The Olde Disc Jockey's Almanac

February 12, 2012

2012-02-12T04:00:00.006-05:00

On this day in 1968

"Love Is Blue" by Paul Mauriat was the #1 song.

Today's Celebrity Birthdays

Actress (Wizards of Waverly Place) Jennifer Stone, 19. Actress (Pan Am, The Addams Family, Monster) Christina Ricci, 32. Actress (Chuck, Everwood) Sarah Lancaster, 32. Actor (House) Jesse Spencer, 33. Singer (Wilson Phillips) Chynna Phillips, 44. Actor (American Gangster) Josh Brolin, 44. Actor (Once Upon a Time) Raphael Sbarge, 48. Actor (Blade: Trinity, Wag The Dog) John Michael Higgins, 49. Comedian/television host Arsenio Hall, 57. Actress (Growing Pains, Hunter, Knocked Up) Joanna Kerns, 59. Singer (On My Own w/ Patti LaBelle, I Keep Forgettin’) Michael McDonald, 60. Actor (ER, The Machinist, Top Gun) Michael Ironside, 62. Model/actress (Emerald Point N.A.S., Octopussy) Maud Adams, 67. Actor (Sunshine, JAG) Cliff DeYoung, 67. Actor (Battlestar Galactica, Halloween, Scarecrow) Richard Lynch, 72. Keyboardist (Doors member) Ray Manzarek, 73. Auto racer Johnny Rutherford, 74. Actor (Walking Tall, Cool Hand Luke) Joe Don Baker, 76. Golf champion Ken Still, 77. Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Russell, 78. Former baseball analyst/TV host/ author/MLB catcher Joe Garagiola, 86. Movie director (Jesus Of Nazareth, Romeo & Juliet) Sir Franco Zeffirelli, 89.

Christina Ricci

What A Day This Has Been

February 12, 1892…President Abraham Lincoln's birthday was declared a U.S. national holiday.

February 12, 1909…The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination." Its name, retained in accordance with tradition, uses the once common term colored people, meaning non-white. The date was chosen to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the birth of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, who emancipated enslaved African Americans.

February 12, 1912…China's boy emperor Hsuan T'ung announced that he would end the Manchu Ch'ing dynasty by abdicating. The Republic of China was then established.

February 12, 1924…At New York City's Aeolian Hall, Paul Whiteman conducted the first public performance of George Gershwin's "Rhapsody In Blue," with Gershwin playing piano. John Philip Sousa and Jascha Heifetz were among the luminaries in the audience.

February 12, 1924…"The Eveready Hour," paid for by the National Carbon Company which at the time owned Eveready Battery, became radio's first commercially sponsored network program. It originated from WEAF in New York City and was hosted for many years by the banjo-playing vocalist Wendell Hall.

February 12, 1940…"The Adventures of Superman," with Bud Collyer in the title role, began its 11-year run on radio as a syndicated show on New York City's WOR. It became a network show on Mutual in August 1942 as a 15-minute serial airing three to five times a week.

February 12, 1956…Screamin' Jay Hawkins recorded "I Put a Spell On You."

February 12, 1957…The Crickets released the single "Maybe Baby."

February 12, 1957…The Coasters recorded "Young Blood."

February 12, 1958…The Monotones released "Book of Love"

February 12, 1960…Pat Boone's album "Pat's Great Hits" was certified Gold.

February 12, 1961…"Shop Around" by the Miracles on Tamla Records became the first million-selling single on one of Berry Gordy's Motown labels. It was also Motown's first #1 record on Billboard's R&B singles chart.

February 12, 1963…In Hollywood, Buck Owens recorded "Act Naturally."

February 12, 1964…The Beatles and British Prime Minister Sir Alec Douglas-Home visited the White House in Washington, DC. President Lyndon Johnson was overheard saying to the prime minister, "I like your advance guard. But don't you think they need haircuts?" Following the visit, the Beatles took the train back to New York City where they ended their first American trip with two 25-minute shows at Carnegie Hall. Ticket prices ranged from $1.65 to $5.50.

February 12, 1965…On the UK music show "Ready Steady Go!," 18 year-old Donovan Leitch performed his debut single "Catch The Wind."

February 12, 1966…Simon & Garfunkel released "Homeward Bound."

February 12, 1966…The Rolling Stones released "19th Nervous Breakdown" in North America.

February 12, 1967…Fifteen police officers raided Keith Richards home in Sussex, England where they found "various substances of a suspicious nature." George and Patti Harrison had been at the house, but it was rumored that the police waited for them to leave before they raided the house in order not to bust the holder of an MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire medal). Richards, Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithful were arrested on drug charges which set off a national furor, since it was alleged that the raid was orchestrated by the News of the World tabloid as revenge for a Jagger libel suit.

February 12, 1968…John and Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas welcomed the arrival of their only child, daughter Chynna.

February 12, 1968…Jimi Hendrix returned home to Seattle to receive a key to the city and an honorary high school diploma. He also played a free show for the students of Garfield High School. Hendrix was thrown out of the school at the age of 16, allegedly for holding the hand of a white girl in class.

