130th day of 2006 with 235 days remaining in the year and 19 days until Memorial Day]...

...

Tuesday, May 9, 2006

"I saw rock and roll's future and its name is Bruce Springsteen"-Jon Landau-May 9, 1974...

That is just part of the quote but you get the idea that Jon kinda, sorta liked the Boss when he saw him perform on this date in 1974 at the Harvard Square Theater in Cambridge. Jon was the influential music critic whose credits included writing for the Boston Phoenix, the Real Paper in Boston and the legendary Rolling Stone. His quote would become one of the more famous music quotes of all-time and helped propel Springsteen into his rightful ranking as a pop icon...

25-year old Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band was opening for Bonnie Raitt on that spring night in New England and he would move well past being popular with the college crowd in the Northeast after this performance and the Landau quote which gave Columbia Records impetus to now mount a major campaign to promote Springsteen...

In October of 1974 when Springsteen re-appeared in Boston at the Music Hall, Bruce agreed to hire Jon as a co-producer. Eventually Landau would become Springsteen's manager. More on Jon Landau in my commentary...

More May 9 Memories...

1785] If you love brewski's you should build a shrine to Joseph Bramah for it was Joseph who patented the beer-pump handle ("pump up the volume, pump up the volume")...

1926] Americans Richard Byrd and Floyd Bennett (hey didn't they name a field after him ?) become the 1st men to make a flight over the North Pole (where they spot smoke coming out of Santa's igloo)...

1958] Alan Freed is indicted for inciting unlawful destruction of property in Boston (the result of a riot at one of his shows)...

1960] The Food and Drug Administration approves use of a birth control pill...

1961] Jim Gentile of the Orioles sets a major league record by hitting a grand slam home run in 2 consecutive innings (against the Minnesota Twins)...

1961] FCC chairman Newton N. Minow (great, he's named after the fig newton and the Gilligan's Island boat) condemns television programming as a "vast wasteland" in a speech to the NAB (he then goes to his room to watch "My Sister Eileen")...

1964] Peter and Gordon release "World Without Love"...

1967] Strange but true...Cardinals outfielder Roger Maris (#9) hits his 1st National League home run on the 9th day of the month and the ball lands in seat 9 of section 9 (spooky)...

1970] The Blues Image release "Ride Captain Ride" (and I can hear Bill Todd a.k.a. Johnny Williams at WRKO doing the intro in my head)...

1971] The last episode of "The Honeymooners" airs (but the show will be re-run somewhere on Earth and maybe even beyond, forever)...

1974] The House Judiciary Committee opens hearings on whether to recommend the impeachment of President Richard M. Nixon...

1974] The night of the Bruce Springsteen quote (see feature story)...

1978] The body of Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro who'd been inducted by the Red Brigades, is found in an automobile trunk in the middle of Rome...

1980] A day my friends in Tampa won't soon forget...A Liberian freighter rams the Sunshine Skyway Bridge over (Great) Tampa Bay, killing 35 motorists and causing a 1,400-foot section of the bridge to collapse (WLCY always would refer to "Great Tampa Bay" but we didn't do it that much at WFLA or WALT when I was there)...

1987] 27-year old madman Tom Cruise and 33-year old Mimi Rogers walk down the aisle in wedded Scientological bliss...

1998] Now this is a strange pairing...Puff Daddy and Jimmy Page are the musical guests on "Saturday Night Live" (who was the host ? Ozzy Osbourne ?...

2001] James Myers co-writer of "Rock Around the Clock" dies of leukemia at 81 (James wrote the song with Max Freeman in 1953)...

2001] Michael Jackson issues a statement saying "I want to clarify a silly rumor. The Beatles Catalogue is not for sale, has not been for sale and will never be for sale" (he does add that one prize llama, 3 giraffes, and Emanual Lewis are for sale)...

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

Commentary...

After we switched the format to top 40 at WRKO, Jon Landau, then writing for the Boston Phoenix wrote a series of articles on "AM Radio Wars" in which he compared us to WBZ but mostly to WMEX and offered his personal comments on his likes and dislikes. We got into a mini-war with Jon and swapped a few comments to each other which he printed in the Phoenix. I didn't know Jon well but he was always cordial when we would run into each other at various events. His quote on Bruce Springsteen was used to good advantage by Columbia Records and full-page ads were bought to support the promotional campaign that would launch the star that Springsteen would become...

Congratulations to WRKO for signing the Red Sox, who they will carry starting next season. Sister station WEEI will carry about 30 games...

Happy Birthday To...

1918] Mike Wallace (born in Brookline)...

1936] Albert Finney...

1936] Glenda Jackson...

1937] Crickets guitarist Sonny Curtis...

1942] Tommy Roe...

1946] Candice Bergen...

1949] Billy Joel...

1960] Tony Gwynn (who will be in Baseball's Hall of Fame in 2007)...

1962] "Sex and the City" and "Northern Exposure" DJ Chris, John Corbett...

[Today is the 129th day of 2006 with 236 days remaining in the year and 20 days until Memorial Day]...

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Monday, May 8, 2006

Completing a Trifecta...

New York City had already owned championships in baseball and football by virtue of the Mets winning the World Series and the Jets with a Super Bowl win in the same season. The Knicks had a chance to make it a trifecta if they could beat the Lakers in Game 7...

