ON THIS DAY in 1898
Pie (Harold Joseph) Traynor,
was born in Framingham, Mass. Baseball Hall of Famer: Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman: [World Series: 1925, 1927/all-star: 1933, 1934]; playing manager, Pirates’ scout, and eventually Pittsburgh radio sportscaster (1944-65). He died Mar 16, 1972 at age 73.
On this day in 1899,
Pat (William Joseph Patrick) O’Brien
{pictured right, w/James Cagney) was born in Milwaukee. After an impressive bigscreen career, he was featured in numerous TV guest spots, and starred in 1960’s Harrigan & Son. He died at age 83 Oct 15, 1983, following a heart attack.
On this day in 1909, actor Robert Ryan was born in Chicago. Best known for his movie career, he also took TV work, notably on Wagon Train, Zane Grey Theatre, the TV movie The Front Page, and as narrator on 1964’s World War I. He died from lung cancer July 11, 1973 at age 63.
On this day in 1918, actor Stubby Kaye was born in New York City. Besides his work in musicals on Broadway & in Hollywood he appeared on TV, both as himself (Pantomime Quiz, What’s My Line), in guest roles, and as a regular on series Love & Marriage & My Sister Eileen. He died from lung cancer Dec 14, 1997 at age 79.
On this day in 1925, actor/comedian Jonathan Winters III was born in Bellbrook Ill. Emmy Award-winning actor, comedian: Davis Rules [1990-91]; The Wacky World of Jonathan Winters, NBC Comedy Hour, The Jonathan Winters Show, Mork & Mindy, Hee Haw, And Here’s the Show, The Andy Williams Show, The Fish that Saved Pittsburgh, It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, The Shadow, The Flintstones; character: Maude Frickert; TV panelist: Masquerade Party; commercials: Hefty trash bags. He died of natural causes April 11 2013 at age 87.
On this day in 1927, experimental BBC broadcasts to the Empire began from Chelmsford on 5SW, a short wave station.
On this day in 1929, R & B singer LaVern Baker was born in Chicago. Her hits included Tweedle-Dee, I Cried a Tear & Jim Dandy. She was the second woman [Aretha Franklin was first] inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She died at age 67 March 10, 1997 from coronary complications.
On this day in 1932, the National Broadcasting Company opened its new studios at Radio City in New York City. They celebrated with a gala broadcast from Radio City Music Hall.
On this day in 1938, radio star Kate Smith sang God Bless America for the very first time. It would later become her signature song. Irving Berlin penned the tune in 1917 but never released it until Miss Smith sang it for the first time on her popular radio show.
On this day in 1940, the chant, “invovo legem magicarum,” was heard for the first time as Mandrake the Magician debuted on WOR radio in New York City. The 15-minute kids’ serial, syndicated around the US, starred Raymond Edward Johnson, the original host on Inner Sanctum Mysteries, and ran for a year-and-a-half.
On this day in 1944, crooner Frank Sinatra began his solo career by signing with Columbia Records. He would stay with the label for 10 years.
Also in 1944, CKFI Fort Frances Ont., signed on at 1340 KHz with 250 watts as one of the very few new stations licensed during World War Two. Today, the same license is CFOB-FM.
On this day in 1945, legendary composer Jerome Kern died of a cerebral hemorrhage at age 60. His music has been featured all over the airwaves ever since the dawn of radio.
On this day in 1950, Nova Scotia-born Hank Snow‘s single ‘I’m Moving On’ hit #1 on the country music charts. He’d joined the Grand Ole Opry five years earlier.
On this day in 1951, the first video recorder was demonstrated in Los Angeles by John Mullin and Wayne Johnson of Bing Crosby Enterprises.
On this day in 1954, Bill Haley scored his first Top ten single with ‘Shake Rattle And Roll’. He had dropped his cowboy image about a year and a half earlier, while renaming The Saddlemen to Bill Haley and His Comets. ‘Shake, Rattle and Roll’ was originally made popular by Big Joe Turner.
On this day in 1955, Elvis Presley was voted the most promising new country & western artist by Billboard magazine.
On this day in 1957, Elvis had a gig at Schofield Barracks on Oahu. This would be his final concert in the 1950’s.
Also in 1957, Johnny Cash taped a future #1 country crossover hit “Ballad Of A Teenage Queen” for the Columbia label.
Still in 1957, Buddy Holly released his iconic ‘Peggy Sue’ complete with his oft-imitated hiccuping vocal. And Sun Records released Jerry Lee Lewis‘ second straight country chart topper (and #2 pop single) “Great Balls of Fire.”
