Happy 19th birthday, Edward Lodewijk "Eddie" Van Halen, who "would sit in his room for hours with the door locked as a teen, practicing the guitar."
Jan. 29
It was a Tuesday night, and I was in first grade at Clark Elementary in Paducah. And I doubt they had even heard of him. Nonetheless, I am furious that my parents didn't get me down to Nashville to see the Bruce Springsteen concert at Mother's Music Emporium:
-- "Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?"
-- "Let the Four Winds Blow"
-- "You Mean So Much To Me"
-- "Kitty's Back"
-- "Incident on 57th Street"
-- "Rosalita"
Feb. 2
Steve Lawrence breaks up Tim Conway and Harvey Korman on The Carol Burnett Show, and tomorrow night CBS Playhouse 90 airs what will be one of the year's most hailed teleplays.
Feb. 5
The '50s revival is in full effect.
Feb. 7
There's a commercial amid this Three on a Match clip that discusses a new snack product that completely intrigues me. "Hostess O's. ... The donut with filling in every bite. ... How do they do it?" Furthermore, why didn't it fly?
Feb. 21
Tim Horton dies, but Tim Hortons lives on.
Feb. 22
Happy 24th birthday, Julius Erving. "'... Well, Julius, these people have attained these things because they have gone through this system here in America, which is a very competitive, hard-nosed system. The way you can attain things that you see and you want is to become part of that system is to conform to the ideals of that same system and place yourself on an avenue that's going to lead you to bigger and better things. ...'"
March 2
Grammy Awards. The "Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female" winner is Aretha Franklin's "Master of Eyes." I'm pretty sure I've never heard that song, and it doesn't appear to be available at YouTube. Stevie Wonder is, however, and he's fantastic. Love the shots of how genuinely impressed the studio audience of peers is. Check out how completely into the moment Marvin Hamlisch is, about three minutes in.
March 3
Johnny Cash on Columbo.
March 4
People debuts.
March 7
Shaggy-stoled Lucille Ball is a limber, interesting interview—so funny, so quick, so smart, so aware—on The Dick Cavett Show. She says she was thrilled to made Cecille B. DeMille's cast as the “elephant girl” in 1952’s The Greatest Show on Earth but eventually had to let go of the role to focus on her pregnancy with her first child, Lucy. No regrets, though. “I was delighted to be pregnant,” Ball sweetly tells Cavett. “Nothing else mattered.” Ball also says that early in her career she was embarrassed to admit that Jamestown, N.Y., was her hometown because she felt it too dull. She identified Butte, Mont., instead. Over the course of her life, however, Ball says she came to love Jamestown. “Is there a plaque there?” Cavett asks. “No, Ball replies, “there’s a plot.”
Meanwhile, North Carolina might be en route to abolishing its Eugenics Commission.
March 10
"A Japanese World War II soldier, Second Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda, surrenders in the Philippines."
April 3
Tornadoes.
April 10
Video hasn't yet killed the radio star.
April 13
The New York Nets, playing at the Nassau Coliseum, beat the Kentucky Colonels, 119-106, in Game 1 of the American Basketball Association Eastern Division finals. The Nets beat the Virginia Squires, four games to one, in an opening-round series. Now they're on their way to a four-game sweep of the Colonels, and next will be a four-games-to-one win over the Utah Stars for the ABA championship. Per Wikipedia: "The 1973–74 season saw the Nets finally put all the pieces together. The key event of the season though would come in the 1973 offseason, as the Nets acquired Julius Erving from the Virginia Squires. With Erving, who was affectionately known as 'Dr. J', the Nets ended the season with a franchise record 55 victories. After Erving was voted the ABA's MVP, the Nets advanced in the playoffs and won their first title ... The success continued into the 1974–75 season as they topped the previous season's win record by winning 58 games—a record that still stands to this day. The Nets, though, were eliminated four games to one, by the Spirits of St. Louis in the first round of the 1975 ABA playoffs. The Nets continued their winning ways in the 1975–76 season—the final season for the ABA—with Erving leading them to a successful 55-win season; he also was named MVP again that year. After a grueling series with the Denver Nuggets, the Nets won the last ABA championship series in league history in six games, giving the Nets their second championship in three years. The summer of 1976 saw the ABA-NBA merger finally take place. As part of the merger agreement, four teams from the ABA—the Nets, Nuggets, Pacers and San Antonio Spurs—joined the NBA. The Nets and Nuggets had actually applied to join the NBA in 1975, but were forced to play a lame-duck season in the ABA by court order. Prior to their first NBA season, the Nets traded two draft picks to the Kansas City Kings for guard Nate Archibald. The Nets appeared to be poised to pick up where they left off in the ABA. However, they got a rude surprise when the NBA forced the Nets to pay an additional $4.8 million directly to the Knicks for 'invading' the New York area. Coming on the heels of the $3.2 million that the team had to pay for joining the NBA, this left Boe short of cash, and he was forced to renege on a promised pay raise for Erving. Erving refused to play for the Nets under these conditions and refused to report to camp. The Nets offered Erving's contract to the Knicks in return for waiving the indemnity, but the Knicks turned it down. When the Philadelphia 76ers offered to acquire Erving for $3 million—roughly the same amount they had to pay for NBA membership--Boe had little choice but to accept. In essence, the Nets were forced to trade their franchise player for a berth in the NBA."
