• Today in 1967, Tickets went on sale for Frank Sinatra’s July 9th appearance at Cobo Hall. Backed by the Buddy Rich big band and supported by opening act, Sergio Mendes and Brasil ’66, tickets for the one night only show cost $4.50, 5.50, 7.50 and $ 10 dollars.
• Today in 1972, An estimated 80,000 Detroiters turned out for the second annual drive to clean up 22 square miles of the city. Program coordinators hoped to fill 200,000 trash bags on the first day of the summer long drive to make Detroit a little more beautiful.
• Today in 1977, Detroit’s cost of living rose by 1.2% for the month. The annualized rate of 14.4% was nearly 50 percent higher than the predicted national average.
• Today in 1979, if you were born under the Gemini astrological sign, you were advised to “Cut loose from the past to build a strong foundation for future security.” New starts and contacts were favored. And the astrologers advised Gemini’s to be proud and not intimidated by members of the opposite sex.
• Today in 1982, The late Michigan football play-by-play commentator, Bob Ufer earned a spot in the Michigan Sports hall of fame for his prowes on the cinders. The 37 year broadcaster was an All American track star from 1939-1943, holding two worlds records. Ufer had passed away in October of 1981.
• Today in 1987, newspapers were reporting the American Motors Corporation approval of a merger with Chrysler Corporation at a stock price 0f $4.50 a share. AMC was formed by the merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company on May 1, 1954. At the time it was the biggest corporate merger in American history.

1881 American Red Cross founded by Clara Barton
1881 US National Lawn Tennis Association is established in NYC, New York
1914 Greyhound Bus Co begins in Minnesota
1927 Aviator Charles Lindbergh, in the Spirit of St Louis, lands in Paris after the first solo air crossing of Atlantic
1932 After flying for 17 hours from Newfoundland, Amelia Earhart lands near Londonderry, Northern Ireland, becoming the 1st transatlantic solo flight by a woman
1966 “Downtown” by Mrs Miller hits #82
1966 Louie Louie by The Kingsmen reentered the chart & hits #97. It was the first Keener Hit Number one on October 31, 1963.
1977 “Fiddler on the Roof” closes at Winter Garden NYC after 167 performances
1977 Electric Light Orchestra releases “Telephone Line” in the UK; it will peak in the Top 10.
1977 Stevie Wonder’s single “Sir Duke”, begins a 3-week run at #1
1980 “Star Wars Episode V – Empire Strikes Back”, produced by George Lucas opens in cinemas in UK and North America
1997 Emmy 24th Daytime Award presentation – Susan Lucci loses for 17th time. She finally wins an Emmy two years later
2017 Barnum & Bailey Circus performs for the last time at the Nassau Coliseum in NYC after 146 years

Music released today:

1963: Stevie Wonder, “Fingertips, Pt. 1”, Recorded Live! The 12-Year Old Genius, “Fingertips, Pt. 2”
1964: The Beatles (Die Beatles), “Sie Liebt Dich”,[Single], “I’ll Get You”
1968: Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, “Lady Willpower”, Incredible, “Daylight Stranger”
1969: The Isley Brothers, “I Turned You On”, The Brothers: Isley, “I Know Who You Been Socking It To”
1976: Carpenters, “I Need To Be In Love”, A Kind Of Hush, “Sandy”
1963: Stevie Wonder, Recorded Live! The 12-Year Old Genius LP
1971: Marvin Gaye, What’s Going On LP
1971: Paul & Linda McCartney, Ram [UK Release] LP
1973: Earth, Wind & Fire, Head To The Sky LP
1976: Blue Öyster Cult, Agents Of Fortune LP
1980: Paul McCartney, McCartney II LP
1982: John Waite, Ignition LP
1983: Joe Walsh, You Bought It – You Name It LP