February 12, 1971…Department store founder J.C. Penney died at age 95. The company closed for business for half a day as a memorial to him.

February 12, 1973…Ohio became the first U.S. state to post metric distance signs. They were positioned along Interstate 71.

February 12, 1973…Elton John's album "Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only The Piano Player" was certified Gold.

February 12, 1974…The legendary rock club the Bottom Line opened in Greenwich Village, New York City. Stevie Wonder jammed with Johnny Winter and Dr. John at the opening. James Taylor, Carly Simon and Mick Jagger also appeared.

February 12, 1975…Bob Dylan released the album "Blood on the Tracks."

February 12, 1976…Actor (Rebel Without A Cause, Giant, Exodus, Escape From The Planet Of The Apes)/singer (Start Movin' In My Direction) Sal Mineo was stabbed to death at the age of 37 during an apparent robbery. Three years later, pizza deliveryman Lionel Ray Williams, was arrested, convicted, and sentenced to 57 years in prison for killing Mineo and for committing 10 other robberies in the same area. Williams was paroled in the early 1990s, but soon was imprisoned again for further criminal activity.

February 12, 1977…In Los Angeles, Blondie, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and the Ramones performed at the Whisky a Go Go.

February 12, 1977…At Pathway Studios in London, the Police recorded their first single, "Fall Out."

February 12, 1981…Deborah Harry of Blondie announced plans to record a solo album.

February 12, 1982…Actor (Manhunt, Gone With The Wind, Papillon, The Miracle Worker, Each Dawn I Die, Susannah of the Mounties, The Shadow, Each Dawn I Die, Cheyenne Autumn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Escape from Devil's Island, The Fugitive Kind, Death of a Scoundrel, Son of Ali Baba, The Highwayman, Manfish, Valley of the Kings, Meet Nero Wolfe, Madame Du Barry, Secrets of the Lone Wolf, Charlie Chan in Rio, The Lone Wolf Meets a Lady, Bulldog Drummond at Bay) Victor Jory died at 79.

February 12, 1983…Pianist/composer (Memories of You, I'm Just Wild About Harry) Eubie Blake died at the age of 100.

February 12, 1985…On NBC-TV's "The Tonight Show," Johnny Carson surprised his audience by shaving off the beard he had been sporting for several weeks.

February 12, 1985…Actor (Cheers, Raging Bull, Family Plot, Fat City)/TV director (Hawaii Five-0, Garrison's Gorillas, Run For Your Life, Felony Squad) Nicholas Colasanto died of heart failure at age 61.

February 12, 1989…Aretha Franklin lost a $1 million lawsuit brought by Broadway producer Ashton Springer who sued when Aretha failed to show up for rehearsals for the stage show "Sing, Mahalia, Sing." She blamed her fear of flying for the non-appearance.

February 12, 1989…Novelty singer Tiny Tim ran for mayor of New York City … and lost.

February 12, 1997…In the Lingerie Department at the Greenwich Village Kmart store in Manhattan, U2 held a press conference to announce their Pop Mart world tour, set to start in Las Vegas on April 25 of that year.

February 12, 1997…David Bowie received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

February 12, 1999…The U.S. Senate acquitted President Bill Clinton on two impeachment articles: perjury and obstruction of justice.

February 12, 1999…Singer (The Big Hurt) Miss Toni Fisher died of a heart attack at 67.

February 12, 1999…Baseball broadcaster Jimmy Dudley, play-by-play voice of the Cleveland Indians for nearly two decades and the lead announcer for the short-lived Seattle Pilots in 1969, died at age 89.

February 12, 2000…Singer (Jean, Good Morning Starshine) Oliver died of cancer at the age of 54.

February 12, 2000…R&B singer (I Put A Spell On You) Screamin' Jay Hawkins died of surgical complications at age 70.

February 12, 2000…Comic strip cartoonist (Peanuts) Charles Schulz died following a heart attack while being treated for colon cancer at the age of 77.

February 12, 2000…Former Dallas Cowboys head coach Tom Landry died of leukemia at age 75.

February 12, 2002…The long drawn-out trial of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milošević began at the U.N. tribunal in the Hague, Netherlands. He was accused of war crimes during the Balkan wars of the 1990s. Before a verdict could be rendered, Milošević was found dead in his cell on March 11, 2006, in the UN war crimes tribunal's detention center in the Hague.

February 12, 2003…Former Doors drummer John Densmore filed suit against Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek and guitarist Robby Krieger for breach of contract, trademark infringement and unfair competition. The band had recently re-formed with ex-Cult singer Ian Astbury and former Police drummer Stewart Copeland. Densmore said "It shouldn't be called the Doors if it's someone other than Jim Morrison singing." He won the lawsuit in July 2005, and the new ensemble was forced to stop calling themselves the Doors.

February 12, 2005…Country music singer (Help Me Make Through The Night) Sammi Smith died of emphysema at the age of 61.

February 12, 2005…Actor (Flipper, Straightaway, 21 Beacon Street, Around the World Under the Sea, Flipper's New Adventure, Thunder Island) Brian Kelly died of pneumonia at 73.

