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Brenda Lee was just 13 years old when she recorded Rockin around the Christmas Tree back in 1958. The record mostly flopped upon its initial release, selling just 5,000 copies. The next year, they released the song a second time and it again flopped, selling just over what it did on its initial release. ItContinue reading “Some things were built to last”

December 14, 1969 –Michael Jackson and the rest of The Jackson 5 made their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show on this date. The Jackson Five performed Sly and the Family Stone’s Stand, Smokey Robinson’s Who’s Loving You, and their first hit single I Want You Back.

December 14, 1972 –A very obscure (and not particularly good) Ringo Starr directed concert film, Born To Boogie starring Marc Bolan and T. Rex, Ringo Starr, and Elton John was released on The Beatles Apple Films label in the UK, on this date. Much of the 8mm footage used in the closing credits was shotContinue reading “Born To Boogie premiered”

December 13, 1996 –Cameron Crowe’s romantic comedy, Jerry Maguire, starring Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., Bonnie Hunt, and Renée Zellweger opened on this date. Jonathan Lipnicki showed up on the set one day telling everyone that “the human head weighs eight pounds“. Writer, producer, and director Cameron Crowe liked it so much he wrote itContinue reading “Jerry Maguire premiered”

December 13, 1975 –Richard Pryor hosted NBC-TV’s Saturday Night Live on this date. Fearing Pryor would say things that were too offensive for television at the time, the show was placed on seven-second delay for the very first time As mentioned in the opening sketch, Pryor requested that Garrett Morris say “Live from New York,Continue reading “I don’t believe Network TV would air comedy like this again”

December 13, 2008 –Beyonce’s song, Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) hit #1 on the Billboard charts on this date. The video has become an internet phenomenon with thousands of homemade versions posted on YouTube. Beyoncé explained to The Sunday Times May 10, 2009 that the idea for the promo was a 1960s filmContinue reading “Single Ladies topped the charts”

Christmas trees are known to have been popular in Germany as far back as the sixteenth century. In England, they became popular after Queen Victoria’s husband Albert, who came from Germany, made a tree part of the celebrations at Windsor Castle. In the United States, the earliest known mention of a Christmas tree is inContinue reading “O Tannenbaum”

December 12, 1531– Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, an indigenous peasant, had visions of the Virgin Mary. Legend held that the Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego outside Mexico City and left an imprint on his cactus-fiber poncho. The poncho became an icon for the Virgin of Guadalupe. It’s early and I’ll stop hurting your brain withContinue reading “It’s the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe”

December 12, 1968 –Only good girls keep diaries. Bad girls don’t have time. After a long and well enjoyed life, Tallulah Bankhead died in St. Luke’s Hospital in New York City of double pneumonia, complicated by emphysema and malnutrition, on this date. Her last coherent words reportedly were “Codeine… bourbon.” (I absolutely will be stealingContinue reading “Tallulah Bankhead”

December 12, 1954 –BBC Television aired the landmark adaptation of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four on this date. It was the most expensive drama produced to date. Unusually for a British TV production of that era, this story survives as a telerecording. At the time, the majority of television was transmitted live, and most shows wereContinue reading “Beware the savage jaw of 1984”