Columns

Happy Birthday today to Seth McFarlane, Keith Urban, Tom Cavanagh, Pat Sajak and Jaclyn Smith. ‘St. Elsewhere’ debuted on NBC-TV; ‘M*A*S*H’ started its tenth season on CBS-TV; Frances Gumm (later known as Judy Garland) made her radio debut on NBC’s ‘Shell Chateau’; ‘Chez Helene’ began its more than 13 year run on CBC-TV; and the acclaimed WWII documentary ‘Victory at Sea’ debuted on NBC-TV. Taking their final bows on this earth were Canadian radiomen J. Frank Willis and Alden Diehl, CBS founder Bill Paley, country music’s Hoyt Axton, and the teacher on ‘Leave It to Beaver’ Sue Randall. Details and ALL the milestones for Oct. 26th INSIDE.

It’s a birthday for Marion Ross, Helen Reddy, James Carville and Katy Perry; also for the late ANNIS STUKUS (pictured), Bobby Gimby, Minnie Pearl and Leo G. Carroll. The longrunnning radio soap opera “Stella Dallas” debuted on New York’s WEAF; Ed Sullivan introduced The Rolling Stones to North American TV audiences; ‘Newhart’ premiered on CBS-TV; the 200th episode of ‘Cheers’ aired on NBC-TV; and Rick Nelson played a dramatic role on ABC-TV’s ‘Streets of San Francisco.’ Obits for Oct. 25th include Vincent Price, Roger Miller, Richard Harris, Mildred Natwick, Forrest Tucker and early radio balladeer Morton Downey, ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

Things got a little weird at a conference a few years ago. There was a Michael Jackson impersonator, then the next conference it was Prince, then Madonna.... what was going on? Turns out those impersonators were a stunt by the people at Throwback Nation, a newly created syndicated show that was going to be targeting Classic hits stations across America.

Happy Birthday to Kevin Kline, Bill Wyman, Santo Farina, F. Murray Abraham, and Heather Rankin. Radio’s first big variety show ‘The Fleischmann Hour’ with RUDY VALLEE (pictured) debuted on NBC; CBC radio introduced it’s long-running ‘Cross Country Checkup’; and ‘Kojak’ starring Telly Savalas premiered on CBS-TV. Neil Sedaka recorded ‘Calendar Girl,’ and Bob Dylan taped his iconic ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’.’ And the genius behind ‘Star Trek,’ Gene Roddenberry passed away. Details and ALL the Oct. 24th milestones INSIDE.

Happy Birthday to Weird Al Yankovic, Dwight Yoakam, Cat Deeley, Nancy Grace, and Vancouver’s Ryan Reynolds. It’s also the date of birth of the late Johnny Carson, CNN’s John Holliman, and actor James Daly. Comedian FRED ALLEN and his wife Portland (pictured) made their radio debut on CBS; Jonathan Winters became a TV star with his first special on NBC; and rocker Axl Rose gave his first live interview in years on ABC-TV’s Jimmy Kimmel Live. Vernon B.C.’s radio station CICF started broadcasting on 1050 KHz; Allen Freed’s All Star Rock ‘n’ Roll Show played Vancouver’s Georgia Auditorium, tickets cost $2.50; and 12 year old ‘Little’ Stevie Wonder recorded his first Motown single. Obits on Oct. 23rd include Al Jolson, country music’s Maybelle Carter, NBC newswoman Jessica Savitch, CBS News boss William Leonard, and baritone Robert Merrill. Details and ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

It’s the date MARIE OSMOND (pictured) fainted during a live telecast of ABC’s ‘Dancing With the Stars’; Alan Freed brought his all-star rock ‘n’ roll show to Portland; and the Kingston Trio guested on NBC-TV’s WWII drama ‘Convoy.’ Tommy Edwards scored his biggest selling #1 ‘It’s All in the Game,’ and ten years later to the day, passed away. The Beach Boys released their next Chart Topper ‘Good Vibrations,’ while Chubby Checker did ‘The Twist’ on the Ed Sullivan Show. Happy Birthday to Vancouver breakfast broadcaster Kim Seale and to Howard Stern’s mother, while at the other end, obits for Oct. 22 include Soupy Sales, Cleavon Little, Mary Wickes, Melfort Sask.’s Arthur Hill, sportscaster Red Barber, and CBS Newsman Robert Pierpoint. Details & ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