19,500 screaming spectators were on hand at Madison Square Garden on Friday night, May 8, 1970. The big question that night was "would he or wouldn't he ?". He, being Willis Reed answered that question when he limped on to the court looking like Chester of "Gunsmoke". The Lakers could have taken the next flight back to Los Angeles at that point because Reed's presence inspired the Knicks to play their best basketball of the year when it counted the most. Reed would only score 4 points after injuring a thigh muscle in Game 5 but just seeing Willis provided the inspiration this team needed...

Walt "Clyde" Frazier pumped in 36 points with 19 assists and the Knicks team played as they never played before. Final score: Knicks 113 Lakers 99. The Knicks won their 1st NBA title and locked up a Trifecta for New York Sports...

More May 8 Memories...

1886] Atlanta pharmacist John Styth Pemberton invents the flavored syrup for Coca-Cola (which originally contained a dash of cocaine used in the 1800's for stomach distress, honest)...

1879] George Selden applies for the 1st automobile patent (so how come people weren't driving around in a model A Selden ?)...

1915] Regret becomes the first filly to win the Kentucky Derby (hey, how about my pick of Barbaro ?)...

1926] A fire destroys the left field stands at Fenway Park (the bleachers along the left field foul line are not replaced, giving outfielders a chance to catch fly balls hit that way)...

1935] Jockey Ralph Neves is declared dead after being trampled by 4 horses during a race at California's Bay Meadows. Placed in a storage area, somehow he is "revived". Ralph hails a cab and goes back to the track to ride the next day...

1944] The 1st "eye bank" is established in New York City...

1945] President Harry S. Truman announces that WWII has officially ended in Europe...

1956] That handsome devil Alfred E. Neuman appears on the cover of Mad Magazine for the 1st time...

1958] President Dwight D. Eisenhower orders the National Guard out of Little Rock as Ernest Green becomes the 1st black to graduate from an Arkansas public school...

1960] Diplomatic relations between Cuba and the Soviet Union resume (which can only mean one thing: Trouble with a capital "T")...

1961] The New York Metropolitan Baseball Club, Inc. announces the new team's nickname: the Mets...

1967] Muhammad Ali is indicted for refusing induction in the U.S. Army (his heavyweight title was taken away earlier)...

1969] The 5th Dimension are #1 with "Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In"...

1970] The Beatles "Let It Be" LP is released...

1973] Militant American Indians who had held the South Dakota town of Wounded Knee for 10 weeks, surrender...

1977] Olivia Newton-John makes her New York City debut with a concert at the Metropolitan Opera House (after barely not being allowed to enter because she was wearing boots)...

1977] Leo Sayer becomes the only singer to wear pancake makeup and a clown suit and have a #1 hit, with "When I Need You"...

1978] "Son of Sam" a.k.a. David R. Berkowitz pleads quilty to 6 murder charges in Brooklyn...

1984] Joanie (Erin Moran) and Chaci (Scott Baio) get hitched on ABC-TV's "Happy Days"...

1988] "Anything For You" is #1 for Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine...

1987] Gary Hart, hounded by questions of the Donna Rice "Love Boat" cruise, withdraws from the race for the Democratic presidential nomination...

1988] Mike Tyson crashes his $183,000 Bently on Varick Street in Manhattan (when asked why he crashed his car he replies "what car ?")...

1994] President Clinton announces that the U.S. will no longer repatriate boat people (Cuban pitchers return to their teams)...

1997] Tea Leoni and David Duchovny walk down the aisle in Greenwich Village (but only after Tea signs a pre-nuptial agreeing that "they are out there")...

1999] The 1st female cadet graduates from The Citadel...

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

"Kissing Time"...

That guy in Cincinnati who was caught on camera by a parole officer while attending a Reds game was not "killing" his girlfriend (unless it was "softly with his song"), he was "kissing" her. And that's why they call it "Kiss Cam", Mel...

Happy Birthday To...

1926] Environmentalist and nature show host David Attenborough ("right now I'm standing on an active volcano where the temperature is over 1,000 degrees and I could evaporate at any moment"...)

1926] Don ("I kid because I love") Rickles...

1942] Former jockey, now current trainer Angel Cordero Jr...

1943] Toni Tennille...

1951] Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind and Fire...

1964] Melissa Gilbert...

[Today is the 128th day of 2006 with 237 days left in the year and 21 days remaining until Memorial Day]...

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Friday-Sunday, May 5-7, 2006

Cinco de Mayo Quiz...

We live in a global world and this is one holiday that has become bigger 'north of the border than where it originated, 'south of the border, "down Mexico way" but few know why we celebrate Cinco de Mayo, so here's a quiz which perhaps will prove that.

Cinco de Mayo is a holiday that:

a) Started when a shipment of mayonnaise carried on the Titanic never arrived in Vera Cruz, Mexico causing panic among the people for such a great loss. Their anguish was so great that they declared a national day of mourning each May 5th for "sinko de mayo"...

b) Is a celebration of Mexican Independence...

c) Is celebrated because the Mexicans are quite fond of Ireland, especially county Mayo...

d) Is a celebration of Mexico's favorite U.S. actress, Virginia Mayo...

e) All of the above...

f) None of the above...