February 12, 2006…Organist (Plantation Boogie) Lenny Dee died at age 83.

February 12, 2007…At a Los Angeles press conference, Sting confirmed that the Police were re-forming and would begin a world tour on May 28 in Vancouver, British Columbia, with Sting's son Joe Sumner's band Fiction Plane as the opening act.

February 12, 2007…Bassist (Soulful Strut, The 'In' Crowd) Eldee Young, a member of Young-Holt Unlimited and the Ramsey Lewis Trio, died of a heart attack at the age of 71.

February 12, 2008…Ronald Isley's appeal of a three-year jail term for tax fraud was rejected by a U.S. court. The 65-year-old Isley Brothers singer argued against being imprisoned on the grounds of his age and poor health. The court heard testimony that he cashed royalty checks belonging to his brother O'Kelly, who died in 1996, and spent millions of dollars earned from undeclared performances on a yacht and two homes. Isley was ordered to pay more than $3.1 million to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service for "pathological" evasion. He was released from prison on April 13, 2010.

February 12, 2008…Actor (Rhoda, General Hospital, Roger Corman Presents Black Scorpion, The Stoned Age, Two-Minute Warning, Every Dog Has Its Day, The Return of Superfly, Hotshot, A Hero Ain't Nothin' But a Sandwich, Spoiler, Acts of Betrayal, Crazylove, The Confidence Man, Blowback) David Groh died of kidney cancer at age 68.

February 12, 2009…A full frontal nude photo of Madonna, taken in 1979 before she became famous, sold at auction for $37,500. The black and white picture was taken at a time when Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone was a 20-year-old dancer trying to make ends meet in New York.

February 12, 2010…Anne Murray, Donald Sutherland and Bobby Orr were part of the six-person group carrying the Olympic Flag during the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver Winter Olympics. Bryan Adams, Nelly Furtado, Sarah MacLachlan, k.d. lang and Joni Mitchell sang during the three-hour program. Sutherland narrated the show and Michaëlle Jean, the governor general of Canada, declared the Games officially open.

February 12, 2010…In a ceremony at Buckingham Palace in London, Queen Elizabeth II awarded Order of the British Empire medals to founding members of Status Quo.

February 12, 2010…Jazz drummer Jake Hanna died from complications of a blood disease at age 78. He appeared with the Mort Lindsey Orchestra on Judy Garland's multi-Grammy award-winning live album, "Judy at Carnegie Hall," and for 11 years was in Lindsey's television band for the syndicated "Merv Griffin Show."

February 12, 2011…"Arab Spring" uprisings continued to spread in the Middle East. Inspired by the Egyptian Revolution, nearly 5,000 Algerians protested their regime, calling for President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to be removed, and anti-government protesters in Yemen called for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down after ruling the country for 33 years.

February 12, 2011…Actress (Laverne & Shirley, All In The Family, On The Town, Take Me Out To The Ballgame, Neptune's Daughter, My Sister Eileen, Words and Music, Dark and Stormy Night) Betty Garrett died of an aortic aneurysm at age 91.