Happy Birthday to Kim Kardashian, Judge Judy, Manfred Mann, and the Honeymooner’s Joyce Randolph. Also born this date were the late ROBERT CLOTHIER (pictured) of ‘The Beachcombers,’ Dizzy Gillespie and Hy Averbach. The UK’s Cliff Richard appeared on CBS-TV’s ‘Ed Sullivan Show.’ Elton John received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Johnny Mathis scored a #1 hit with ‘Chances Are,’ and Chuck Berry topped the charts with ‘My Ding-a-Ling.’ Bob Dylan finished his first album for Columbia, Carl Perkins taped a special for US cable in London, and the new owners of BC radio stations in Powell River and Courtenay changed formats. Passing on this date were BC broadcasters Bob Hall and Daryl Duke, musicians Edmundo Ros and Bill Black, WWII pinup Marie McDonald, Fred Berry of ‘What’s Happening,’ and Canadian patent medicine radio pitchman Gilbert Templeton. ALL the milestones for Oct. 21 INSIDE.

Happy Birthday to actor Viggo Mortensen, ‘The Waltons’ Eric Scott, ‘The Office’s John Krasinski, country music’s Wanda Jackson, plus the late Tom Petty, Jerry Ohrbach, Arlene Francis, Grandpa Jones, Dr. Joyce Brothers (pictured) and Will Rogers Jr. Lee DeForest demonstrated his major invention, the electric vacuum radio tube; ‘The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes’ debuted on the NBC Red network; ironman news anchor Robert Trout joined CBS radio; ’Break the Bank’ debuted on Mutual radio; Walter Cronkite introduced the CBS-TV documentary series, ‘The Twentieth Century’, and Canada’s first private TV station signed on in Sudbury Ontario. Signing off forever were actors Burt Lancaster and Jane Wyatt, plus country music’s Merle Travis. See ALL the milestones for Oct. 20th INSIDE.

The birthday of Jim Reeves, the Kingston Trio’s Dave Guard, actors Robert Reed and John Lithgow, Canada’s Tommy Ambrose, Nashville’s Charlie Chase, and TV builder extraordinaire Ty Pennington. Arthur Godfrey fired singer Julius LaRosa (both pictured) live on CBS Radio; ‘Big Town’ starring Edward G. Robinson debuted on CBS radio; Henry Ford made his first speech on early radio; Florence Henderson joined NBC’s Today Show, and CKEK signed on 570 kc. to give Cranbrook BC its own radio service. Obits Oct. 19th include Phillips H. Lord who created radio hits ‘Gangbusters’ and ‘Mr. District Attorney’; plus Tom Bosley, Martha Raye, Phyllis Kirk, and Noel Harrison. Details and ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

Happy Birthday to musician Wynton Marsalis, actors Joe Morton, Zac Efron, Pam Dawber, Erin Moran, and former broadcaster & BC Lieutenant Governor Iona Campagnolo (pictured). ‘Perry Mason’ debuted on CBS radio daytime, the sitcom ‘Roseanne’ premiered on ABC-TV, the Jackson 5 made their TV debut on ABC-TV’s ‘Hollywood Palace,’ Lloyd Robertson joined Harvey Kirck on CTV National News, and Pamela Martin joined Bill Good Jr. on the anchor desk at CTV Vancouver, Deaths this date include inventor Thomas Alva Edison, actresses Julie London and Gwen Verdon, NBC newswoman Nancy Dickerson, and singer Dee Dee Warwick. ALL the milestones for Oct. 18th INSIDE.