Keener Today – May 27

 May 27, 2022
Keener Today - May 27

One year ago today: English playwright William Shakespeare reported to have died after receiving COVID-19 vaccine by Argentine news channel Chanal 26 (case of mistaken identity, the Bard died in 1616)

Today in Detroit History:

  • Today in 1967, the price of picnicking and camping in Michigan parks was expected to rise as the legislature began to debate rate increases for the 1968 season. The 50 cent daily entrance fee was expected to double to one dollar while a seasonal windshield sticker, currently costing a buck was likely to triple in price to $3 dollars. The money would underwrite a $10 million dollar revenue bond to improve and maintain Michigan’s network of parks and recreation areas.
  • Today in 1972, Singer Al Martino was set to appear at the Montgomery Ward stereo and record department on Saturday at the Tel-Twelve store. Martino’s career got a boost from his appearance as Johnny Fontaine in The Godfather.
  • Today in 1977, A three-year-old Hubbartston boy went for a joy ride in his mothers car, alternately pressing the accelerator and sterring the vehicle until the car fliped into a ditch. When confronted by a rescuer, Michael Delbert Ward indignantly said, “I was driving.” Ward wanted to take the family dog for a spin. Neither he nor the dog were injured.
  • Today in 1979, upcoming shows at Cobo Arena included Journey with opening acts Graham Parker and Rumor, Peter Frampton with Chris DeBurgh, and the Average White Band was set to appear at the Punch and Judy Theater. Ticket prices ranged between $9 and $11 dollars a head.
  • Today in 1982, The biggest measles outbreak in two years hit Dearborn High Schoolk. Twenty-eight suspected cases were identified with five other related cases diagnosed in the city’s junior high and elementary schools. Those who balked at a nationwide immunization drive were told to stay home. The measles shot was introduced in 1963 but officials reported a significant number of Americans were still resisting immunization 19 years later.
  • Today in 1987, Detroit Free Press Business Writer, Rick Ratliff, reported that thousands of Detroiters were hooking personal computers to something called a “Modem” which allowed users to connect via telephone to computer bulletin board systems to share files and converse. “With the right hardware,” Ratliff wrote, “a vast world opens up, a world invisible to people without the gear.”

1907 Bubonic Plague breaks out in San Francisco
1930 The 1,046-foot (319-meter) Chrysler Building in New York City, the tallest man-made structure at the time, opens to the public
1933Walt Disney’s short film “3 Little Pigs” released (Academy Award Best Animated film 1934)
1937 Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco opens to pedestrians
1940 British and Allied forces begin the evacuation of Dunkirk (Operation Dynamo) during WWII
1957 Toronto’s CHUM-AM, (1050 kHz) becomes Canada’s first radio station to broadcast only top 40 Rock n’ Roll music format
1958 Ernest Green becomes the 1st African-American to graduate from Little Rock’s Central High School
1958 Maiden flight of the F-4 Phantom II
1961 1st black light is sold
1969 Jerry Lewis Show second run, last airs on NBC-TV the LA theater built for the program becomes the Home of ABC’s Hollywood Pallace.
1969 Walt Disney World construction begins at Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida
1971 John Lennon records the song “Imagine” at his Ascot Sound home studio at Tittenhurst Park, England
1985 and Britain agrees to return Hong Kong to China in 1997
1994 Final broadcast of TV talk show “The Arsenio Hall Show”
1994 Larry King ends his radio show
1994 “The Flintstones” live action movie, starring John Goodman (as Fred) and Rick Moranis (as Barney), opens
1995 Actor Christopher Reeve is paralyzed from the neck down after falling from his horse in a riding competition in Culpeper, Virginia
2021 “Friends” reunion screens, 17 years after the TV sitcom series ended

What’s Happening via JJ Duling:

In Depth:
The Wall Street Journal’s Betsy Morris reports, your chronological age likely doesn’t reflect the wear and tear your body experiences at the cellular level, and how managing stress may increase your healthy life span. Dr. David Sinclair, a Harvard geneticist, is developing a biological-age test based on chemical changes on DNA found in cells from the side of the cheek taken in a swab you do at home. He plans to launch it with a new company called Tally Health. (Read)

 

Music released today
1966 The Yardbirds,“Over, Under, Sideways, Down” [UK] , Roger The Engineer, “Jeff’s Boogie”
1966 The Beatles,“Paperback Writer” [UK], [Single], “Rain”
1966 The Beatles “Rain” [UK], Hey Jude [B-Side]
1963 Bob Dylan, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan LP
1975 Paul McCartney & Wings Venus And Mars LO

Today’s Rock Birthdays- via DrRock.com

1922 Christopher Lee, Decorated World War II RAF veteran, 70-year film actor (mostly villainous roles or in horror films) and singer with a late-in-life career as a heavy metal vocalist, often interpreting classical pieces in a hard rock mode, issued several “symphonic metal” albums and, at age 91, became the oldest living performer to score a chart hit with his seasonal “Jingle Hell” (#18, 2013) from the album A Very Metal Christmas(2013), continued to record until just before his death on 6/7/2015, age 93
1932 Junior Parker / (Hermon Parker, Jr.), Memphis blues/soul vocalist, “Driving Wheel” (R&B #5, 1961), co-wrote Elvis Presley‘s “Mystery Train” (Country #11, 1956), died during surgery to remove a brain tumor on 11/18/1971
1935 Ramsey Lewis, Grammy-winning jazz/pop pianist, bandleader and composer, “The In Crowd” (#5, 1965)
1939 Don Williams / (Donald Ray Williams), Country’s “Gentle Giant,” mild-mannered, deep baritone mainstream countrypolitan singer and songwriter with 17 Country #1 hits, including “I Believe In You” (#24, Country #1, 1980), his songs have been covered by Eric Clapton (“Tulsa Time,” #30, 1980), Bonnie Raitt, Pete Townshend and multiple others, died from emphysema on 9/8/2017, age 78
1939 Marilyn McLeod, Keypunch operator at Motown Records who in 1967 began songwriting in tandem with established Motown writers Johnny Bristol, Pam Sawyer and others on multiple R&B/soul hits, including “Love Hangover” for Diana Ross (#1, R&B #1, 1976), “You Can’t Turn Me Off” by High Inergy (#12, R&B #2, 1977) and Jermaine Jackson’s “Let Me Tickle Your Fancy” (#18, R&B #5, 1983), left Motown in 1985 but continued to write as an independent and for Motown-revival label Motorcity Records in the 90s, issued a lone solo album 2010, suffered a stroke in 2011 and died from unsiclsoed causes on 11/24/2021, age 82.
1943 Cilla Black / (Priscilla Maria Veronica White), Working-girl-made-good Swinging Sixties light pop Brit singer, actress and TV/radio personality with a 50-year career in music and entertainment, recorded 11 UK Top 10 singles, including “You’re My World” (#26, UK #1, 1964), hosted or guested on various BBC TV programs through the early 10s, died following a fall and stroke on 8/1/2015, age 72
1944 Billy Adamson, Drummer for Merseybeat band The Searchers, “Needles And Pins” (#13, 1963), retired from the band in 1998 and died from undisclosed causes on 11/11/2013, age 69.
1947 Marty Kristian, Guitar and vocals for folk-sunshine pop The New Seekers, “I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing” (#7, 1972)
1948 Pete Sears, Journeyman bassist and keyboardist, session work for Rod Stewart in 70s, 1974-1987 with Jefferson Starship, “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us” (#1, 1987), then Hot Tuna, David Nelson Band, Moonalice and session work
1949 James Mitchell, Vocals for R&B/soul quartet The Detroit Emeralds, “Baby Let Me Take You (In My Arms)” (#24, R&B #4, 1972), left to co-found R&B/quiet storm The Floaters, “Float On” (#2, 1977).
1957 Eddie Harsch, Keyboards for roots/raunch rock The Black Crowes, “Hard To Handle” (Mainstream Rock #1, 1991)
1975 André 3000 / (André Benjamin), Half of hip hop duo OutKast, “Ms. Jackson” (#1, 2001) and “Hey Ya” (#1, 2004)

Other Birthdays of Note – via OnThisDay.com

1794 Cornelius Vanderbilt, American shipping and railroad magnate (New York Central Railroad), born in Port Richmond, New York (d. 1877)
1837 “Wild Bill” Hickok [James Butler], American cowboy and scout, born in Troy Grove, Illinois (d. 1876)
1894 Dashiell Hammett, American detective novelist (Sam Spade, Maltese Falcon), born in St. Mary’s County, Maryland (d. 1961)
1907 Rachel Carson, American marine biologist, conservationist and writer (Silent Spring), born in Springdale, Pennsylvania (d. 1964)
1911 Vincent Price, American actor (House on Haunted Hill, Fly, Laura), born in St Louis, Missouri (d. 1993)
1912 Sam Snead, American golfer (7 PGA Tour major titles; US Masters 1949, 52, 54), born in Ashwood, Virginia (d. 2002)
1922 Sir Christopher Lee, English actor (The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit), born in London, England (d. 2015)
1923 Henry Kissinger, US Secretary of State(1973-77) and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973, born in Fürth, Bavaria, Germany
1935 Lee Meriwether, Miss America (Time Tunnel, Barnaby Jones), born in Los Angeles, California
1936 Louis Gossett Jr, American actor (Officer & Gentleman, Deep), born in Brooklyn, New York
1943 Bruce Weitz, actor (Hill St Blues, Death of a Centerfold), born in Norwalk, Connecticut
1961 Peri Gilpin, actor (Roz Doyle-Frasier), born in Waco, Texas
1965 Todd Bridges, actor (Diff’rent Strokes, Fish), born in San Francisco, California
1970 Joseph Fiennes, English actor (Enemy at the Gates, Shakespeare in Love), born in Salisbury, Wiltshire
1971 Paul Bettany, English actor (A Beautiful Mind), born in London