February 12, 2011…Actor (Malcolm In The Middle, Young Frankenstein, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Producers, Yellowbeard, What's Up Doc?)/cartoon voicist (Fievel's American Tails, The Flintstone Kids, The Little Mermaid) Kenneth Mars died of pancreatic cancer at age 75.

~~~~~

Enjoy your day! Make it matter.
-30-

February 11, 2012

2012-02-11T04:00:00.056-05:00

On this day in 1955

"Sincerely" by the McGuire Sisters was the #1 song.

Today's Celebrity Birthdays

Actor (The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Twilight) Taylor Lautner, 20. Model/ singer (Automatic) Aubrey O’Day, 28. Singer Kelly Rowland, 31. Actor (Boy Meets World) Matthew Lawrence, 32. Actress (Moesha)/singer (The Boy Is Mine w/ Monica) Brandy Norwood, 33. Actor (Mr. Belvedere) Brice Beckham, 36. Singer D'Angelo, 38. Actress (Friends) Jennifer Aniston, 43. Former Alaska Governor/U.S. vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, 48. Singer Sheryl Crow, 50. Model/actress (Law & Order, Licence To Kill) Carey Lowell, 51. Actress (One Life To Live, The City) Catherine Hickland, 56. Singer/pianist/composer (The Fool On The Hill, The Look Of Love) Sergio Mendes, 71. Lyricist (w/ ex-wife Carole King Will You Love Me Tomorrow, Take Good Care Of My Baby, Go Away Little Girl, Up On The Roof) Gerry Goffin, 73. Actor (Evening Shade, Smokey & The Bandit, Deliverence) Burt Reynolds, 76. Model/actress (Gilligan’s Island) Tina Louise, 78. Fashion designer Mary Quant, 78. Former sportswriter/TV boxing analyst Larry Merchant, 81. Actor (Mork & Mindy, The Buddy Holly Story)/jazz trombonist/bandleader Conrad Janis, 84.

Aubrey O’Day

What A Day This Has Been

February 11, 1812…When Governor Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts signed a redistricting law that favored his own party, the term "gerrymandering" was born.

February 11, 1858…Near Lourdes, France, Bernadette Soubirous claimed to have seen a vision of the Virgin Mary who asked for a chapel to be built at a specific site in the area. In spite of initial skepticism from the Catholic Church, the claim was declared to be worthy of belief, and the apparition was named Our Lady of Lourdes. The shrine that was built went on to become a major site for pilgrimage, attracting more than five million Christian pilgrims of all denominations each year.

February 11, 1929…Italy officially recognized the independence and sovereignty of Vatican City by signing the Lateran Treaty.

February 11, 1937…A sit-down strike against General Motors ended when the automaker agreed to recognize the United Automobile Workers Union as the employees' bargaining agent.

February 11, 1938…Bob Hope's first feature film "The Big Broadcast of 1938," co-starring W.C. Fields, Martha Raye, and Dorothy Lamour, opened in U.S. movie theaters and introduced Hope's signature song, "Thanks For The Memory."

February 11, 1943…U.S. Army General Dwight D. Eisenhower was chosen to command the allied armies in Europe.

February 11, 1945…After a week-long conference during World War II, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Soviet leader Josef Stalin and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Yalta Agreement.

February 11, 1945…Lyricist (I Only Have Eyes For You, Lullaby Of Broadway, Tiptoe Through The Tulips, The Anniversary Waltz, I'll String Along With You, September In The Rain, 42nd Street, Boulevard Of Broken Dreams) Al Dubin died at age 53.

February 11, 1953…The musical "Hazel Flagg," starring Helen Gallagher, John Howard, Thomas Mitchell, Ross Martin, Jonathan Harris, and Sheree North, opened at New York's Mark Hellinger Theatre for 190 performances.

February 11, 1956…For his third appearance on CBS-TV's "Dorsey Brothers Stage Show," Elvis Presley sang "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Blue Suede Shoes."

February 11, 1958…Ruth Carol Taylor, the first black woman to become a stewardess, made her initial flight from Ithaca, New York to New York City while working for Mohawk Airlines.

February 11, 1960…Jack Paar walked off NBC-TV's "Tonight Show" after network censors cut one of his jokes a night earlier. He returned a month later and remained as host of the show for another two years.

February 11, 1963…In a little less than ten hours, the Beatles recorded all the tracks, including "Twist and Shout" and "I Saw Her Standing There," for their first album to be released in the UK, "Please Please Me."

February 11, 1964…At the Colosseum in Washington, DC, the Beatles played their first U.S. concert. They sang "Roll Over Beethoven," "From Me to You," "I Saw Her Standing There," "This Boy," "All My Loving," "I Wanna Be Your Man," "Please Please Me," "Till There Was You," "She Loves You," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "Twist and Shout," and "Long Tall Sally." Because of the stage setup, the band was forced to move their equipment three separate times in order to give everyone in the audience a chance to see them. The opening acts were Tommy Roe, the Caravelles, and the Chiffons.

February 11, 1965…In London's Caxton Hall Register Office, Ringo Starr married his first wife, Maureen Cox. Beatles manager Brian Epstein was the best man. The couple's parents, George Harrison, and John & Cynthia Lennon also attended. Paul McCartney was on vacation in Tunisia at the time. Ringo and Maureen had their honeymoon in Sussex, England. They had three children before divorcing in 1975.

February 11, 1966…Cher recorded "Bang Bang," written and produced by Sonny Bono. It was her biggest solo hit of the 1960s.

February 11, 1967…After it was revealed that studio musicians had done most of their recorded work, the Monkees announced that they would be playing all the instruments on their future recordings. They kept their promise for the album, "Headquarters," recorded and released later that year.

February 11, 1968…The new 20,000 seat, fourth incarnation of Madison Square Garden officially opened in New York City.

February 11, 1970…In New York City, Fleetwood Mac, the Allman Brothers and the Grateful Dead performed at the Fillmore East.