Okay, okay, so we had fun with it. We did, didn't we ? Now for the facts:

1) Cinco de Mayo commemorates the victory of the Mexican militia over the French army (that's reason enough to celebrate right there) in the Battle of Puebla in 1862 (Mexico's Independence day is actually September 16 which is not celebrated anywhere but Mexico)...

2) (ch-ching) It has become a major revenue day for all restaurants and bars in this country...

3) In Mexico it's just a regional holiday, mostly in the vicinity surrounding the state of Puebla...

4) Many calendars have either "Cinco de Mayo" or "Battle of Puebla" (M) on May 5th (although my Red Sox and Patriots calendars do not. I'll bet the Mets calendars do)...

I'd like to thank my sister Ri for providing the joke that was answer a) in the quiz and Happy Cinco de Mayo. To paraphrase the Levy's Rye Bread advertising campaign of the 50s: Remember you don't have to be Mexican to enjoy Cinco de Mayo...

More Cinco de Mayo Memories...

1821] Napoleon Bonaparte dies in exile on the island of St. Helena...

1847] The American Medical Association (AMA) is organized in Philadelphia...

1862] Mexico defeats France in the battle of Puebla (feature story)...

1891] The Music Hall opens in Manhattan (it will be renamed Carnegie Hall)...

1900] "The Billboard" (later changed to "Billboard Magazine") begins weekly publication after 6 years of publication as a monthy...

1904] Pitching for the Boston Pilgrims, 37-year old hurler Cy Young completes the 1st perfect game in the modern era (when the pitching rubber was moved to 60 feet 6 inches) against the A's of Philadelphia...

1925] Dayton, Tennessee biology teacher John T. Scopes is arrested for teaching Darwin's theory of evolution (little did Scopes know what a can of apes, uh, worms he was opening)...

1936] Edward Ravenscroft receives a patent for the "screw-on bottle cap with a pour lip" (sounds like a description of Mick Jagger)...

1955] On 5/5/55, Boston and Detroit combine for 5 runs (Tigers win 3-2) in the only scheduled American League game...

1955] "Damn Yankees" opens on Broadway (George Steinbrenner starts a petition to rename the musical "Damn Red Sox")...

1961] Alan Shepard becomes the 1st American in space when he makes a 15-minute suborbital flight (I saw that baby launched and did a news report on it looking out the back window of WKKO)...

1962] The Shirelles are #1 with "Soldier Boy"...

1968] The Buffalo Springfield bow out with a concert in Long Beach, CA...

1968] Creedence's "Bad Moon Rising" is released...

1969] Led by Bill Russell, the Celtics win their 11th NBA title (beating the Lakers) in 13 years (their 2nd in the last 3 seasons)...

1969] Stevie Wonder meets President Nixon at the White House (Nixon on the piano and Stevie on a keyboard, jam)...

1970] The Guess Who are #1 with "American Woman"...

1973] The great Secretariat wins the Kentucky Derby in a record 1 minute 59 and 2/5's seconds (a record that still stands). Secretariat would go on to win the Triple Crown...

1978] Pete Rose picks up his 3,000th hit as a member of the Reds...

1982] "Chariots of Fire" by Vangelis is #1 (he will also win an Academy Award for the score to "Chariots of Fire")...

1986] The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is approved for Cleveland, Ohio (read my commentary on this)...

1994] Singapore canes (4 lashes) American teenager Michael Fay for vandalism (I don't know if he was guilty or not but after seeing him interviewed, I figured he deserved it)...

1999] Garth Brooks is named "Artist of the Decade" at the 34th annual Academy of Country Music Awards (for those who live in Massachusetts, the Indian Ranch in Webster celebrates their 60th year with some great Country shows. For tickets and more info, call 508.943.3871 or go online at: www.indianranch.com )...

2004] At Shea Stadium Mike Piazza passes Carlton Fisk for most home runs as a catcher in a 8-2 Mets win...

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

Commentary...

On the 20th anniversary of Cleveland getting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Norm N. Nite: "I sat in Ahmet Ertegun's Atlantic Records offices when the announcement was made and took special pride when I heard it. One year earlier I sat in his office and convinced him to consider Cleveland as the Hall's sight, even though they planned it for New York. I guess if you believe in something and present your case, you can change people's minds. I am also proud of broadcasting daily from the Alan Freed studio at the Hall and even prouder that on January 23, 1986 I was able to induct Alan into the Hall by giving his award to his son Lance at the Waldorf that night. All the best and "Rock On!", Norm N. Nite...

I was with Norm that night and proud of him too. I don't know anyone and I mean anyone who put more effort into getting the Hall in Cleveland than Norm. Congratulations on 20 great years, Norm, thanks in great part to you...

Happy Birthday To...

1926] Ann B. Davis (Alice of the "Brady Bunch")...

1927] Great actress and comedienne Pat Carroll..

1943] Monty Python's Michael Palin...

1944] John Rhys-Davies...

1958] New York reporter and John Gotti (Sr.) buddy John Miller...

[Today is the 125 day of 2006 with 240 days remaining in the year and 24 days till Memorial Day]...

Saturday, May 6, 2006...

May 6 Memories...

1835] James Gordon Bennett publishes the New York Herald for the 1st time...

1851] Linus Yale patents the clock type lock (and had the good sense of naming it after himself)...

