Phil Spector – Time Rewind

On This Day March 7

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On This Day February 20

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Celebrity Birthdays

1902 – Pioneering photographer and preservationist Ansel Adams (d. 1984)

1927 – Oscar-winning actor-director Sidney Poitier (“Lilies of the Field,” “In the Heat of the Night,” “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” “To Sir, With Love,” “Sneakers,” “The Jackal”)

1946 – Singer-songwriter and guitarist John Warren Geils, Jr., known professionally as J. Geils, frontman for the 80s rockers The J. Geils Band. (d. 2017)

1963 – Retired basketball star Charles Barkley, named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History

1966 – Fashion icon, supermodel and entrepreneur Cindy Crawford

1967 – Legendary grunge music pioneer Kurt Cobain, lead singer-songwriter-guitarist of the band Nirvana (d. 1994)

1988 – Grammy-winning R&B singer-songwriter Rihanna, born Robyn Rihanna Fenty (“Umbrella,” “We Found Love,” “The Monster”)

History Highlights

1792 – President George Washington signs the Postal Act, creating the U.S. Postal Service (USPS).

1895 – American journalist, author, orator and abolitionist Frederick Douglass dies at the age of 78. Douglass conferred with President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War and recruited northern Black officers for the Union Army. After the War, he fought for the rights of women and African Americans alike.

1962 – John Glenn launches into space from Cape Canaveral, Florida aboard NASA’s Mercury capsule, named Friendship 7, on the first orbital flight by an American astronaut. He completes three Earth orbits in just under five hours, ushering in a new era of spaceflight for the United States.

1965 – Ranger 8 crashes into the moon after a successful mission to photograph possible landing sites for the Apollo program.

1986 – The Soviet Union launches the first components of the Mir space station, which orbits Earth more than 86,000 times before falling harmlessly into the South Pacific near Fiji in March 2001.

1998 – American Tara Lipinski is 15 when she wins the Gold medal in women’s figure skating at the Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, becoming the youngest gold medalist in her sport.

2003 – One hundred people are killed, 230 others are injured when pyrotechnics during a Great White concert at The Station nightclub in Warwick, Rhode Island ignite flammable foam installed as soundproofing. The club burns to the ground in less than three minutes.

Musical Milestones

1959 – Legendary rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix is 16 years old when he makes his stage debut during a performance at Temple De Hirsch Sinai synagogue in Seattle. He is fired before the second set begins.

1965 – “This Diamond Ring,” by Gary Lewis & the Playboys, begins a two-week ride atop the Billboard singles chart.

1970 – The single “Instant Karma! (We All Shine On),” by John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band, is released in the U.S. Lennon wrote, recorded and mixed the track all in one day, on January 27, 1970, with producer Phil Spector, at the Abbey Road Studios in London.

1982 – The J. Geils Band’s “Centerfold” is midway through a six-week domination of the Billboard Hot 100. It is the first single from the band’s “Freeze Frame” album. The music video becomes an early staple of MTV programming.

1988 – “Seasons Change,” by one-hit wonder Exposé, tops the Billboard Hot 100 for a week.

1991 – Actor Jack Nicholson presents Bob Dylan with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 34th Annual Grammys.

1993 – “I Will Always Love You,” by Whitney Houston, enters its 13th week as a No. 1 single. Written by Dolly Parton, the song is from the soundtrack to the movie, “The Bodyguard,” starring Houston and Kevin Costner.

1999 – Monica is in the middle of a four-week run at No. 1 on the pop chart with “Angel of Mine.”

2010 – Kesha dominates the pop chart with “Tik Tok,” which enters its eighth week at No. 1.