Rock Birthdays: Via DrRock.com

1904: Fats Waller / (Thomas Wright Waller), Jazz and ragtime pianist, co-wrote “Ain’t Misbehavin’” (1929), the oft-covered classic now included in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress, died 12/15/1943 from pneumonia, age 39
1926: Al Grossman / (Albert Bernard Grossman), Chicago folk club owner and later promoter and manager for Bob Dylan (1962-70), Peter, Paul & Mary, The Band, Paul Butterfield, Janis Joplin and others, built Bearsville Studios near Woodstock, NY and founded Bearsville Records, died of a heart attack while flying to London on the Concorde to sign unknown British rock singer on 1/25/1986, age 59
1928: Tom Donahue, Rock Hall of Fame-inducted pioneering “free format” FM rock DJ on KSAN (San Francisco) and other stations, night club owner, concert producer/promoter, record label executive, died of a heart attack on 4/28/1975
1940: Tony Sheridan / (Anthony McGinnity), Britbeat pop-rock bandleader, frontman for The Beat Brothers and collaborator with The Beatles in Hamburg in the early 60s, recorded several tracks with the Fab Four, including “My Bonnie” in June 1961, which reached #5 in West Germany, retired from the music business in the mid-70s, died following heart surgery on 2/16/2013, age 72
1941: Ronald Isley, Vocals for six-decade, multi-generation R&B/soul family group The Isley Brothers, “That Lady, Pts. 1-2” (#6, 1973)
1943: Hilton Valentine / (Hilton Stewart Paterson Valentine), Guitarist for British Invasion hard/blues-rock The Animals, created the memorable opening riff on “House Of The Rising Sun” (#1, UK #1, 1964) and played guitar on a total of ten Top 20 hits in both the US and UK before the banded dissolved in 1966, left for California and produced his own solo albums in 1969 and 2004, participated in reunion tours with various incarnations of The Animals over the years and fronted his own Skiffledog band into the 10s, died from undisclosed causes on 1/29/2021, age 77.
1943: John Dalton, Bass guitarist for British Invasion pop-rock The Kinks, “Lola” (#9, 1970), replaced Pete Quaiffe in 1969, left the band in 1976 and periodically appears with the Kast Off Kinks
1943: Vincent Crane / (Vincent Cheesman), Keyboards and songwriter for Brit psych-rock The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, “Fire” (#12, 1987), left with bandmate Carl Palmer to form prog/art rock Atomic Rooster, “The Devil’s Answer” (UK #4, 1971), died from an overdose of painkillers on 2/14/1989, age 45
1944: Marcie Blaine / (Marcia Blank), One hit wonder pop singer, “Bobby’s Girl” (#3, 1962)
1947: Bill Champlin, Singer, songwriter, guitarist, keyboardist and frontman for psych-rock Sons Of Champlin, joined pop-rock/horn band Chicago, “You’re The Inspiration” (#3, 1984) in 1981 and has played and toured with the band since, also solo and side projects
1948: Leo Sayer / (Gerard Hugh Sayer), Grammy-winning blue-eyed R&B/pop-disco singer, “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” (#1, 1977)
1954: Marc Ribot, Multi-genre guitarist and composer, session work for dozens of artists from Norah Jones to Elvis Costello to Tom Waits, member of New York City avant-garde The Lounge Lizards

Other Notable Birthdays: Via OnThisDay.com

1904 Robert Montgomery, American actor and director (Robert Montgomery Presents, Earl of Chicago, Yellow Jack), born in Fishkill Landing, New York (d. 1981)
1916 Harold Robbins, American author (Moneychangers, Carpetbaggers, Betsy), born in NYC, New York (d. 1997)
1916 Dennis Day [Owen Patrick Eugene McNulty], Irish-American tenor and comedian (Jack Benny Show, Danny Boy), born in New York City (d. 1988)
1917 Raymond Burr, Canadian-American actor (Perry Mason, Ironsides, Godzilla), born in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada (d. 1993)
1924 Mary Margaret “Peggy” Cass, actress, comedian, game show panelist and announcer (To Tell The Truth), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1999)
1945 Richard Hatch, American actor (Battlestar Galactica), born in Santa Monica, California (d. 2017)
1951 Al Franken, US politician (Senate-D-Minnesota 2009-18) comedian, writer, actor (SNL, 1975-80; 1985-90), born in NYC, New York
1952 Mr. T [Lawrence Tureaud], American actor (A-Team, Rocky III, T & T), born in Chicago, Illinois
1957 Judge Reinhold, American actor (Fast Times at Ridgemont High), born in Wilmington, Delaware
1959 Nick Cassavetes, American actor and director (The Notebook), born in NYC, New York
1972 The Notorious B.I.G. [Christopher Wallace], American rapper (Life After Death), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1997)