On this day in 1958, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was “Tom Dooley” by The Kingston Trio. The song is a century-old Blue Ridge Mountains tune originally called “Tom Dula.’
YouTube Presents: “Tom Doley” by the Kingston Trio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htBR3imbFfI
Also in 1958, in Cincinnati Hank Ballard
and The Midnighters recorded the original version of Hank’s song “The Twist.” But the number didn’t get to the top of the charts until 1960, after Chubby Checker recorded it.
On this day in 1959, the 1st episode of the soon-to-be-classic kids TV show 
“Rocky & His Friends” aired.
On this day in 1963, Brian Epstein & Ed Sullivan signed a contract for The Beatles to appear three times on the American’s Sunday night TV variety showcase.
Also in 1963, Roy Orbison was in London where he recorded the Willie Nelson Christmas composition, “Pretty Paper.”
On this day in 1964, in Britain Tom Jones recorded the song that would make him an international star, “It’s Not Unusual.” The tape was intended as a demo for UK vocalist Sandie Shaw, but she was so taken with Jones’ rendition that she suggested he release the number himself.
On this day in 1965, the final recording session for The Beatles‘ “Rubber Soul” album took place in London. They needed three new songs to finish the LP so an old song ‘Wait’ was pulled off the shelf, and the Fab Four recorded two new songs, Paul’s ‘You Won’t See Me’ and John’s ‘Girl.’
On this day in 1967, singer Van Morrison made his only appearance on ABC-TV’s “American Bandstand,” lip-syncing his big hit, “Brown Eyed Girl,” which was the normal performance technique on the show.
On this day in 1968, John Lennon & Yoko Ono appeared nude on the cover of the “2 Virgins” album.
On this day in 1969, the Beatles with Billy Preston released “Get Back” in the UK.
Also in 1969, RCA Victor released Elvis Presley‘s version of the Mac Davis composition “Don’t Cry Daddy,” with Ronnie Milsap harmonizing on the vocal.
Still this day in 1969, Doors lead singer Jim Morrison was arrested for public drunkenness and for interfering with the flight of an aircraft. Morrison allegedly had annoyed a flight attendant on a trip from Los Angeles to Phoenix. He spent the night in jail, but the charges eventually were dropped.
On this day in 1970, Elvis Presley continued his first tour in 12 years at the Memorial Coliseum in Portland. He would play Seattle the following night.
On this day in 1972, bassist Berry Oakley
of the Allman Brothers Band was killed in a motorcycle accident in Macon, Ga., three blocks from the site of Duane Allman’s motorcycle death the previous year.
On this day in 1973, thirty US radio stations broadcast what was advertised as a ‘live’ concert by Mott The Hoople. In reality it was the band recorded in-studio with the applause dubbed in.
On this day in 1974, comedienne/radio actress Jane Ace,
who for 25 years costarred with her writer husband Goodman Ace on radio’s daily mirth-provoking Easy Aces, died at age 74, following a long illness.
Also in 1974, Winnipeg’s Bachman-Turner Overdrive
had a Billboard #1 hit with ‘You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet/Free Wheelin’.’
On this day in 1976, co-founder of Chilliwack (BC’s) pioneer radio CHWK Clarence (Casey) Wells died in Chilliwack at age 74. In 1927 he and Jack Menzies started CHWK, “the smallest commercial radio station in North America”, according to an American trade paper of the period. It began with a World War One submarine transmitter, booming out 5 watts on 1210 KHz. By 1930, with the Great Depression underway, commercials were sold for 80 cents each.
On this day in 1977, Paul McCartney’s Wings released the single “Mull of Kintyre,” with “Girl’s School” on the B side. It would sell more than 2 million copies in the UK alone.
On this day in 1978, disco queen Donna Summer started a three week run at No.1 on the Billboard singles chart with her version of Jimmy Webb’s ‘MacArthur Park’, also a 1968 hit for actor Richard Harris. The same day Summer went to No.1 on the album chart with ‘Live And More’.
On this day in 1984, 13-year-old TV star Gary Coleman
(of Different Strokes on NBC) underwent a second kidney transplant operation in Los Angeles. He had received his first donor kidney at age 5
On this day in 1985, NBC aired the first TV movie with an AIDS theme, “An Early Frost,” with Aidan Quinn, Genna Rowlands, Ben Gazzara, and Sylvia Sidney. This also happened this day in 1985: after 18 years and several name changes, the group Starship finally scored its first No. 1 hit with “We Built This City,” a song originally written by Martin Page for his band Q-Feel.