1889] The Universal Exposition opens in Paris and marks the dedication of the Eiffel Tower. Also at the exposition: the 1st automobile to be seen in Paris, the Mercedes-Benz...

1915] Babe Ruth hits his 1st home run (as a pitcher) against the Yankees (3 years later in 1918, same date, he will hit a home run against the Yankees and for the 1st time play a position other than pitcher, as a 1st baseman)...

1937] "Oh, the humanities"...The hydrogen filled German dirigible Hindenburg crashes and burns in Lakehurst, NJ. killing 36 of the 97 people aboard in one of the most vivid scenes ever captured on film...

1941] Josef Stalin assumes the Soviet premiership (and another reign of terror begins)...

1946] The Yankees become the 1st team in baseball to travel by plane...

1954] Roger Bannister becomes the 1st runner to finish a mile under 4 minutes at 3 minutes 59.4 seconds...

1957] JFK wins a Pulitzer Prize for his book "Profiles in Courage"...

1960] Britain's Princess Margaret marries commoner Anthony Armstrong Jones (they divorce in 1978)...

1972] Elton John releases "Rocket Man"...

1973] After 18 singles and 7 albums together as Simon and Garfunkel, Paul Simon goes solo in Boston at the Music Hall (one of my favorite theaters in Boston. Great accoustics !)...

1978] Affirmed captures the Kentucky Derby on his way to winning the Triple Crown (the last Triple Crown winner, so far)...

1982] Gaylord Perry becomes the 15th MLB pitcher to win 300 games by beating the Yankees for Seattle, 7-3 (he will finish his career with 314)...

1992] Marlene Dietrich dies at 90...

1994] Paula Jones files a sexual harassment suit against President Bill Clinton (part of the right-wing conspiracy, perhaps ?)...

1994] The Chunnel linking England and France opens for traffic...

1995] James Taylor and Natalie Cole receive honorary degrees at Berklee College of Music's 50th Anniversary Commencement...

1996] Former CIA director William E. Colby's body is found washed up on a river bank in Maryland, 8 days after he disappeared...

1998] Cub rookie pitcher Kerry Wood ties Roger Clemens record of 20 strikeouts as he one-hits Houston...

1999] A parole board in New York votes to release Long Island Lolita, Amy Fisher after 7 years for shooting her lover's wife, Mary Jo Buttafuoco in the face...

2001] Chandra Levy's parents report her missing to the police in Washington, D.C. (Levy's body will be found on May 22, 2002 in a park)...

2004] An estimated 51.1 million watch the final 1st-run episode of "Friends" on NBC-TV...

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

Happy Birthday To...

1931] Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays...

1945] Bob Seger...

1953] Tony Blair...

1955] Tom ("Dancing with The Stars') Bergeron (born in Haverhill, MA)...

1961] George Clooney...

1963] Roma ("Touched by An Angel") Downey...

1972] Devils goalie Martin Brodeur...

[Today is the 126th day of 2006 with 239 days remaining in the year and 23 days until Memorial Day]...

Sunday, May 7, 2006...

May 7 Memories...

1789] The 1st inaugural ball is held in New York in honor of President George Washington and his wife Martha...

1903] It all started with this game: Boston faces off against New York for the 1st time as the Pilgrims beat the Highlanders 6-2 at the Huntington Avenue Grounds in Boston (Bill Dinneen is the winning pitcher for Boston and Hobe Ferris homers)...

1945] Germany signs an unconditional surrender that takes effect the next day, ending WWII...

1946] The Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corp. is founded. The company will later be renamed SONY...

1957] A line-drive off the bat of Yankee Gil McDougald severly damages pitcher Herb Score's right eye, effectively ruining his career (2 years later he will retire)...

1959] The largest crowd (93,103) in baseball history jams the Los Angeles Coliseum for a game dedicated to the recently (1/28/58) paralyzed star catcher of the Dodgers, Roy Campanella who will receive $75,000 of the gate...

1966] After only winning 4 games out of his 1st 20 as Yankee manager, Johnny Keane is fired and replaced by Ralph Houk (and this is before George Steinbrenner)...

1968] Dancer's Image, winner of the Kentucky Derby 3 days earlier is disqualified after it's discovered that the horse was injected by a painkiller known as "bute" to alleviate inflammation of joints. Forward Pass who finished 2nd is declared winner of the race...

1968] British singer Reginald Dwight changes his name to Elton John...

1984] A $180 million out-of-court settlement is announced in the Agent Orange class-action suit brought by Vietnam veterans serving in the armed forces...

1987] Shelly Long (Diane Chambers) makes her last appearance as a regular on "Cheers"...

1998] Daimler-Benz buys Chrysler Corp. for close to $40 (b)illion (it's the largest industrial merger on record)...

1999] A jury in Pontiac, Michigan orders "The Jenny Jones Show" to pay $25 million to the family of a gay man who was shot to death after revealing a crush on a male guest on the show (the award will be overturned on appeal)...

2000] President Vladimir Putin takes office in Russia's 1st democratic tranfer of power...

2003] Pete Townshend of the Who is cleared of possessing pornographic images of children but is placed on a national register of sex offenders for 5 years for being guilty of accessing a child pornography internet site in 1999...

