Keener Today – May 19

 May 19, 2025
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe sings “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” in a skintight, rhinestone-covered gown she had to be sewn into.

Did you know:

Zak Starkey, is out again. The Who proves once more that they are the most dysfunctional family in Rock and Role, firing their longtime drummer and son of Ringo Starr for a second time, just two weeks after being reinstated by the band. Though asked to claim he quit voluntarily, Starkey refused, saying he would never walk away from a band he loves. Pete Townshend confirmed the change via Instagram, announcing Scott Devours as the new drummer for The Who’s farewell tour.

George ClooneyGeorge Clooney’s Broadway play Good Night, and Good Luck has recouped its full $9.5 million production cost just seven weeks after opening. Adapted from the 2005 film he co-wrote with Grant Heslov, the play has broken records as the highest-grossing play in Broadway history and the first to surpass $4 million in ticket sales in a single week. On Broadway, Clooney plays journalist Edward R. Murrow. He portrayed Murrow’s collaborator Fred Friendly in the movie. David Strathairn starred as Murrow on screen.

Today in History:

1962 – Less than three months before her death, Marilyn Monroe made one of her final public appearances at President John F. Kennedy’s 45th birthday celebration. She famously sang “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” in a skintight, rhinestone-covered gown that was so tight she had to be sewn into it.

1969 – The Beatles’ single “Get Back” was certified Gold by the RIAA. The song, featuring Billy Preston on keyboards, reached No. 1 in the U.S. within a week and became one of the band’s final chart-topping hits.

1973 – Stevie Wonder hit No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with “You Are the Sunshine of My Life,” a tribute to his then-wife Syreeta Wright. It earned him the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and cemented his rise in the post-Motown era.

1973 – Paul Simon released “Kodachrome,” a vibrant, nostalgic single referencing Kodak’s famous film brand. Ironically, the song was banned in some countries, like the U.K., due to its trademarked title.

1978 – Dire Straits released their first major-label single, “Sultans of Swing,” a track recorded on a shoestring budget of just £120. The song’s clean, fingerpicked guitar tone became a hallmark of Mark Knopfler’s style and helped the band break into international fame.

1979 – Supertramp reached No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with Breakfast in America, their only American chart-topper. The album sold over 20 million copies worldwide and became a cornerstone of late ’70s progressive pop.

1990 – Madonna began a three-week run at No. 1 in the U.S. with “Vogue,” a song originally intended as a B-side. The hit popularized the underground “voguing” dance movement and remains one of her most iconic tracks.

1998 – Sonny and Cher were honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, commemorating their cultural impact as a musical and television duo. It was awarded posthumously to Sonny Bono, who had tragically died in a skiing accident earlier that year.

Today’s Birthdays:

  • Malcom X was born Malcom Little on this date in 1925. (d. 1985)
  • Jim Lehrer, American television news anchor (McNeil-Lehrer Report/PBS Newshour, 1975-2011), and novelist, born in Wichita, Kansas today in 1934. (d. 2020)
  • Former Good Morning America host, David Hartman is 90.
  • Actress Nancy Kwan (Flower Drum Song, World of Suzie Wong) is 86.
  • Director Nora Ephron was born today in 1941 (d. 2012)
  • Andre the Giant was born today in 1946. (d. 1993)
  • Pete Townshend is 80.
  • Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca in Star Wars) was born today in 1944. (d. 2019)
  • Grace Jones is 77.
  • Tom Scott, American session and jazz-fusion saxophonist and composer (L.A. Express; The Blues Brothers; Paul McCartney – “Listen to What the Man Said”) is 77.
  • Michael Che is 42.

Happening Today: