Keener Today – November 14
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Today in History:
1954 – Rock & Roll arrived as Bill Haley & The Comets made the Top Ten with “Shake, Rattle & Roll.”
1960 – Ray Charles went to No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with “Georgia On My Mind”, a No. 24 hit in the U.K.
1969 – “Sugar Sugar” by The Archies was at No. 1 on the U.K. singles chart. The single became the longest running One Hit Wonder in the U.K. with eight weeks at the top of the charts. It was the first No. 1 performed by cartoon characters.
1981 – The Police had their fourth U.K. No. 1 single with “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic”, a No. 3 hit in the U.S. The song is from the band’s fourth album, Ghost in the Machine. Though the song was recorded in 1981, Sting wrote it as early as 1976, since an early demo of the song can be heard on the Strontium 90 album Strontium 90: Police Academy.
1987 – George Michael went to No. 1 on the LP charts with his debut solo album Faith. The album produced six Top 5 Billboard Hot 100 hits, four of which reached No. 1, making George the only British male singer to have four No. 1 singles from one LP on the Billboard Hot 100.
1987 – The long-since-divorced Sonny and Cher perform “I Got You Babe” on Late Night with David Letterman.
1987 – The Dirty Dancing soundtrack hits No. 1 in America. Even though it was set in 1963, the movie featured modern, original songs “(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life” and “Hungry Eyes.”
Today’s Birthdays:
Freddie Garrity of Freddie and the Dreamers was born today in 1936.
Wendy Carlos — an electronic musician who scored the films A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, and Tron — is 85.
James Young of Styx is 75.
Stephen Bishop (“On and On”) is 73.
Keener Today – November 11
Happy Veterans’ Day to all who have served.
Here’s a summary of Veterans Day ceremonies across Michigan today:
Great Lakes National Cemetery (Holly): 20th annual ceremony, open to the public, starting at 11 a.m.
Resurrection Cemetery (Clinton Township): Ceremony at 11 a.m.
Sterling Heights: Annual ceremony at 11 a.m. with unveiling of a new Gulf War memorial.
Coleman A. Young Municipal Center (Detroit): Ceremony with flag-raising at 8 a.m.
Troy Veterans Plaza: Ceremony with a Rifle Salute and Taps, beginning at 11 a.m.
Elmwood Cemetery (Detroit): Ceremony at 10 a.m., featuring a flyover by Tuskegee Airmen and a performance by Martin Luther King Jr. High School band.
Washtenaw Community College: Sunrise flag-raising at 7 a.m., ceremony at 9:15 a.m.
Plymouth Veterans Memorial Park: Ceremony at 11 a.m., hosted by local veterans’ organizations.
Additional Detroit Luncheon: Volunteers of America Michigan will host a veterans’ luncheon with a clothing pop-up and resource booths at 10 a.m.
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1957 – 22-year-old Jerry Lee Lewis secretly wed his third wife, 13-year-old third cousin Myra Brown, in Tennessee. The marriage lasted 14 years and seriously damaged Lewis’ career.
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1960 – Aretha Franklin made her New York stage debut performing blues and standards at the Village Vanguard.
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1961 – The Marvelettes went to No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with “Please Mr. Postman”. The song features Gladys Horton on lead vocals and accompaniment by The Funk Brothers, including 22-year-old Marvin Gaye on drums. It was the first Motown song to reach the number-one position on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart, and The Beatles covered it in 1963 as well as The Carpenters in 1975, who got a U.S. No. 1 and U.K. No. 2 single out of the tune.
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1961 – Elvis Presley started a 20-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with Blue Hawaii, his seventh U.S. No. 1 album.
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1964 – One-time Gospel singer and highly popular and influential R&B/pop singer Sam Cooke died under sordid and mysterious circumstances.
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1965 – The Velvet Underground made their live debut when the played at Summit High School in New Jersey. The band was paid $75 for the gig. They were the opening act at a high school dance.