2003] A man wanted by police for drug and parole violations is seen on camera at a Reds game in Cincinnati killing his girlfriend during "Kiss Cam". The 24-year old is busted by his parole officer who was watching...

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

Happy Birthday To...

1927] Former WNEW DJ and singer (narrator ?) of "Green Door" Jim Lowe...

1931] Teresa Brewer...

1939] Johnny Maestro...

1939] Jimmy ("What Becomes of the Brokenhearted") Ruffin...

1950] Tim ("Meet The Press") Russert...

1951] Robert (Epstein on "Welcome Back, Kotter") Hegyes...

[Today is the 127th day of 2006 with 238 days remaining in the year and 22 days remaining until Memorial Day]...

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Thursday, May 4, 2006

Oh - Hi - Oh - No...

It all got out of hand at Noon when the Ohio National Guard started firing tear gas to break up the hundreds of Kent State students headed for the top of the hill on campus for the continuation of anti-war demonstrations that had started a few days earlier. The protest was in response to the U.S. invasion of Cambodia launched one week earlier...

When the Guardsmen reached the top of the hill one of two things happened. The Adjutant General of the Ohio National Guard claims a sniper fired on the troops. Another account had about one-third of the 77 Guardsmen retaliating for being hit with projectiles. The firing would only last 13 seconds according to a New York Times reporter on hand. "It appeared to go on, as a solid volley, for perhaps a full minute or longer" the reporter added. Most believe it was no more than 13 seconds. Students Allison Krause and Jeffrey Miller were among the protestors but Sandra Scheuer and William Schroeder were simply walking from one class to another. All lay dead...

Remember the photo of the girl on her knees reaching out for help over the body of a fatally wounded student ? That was 14-year old Mary Ann Vecchio, a teenage runaway, not a student. The prone body on the ground belonged to student Jeffrey Miller. John Filo, a photojournalism student won a Pulitzer Prize for his vivid snapshot of the massacre at Kent State on May 4, 1970...

Neil Young's protest song of the event would become a big hit for Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and they would perform the tune at Kent State for the 27th anniversary of the tragedy on May 4, 1997..."Tin Soldiers and Nixon coming, We're finally on our own. This summer I hear the drumming, four dead in O-Hi-O"...

More May 4 Memories...

1626] Dutch explorer Peter Minuit lands on Manhattan Island. Native Americans later sell all 20,000 acres of the island for $24 in cloth, buttons and other chotchkies (at the sale, the Native Americans also mention that they have a bridge to sell him but Peter wisely passes)...

1715] A French manufacturer debuts the 1st folding umbrella (but it refuses to open for Americans)...

1776] Who said people from Rhode Island are slow ? R.I. declares its freedom from England 2 months before the Declaration of Independence is adopted...

1905] Belmont Park Race Track opens in Elmont, LI (it's the largest race track in the world)...

1927] The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is founded...

1932] Al Capone enters the federal penitentiary in Atlanta after he's convicted of income-tax evasion...

1953] Ernest Hemingway gets a Pulitzer Prize for "Old Man and The Sea"...

1956] Gene Vincent and The Blue Caps record "Be-Bop-A-Lula"...

1957] Bill Shoemaker misjudges the finish line at the Kentucky Derby as his horse Gallant Man finishes second to Iron Liege instead of winning...

1959] Mort Sahl hosts the 1st Grammy Awards (can't you just hear those snide one-liners now ?). Henry Mancini wins for "Album of the Year" ("The Music from Peter Gunn") and Domenico Modugno has the "Record of the Year" ("Volare")...

1961] A group of Freedom Riders leave Washington, D.C. for New Orleans to challenge racial segregation on interstate buses and in bus terminals...

1964] Louis Armstrong is #1 with "Hello Dolly"...

1965] New York's 7 foot 3/4" Lew Alcindor, the nation's most sought after high school (Power Memorial) player announces his intention of attending UCLA in the fall...

1970] The Kent State shootings (feature story)...

1975] Moe Howard, one of the Three Stooges ("nyuk, nyuk, nyuk") dies at 78 (Moe was one of 3 brothers in the Stooges along with Shemp and Curly)...

1975] The Astros' Bob Watson scores the major league's 1 millionth run in a game at Candlestick Park...

1976] KISS plays their debut concert in New York City...

1977] The Eagles fly high at #1 with "Hotel California"...

1986] "West End Girls" is #1 for the Pet Shop Boys...

1990] Angela Bowie claims that ex-husband David slept with Mick Jagger (HELLO!)...

1998] Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski is given 4 life sentences plus 30 years by a federal judge under a plea agreement that spares him the death penalty...

2001] Bonny Lee Bakley, wife of Robert Blake, is shot to death in Los Angeles (Blake will be acquitted of murder but he does admit not paying the bill at the restaurant she had her final meal at)...

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

Happy Birthday To...

1928] Jazz great Maynard Ferguson...

1930] Opera star Roberta Peters...

1937] Dick ("King of the Surf Guitar") Dale (Dale was born in Quincy, MA. go figure)...

1941] Journalist George Will (who needs a new barber)...

1942] Nickolas Ashford ("Ashford and Simpson")...

1944] Peggy ("The Angels") Santiglia...

1945] Pia Zadora...

1959] Randy Travis...

"Tomorrow"...

