Author Archives: dcaligari

July 15, 1946 –I didn’t think I was a famous singer. I didn’t think I was a star or that I could make the waters part – just that singing was what I was going to do. Linda Maria Ronstadt, singer and actress was born in Tucson, Arizona on this date. (Send her your goodContinue reading “Linda Ronstadt”

July 14, 1964 –The Rolling Stones score their first #1 hit in the UK with their cover of Bobby Womack’s It’s All Over Now. New York disc jockey Murray the K gave The Stones a copy of the original recording of the song by The Valentinos and suggested they record it. Murray was important enoughContinue reading “It’s All Over Now topped the charts”

July 14, 1933 – The iconic Popeye the Sailor, appeared in his first eponymous titled cartoon, on this date. (Kids, Betty, who is probably underage in this film, is not wearing a bra – so avert your eyes.) Popeye’s appearance is based on that of a fighter named Francis “Rocky” Fiegel whom his creator, ElzieContinue reading “The miraculous powers of spinach were first discovered”

July 14, 1789 –Paris was not a happy city in 1789. Paris has never been an especially happy city – especially for those who don’t speak French – but in that fateful year, it was particularly grouchy. And it wasn’t just the city; the whole country was irritable. All of France was cranky, and theContinue reading “It’s sort of like The Fourth of July but with more beheadings”

July 14, 1989 –Rob Reiner iconic rom-com , written by iconic writer, Nora Ephron, When Harry Met Sally, starring, Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher, and Bruno Kirby, opened in limited release on this date. The orgasm scene was filmed at Katz’s Deli, an actual restaurant on New York’s E. Houston Street. The table atContinue reading “The joys of deli meat were illuminated”

July 14, 1969 – Dennis Hopper’s seminal ’60s classic, Easy Rider, starring Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson, opened in the US on this date. Dennis Hopper was going through a very bad time during production (something he later put down to marijuana not being his “creative drug of choice”). He was in aContinue reading “Easy Rider premiered”

Today is National Nude Day. I would say for the most part, there are very few people who should actually celebrate the holiday in public. Please feel free to celebrate responsibly within the confines of your own home.

July 13, 1974 –Elton John’s eighth studio Caribou went to No.1 on the Billboard Album Chart on this date, It became his third No.1 album. Elton and his band toured the last five months of 1973 before heading into Caribou Ranch studios in Colorado in January 1974 to record their next album in a windowContinue reading “Caribou topped the charts”

July 13, 1985 –40 years ago, I had only recently patented the long birthday weekend…. (I love that WNEW thought that George Segal and Marilyn McCoo were the perfect host for their coverage of Live Aid.) (Find time to watch this short segment of a documentary about behind the scenes events of the Live AidContinue reading “For a brief moment, we were all together”

July 13, 1990 –Jerry Zucker’s romantic thriller Ghost, starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, and Tony Goldwyn, opened in the US on this date. The role of Oda Mae Brown was not written with Whoopi Goldberg in mind, but Patrick Swayze, an admirer of hers, convinced the producers that she would be right forContinue reading “Ghost premiered”