On this day in 1986, actor Roger C Carmel died at age 54 due to hypertensive cardiomyopathy. He had extensive guest work (& voice work) in TV, along with a regular role in the 60’s series, The Mothers-In-Law.
On this day in 1989, the song “When I See You Smile” by Bad English topped the charts and stayed there for 2 weeks.
YouTube presents Bad English and When I see you smile…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugTPZeo3Lps
Also this day in 1989, Melissa Etheridge and Joe Cocker entertained German citizens celebrating the end of the Berlin Wall, which had been first breached two days earlier.
On this day in 1993, a star of the bigband era, trumpeter/composer Erskine Hawkins died at age 79.
On this day in 1994, English actor Ernest Clark, who played the stuffy head doctor in the various TV series (Doctor in the House, Doctor at Sea, Doctor at Large, Doctor In Charge, Doctor on the Go), died at age 82.
Also in 1994, The Monkees’ Micky Dolenz guest starred, along with Rick Neilsen of Cheap Trick and Billy Vera, on an episode of the ABC-TV coming-of-age sitcom “Boy Meets World.”
On this day in 1997, Metallica followed in the footsteps of Garth Brooks, and held a free concert in Philadelphia to celebrate the release of its newest album “Re-Load.”
On this day in 1999, longtime Courtenay AM radio station CFCP 1440 flipped to the FM band at 98.9 to become “Magic FM.”
Also this day in 1999, Britney Spears was the big winner at the 1999 MTV Europe Music Awards, held at the Point in Dublin. The teen artist won best female, best pop, best breakthrough artist and best song for “…Baby One More Time.”
Still this day in 1999, singer Brandy was admitted to a hospital in Southern California due to dehydration from overwork.
Also this day in 1999, voice actress Mary Kay Bergman,
who did all the female voices on the TV cartoon series South Park, committed suicide at age 38. She was the voice of Snow White for a decade, and also the voice of Mrs. Butterworth in the syrup spots. Bergman’s longstanding bi-polar condition & severe depression had been hidden from her co-workers.
On this day in 2001, ABC-TV aired the “I Love Lucy 50th Anniversary” show. The special featured never before seen footage from the long-ago CBS sitcom, which is still running in syndication.
Also in 2001, Michael Jackson went to No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Invincible.’
In 2002, UK music industry data revealed that sales of singles were at their lowest level in 25 years, accounting for less than 10% of all music sold in Britain.
On this day in 2003, at the emotional funeral for Righteous Brother Bobby Hatfield, the remaining half of the famous blue-eyed soul group Bill Medley sat alone at the piano and rendered the gospel standard “Precious Lord.”
On this day in 2004, comedian and voice actor Dayton Allen died after a stroke at age 85. He came to prominence as the “Why not?” guy on the Sunday Steve Allen Show that NBC TV aired in the late 1950’s opposite CBS-TV’s Ed Sullivan Show.
Also in 2004, singer Liza Minnelli‘s former bodyguard accused the singer of forcing him to have sex with her in order to keep his job, court documents revealed. M’hammed Soumayah was suing Minnelli for $100m damages, saying she made “many repeated attempts” to compel him into sex and he “eventually succumbed”. The suit was settled out-of-court 5 years later.
On this day in 2005, Billy Joel abandoned his announced retirement by launching his first solo tour in eight years.
Also in 2005, Green Day performed on NBC-TV”s Late Night With Conan O’Brien.
On this day in 2006, the soundtrack album ‘Hannah Montana’ started a two-week run at No.1 on the US album chart.
Also in 2006, Axl Rose performed Paul McCartney’s “Live and Let Die” at the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research fund-raising dinner in New York.
On this day in 2008, the longtime play-by-play voice of the Cleveland Indians (1964-97), and former All-Star southpaw pitcher Herb Score died at age 75. He had been incapacitated since a stroke in 2002.
On this day in 2009, Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour received an honorary doctorate from Anglia Ruskin University in England. The Doctor of Arts degree was bestowed for Gilmour’s “outstanding contribution to music as a writer, performer and innovator.”
On this day in 2010, the NBC ‘Today’ Show lost its mustachioed film critic of the past 37 years as 84-year old Gene Shalit shuffled off into retirement.
On this day in 2012, the four original members of Black Sabbath – Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butlerand Bill Ward – announced they would tour in ’12 and record a new album – the first original line-up release in over three decades.
On this day in 2013, Old Time Radio/TV actress Shirley Mitchell died at age 94. She first made her sitcom mark on the ‘Sealtest Village Store’, ‘Fibber McGee and Molly’ and ‘Great Gildersleeve’ radio shows, and later became a recurring character on CBS-TV’s ‘I Love Lucy.’ In 1962 she had a supporting role on the CBS-TV sitcom Pete & Gladys, and from ’63 to ’65 guested in non-comedic roles on 5 episodes of CBS-TV’s ‘Perry Mason’ courtroom drama.
