Highlights from today’s morning show include some back story on Radio City Music Hall, two pivotal dates in John Lennon’s timeline, the four women who played “Dolly” on Broadway (plus one on film), Sonny & Cher get a show, sprinting across Antarctica and the third longest running prime time soap opera in history debuts.
The iconic Radio City Music Hall opened on this date in 1932 in New York, home to the Rockettes & in the same complex as the NBC Studio 6-B where Jimmy Fallon‘s Tonight Show is taped. Johnny Carson started his long reign in that same studio.
Today in 1958, John Lennon meets future wife Cynthia Powell at the Liverpool College of Art. 22 years later to the day, just weeks after his death, Lennon’s “(Just Like) Starting Over” (Video) hits #1 in America.
Today in 1970 “Hello, Dolly!” closes at New York’s St James Theater after 2844 performances. Carol Channing originated the title role. Pearl Bailey, Bette Midler and Bernadette Peters have all made it their own since. Barbara Streisand starred in the 1969 film version.
Today in 1971 The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour gets a regular run on CBS after serving as a summer replacement. It stays on the air for three years until their divorce got in the way. The duo would reunite in 1976 for a two year stint hosting the identically formatted The Sonny & Cher Show, proving “The Beat Goes On”.
Tonight in 1979 the wildly popular CBS show, “Dallas”, spins off another prime time soap opera: “Knots Landing“. It will become longest-running primetime drama on U.S. TV after Gunsmoke and Bonanza.
Missing Carrie Fisher today. Our favorite princess left us on this date in 2016. We lost her mom, Debbie Reynolds the next day. Carrie’s autobiographical “The Princess Diarist” is a great listen on Audible. She narrates the book herself, adding a dimension of authenticity and honesty that is at once candidly funny and heartbreaking. Debbie’s “Unsinkable” memoir is equally so.
The Stars above have burned a little brighter ever since.
In the News:
NYT: Sprinting across Antarctica, alone.
Bloomberg: Making sense of the stock market’s wild ride.
Weather Underground: Who gets blizzard conditions today?
Today’s Birthdays: Scotty Moore (Elvis’ Guitar Player), 1931, (Died 2016); Mike Pinder (Moody Blues), 1941; Mick Jones (Foreigner), 1944; Larry Byrom (Steppenwolf), 1948; David Knopfler (Dire Straits), 1952
This morning’s playlist video links:
Roll to Me – Del Amitri
It Don’t Come Easy – Ringo
Shake It Off – Tim Akers & The Smoking Section
The second in our series of inspirational quotes to fire you up for 2019 comes from master motivator, Jim Rohn: “If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.”
