Happy Veterans’ Day to all who have served.
Veterans make up about 6.1% of the U.S. population overall. The greatest share of the vet population resides in Alaska (10.5%), Virginia (9.1%) and Montana (8.9%), per the latest census data. They make up the lowest shares in D.C. (3.2%); New York (3.6%) and New Jersey (3.6%).
Today in History:
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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.
Today’s Birthdays:
Rita Moreno is 93.
McCoy Tyner was born today in 1938.
David Gates of Bread is 84.
Michael Lang, co-creator of Woodstock Music & Art Festival, was born today in 1944.
Brenda Lee is 80.
Queen keyboard player Philip ‘Spike’ Edney is 73.
Jermaine Jackson is 70.
Stanley Tucci is 64
Demi Moore is 62
Calista Flockhart (Brothers and Sisters, Ally McBeal) is 60
Leonardo DiCaprio is 50