If you've ever wondered why Cinco de Mayo is celebrated, tune in tomorrow...

[Today is the 124th day of 2006 with 241 days left in the year and 25 days till Memorial Day]...

Wednesday, May 3, 2006

May 3 - A date to remember in Louisville...

The 132nd "Run for the Roses" a.k.a. the Kentucky Derby is Saturday, May 6th. It's always the first Saturday in May and for my money it's the most exciting two minutes in sports. Three of the most historic Derbies were run on May 3rd and are connected to the numbers 5, 2 and 54:

5 were the number of victories that Eddie Arcaro had after winning the Derby aboard Hill Gail in the 77th running of the big race in 1952. By winning for the 5th time, Arcaro would become the first jockey to total 5 wins (Bill Hartack will tie Arcaro with his 5th win in 1969)...

2 was the number of times a filly won the Derby after Genuine Risk came from well back in the stretch to win in 1980. The horse ridden by Jacinto Vasquez (one of my favorite sports names, it rolls right off your tongue. Try it at home. Ha-sinto Vas-kez. Love it) became the first filly since Regret in 1915 to take the race...

54 was the age of Bill Shoemaker when he won aboard Ferdinand in 1986, a 17 to 1 shot. By winning, Shoemaker would become the oldest jockey to win the race and oh, by the way, Ferdinand's trainer, Charlie Whittingham was 73. Who says this is a young man's game...

More May 3 Memories...

1802] Washington, D.C. is incorporated as a city (but D.C. remains a district, not a state leading to this question, when you're asked to name a state for residence do you use n/a ?)...

1888] Thomas Edison organizes the Edison Phonograph Works...

1920] Owner of the Red Sox, Harry Frazee, becomes the sole owner of Fenway Park...

1936] Future Baseball Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio makes his debut with the Yankees by picking up 3 hits...

1937] Margaret Mitchell wins a Pulitzer Prize for "Gone With The Wind"...

1952] Eddie Arcaro becomes the 1st jockey to win 5 Kentucky Derbies (feature story)...

1960] The musical "The Fantastics" opens off-Broadway beginning a run of nearly 42 years and 17,162 performances (I guarantee you it's still playing at a Ramada Inn near you)...

1964] Gerry & the Pacemakers make their U.S. TV debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show" singing "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying"...

1966] The game "Twister" is featured on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" and sales go through the roof...

1971] National Public Radio (NPR) debuts...

1973] The Sears Tower in Chicago is completed...

1977] Paul Simon and Phoebe Snow perform at a benefit concert at the New York Public Library (where it's discovered that Paul Simon has a book that's 33 years overdue. When asked to pay for it, Paul says "oh that was Artie that took that book out")...

1979] Conservative Party leader Margaret Thatcher becomes Britain's 1st female prime minister...

1980] Genuine Risk becomes the 2nd filly to win the Kentucky Derby (feature story)...

1981] The Celtics beat the 76ers to win the NBA Eastern Conference title behind Larry Bird's bank shot after trailing the series 3 games to one (they will win their 14th NBA title when they beat Houston in 6)...

1986] "Dollywood", Dolly Parton's theme park, opens in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee (Dolly also owns a radio station there and is quite the active owner according to the staff)...

1991] Primetime soap, Dallas airs its last episode. The show debuted in April, 1978 and broke ratings records in 1980 when 8.6 million viewers watched the "Who Shot J.R." episode...

1999] Hasbro releases the 1st collection of Star Wars toys following the success of "Episode I: The Phantom Menace"...

2000] Cardinal John O'Connor, the archbishop of New York, dies at the age of 80...

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

Commentary...

I've gone to the Kentucky Derby and I recommend it as something to experience if you've never been. It does get a bit crowded with something like 120,000 or so people there, mostly in the infield which is inside the oval track but it is a spectacle with the ladies in hats that could even make Jerry Lewises head disappear. The drink of the Derby is the mint julep which is sweeter than Kellie Pickler. If you go, get ready to spot the celebrities who get lots of photo ops. What I also found interesting is overhearing the betting systems of the majority of the crowd who know nothing and when I say nothing, well maybe I'm underestimating here, less than nothing about the thoroughbreds. You'll overhear things like "well I like the name, I knew a minister with that name" or "the colors of that horse would clash with what I'm wearing so I have to bet another horse". Of course this won't give you an advantage in betting but you'll hear things you'll never hear at any other race track. It's worth a trip to Louisville and Churchill Downs, one of the most beautiful tracks in America...

Happy Birthday To...

1919] Pete Seeger...

1928] James Brown (nobody knows his real age. He could have been born in 1828)...

1937] Frankie Valli (who was rubbed out on "The Sopranos" a couple of episodes ago)...

1946] Greg Gumbel (who will be back in competition with his bro' who's going back to sports)...

1950] Mary Hopkin...

1951] Christopher Cross...

[Today is the 123rd day of 2006 with 242 days left in the year and 26 days until Memorial Day]...

...

Tuesday, May 2, 2006

The Iron Man takes a seat...

Little did the world know that when Lou Gehrig played on April 30th that it would be his last game. Gehrig wasn't even sure until the Yankees rolled into Detroit for a series with the Tigers on May 2, 1939. With the consent of manager Joe McCarthy, Gehrig scratched himself from the lineup that day deciding to rest his aching muscles. The decline in his productivity had been on-going during the early part of the season and Lou realized he could no longer help his team, either at-bat or in the field...