February 11, 1970…The movie "The Magic Christian," starring Peter Sellers, Ringo Starr, Isabel Jeans, Richard Atteborough, Wilfred Hyde-White, Laurence Harvey, Christopher Lee, Raquel Welch, Leonard Frey, and Spike Milligan, with music by Badfinger, premiered in New York City.

February 11, 1975…Margaret Thatcher was elected leader of the Conservative Party and thus became the first woman to head a major party in Britain.

February 11, 1975…The movie "Shampoo," starring Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, Lee Grant, Goldie Hawn, Jack Warden, Tony Bill, and Carrie Fisher, opened in U.S. and Canadian movie theaters. Beatty was also the film's producer.

February 11, 1976…Actor (The Virginian, The Young Lawyers, 12 Angry Men, On The Waterfront, The Exorcist, How the West Was Won, The Three Faces of Eve, Exodus, Our Man Flint, The Song of Bernadette, Come Blow Your Horn, In Like Flint, Coogan's Bluff, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, Call Northside 777, Anna and the King of Siam, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Left Hand of God, But Not For Me, The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing, Golden Boy, The Brothers Karamazov) Lee J. Cobb died following a heart attack at age 64.

February 11, 1979…An audience of 43 million people watched the ABC made-for-TV movie, "Elvis!" starring Kurt Russell, Shelley Winters, Season Hubley, and Pat Hingle.

February 11, 1979…The Neil Simon-Carole Bayer Sager-Marvin Hamlisch musical "They're Playing Our Song," starring Robert Klein and Lucie Arnaz, opened at New York's Imperial Theatre for 1082 performances.

February 11, 1982…Dancer/actress (Born To Dance, Broadway Melody of 1936, Lady Be Good, Ship Ahoy, Broadway Melody of 1938, Sensations of 1945, I Dood It, Broadway Melody of 1940, Born to Dance, Rosalie, Honolulu) Eleanor Powell died of cancer at the age of 69.

February 11, 1983…In New York, "Let's Spend the Night Together," the Rolling Stones concert film from their 1981 tour, opened to mostly negative reviews.

February 11, 1983…For the album "The Distance," Bob Seger received his seventh consecutive Platinum award.

February 11, 1986…Boy George guest-starred on an episode of the TV drama series "The A-Team."

February 11, 1986…The single "Superbowl Shuffle" by the Chicago Bears Shufflin' Crew was certified Gold.

February 11, 1990…South African anti-apartheid figure Nelson Mandela was freed after 27 years in prison.

February 11, 1992…Actor (The Alaskans, The Longest Day, The Rise And Fall Of Legs Diamond, A Majority Of One, I'll Cry Tomorrow, The Chapman Report, Portrait of a Mobster, The George Raft Story, The Centerfold Girls, A Fever in the Blood, Yellowstone Kelly, Onionhead, Ice Palace, The Beat Generation, The Big Operator, Too Much Too Soon, The Night Runner, Outside the Law)/director (Cagney & Lacey, Quincy M.E.) Ray Danton died of kidney disease at age 60.

February 11, 1993…U.S. President Bill Clinton appointed Janet Reno to the position of attorney general. She was the first female to hold that position.

February 11, 1993…Actress (The Young And The Restless, Callie & Son, Days Of Our Lives, Hotline) Joy Garrett died of liver failure at age 47.

February 11, 1994…Actor (Cannon, Jake And The Fat Man, Nero Wolfe, Body And Soul, Killing Cars, Any Number Can Play, Moonshine County Express, 5 Against the House, The Ride Back, The Naked Jungle, The Desert Song, Sorry Wrong Number, The Killers)/TV series narrator (Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, The Fugitive, Rocky and His Friends, Rocky and Bullwinkle, Dudley Do-Right, This Man Dawson) William Conrad, who provided the voice of Matt Dillon in the radio version of "Gunsmoke," died of heart failure at 73.

February 11, 1994…Actor (The Dukes Of Hazzard, The Guiding Light, What's Up Doc?, Fail-Safe, The Other Side of Midnight, Slaughterhouse-Five, Freaky Friday, The Iceman Cometh, Up the Down Staircase, Black Like Me, Bye Bye Braverman, A Fine Madness, Matchless, Special Delivery, Mastermind, Bank Shot, The Take) Sorrell Booke died of colorectal cancer at age 64.

February 11, 1994…NASCAR racecar driver Neil Bonnett was killed during a practice run at age 47.

February 11, 1997…Actor (Gidget, Private Secretary, The Candidate, She-Wolf Of London, Mame, 40 Carats, White Line Fever, Live a Little Love a Little, Gidget Goes to Rome, Youngblood Hawke, Bachelor in Paradise, Our Miss Brooks, My Friend Irma Goes West, Buck Privates Come Home, Danger Woman, Butterflies in Heat, The Turning Point, Because You're Mine, Cripple Creek, Cuban Pete, Eagle Squadron, Top Sergeant, The Racket, Who Done It?) Don Porter died at the age of 84.

February 11, 2000…A fan attending an Isley Brothers concert in Los Angeles suddenly shot three members of the audience, one of them fatally. He was then killed by police, reportedly shot in self-defense.

February 11, 2000…Diana Ross was granted a divorce from her Norwegian businessman husband of 14 years.

February 11, 2002…The six stars of NBC-TV's sitcom "Friends" signed a deal for $24 million each for the ninth and final season of the series.

February 11, 2006…Author (Jaws, The Deep) Peter Benchley died of pulmonary fibrosis at the age of 65.

February 11, 2006…In Texas during a quail hunt, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot and wounded a companion.

February 11, 2009…The body of singer (Be My Baby, Baby I Love You) Estelle Bennett of the Ronettes was found in her apartment. She had died of colon cancer at age 67.

February 11, 2010…Actress (The Guiding Light, Another World, Benson, Mermaids, White Water Summer) Caroline McWilliams died of multiple myeloma at 64.

February 11, 2011…President Hosni Mubarak relinquished power to the head of the Higher Military Council of the Egyptian Armed Forces.

February 11, 2011…Former major league baseball manager (Braves, Pirates, Athletics, White Sox)/former outfielder (Braves, Cubs, Angels, Indians) Chuck Tanner died at the age of 82.

February 11, 2011…Tom Carnegie, for 60 years the voice of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, died at age 91.