On this day in 2014, Carol Ann Susi, best known for voicing the unseen Mrs. Wolowitz on CBS-TV’s The Big Bang Theory, died of cancer at age 62. Earlier she had earned a spot as Kolchak’s secretary, Monique Marmelstein, on ABC’s The Night Stalker. Her guest appearances include Cheers, Doogie Howser, M.D., Mad About You, Just Shoot Me, Seinfeld and Six Feet Under.
Today’s Birthdays
New York sportscaster Warner Wolf (“Let’s go to the Videotape”, Imus in the Morning) is 87.
Country singer Narvel Felts is 86.
Actress Denise Alexander (General Hospital, Days of Our Lives) is 85.
Youngbloods lead vocalist Jesse Colin Young is 83.
Guitarist Vince Martell of Vanilla Fudge is 79.
Singer/guitarist Jim Peterik (Ides Of March, Survivor member) is 74.
Singer-keyboardist Paul Cowsill of The Cowsills is 73.
Singer Marshall Crenshaw is 71.
Singer-guitarist Andy Partridge of XTC is 71.
Singer Dave Alvin is 69.
Synthesizer player Ian Craig Marsh (Human League, Heaven 17) is 68.
Actress Donna Wilkes (Hello Larry) is 66.
Actor Stanley Tucci (Metropolis, Fortitude, ER, Murder One, Wiseguy) is 64.
Actor Peter Parros (The Haves and Have Nots, The New Adam-12, As The World Turns) is 64.
Actress Demi Moore (General Hospital, If These Walls Could Talk) is 62.
Actress Calista Flockhart (Supergirl, Brothers and Sisters, Ally McBeal) is 60.
Drummer Scott Mercado of Candlebox is 60.
Actor Frank John Hughes (24, Band of Brothers, Players) is 57.
TV personality Carson Kressley (Queer Eye For The Straight Guy, Dancing With the Stars) is 55.
Actor Richard Dormer (Game of Thrones) is 55.
Actor David DeLuise (Wizards of Waverly Place, 3rd Rock from the Sun) is 53.
Manitoba-born actor Adam Beach (Arctic Air, Big Love, Law & Order: SVU) is 52.
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio (Growing Pains, Santa Barbara) is 50.
Actor Eyal Podell (The Young and the Restless, Defying Gravity) is 49.
Actress Rachel Sterling (The Man Show, Reno 911) is 45.
Actor Scoot McNairy (Halt & Catch Fire) is 47.
Actress Kris Swanberg (Young American Bodies) is 44. Since 2019 divorce from Joe Swanberg, she goes by Kris Rey.
Rock musician Jonathan Pretus (Cowboy Mouth) is 43.
TV personality Brittny Gastineau (The Gastineau Girls) is 42.
Actress Christa B. Allen (Revenge, Cake) is 33.
Actress Ashleigh Cummings (Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries) iis 32.
Toronto-born actor Connor Price (Being Human, Alice I Think) is 30.
Actor Ian Patrick (The Neighbors) is 22.
Chart Toppers – Nov. 11
1952
You Belong to Me – Jo Stafford
Wish You Were Here – Eddie Fisher
Half as Much – Rosemary Clooney
Jambalaya (On the Bayou) – Hank Williams
1961
Big Bad John – Jimmy Dean
Runaround Sue – Dion
Fool #1 – Brenda Lee
Walk on By – Leroy Van Dyke
1970
I’ll Be There – The Jackson 5
We’ve Only Just Begun – Carpenters
Fire and Rain – James Taylor
I Can’t Believe that You’ve Stopped Loving Me – Charley Pride
1979
Heartache Tonight – Eagles
Dim All the Lights – Donna Summer
Still – Commodores
You Decorated My Life – Kenny Rogers
1988
Kokomo – The Beach Boys
Wild, Wild West – The Escape Club
The Loco-Motion – Kylie Minogue
Darlene – T. Graham Brown
1997
Something About the Way You Look Tonight/Candle in the Wind 1997 – Elton John
You Make Me Wanna… – Usher
How Do I Live – LeAnn Rimes
Love Gets Me Every Time – Shania Twain
2006
My Love – Justin Timberlake featuring T.I.
Lips of an Angel – Hinder
How to Save a Life – The Fray
Before He Cheats – Carrie Underwood
Today in Broadcast History compiled by Ron Robinson