April 14
The Flyers advance.
April 22
Claudine opens in the United States.
April 28
The Rose d'Or Festival opens in Switzerland. Barbra Streisand makes her German-language TV debut, and the Bulgarians get hosed. Sing Sala Bim looks like an interesting program.
May 4
World's Fair opens in Spokane, Wash.
May 7
I want to learn more about what happened to American-made cars. I know the Pinto is the butt of a lot of jokes, but my family loved our Pintos and I still think they look pretty good.
May 8
I trust in God
I love my country
And will respect its laws
I will play fair
And strive to win
But win or lose
I will always do my best
May 16
"At least I'll get my washing done."
May 19
It's a new era for the National Hockey League, as the Philadelphia Flyers become the first of the 1967 expansion class to break the Original Six's hold on the Stanley Cup.
May 20
The very curious Identikit opens. I absolutely want to one day visit the Rome shopping mall that is in the movie about 45 minutes in, and I think I'll close our Christmas cards this year, "With respectful affection, ..."
June 4
"... 10-Cent Beer Night was the Indians' most desperate stunt in the club's most desperate era. Cleveland was mired in the AL East cellar for half a decade despite the best efforts of ace hurler Gaylord Perry, who won 24 games and the Cy Young Award in 1972. Stagnant attendance at Municipal Stadium (their turnout in 1973 had been the second-lowest since World War II) prompted the announcement that at selected games stadium vendors would offer a 10-ounce cup of Strohs for just 10 cents. ... After the Rangers took an early lead, the alcohol-fueled frenzy that had pushed fans through the turnstiles began to push them onto the field. In the second inning, a large woman jumped into the Indians' on-deck circle and lifted her shirt; in the fourth, a naked man slid into second as Rangers outfielder Tom Grieve circled the bases with his second homer of the game; and in the fifth, a father-and-son team welcomed Hargrove to Cleveland by leaping into the infield and mooning the crowd. ..."
June 26
"The Universal Product Code is scanned for the first time, to sell a package of Wrigley's chewing gum at the Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio."
June 27
The Flip Wilson Show ends on NBC.
June 28
Elton John's Caribou is released.
July 4
A Prairie Home Companion debuts.
July 17
Chicago Fire 25, Jacksonville Sharks 22. Stick around to the end to hear the Chicago Fire song that is played as the stadium clears.
August 5
Vicki is the first advancer in today's Price Is Right when she bids $404 on the (awesome) Jorges Games People Play carpeting and the actual retail price turns out to be exactly $404. I don't think Bob Barker nearly made enough hay about this accomplishment.
Aug. 8
"The president's story ... From every indication we have now, it will lead us in a tragic direction." By the way, George Montgomery knew what he was talking about. Plus,
Elvis Presley+Ziggy Stardust=Mud.
August 16
According to the uploader of this video, Chicago had a TV special, Meanwhile Back at the Ranch, that aired on this date. Both of my brothers and sister were all into Chicago, so I'm sure this was a big evening for all of them.
Aug. 24
The previous week saw Davey Lopes record a three-homer game and then a five-steal game for the Dodgers but that the Reds won five of six to to maintain "its relentless pursuit" in the National League West, reports Herman Weiskopf in "The Week" column in the Sept. 2 Sports Illustrated. Johnny Bench, Weiskopf notes, has driven in 48 runs in Cincinnati's last 44 games. Also, Oakland manager Alvin Dark banned hard liquor on team flights.
LA 79-47 CIN 2.5GB ATL 9 HOUS 13.5 SF 13.5 SD 30
ST. L 66-61 PITT 1GB PHIL 2.5 MONT 6 NY 11 CHI 12
OAK 72-55 KC 4GB TEX 6.5 CHI 10.5 MINN 11 CAL 22
BOS 70-55 NY 6GB BALT 7 CLEV 7.5 MIL 10 DET 12.5
Sept. 2
Elvis Presley in Las Vegas.
Sept. 9
Rhoda debuts.
Sept. 13
ABC promised about its fall lineup, "What You See On ABC This Fall, You'll Be Talking About Tomorrow!" Indeed, last night's Odd Couple was awesome.
Sept. 14
Coming off an 11-1 1973 campaign and Gator Bowl victory, Texas Tech kicks off its new football season with a 24-3 victory in Lubbock over Iowa State, and here's the game in its entirety--in three minutes, courtesy of Randall Rudd. The big news of the season, per "Seth C" at DoubleTNation.com, turns out to be that the school's "Masked Rider" mascot, for the first time, is a woman.
Sept. 21
The Lawrence Welk Show rolls on!
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