Author Archives: dcaligari

August 20, 1972 – Stax Records commemorates the seventh anniversary of the 1965 Watts riots with a star-studded benefit concert at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, on this date. More than 100,000 fans show up to hear Isaac Hayes, The Bar-Kays, The Staple Singers, and Kim Weston, among others, perform at what becomes known asContinue reading “WaxxStax concert occurred”

August 20, 1941 –William Wyler’s pitch-perfect adaptation of Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes, starring Bette Davis, opened on this date. Bette Davis had legendary make-up artist Perc Westmore devise a white mask-like effect for her face to emphasize Regina’s coldness. William Wyler hated it, likening it to a Kabuki mask.

August 20, 1920 –The first commercial radio station begins operating in Detroit, Michigan with call sign 8MK (Now WWJ (Newsradio 950) ). (8MK went on the air without a license on this date. I understand that KDKA went on the air in Pittsburgh as the world’s first commercially licensed station on November 2, 1920.) TheContinue reading “Still hasn’t annihilated every possibility of solitude and reflection.”

August 20, 1948 –… You have to ask these questions: who pays the piper, and what is valuable in this life? Robert Anthony Plant CBE, button phobia rock singer and songwriter, was born on this date.

August 19, 1977 –I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn’t it. One of the world’s leading commentator on the human condition, Groucho gave up the ghost on this date.

August 19, 1964 –The Beatles first US tour began in San Francisco, California with their concert at the Cow Palace. They played ten songs to a crowd of over 17,000. The Beatles returned there for another concert in 1965.

August 19, 1969 –David Crosby, Steven Stills, Joni Mitchell, and the Jefferson Airplane appeared on the Dick Cavett Show, giving a first-hand account of the Woodstock festival that took place over the weekend. Jefferson Airplane’s performance of We Can Be Together marked the first time the word “fuck” was uttered on live US television.

August 19, 1932 – The Marx Brothers‘ fourth movie, Horse Feathers, went into general release on this date. Thelma Todd’s character “Connie” is referred to in the film as being a “college widow“. This was a somewhat derogatory term at the time that referred to a young woman who remains near a college year afterContinue reading “…swordfish, swordfish… I think I got it. Is it “swordfish”?”

August 19, 1972 –NBC-TV presented The Midnight Special for the first time on this date. John Denver hosted the first episode of the show with guests including: Mama Cass, The Everly Brothers, The Isley Brothers, Harry Chapin, Linda Ronstadt and Argent. Helen Reddy was also a musical guest on the show, but did not hostContinue reading “This is a power packed line up”

Today is National Soft Serve Ice Cream Day. Soft Serve Ice Cream has been around since the 1930s. There are conflicting reports of the origins of the dessert. In 1934, Tom Carvel, the founder of eponymous ice cream brand and franchise, had to sell melting ice cream on a parking lot because his ice creamContinue reading “You have to lick it one day at a time”