241st day of 2009 - 124 remaining
Saturday, August 29, 2009
KING OF POP DAY
A star was born on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana. Singer, songwriter, dancer, actor Michael Joe Jackson started on the road to stardom while at Garnett Elementary School in Gary. Michael performed for his class by singing Climb Every Mountain. Within just a few years, he took his act to the stage joining his brothers as The Jackson Five. They were entertaining at Mr. Lucky’s, also in Gary, Indiana. Michael was only 8. By the time he was 11, Michael, the youngest of the five brothers, was the lead singer of the group.
And their hits were hitting the top of the charts: I Want You Back, ABC, The Love You Save, I’ll Be There. Then young Michael started recording solo hits like Ben, also #1.
And the hits just kept on coming ... and the awards came with them: A Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal in 1979 for Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough, 5 Grammy Awards in 1983 -- Best Male Pop Vocal and Album of the Year (Thriller), Best Male R & B vocal and Best R & B song (Billie Jean), and Best Recording for Children: E.T., the Extraterrestrial; 2 in 1984 -- Record of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal (Beat It); another in 1985 with Lionel Richie for Song of the Year (We are the World); a Best Music Video/Short Form Grammy in 1989 for Leave Me Alone; and finally, The Legend Award Grammy -- for the living legend in the music industry, Michael Jackson.
Whether Michael sang with his brothers, his sisters, alone or in duets with fellow performers, the results were hit, after hit, after hit ... The Girl is Mine and Stay, Stay, Stay with Paul McCartney; I Just Can’t Stop Loving You with Siedah Garrett; Rock with You, Bad, Smooth Criminal ... Ease on Down the Road with Diana Ross (from Broadway’s The Wiz in which Michael played the scarecrow). Michael, the actor, was also seen as a hologram, Captain Eo in Epcot Center’s multimedia show.
A celebrity for most of his life, Michael was both magic and tragic ... the gloved one’s fame and infamy well-known throughout the world: he made $70 million from Thriller; he paid $50 million for the rights to the Beatles’ 251 songs; his Bad album was number one in 23 countries; he created an amusement park and zoo at his California estate; he married and divorced Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of the King of Rock. He remarried; became a father; was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 19, 2001; and was dogged by allegations of child sexual abuse (he was tried and acquitted in 2005).
On June 25, 2009, Michael Jackson died suddenly, leaving many unanswered questions. The magic and tragedy of the life and death of the King of Pop continues as the rest of the story is still being written.
Events
August 29
1828 - Robert Turner of Ward, MA received a patent for his self-regulating wagon brake.
1833 - Legislation to settle child labor laws was passed in England. The legislation was called the Factory Act.
1885 - The first prize fight under the Marquis of Queensberry Rules was held -- in Cincinnati, OH. John L. Sullivan defeated Dominick McCaffery in six rounds.
1886 - Li Hung-Chang’s chef devised a tasty dish in New York City. It satisfied both American and Oriental tastes. The delicacy was called chop suey. Who was Li Hung-Chang, you ask? He was China’s Ambassador to the United States.
1943 - Paul Whiteman Presents, a summertime radio replacement show, was heard for the last time. The hostess for the show was Dinah Shore. Whiteman’s 35-piece orchestra serenaded listeners on the NBC radio network. Whiteman’s well-known theme song was Rhapsody in Blue.
1946 - Ella Fitzgerald and The Delta Rhythm Boys recorded It’s a Pity to Say Goodnight on Decca Records. The song turned out to be one of Lady Ella’s most popular.
1957 - Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina set a filibuster record in the U.S. Senate this day (and part of the previous day). He spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes. Yakety yak!
1964 - Roy Orbison’s Oh, Pretty Woman was released. It hit number one (for 3 weeks) on September 26th and became the biggest of his career. Oh, Pretty Woman was Orbison’s second #1 hit. The other was Running Scared (6/05/61).
1966 - Mia Farrow withdrew from the cast of the ABC-TV prime time drama Peyton Place, after starring for two years. With Farrow’s exit, her character, Allison, was dropped.
1966 - The Beatles performed at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, CA. It was the group’s last live appearance before they disbanded in 1970.
1969 - To compete with Johnny Carson (NBC) and Joey Bishop (ABC), CBS-TV presented Merv Griffin on late-night TV. Johnny ruled -- staying on top for almost 23 years to come.
1971 - Hank Aaron became the first baseball player in the National League to drive in 100 or more runs in each of 11 seasons.
1977 - Lou Brock got the 893rd stolen base of his baseball career -- breaking the major-league mark set by Ty Cobb.
1984 - Edwin Moses won the 400-meter hurdles in track competition in Europe. It was the track star’s 108th consecutive victory.
1986 - The former American Bandstand studio, at the original home of WFIL-TV in Philadelphia, PA, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The studio is located at 4548 Market Street. We expect that any day now, Bandstand host **** Clark will also be placed on the National Register.
1991 - The Supreme Soviet, the parliament of the U.S.S.R., suspended all activities of the Communist Party, bringing an end to the party’s 75-year controlling regime in the Soviet Union.
1994 - Viacom Inc. announced the purchase of Blockbuster Entertainment Corp., the video rental store giant, for $8 billion. On Sep 29, 1994, Blockbuster did indeed merge with (was gobbled up by) Viacom.