~~~~~

Enjoy your day! Make it matter.
-30-

February 10, 2012

2012-02-10T04:00:00.008-05:00

On this day in 1965

"You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’" by the Righteous Brothers was the #1 song.

How well do you know

"The Greatest Music Of All Time?"

Who’s the female vocalist that had the #1 single of the entire decade of the 1970s, and whose father had two of the Top 25 singles of the entire decade of the 1950s – both songs from movies in which he starred?

The answer to the music trivia question can be found at the end of today's post.

Today's Celebrity Birthdays

Actress (The Good Wife) Makenzie Vega, 18. Actress (Unfabulous, Aquamarine) Emma Roberts, 21. Actress (Scrubs, Spider-Man, Man on a Ledge) Elizabeth Banks, 38. Actress (General Hospital, Port Charles, Big Bad Wolf) Sarah Aldrich, 42. Actress (Blue Velvet, Jurassic Park, Rambling Rose) Laura Dern, 45. Actress (Hannibal, Collateral Damage) Francesca Neri, 48. TV-radio talk show host Glenn Beck, 48. TV host (Good Morning America, This Week)/former presidential (Clinton) adviser George Stephanopoulos, 51. Golf champion Greg Norman, 57. Olympic Gold Medal swimmer Mark Spitz, 62. Comedian/actress (Grace Under Fire, Mr. Mom)/writer (The Rosie O’Donnell Show) Valri Bromfield, 63. Drummer (often for Elton John) Nigel Olsson, 63. Bassist (Ventures member) Bob Spalding, 65. Movie director (Coal Miner’s Daughter, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Gorillas In The Mist) Michael Apted, 71. Singer/songwriter/pianist (Killing Me Softly With His Song, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face) Roberta Flack, 75. Guitarist (Ventures member) Don Wilson, 79. Actor Robert Wagner, 82. Opera soprano Leontyne Price, 85.

Francesca Neri

What A Day This Has Been

February 10, 1763…The Peace of Paris treaty ended the Seven Years War, and France ceded Canada to England.

February 10, 1840…Britain's Queen Victoria married Prince Albert of Saxe Coburg-Gotha after proposing to him the previous October. They had nine children and remained together until his death in December 1861.

February 10, 1846…Brigham Young led members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on their journey westward from Illinois, first to Nebraska and then, in 1847, to what became the Utah Territory.

February 10, 1870…The California city of Anaheim was incorporated. Its name is the combination of "Ana," after the Santa Ana River, and "heim," which means home in German.

February 10, 1897…The New York Times began printing the slogan "All the news that's fit to print" on their front page.

February 10, 1942…After topping the charts for more than two months, "Chattanooga Choo Choo" by Glenn Miller & His Orchestra became the first recording to be certified as a million-seller and was honored with a gold record, a master copy of the disc sprayed with gold lacquer by RCA as a publicity stunt.
What is recognized today as a Gold Record was not initiated for another 16 years when the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) adopted the idea and trademarked the Gold Record. In 1958, the first Gold single was awarded to Perry Como for "Catch A Falling Star" and the first Gold album was given to Gordon McRae for the soundtrack of "Oklahoma!"

February 10, 1946…The year before his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Jackie Robinson, the first black pro-baseball player, married Rachel Isum. They had two children and remained together until his death in 1972.

February 10, 1949…The original Broadway production of the Arthur Miller play "Death of a Salesman," starring Lee J. Cobb, Thomas Chalmers, Mildred Dunnock, Arthur Kennedy, Cameron Mitchell, and Constance Ford, opened at New York's Morosco Theatre for 742 performances.

February 10, 1954…Despite authorizing another $785 million to support the occupying French military in Vietnam, thereby committing America to shouldering 80 percent of the cost of the war, President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned against direct U.S. military intervention in Vietnam.

February 10, 1954…"The Glenn Miller Story," starring James Stewart, June Allyson, Harry Morgan, Charles Drake, and George Tobias, with Frances Langford, Louis Armstrong, Ben Pollock, Gene Krupa, Cozy Cole, and the Modernaires appearing as themselves, had its North American premiere in New York City.

February 10, 1955…The Louvin Brothers joined the Grand Ole Opry.

February 10, 1956…In New Orleans, Little Richard recorded "Long Tall Sally." Rolling Stone magazine ranked it as #56 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time."

February 10, 1956…"My Friend Flicka," starring Johnny Washbrook, Gene Evans, Anita Louise, and Frank Ferguson premiered on CBS-TV. The series lasted one season.

February 10, 1958...ABC-TV's "Mickey Mouse Club" began its "Annette" serial, starring Annette Funicello.

February 10, 1959…Link Wray performed his controversial instrumental "Rumble" on ABC-TV's "American Bandstand." Many radio stations had refused to play the record only because of the danger implied in its title.

February 10, 1962…The U.S. exchanged captured Soviet spy Rudolph Ivanovich Abel for American U2 pilot Francis Gary Powers who was being held by the Soviet Union.