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1968 – Filming began for The Rolling Stones’ “Rock & Roll Circus.” As well as clowns and acrobats, John Lennon and his fiancee Yoko Ono performed as part of a supergroup called The Dirty Mac, along with Eric Clapton, Mitch Mitchell and Keith Richards. It was originally meant to be aired on the BBC, but the Rolling Stones withheld it because they were unhappy with their performance. The film was eventually released in 1996.
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1971 – The Godfather of Soul, James Brown, released his 32nd album, Revolution Of The Mind. Its opening track had a title only J.B. could have concocted: “It’s A Brand New Day So Open Up The Door And Let A Man Come In To Do The Popcorn.” He was surpassed years later with the never-to-be topped 90-word title of Fiona Apple’s second album.
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1973 – KISS guitarist Ace Frehley was nearly electrocuted during a concert in Florida when he touched a short-circuited light. The guitarist was carried from the stage but returned 10 minutes later to finish the show.
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1991 Per Michael Jackson’s wishes, one week before his controversial “Black Or White” music video airs, a memo circulates at MTV instructing the network’s on-air personnel to refer to Jackson as the King of Pop at least twice a week during the next two weeks.
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1994 Christie’s auction house in New York City holds their first-ever auction of rock memorabilia, including The Beach Boys’ guitars, a stage outfit worn by Jimi Hendrix, and John Lennon’s famous Army fatigues.
Keener Today – October 31
Happening Now:
Happy Halloween from Keener 13. We’ve got a list of celebratory suggestions for every age.
The Freep has four don’t miss Dia de Los Muertos events for your weekend calendar. We have the direct link.
Nearly 2.2 million Michiganders have voted early, according to the Secretary of State’s office. This first presidential election with early in-person voting in Michigan runs through Sunday. We have links to help you find a polling place near you.
Congratulations to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who won the World Series last night, coming back from a five-run deficit to defeat the New York Yankees on their home turf.
It seems like there are Too 100 lists for everything now days and Horror Movies are no exception. At the head of Indy Wire’s countdown: 1981’s Possession. See the full list here. Continue reading “Keener Today – October 31”
Keener Today – October 24
Update:
The Pistons lost their season opener to the Pacers, 115-109, at Little Caesars Arena last night. (Free Press)
Ron Ely, best known for playing Tarzan in the 1960s NBC series, has died at 86. Ely portrayed the iconic character, further solidifying the image of Tarzan that was popularized by Disney.
Justin Timberlake postponed his Friday night concert at Little Caesars Arena due to bronchitis and laryngitis. The show has been rescheduled for February 20, 2025. Tickets will be honored at the new date, and refunds are available. Other shows affected include dates in Chicago, Grand Rapids, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Columbus. Continue reading “Keener Today – October 24”
Keener Today – October 29
Happening Now:
Godspeed Terry Garr, who passed away today at the age of 79. She began her career as a dancer, appearing in films like “Viva Las Vegas” before transitioning to comedic roles in movies like “Young Frankenstein” and “Tootsie” (for which she received an Oscar nomination). Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1999, Garr became an advocate for the MS community while continuing to act in TV roles until her retirement in 2011. Here’s a compilation of some of her most memorable film work: Continue reading “Keener Today – October 29”
Keener Today – October 7
Hurricane Milton is rapidly intensifying. Upgraded from a tropical storm to a hurricane on Sunday, it’s now expected to hit Florida’s Gulf Coast as a Category 4 storm by Wednesday. Currently in the Gulf of Mexico, about 780 miles from Tampa, Milton has sustained winds of 85 mph but is forecast to reach 145 mph before landfall.
The Tigers hope to recover from this weekend’s playoff loss today in game two of their series in Cleveland. Gametime si 4:08pm.
If you’ve been Downtown, you might have noticed the #SpiritofDetroit is getting some routine maintenance, including bronze and gold leaf restoration and patina reapplication. Hopefully, he’s ready by Wednesday to wear a #detroittigers jersey! Continue reading “Keener Today – October 7”
Keener Today – October 6
What’s happening:
The Tigers, Wolverines and Spartans all posted losses this weekend.