For decidedly different reasons, Gehrig would become the new Wally Pipp who was benched in favor of Lou 15 years earlier. The new Lou Gehrig was Ellsworth "Babe" Dahlgren who had waited for this day for 3 years but we knew Gehrig and Dahlgren was "no Lou Gehrig". The Yankees would trade him after the 1940 season...

Lou Gehrig started the first game of his phenomenal 2,130 consecutive game streak that stopped that day in Detroit as a pinch hitter June 1, 1925. The next day he was at first base and stayed there through the streak, a record that would last for 56 years before being broken in 1995 by Cal Ripken Jr...

Gehrig's illness was amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or as it is known today, Lou Gehrig's disease, in honor of the Yankee first baseman. It was then as it is now, incurable. After his moving 1939 farewell at Yankee Stadium, the disease would take Gehrig quickly and he would die in 1941...

More May 2 Memories...

1885] Good Housekeeping magazine is published...

1939] Lou Gehrig's streak ends (feature story)...

1941] The FCC agrees to let regular scheduling of television broadcasts by commercial TV stations begin on July 1, 1941 which signals the start of network television...

1949] Arthur Miller wins the Pulitzer Prize for "Death of a Salesman"...

1957] Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy (R-Wis) dies at Bethesda Naval Hospital at 48...

1960] Ben E. King leaves the Drifters for a solo career after signing a deal with ATCO Records...

1964] Bill Hartack rides Northern Dancer to victory in the Kentucky Derby in 2 minutes flat and sets a record for fastest time for a horse in the Derby (Secretariat will latter shatter the record)...

1966] Ba-da, ba-da, da-da...The Mamas and Papas are #1 with "Monday, Monday"...

1972] J. Edgar Hoover, head of the FBI for 48 years, dies at 77...

1974] The filming of "Jaws" begins on Martha's Vineyard, MA (next time you're on the Cape, take the boat over for a tour. They point out the area around that little bridge where filming actually took place)...

1976] "Welcome Back" (the theme song of "Welcome Back Kotter") by John Sebastian is #1...

1988] Reds manager Pete Rose is suspended for 30 days for pushing an umpire in a game (Pete Rose Jr. just got into a jam for passing steroids to minor leaguers and looks like he will do some time)...

1994] Nelson Mandela claims victory in South Africa's 1st democratic elections...

1997] Tony Blair at 44, becomes Britain's youngest prime minister in 185 years...

1997] Donald Trump and Marla Maples say their "I don'ts" and separate...

1999] John Elway of the Denver Broncos calls it quits after 16 NFL seasons (Elway is in the Pro Football Hall Of Fame)...

2001] Over 40 fans are ejected in a Yankee-Twins game as former Twin Chuck Knoblauch visits his former city for the 1st time as plastic beer bottles and coins rain down on the field but Twins skipper Tom Kelly appeals to the crowd and a game that was almost forfeited resumes after a 12-minute delay (we should be thankful that the fans at Fenway didn't resort to that last night when Johnny Damon returned)...

2002] Seattle's Mike Cameron becomes the 13th major leaguer to hit 4 home runs in a game in a 15-4 Mariner's victory over the White Sox...

2003] The MLB player's association agrees to a 2-year experiment in which the winning league of the All-Star Game will have home-field advantage during the World Series (the 2 years are up but they're still doing it)...

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

Oops...

Despite the above disclaimer, occasionally I do slip up (but at least I admit it). I ran an item in yesterday's timeline that needs to be corrected. I stated that Charlie Robertson pitched a perfect game in 1922 and that there wasn't another one for 46 years, not fact. Following that perfect game, Don Larsen pitched the first and only perfect game in World Series history for the Yankees against the Dodgers. Also, Jim Bunning, then with the Phillies, pitched the next perfect game against the Mets in 1964...

The definition of a perfect game is this: all 27 batters must be retired in order. That means no one walks, gets hit by a pitch or reaches base by error. In the history of baseball there have been 17 perfect games pitched...

Happy Birthday To...

1924] Theodore Bikel...

1936] Engelbert Humperdinck...

1945] Bianca Jagger...

1946] Lesley Gore...

1950] Foreigners' Lou Gramm...

1952] Christine Baranski...

1972] The Rock (Dwayne Johnson)...

1985] Gold winning Olympic figure skater Sarah Hughes...

[Today is the 122nd day of 2006 with 243 days left in the year and 27 days until Memorial Day]...

...

Monday, May 1, 2006

Towering over New York for 75 years...

New York City's Empire State Building would become the tallest structure ever erected in the U.S. when President Herbert Hoover pushed the button that turned on the lights of the big building on the night of May 1st, 1931. This event was so big it was carried live on the radio. If we had television 75 years ago, all the networks would've covered it as well. Can't you just see Katie and Matt camped out on the observation deck for a week spewing out factoids ad nauseam and Al Roker holding an umbrella testing the winds and fate ?

