(Above: Is this card in your collection?) June 13, 1970 It's the date that Kent State reopens its campus following the shootings that took place there on May 4. That same day President Nixon forms the Scranton Commission to look into campus unrest. That same day Rivers Cuomo is born; he's the lead singer of … Continue reading New this week in ’70: June 13
WLS
New this week in ’70: March 28
(Above: That one's not even close.) March 28, 1970 It's the day that actor Vince Vaughan is born in Minneapolis. That same day, two members of the Weathermen, a domestic political protest group, were killed when a pipe bomb they were preparing exploded prematurely. Two days later, another famous figure is born: Secretariat, probably the … Continue reading New this week in ’70: March 28
New this week in ’70: February 28
February 28, 1970 The bigger events of the week both happened a few days ago. On February 26th National Public Radio was incorporated; we don't celebrate its 50th anniversary, however, until April 21, 1971 as that's the day it went on the air. It's also the same day that The Beatles' Hey Jude LP … Continue reading New this week in ’70: February 28
New this week in ’69: July 19
July 19, 1969 I don't have to tell you much about what was going on this week fifty years ago. There's been a ton of fantastic retrospectives already done on the subject of the moon landing. Media historians are having a lot of fun digging out old stuff, too: this tweet, with a clip from … Continue reading New this week in ’69: July 19
Rest in peace, Charles Barksdale: The Dells, “There Is” (1968)
Word circulates this morning that Charles Barksdale, the bass voice for R&B group The Dells, passed away at the age of 84. The Dells hailed from Harvey, Illinois, in the south suburbs of Chicago. (If the town of Harvey sounds familiar to you, it's because it was, for many years, the home of the Dixie … Continue reading Rest in peace, Charles Barksdale: The Dells, “There Is” (1968)
Pop perfection: Andrew Gold, “Lonely Boy” (1977)
(Above: It's an album AND it's a game.) At one point this afternoon I suffered from the earworm that wouldn't quit. I got the first verse of Andrew Gold's "Lonely Boy" - which I have not heard in years - stuck in my head. As you know, the only way to deal with these ailments … Continue reading Pop perfection: Andrew Gold, “Lonely Boy” (1977)
Fifty years ago in GR: WGRD’s Hot 30 in the Furniture City, January 8, 1969
(Above: The good folks at Woolworth's shouldn't have stamped across Mr. Merchant's picture like that....) January 8, 1969 was a Wednesday. In Chicago, Robert Sylvester Kelly was born; he would go on to have a starried if not controversial career as an R&B singer without his middle name and only an initial. In Miami, New … Continue reading Fifty years ago in GR: WGRD’s Hot 30 in the Furniture City, January 8, 1969
Rest in peace, Darryl Dragon: The Captain and Tennille, “Lonely Night (Angel Face)” (1976)
It's been a rough day for 76-year-old celebrities with nicknames. All in one day, WWE announcer Gene Okerlund ("Mean Gene"), comedian Bob Einstein ("Super Dave Osborne"), and musician Darryl Dragon ("The Captain") all passed away on January 2 at the age of 76. Dragon had been suffering from kidney problems for a while, and succumbed … Continue reading Rest in peace, Darryl Dragon: The Captain and Tennille, “Lonely Night (Angel Face)” (1976)
40 Christmases ago in Chicago: The WLS Top Forty-Fives, December 23, 1978
(Above: Clearly, someone was keeping score at home.) Christmas 1978 would have placed me in the fifth grade at Helen Keller Elementary School in Tinley Park, Illinois. The upcoming year would see me start to pretend that I was on a radio station for a class assignment; this career aptitude (or ineptitude) would not be … Continue reading 40 Christmases ago in Chicago: The WLS Top Forty-Fives, December 23, 1978
Great lost hit: Dean Friedman, “Ariel” (1977)
(Above: Was hoping for a photo of Ariel, but OK.) Way on the far south side of Chicago, there was a song that WLS played a lot.... The summer of 1977 is one that I always look back upon fondly. There was nothing more complicated in life at time than getting up, riding our bikes … Continue reading Great lost hit: Dean Friedman, “Ariel” (1977)