February 10, 1965…Chad and Jeremy made a guest appearance on "The Dick Van Dyke Show" on CBS-TV.

February 10, 1966…Reggae singer/songwriter/musician Bob Marley married Rita Anderson, a singer in the group the Soulettes. They had five children and remained together until his death in May 1981.

February 10, 1967…Ratification was completed for the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Adopted 13 days later, the amendment requires the appointment of a vice-president when that office becomes vacant, and instituted new measures in the event of presidential disability.

February 10, 1967…The Beatles and producer George Martin continued work in the studio on "A Day In The Life," using a 40-piece orchestra to add the orchestral crescendos. At the Beatles' request, orchestra members arrived in full evening dress along with novelty accoutrements. One violinist wore a red clown's nose, one had a fake gorilla's paw on his bow hand and others wore funny hats with other assorted novelty items. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Mike Nesmith, and Donovan also attended the session. Martin later recalled that when he told some of Britain's finest musicians that they were to play twenty-four bars of cacophonous, improvised crescendo, "they all looked at me as though I were completely mad."

February 10, 1968…The Beatles closed their American fan club and business office, dismissed their American public relations people, and consolidated all business dealings within their own Apple Corps in London.

February 10, 1971…Carole King released the album "Tapestry."

February 10, 1974…En route from Los Angeles to Phoenix, record producer Phil Spector was seriously burned in a mysterious car crash, which led to extensive plastic surgery that drove him further into reclusiveness.

February 10, 1974…At the Los Angeles Forum, Deep Purple began a 28-date North American tour.

February 10, 1976…The Memphis Police Department made Elvis Presley an Honorary Captain.

February 10, 1977…At the CBS Whitfield Street Studio No. 3 in London, the Clash started recording their self-titled debut album which they completed in weekend sessions 17 days later.

February 10, 1978…Van Halen released their self-titled debut studio album. In 2006, readers of Guitar World magazine ranked it 7th on a list of the Greatest Guitar Albums of All Time.

February 10, 1979…Dire Straits re-released the single "Sultans Of Swing," first issued in 1978 to little notice.

February 10, 1981…In Las Vegas, 90 days after a fire at the MGM Grand killed 85 people, the Las Vegas Hilton hotel caught fire. Eight people were killed and 198 were injured. In 1982, Philip Cline was sentenced to eight life sentences for starting the fire.

February 10, 1983…Actor (Breaking Point, The Ten Commandments, The Thing From Another World, Hatari!, The President's Analyst, The Story of Ruth, The Jazz Singer, Johnny Got His Gun, The Great Caruso, Madame Bovary, Because You're Mine, The Goldbergs, Wake of the Red Witch, Day of the Bad Man, A Certain Smile, One Minute to Zero, The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel, Francis, The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake, The Magnificent Yankee, Francis of Assisi, The Last Command, Cyborg 2087) Eduard Franz died at the age of 80.

February 10, 1985…At Manta Sound studios in Toronto, Canadian music superstars calling themselves Northern Lights recorded the Bryan Adams-Jim Vallance-David Foster composition "Tears Are Not Enough," their contribution to African famine relief. Performers included Gordon Lightfoot, Burton Cummings, Anne Murray, Joni Mitchell, Dan Hill, Neil Young, Bryan Adams, Bruce Cockburn, Corey Hart, Geddy Lee, and Mike Reno. By 1990, $3.2 million had been raised for famine relief projects in Africa. Ten per cent of the funds were kept in Canada to assist Canadian food banks.

February 10, 1985…In New York City, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings performed at Radio City Music Hall.

February 10, 1986…"John Lennon: Live in New York City," a posthumous live album by John Lennon was released. It was prepared under the supervision of his widow, Yoko Ono. Recorded on August 30, 1972 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Lennon performed two shows, one in the afternoon and one in the evening, to raise money for children with mental challenges.

February 10, 1986…Actor (I Confess, Merrily We Live, Titanic, Sylvia Scarlett, Juarez, My Sister Eileen, Skylark, A Night to Remember, Lancelot and Guinevere, Prince Valiant, Susan Slade, The Best of Everything, The Great Garrick, The Fountain, What Every Woman Knows, First Comes Courage, Angel on the Amazon, The Locket, Forever and a Day) Brian Aherne died of heart failure at 83.

February 10, 1989…Ron Brown was elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee, the first African American to head a major U.S. political party.

February 10, 1989…Hockey broadcaster Dan Kelly, best known for his radio play-by-play coverage of the St. Louis Blues for more than two decades, died of lung cancer at 52.

February 10, 1990…South African President F.W. de Klerk announced that, after 27 years in captivity, black activist Nelson Mandela would be released the following day.

February 10, 1992…Boxer Mike Tyson was convicted of raping 18-year-old Miss Black Rhode Island, Desiree Washington in an Indianapolis hotel room. He was given a sentence of 10 years – six in prison, four on probation – and assigned to the Indiana Youth Center. Tyson was released in March 1995 after serving three years.

February 10, 1992…Author (Roots: The Saga of an American Family, The Autobiography of Malcolm X) Alex Haley died after a heart attack at age 70.