1997 - Four feature flicks were released in the U.S.: Columbia’s Excess Baggage, starring Alicia Silverstone, Benicio Del Toro, Christopher Walken; United Artists’ Hoodlum, with Laurence Fishburne, Tim Roth and Vanessa Williams; Universal’s Kull the Conqueror, featuring Kevin Sorbo, Tia Carrere and Thomas Ian Griffith; and She’s So Lovely, from Miramax, with Sean Penn, Robin Wright Penn and John Travolta.
Birthdays
August 29
1809 - Oliver Wendell Holmes
physician, author: The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table, Elsie Venner; poet: Old Ironsides; died Oct 7, 1894
1912 - (Patrick) Barry Sullivan
actor: The Bad and the Beautiful, The Road West, Oh, God! , Earthquake, The Bastard; died June 6, 1994
1915 - Ingrid Bergman
Academy Award-winning actress: Gaslight [1944], Anastasia [1966], Murder on the Orient Express [1974]; Casablanca; Emmy Award-winner: The Turn of the Screw [1959-60], A Woman Called Golda [1981-82]; died Aug 29, 1982
1916 - George Montgomery (Letz)
actor: Battle of the Bulge, The Texas Rangers, Young People, Cimarron City; died Dec 12, 2000
1919 - Billy (William Richard) Cox
baseball: Pittsburgh Pirates, Brooklyn Dodgers [World Series: 1949, 1952, 1953], Baltimore Orioles; died Mar 30, 1978
1920 - Charlie (Charles Christopher) Parker Jr.
‘The Bird’: musician: saxophone: Now’s the Time, Yardbird Suite Confirmation, Relaxin’ at Camarillo; died Mar 12, 1955
1923 - Sir Richard Attenborough
actor: Jurassic Park, Miracle on 34th Street, Dr. Dolittle, The Great Escape; director: Chaplin, Ghandi, A Bridge Too Far
1924 - Dinah Washington (Ruth Lee Jones)
singer: What A Diff’rence a Day Makes, It Could Happen to You, Our Love is Here to Stay, For All We Know, Baby [You’ve Got What It Takes], A Rockin’ Good Way [To Mess Around and Fall in Love] , Baby Get Lost, This Bitter Earth; w/Lionel Hampton band [1943-46]; died Dec 14, 1963
1935 - William Friedkin
Academy Award-winning director: The French Connection [1971]; The Exorcist, To Live & Die in LA, The Boys in the Band
1936 - John McCain
U.S. Senator from Arizona [1987-present]; 2008 Republican nominee for U.S. president; Congressional Representative from Arizona [1983-1987]; captain in the U.S. Navy, Vietnamese prisoner of war
1938 - Elliott Gould (Goldstein)
actor: Bob & Carol, Ted & Alice, M*A*S*H, The Long Good-Bye, The Night They Raided Minsky’s
1940 - JamesBrady
Assistant to the President and White House Press Secretary to Ronald Reagan; seriously wounded when John Hinckley attempted to assassinate Reagan; Brady gun law [requires waiting period and background check on handguns purchased through licensed dealers] named for him
1941 - Ellen Geer
actress: Hard Traveling, Harold and Maude, The Jimmy Stewart Show, Beauty and the Beast
1941 - Robin Leach
TV host: Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous
1942 - Sterling Morrison
musician: bass, guitar, singer: group: The Velvet Underground: Heroin, I’m Waiting for the Man, Venus in Furs, I’ll Be Your Mirror, Sister Ray; died Aug 30, 1995
1946 - Bob Beamon
U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame long jumper: gold medal: 1968/Mexico City: 29 feet, two-and-one-half inches
1947 - Bob Lutz
tennis: Univ. Southern Cal, Davis Cup champ [w/Stan Smith]: 1968
1949 - Tony Greene
football: Buffalo Bills
1950 - Doug (Douglas Vernon) DeCinces
baseball: Baltimore Orioles [World Series: 1979], California Angels [all-star: 1983], SL Cardinals
1958 - Michael Jackson
‘King of Pop’: singer, entertainer; died Jun 25, 2009; see King of Pop Day [above]
1959 - Rebecca De Mornay
actress: Risky Business, The Three Musketeers, Guilty as Sin, Backdraft
Chart Toppers
August 29
1948A Tree in the Meadow - Margaret Whiting
You Call Everybody Darlin’ - Al Trace (vocal: Bob Vincent)
It’s Magic - Doris Day
Bouquet of Roses - Eddy Arnold
1956My Prayer - The Platters
Hound Dog/Don’t Be Cruel - Elvis Presley
Allegheny Moon - Patti Page
I Walk the Line - Johnny Cash
1964Where Did Our Love Go - The Supremes
The House of the Rising Sun - The Animals
C’mon and Swim - Bobby Freeman
I Guess I’m Crazy - Jim Reeves
1972Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl) - Looking Glass
Alone Again (Naturally) - Gilbert O’Sullivan
Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) - The Hollies
If You Leave Me Tonight I’ll Cry - Jerry Wallace
1980Magic - Olivia Newton-John
Sailing - Christopher Cross
Take Your Time (Do It Right) - The S.O.S. Band
Drivin’ My Life Away - Eddie Rabbitt
1988Monkey - George Michael
I Don’t Wanna to Go on with You like That - Elton John
I Don’t Wanna Live Without Your Love - Chicago
The Wanderer - Eddie Rabbitt
Born on this date 1958...Michael Jackson
Guapo Vic.
WELCOME TOO ABADSS 
NOTE THAT EVERYTHING I SAY IS BASED ON A HYPOTHETICAL SITUATION AND SHOULD BE VIEWED AS FICTIONAL ENTERTAINMENT ONLY.
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