Archive for February, 2010

On this day in 1968, Elvis Presley received a gold record for his gospel album, How Great Thou Art.

On this day in 1932, George Burns and Gracie Allen debuted on CBS radio and eventually got their own show. The two held steady jobs for more than 30 years.

In 1929 they made their first radio appearance in London on the BBC. Back in America, they failed at a 1930 NBC audition. After a solo appearance by Gracie on Eddie Cantor’s radio show, they were heard together on Rudy Vallee’s The Fleischmann’s Yeast Hour and in February 15, 1932 they became regulars on The Guy Lombardo Show on CBS. When Lombardo switched to NBC, Burns and Allen took over his CBS spot with The Adventures of Gracie beginning September 19, 1934.

The title of their top-rated show changed to The Burns and Allen Show on September 26, 1936. When ratings began to slip in 1940-41, they moved from comedy patter into a successful sitcom format, continuing with shows on NBC and CBS until May 17, 1950. As in the early days of radio, the sponsor’s name became the show title, such as Maxwell House Coffee Time (1945-49).

You can find out more about this day in history at Those Were The Days, and InfoPlease.

On this day in 1946, Edith Houghton became the first female scout in the major leagues. In an age where women spend more time thinking about the best weight loss supplement, many women today might not comprehend the contribution Edith made to American culture, let alone baseball.

In the mid-1930s, baseball opportunities for women disappeared with the demise of the Bloomer Girls teams, and Edith turned, reluctantly, to softball, playing for the Roverettes in Madison Square Garden. When World War II broke out, she enlisted in the Navy’s women’s auxiliary, the WAVES, and played on their baseball team as well.

After the war, Edith wrote to Bob Carpenter, owner of the Philadelphia Phillies, asking for a job as a scout. Carpenter looked through her scrapbook and decided to give her a chance, making her the first female scout in the major leagues. Edith scouted for the Phillies for six years before being called up by the Navy during the Korean War.

On this day in 1971, the Osmonds began a five-week stay at number one with “One Bad Apple”. Talking about bad apples. These guys all looked like they needed acne creams but they were stoked and filled with energy, which was the highlight of watching their performances. See, I told you the 1970’s were not nice to us. Things could have been worse though. Imagine Tiny Tim recording a Bee Gee’s cover. Yeah, I know.

On this day in 1924, the silent president, Calvin Coolidge spoke via radio to the American people.

I had no idea that he also did this:

On June 2, 1924, Coolidge signed the Indian Citizenship Act, which granted full U.S. citizenship to all Native Americans, while permitting them to retain tribal land and cultural rights. However, the act was not clear whether the federal government or the tribal leaders retained tribal sovereignty

Funny how the government always has gray areas when they deal with Native Americans. This is the land of the free and the home of the brave. Native Americans are some of the bravest. In an age where you can get phentermine no prescription, cheeseburgers that are 1400 calories, and mint chocolate chip ice cream, a nation should be able to retain their sovereignty.

On this day in 1949, Willie Pep recaptured the world featherweight boxing title.

1948 was a year that would become important in Pep’s life: He won 15 bouts before going into what would be the first fight of his four-fight series with Sandy Saddler. He retained the title by beating Humberto Sierra by a knockout in 10, and he beat former world champion Paddy DeMarco, also in ten, but by decision. Then, on October 29, he lost the world featherweight title to Saddler in a four-round knockout.

After two wins, he and Saddler met in 1949. On their rivalry’s second installment, Pep recovered the world’s featherweight championship by beating Saddler by a 15 round decision, and then he engaged in a series of exhibition and ten round bouts before defending the crown against Eddie Campo, winning by a knockout in the seventh. He finished that year beating former bantamweight champion Harold Dade by a decision in ten at St. Louis.

How do those guys keep their weight so low while working out? They didn’t have an effective diet pill back then, did they?

On this day in 1979, “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” hit #1 in the United States. Young women across the nation, in an obvious attempt to become sexy just for Rod Stewart, searched for every weight loss product they could find. Little did they know that sexy isn’t always small.

Stewart scored another UK number one and US number one single with “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” which was a crossover hit reaching number five on the Billboard black charts due to its disco sound. This was the lead single from 1978’s Blondes Have More Fun…or do they? which went to number one on the Billboard album charts and sold 4 million albums. It was to be Stewart’s last number one album for 25 years

The 1970’s were really messed up, weren’t they? I have a hard time every time I liten to an oldies channel and something from the 1970’s comes on. Last night it was “Play That Funky Music” and they were!!! Everyone dogs the Sixties, but I think the 1970’s were much worse, at least from a musical perspective.

On this day in 1964, The Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan show and girls everywhere have been searching for the best acne treatment ever since.

In late 1963 Sullivan and his entourage were at Heathrow and witnessed how The Beatles fans’ greeted the group on their return from Stockholm, where they have performed a television show as warmup band to local star Lill Babs. Sullivan was intrigued, telling his entourage it was the same thing as Elvis all over again. He initially offered Beatles manager Brian Epstein top dollar for a single show but the Beatles manager had a better idea—he wanted exposure for his clients: the Beatles would instead appear three times on the show, at bottom dollar, but receive top billing and two spots (opening and closing) on each show.

The Beatles appeared on three consecutive Sundays in February 1964 to great anticipation and fanfare as “I Want to Hold Your Hand” had swiftly risen to #1 in the charts. Their first appearance on February 9 is considered a milestone in American pop culture and the beginning of the British Invasion in music. The broadcast drew an estimated 73 million viewers, at the time a record for US television, and was characterized by an audience composed largely of screaming hysterical teenage girls in tears. The Beatles followed Ed’s show opening intro, performing “All My Loving”, “Till There Was You” which featured the names of the group members superimposed on closeup shots, including the famous “Sorry girls, he’s married” caption on John Lennon, and “She Loves You”. They returned later in the programme to perform “I Saw Her Standing There” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand”.

On this day in 1985, “The Dukes Of Hazzard” ended it’s run on CBS.

The Dukes of Hazzard could very well have been one of the major causes of adult acne, although I do wish I had just one of the cars they used on that show. Did you know they sometimes used up to eight cars per episode to film that show? The vehicle budget for one episode alone is more than some people make in a year.

On this day in 1932, sled dog racing hit the Olympics. What did the drivers do to keep in shape back then? What were their women like? I know they didn’t have the kymaro body shaper back then.

A sled dog race was included as a demonstration event at the 1932 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. 5 contestants from Canada and 7 contestants from the United States competed. The event, run under the rules of the New England Sled Dog Club, ran twice over a 25.1 mile (40.5 km) long course. With six dogs per sled, each sled took off at three minute intervals, and intermediate times were given to the mushers at 4 miles (6.44km), 10.6 miles (17.06 km), and 22.46 miles (36.14km).