An eventful day at Choctaw Ridge

June 3, 1967 –Billie Joe McAllister jumps off the Tallahatchee Bridge on this date (It was the Third of June, another sleepy, dusty delta day,) according to the Bobbie Gentry song Ode To Billie Joe. Gentry was familiar with the Tallahatchie Bridge since she was born and raised in Mississippi, where she grew up inContinue reading “An eventful day at Choctaw Ridge”

Candidate Clinton plays the sax on TV

June 3, 1992 –Arkansas governor Bill Clinton, campaigning for US president, makes an appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show, where he plays the Elvis Presley hit Heartbreak Hotel on the saxophone, on this date. This performance ultimately solidified Clinton’s popularity with minority and young voters. It’s a moment in time that exemplifies the virtue ofContinue reading “Candidate Clinton plays the sax on TV”

The Stones first national TV appearance

June 3, 1964 –The Rolling Stones taped their U.S. (national) television debut on the ABC series The Hollywood Palace, hosted by Dean Martin, on this date. Dean Martin’s rude introduction of the band still rankled Keith Richards many years later. At the time, Bob Dylan was so offended by Martin’s contempt for the Stones, heContinue reading “The Stones first national TV appearance”

I’ll Take You There topped the charts

June 3, 1972 –The Staple Singers’ song, I’ll Take You There, hits #1 as the group makes a successful transition from gospel to secular music. This was the first of two #1 hits for the Staple Singers, the other is Let’s Do It Again. The Staple Singers were among the first groups to move fromContinue reading “I’ll Take You There topped the charts”

The anniversary of a young woman’s official first day on the job

June 2, 1953 –Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor-Mountbatten officially became the head of her family’s business and had her coronation on this date. The entire ceremony was, save for the anointing and communion, televised throughout the Commonwealth, and was watched by an estimated 20 million people, with 12 million more listening on the radio. The Queen’sContinue reading “The anniversary of a young woman’s official first day on the job”

Dead Poets Society premiered

June 2, 1989 –Peter Weir’s take on the classic film Goodbye Mr. Chips, Dead Poets Society, written by Tom Schulman, and starring Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, and Ethan Hawke opened in limited release on this date. What attracted Robin Williams to the role of John Keating more than anything else was that John KeatingContinue reading “Dead Poets Society premiered”