Fall is in full swing in Detroit! This weekend, the Annual Detroit Harvest Fest and Food Truck Rally returns to the Detroit Riverfront. With over 50 food trucks, trick-or-treating alleys, a pumpkin patch, crafts, spooky science, and live music across four stages, it’s the perfect fall celebration. The event, held along the Dequindre Cut Greenway, was voted Detroit’s Best Food Truck Gathering by Metro Times readers. Admission is $8, free for kids under 3, seniors 65+, and military personnel. Open today 11am-8pm.
If you’ve been Downtown, you might have noticed the #SpiritofDetroit is getting some routine maintenance, including bronze and gold leaf restoration and patina reapplication. Hopefully, he’s ready by Wednesday to wear a #detroittigers jersey! Continue reading “Keener Today – October 6”
Keener Today – October 3
We all become bionic men and women eventually. Elton John shares that he’s missing his tonsils, adenoids, appendix, prostate, 2 knees, and a hip. He also admitted to an audience recently that he’s having trouble seeing.
New data indicates Detroit traffic has now surpassed pre-COVID levels. Traffic in the Detroit area has increased by 5.9%. It could be worse. Indianapolis and Columbus, increased by 13% and 16%, respectively.
The Tigers pulled off another magic act yesterday, scoring four runs in the eighth inning for a series-ending, 5-2 win over the Houston Astros. In our first playoff appearance since 2014, Detroit advanced to the American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians. Game 1 of the best-of-five series is Saturday at 1:08pm at Progressive Field on TBS.
GM CEO Mary Barra leads Fortune’s list of the 100 most powerful women in business, released yesterday. The list is based on “company size and health, their career path, influence beyond their organization, and how they wield power.” Continue reading “Keener Today – October 3”
Keener Today – July 28
Keener will be in the house Live when the Foundry Town Survivors return to Ann Arbor, Friday August 9, 6:30-9PM at The LIVE Nightclub at 102 S. First (at Huron) in A2. If you’re within hailing distance, join Keener live, or listen on any device anywhere. The Foundry Town Survivors, August 9. If it’s cool and it’s happening in Metro Detroit, It’s Keener.
Tell a friend about Keener. We’re on every device everywhere. Continue reading “Keener Today – July 28”
Keener Today – July 22
Today in History:
1934 Outside Chicago’s Biograph Theatre, “Public Enemy No. 1” John Dillinger is mortally wounded by FBI agents.
1959 Ed Wood’s cult classic “Plan 9 From Outer Space”, called one of the worse films ever, premieres.
1963 The Beach Boys released the single “Surfer Girl.”
1967 The Vanilla Fudge rock cover of “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” peaks at #67 in America as the band play their first concert, supporting The Byrds at the Village Theater (later the Fillmore East) in New York City.
1969 Elvis Presley’s NBC-TV Special soundtrack (a/k/a “The ’68 Comeback Special”) is certified gold.
2019 Marvel superhero film “Avengers: Endgame” becomes the world’s highest-grossing film overtaking “Avatar” earning $2.9 billion Continue reading “Keener Today – July 22”
Keener Today – July 4
Happening Today:
Experience a masterful musical performance amidst 300 years of American history at Salute to America in Greenfield Village. For over 30 years, The Henry Ford and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra have created an unforgettable Fourth of July concert. The village features food trucks, a historic 1913 carousel, presenters in period clothing, and musical ensembles throughout. With seven historic districts to explore, guests can enjoy choral singing, ragtime, blues, jazz, and more. At sunset, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, led by guest conductor Lawrence Loh, delivers a triumphant performance featuring Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture,” cannon fire, and a fireworks finale. Details at TheHenryFord.org. Continue reading “Keener Today – July 4”
Keener Today – March 19
Have you marked your calendars for the April 8 eclipse? While Detroit won’t experience the full eclipse, the city is close to the path of totality. This proximity is leading to increased interest in eclipse-related events and travel to areas with better views. Delta Airlines even offered a special flight from Texas to Michigan to see the eclipse.
Today in History: Continue reading “Keener Today – March 19”
