Wednesday, January 9, 2013

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS:

• Joan Baez (folk singer and political activist) (72)
• Jimmy Page (guitarist, the Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin, the Firm, Coverdale/Page, Page/Plant) (69)
• Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (wife of Prince William ofWales) (31)
• A.J. McLean (singer, member of the Backstreet Boys) (35)
• Judith Krantz (best-selling novelist) (75)
• Dave Matthews (singer-guitarist, the Dave Matthews Band) (46)
• Joely Richardson (actress, The Patriot, Nip/Tuck) (48)
• David Johansen (lead singer, the New York Dolls; also known as Buster Poindexter) (63)
• Joey Lauren Adams (actress, Michael, Chasing Amy, Big Daddy) (45)
• J.K. Simmons (actor, J. Jonah Jameson in the Spider-Man movies, Vern Schillinger in Oz, Juno) (58)
• Imelda Staunton (British actress, Vera Drake, Professor Umbridge in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix) (57)
• Steve Harwell (singer, Smash Mouth) (46)
• Carl Bell (guitarist, Fuel) (46)
• Eric Erlandson (former guitarist, Hole) (50)

ON THIS DAY:

• 1903, two New York businessmen bought the struggling American League Baltimore baseball franchise for $18,000 and moved it to New York City, where it eventually became the New York Yankees.
• 1913, President Richard Nixon is born. He dies in 1994.
• 1925, Actor Lee Van Cleef (High Noon, For A Few Dollars More, The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly, The Octagon, Escape From New York) is born. He dies in 1989.
• 1935, Actor Bob Denver (Gilligan's Island's Gilligan) is born. He dies in September of 2005.
• 1956, the "Dear Abby" advice column debuted in newspapers.
• 1959, the TV western Rawhide, starring Clint Eastwood, debuted on CBS.
• 1965, Beatles '65 by the Beatles hits Number One on the album chart, where it stays for nine weeks.
• 1969 The Concorde supersonic jetliner makes its first test flight inBristol,England.
• 1971, "Black Magic Woman" by Santana, a cover of the Fleetwood Mac song, peaks at Number Four on the pop chart, where it stays for two weeks.
• 1979, Rod Stewart performs "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" at the Music For UNICEF concert to celebrate the International Year Of The Child. He donates his profits from the single to UNICEF.
• 1982, "Under Pressure" by Queen & David Bowie peaks at Number 29 on the pop chart.
• 1982, Tonight I'm Yours by Rod Stewart peaks at Number 11 on the album chart.
• 1984 1984 by Van Halen is released.
• 1984, Clara Peller was first seen in the famous "Where's the Beef?" commercial campaign for the Wendy's fast-food chain.
• 1989, Johnny Bench and Carl Yastrzemski were elected to the Baseball Hall Of Fame. Bench was named on 96.4 percent of the ballots, making Ty Cobb and Hank Aaron at the time the only players to receive a higher percentage.
• 1991 Major League Baseball bans all-time hit leader Pete Rose from being elected to the Hall Of Fame because he gambled on baseball.
• 1997, David Bowie's 50th birthday celebration concert takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Among the acts saluting Bowie are Lou Reed, Robert Smith of the Cure, Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins, the Foo Fighters, and Sonic Youth.
• 2001, Linda Chavez withdrew her bid to be Secretary Of Labor because of controversy over an illegal immigrant who once lived with her.
• 2002, the U.S. Justice Department announced that it was pursuing a criminal investigation of the Enron Corporation.
• 2003 U2's Bono and the Edge perform an acoustic version of "The Hands That Built America," which is the band's contribution to the Gangs Of New York soundtrack, at a party to celebrate the film's premiere inDublin.
• 2005 Motley Crue lead singer Vince Neil marries Lia Gerardini in Las Vegas. Rapper-turned-minister M.C. Hammer officiates at the ceremony, while guests include Crue bassist Nikki Sixx, Crue drummer Tommy Lee, former NBA star Dennis Rodman, Miami Dolphins quarterback Jay Fiedler and others.
• 2007 Green Day's early independent albums are re-released by the band's current label, Reprise Records. 1991's 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours and 1992's Kerplunk! were originally released by Lookout! Records and re-issued in deluxe editions by that label in 2004.
• 2012 Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi reveals that he has been diagnosed with the early stages of lymphoma. The news comes as the original Sabbath lineup are writing and recording their first album together in 33 years.