The Empire State Building stood tall against the New York City landscape at 102 stories or 1,454 feet from the top of its lightning rod to its base at ground level. Speaking of factoids, chew on this

• the land was acquired for $20,500 by one of John Jacob Astor's sons...
• construction of the building took only 14 months to complete...
• number of windows: 6,500...
• number of steps (from the lobby to 102nd floor): 1,860...
• number of elevators: 73...
• number of suicides: more than 30...
• the 200-foot television antenna was added in 1953 and several radio stations had antennas there...
• on a clear day, you can see 15 to 20 miles although some have sighted buildings or mountains (the Pocono's) as far as 40 to 80 miles away...
• if a coin were dropped from the top of the building, most likely the wind currents and updrafts would blow it back toward the building and it would travel to the 81st floor , not reaching the ground but if the object is light enough it could go as far as the Hudson River a half mile away...

The Empire State Building has had its share of tragedies, the worst being the B-25 bomber that crashed into the 79th floor on a foggy Saturday in July of 1945, killing 14. Damage to the building was minimal. The building has had its share of intruders, as recently as last week when some joker, disguised in a mask and "fat suit" tried to parachute from the observation deck but was stopped by New York's finest...

The Empire State Building was the tallest building in New York until the World Trade Center buildings went up in 1972. On September 11, 2001, once again it was the tallest building in New York...

More May 1 Memories...

1707] England, Wales and Scotland are united to form Great Britain...

1822] John Phillips (no relation) becomes Boston's 1st mayor...

1867] Reconstruction of the South begins with black voter registration...

1883] William F. Cody a.k.a. "Buffalo Bill" holds his 1st Wild West Show...

1922] Charlie Robertson of the Chicago White Sox pitches a perfect no-hit, no-run game against Detroit. Another perfect game doesn't come around for 46 years...

1931] The Empire State Building opens (feature story)...

1939] Batman comics hit the street...

1941] General Mills introduces Cheerios (I love the Honey Nut Cheerios)...

1941] The Orson Welles film "Citizen Kane" premieres at the RKO Palace on Broadway...

1951] Mickey Mantle hits his 1st home run (it comes against the White Sox in Chicago)...

1952] Mr. Potato Head is born...

1957] Larry King broadcasts his 1st radio show...

1960] The Soviet Union shoots down an American U-2 spy plane and captures pilot Francis Gary Powers...

1961] The 1st U.S. airplane is hijacked to Cuba...

1965] The Supremes release "Back In My Arms Again"...

1967] Elvis Presley serenades Priscilla Beaulieu with "Love Me" as they walk down the aisle in Las Vegas...

1971] Amtrak combines 18 intercity passenger railroads and goes into service...

1971] The Rolling Stones release "Brown Sugar"...

1974] The Carpenters sing for President Richard Nixon and West German Chancellor Willy Brandt at the White House...

1989] Police in California are called to what they think is a robbery at a jewelry store but it turns out to be Michael Jackson shopping in a disguise (and we're suprised because ?)...

1991] Rickey Henderson of Oakland passes Lou Brock with his 939th stolen base (in a game against the Yankees) setting a new career record for stolen bases...

1991] 44-year old Texas pitcher Nolan Ryan upstages Henderson by pitching his 7th no-hitter (against Toronto). No other pitcher in baseball history has as many...

1992] On the 3rd day of the L.A. riots, Rodney King asks: "Can we all get along ?"...

1999] The Mercury space capsule, Liberty Bell 7, piloted by Gus Grissom in 1961 is found in the Atlantic Ocean 300 miles southeast of Cape Canaveral...

2000] The "Barbie for President" doll goes on sale (both Republicans and Democrats claim party affiliation. Al Gore demands a re-count)...

2003] President George W. Bush lands in a jet on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, barely missing the mines planted by Democrats and in a speech to the nation, declares major combat in Iraq is over (Al Gore demands a re-count)...

2004] Smarty Jones wins the Kentucky Derby, the 1st unbeaten Derby winner since Seattle Slew in 1977...

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

Commentary...

On February 23, 1997, a former classmate of my son Rob, Daniel Gross and his brother Matt visited the observation deck of the Empire State Building. That date would produce one of the tragedies connected to the building. A gunman found his way to the observation deck while Danny and Matt were there and started firing randomly. One tourist would suffer a fatal wound and 6 others would be hit, one of them was Matthew Gross. Matt, shot in the head would spend a week in a coma, critically wounded. 27-year old Matt would survive the wounding and his brother Daniel sprang into action, quitting his maketing job at J. Walter Thompson to set up an anti-gun violence organization to prevent future shootings. Daniel Gross is co-founder of PAX, now one of the largest and most successful non-profit gun violence prevention organizations in the nation. If you would like to help in this most worthy cause, contact the organization at: www.paxusa.org

Happy Birthday To...

1916] Glenn Ford (one of his most famous movies was "Blackboard Jungle")...

1925] Former astronaut Scott Carpenter...

1929] Country singer Sonny James...

1939] Judy Collins...

1945] Rita Coolidge...

1967] Tim McGraw...

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

Harvey Mednick commenting on Roget of Thesaurus fame (who was mentioned in the weekend blog) "discovered the phenomenon of persistence of vision in which an image stays on the retina for a millisecond after being viewed, therefore making movies and tv possible". Hey Harv: now find out why wheels on a car appear to be going backwards while really going forward...

[Today is the 121st day of 2006 with 244 days left in the year and 28 days remaining until Memorial Day]...