February 10, 1993…An estimated 90 million people worldwide watched ABC-TV's primetime Oprah Winfrey special that featured the first interview with Michael Jackson in 14 years, live from his Neverland Ranch. During the program Jackson claimed he suffered from Vitiligo, a skin condition that accounted for his loss of pigmentation. The singer also insisted that he'd had only two minor plastic surgery operations.

February 10, 1996…At the Mall of America in Minneapolis, country music singer Shania Twain drew a crowd of nearly 20,000 fans for an autograph session.

February 10, 1997…Melissa Etheridge's then-partner Julie Cypher gave birth to a daughter. It was later revealed that the baby's father was Crosby, Stills & Nash's David Crosby.

February 10, 1998…Olympic figure skating champion (1968)/figure skating television commentator/California vineyard and winery owner Peggy Fleming underwent successful breast cancer surgery. The experience inspired her to become a breast cancer activist who recommends not procrastinating and advocates for early detection. Profits from her Victories Rosé wine go to charities that support breast cancer research.

February 10, 1998…Songwriter (Far Away Places, Candy, It All Comes Back To Me Now, High On A Windy Hill) Alex Kramer died at the age of 94.

February 10, 2000…Movie director (Barbarella, Spirits Of The Dead, And God Created Woman) Roger Vadim, Jane Fonda's first husband, died of lymphoma at 72.

February 10, 2000…Comic actor (Operation Petticoat, The Rousters, Ernest Goes to Camp, The Beverly Hillbillies, Ernest Goes to School, Ernest in the Army, Wilder Napalm, Ernest Saves Christmas, Fast Food, Ernest Scared Stupid, Ernest Goes to Jail, Ernest Goes to Africa, Ernest Rides Again, Snowboard Academy)/cartoon voicist (Toy Story, Toy Story 2) Jim Varney died of lung cancer at the age of 50.

February 10, 2001…Former mayor of New York City Abraham Beame died of surgical complications at 94.

February 10, 2002…In Philadelphia, Elton John performed at the National Basketball Association's All-Star Game.

February 20, 2003…Ron Ziegler, White House press secretary during the Administration of President Richard Nixon, died following a heart attack at age 63.

February 10, 2005…North Korea revealed that it possessed nuclear weapons. Additionally, the country rejected attempts to restart disarmament talks anytime soon saying that it needed the weapons as protection against an increasingly hostile United States.

February 10, 2005…At Buckingham Palace in London, Roger Daltrey of the Who was awarded the CBE by Queen Elizabeth II "for his services to the music industry."

February 10, 2005…Playwright (The Crucible, Death Of A Salesman, The Misfits, Everybody Wins, After The Fall) Arthur Miller, for five years the husband of actress Marilyn Monroe, died of heart failure at age 89.

February 10, 2008…Actor (SeaQuest DSV, Jaws, The French Connection, 2010, All That Jazz, Marathon Man, Jaws II, Klute, Blue Thunder, Naked Lunch, Listen to Me, 52 Pick-Up, Still of the Night, Daybreak, Iron Cross, If I Didn't Care, Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New York, The Seven-Ups, The Poet, The Rainmaker, The Peacekeeper, The Punisher, The Rage, Love Thy Neighbor) Roy Scheider died of multiple myeloma at 75.

February 10, 2008…Singer Freddie Bell, leader of the 1950s rock 'n' roll group Freddie and the Bellboys, died at the age of 76. It was his version of Big Mama Thorton's "Hound Dog" that inspired Elvis Presley to record the song after seeing it performed by Bell in Las Vegas.

February 10, 2009…The San Diego, California School Board apologized to folksinger Pete Seeger for demanding that he sign a loyalty oath, vowing that he was not a Communist, before performing there in 1960.

I Did Not Know That!

St. Paul, Minnesota was originally called Pig's Eye after a man named Pierre “Pig's Eye” Parrant who set up the first business there.

All things are difficult before they are easy. - John Norley

Joke du Jour

After just a few years of marriage filled with constant arguments, a young man and his wife decided the only way to save their marriage was to try counseling. They had been at each other's throats for some time and felt that this was their last hope.

When they arrived at the counselor's office, the counselor jumped right in and opened the floor for discussion. “What seems to be the problem?”

Immediately, the husband held his long face down without anything to say. In contrast, the wife began talking 90 miles an hour, describing all the wrongs within their marriage.

After about 15 minutes of listening to the wife, the counselor went over to her, picked her up by her shoulders, kissed her passionately and sat her back down. The wife was speechless.

The marriage counselor looked over at the husband, who was staring in disbelief. The counselor said to the husband, “Your wife NEEDS that … at least twice a week!”

The husband scratched his head and replied, “Okay. I can have her here on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”

Answer:

Debby Boone, whose “You Light Up My Life” was the Number One single for ten weeks in 1977. Her father, Pat Boone, had two of the Top 25 singles of the decade in the 1950s: “Love Letters In The Sand” (#12) from his movie, “Bernardine,” and “April Love” (#21) from the movie of the same name.

~~~~~

Enjoy your day! Make it matter.
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