On This Day January 26

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Celebrity Birthdays

1925 – Oscar-winning actor and race car driver Paul Newman (“The Hustler,” “Hud,” “Cool Hand Luke,” “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “The Verdict,” “The Color of Money,” “The Hudsucker Proxy,” “Road to Perdition”) (d. 2008)

1941 – Actor Scott Glenn (“Urban Cowboy,” “The Right Stuff,” “The Hunt for Red October,” “The Silence of the Lambs,” “Backdraft,” “Training Day,” “The Bourne Ultimatum”)

1955 – Legendary rock guitarist and songwriter Eddie Van Halen of the band Van Halen (“Hot for Teacher”, “Ain’t Talking ‘Bout Love”, “Jump”, “Panama”) (d. 2020)

1958 – Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Anita Baker (“Sweet Love,” “Just Because”)

1958 – Emmy-winning TV host, comedian, actress and LGBTQ advocate Ellen DeGeneres

1961 – Retired hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, who played for four teams during 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL)

History Highlights

1788 – Britain’s First Fleet sails into Sydney Harbor and begins the European colonization of Australia. The fledgling colony marks this event each year as Australia Day, however in recent years Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander have objected because they see the occasion as the beginning of the deliberate destruction of their people and culture.

1905 – A 3,106-carat diamond is discovered during a routine inspection at the Premier Mine in Pretoria, South Africa. Weighing 1.33 pounds, it is the largest diamond ever found, and is named the Cullinan after Sir Thomas Cullinan, the owner of the mine.

1926 – Scottish inventor John Logie Baird gives the first public demonstration of a true television system (called a “televisor”) in London, launching a revolution in communication and entertainment.

1950 – The Republic of India is formed as the Indian constitution takes effect.

1961 – President John F. Kennedy appoints Janet Travell, 59, as his personal physician, making her the first woman in history to hold that post.

1979 – The General Lee, a bright orange Dodge Charger with a Confederate flag on its roof, kicks up dust clouds as “The Dukes of Hazzard” premieres on CBS.

1988 – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera” has its first Broadway performance at the Majestic Theatre.

1998 – During one of the most memorable news conferences of his presidency, Bill Clinton tells reporters, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.” Clinton later confesses that he did indeed have an “improper physical relationship” with Monica Lewinksky, a 24-year-old White House intern.

2005 – Condoleezza Rice assumes the post of U.S. Secretary of State two months after her nomination by President George W. Bush. She becomes the highest ranking African American woman ever to serve in a presidential cabinet.

Musical Milestones

1963 – The Rooftop Singers stroll to the top of the singles chart with “Walk Right In.”

1970 – Phil Spector and John Lennon write and record Lennon’s “Instant Karma” in one day. It lands on the Billboard pop chart 33 days later, eventually climbing to No. 3.

1974 – “You’re Sixteen” by Ringo Starr is the No. 1 single. The song is from the ex-Beatle’s “Ringo” album, which also contains the hits “Photograph” and “Oh My My.”

1980 – Prince makes his television premiere with an appearance on “American Bandstand.” He shyly answers questions from host Dick Clark, beginning with “How did you learn to do this in Minneapolis?”

1985 – Madonna wraps up six weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100 with her first No. 1 single, “Like a Virgin.”

1991 – Surface kicks off two weeks atop the pop chart with “The First Time.” It is the last time the New Jersey trio has a No. 1 single.

2002 – “U Got It Bad,” by Usher, is in the midst of a five-week ride on top of the singles chart.

On This Day December 26

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Celebrity Birthdays

1914 – Golden Globe-winning actor Richard Widmark (“Kiss of Death,” “No Way Out,” “Don’t Bother to Knock”) (d. 2008)

1921 – Entertainer Steve Allen, first host of NBC’s “The Tonight Show,” who was a prolific comedian, composer, actor, author and TV host during a nearly five-decade career (d. 2000)

1927 – Comedian-actor Alan King (d. 2004)

1933 – Puppeteer Caroll Spinney, the talent behind the “Sesame Street” characters Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch (d. 2019)

1939 – Grammy-winning record producer-songwriter and convicted murderer Phil Spector

1947 – Major League Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk

1956 – Humorist-comedian-author David Sedaris (“SantaLand Diaries,” “Naked,” “Me Talk Pretty One Day,” “When You Are Engulfed in Flames”)

1971 – Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actor and musician Jared Leto (“Girl, Interrupted,” “American Psycho,” “Requiem for a Dream,” “Panic Room,” “Dallas Buyers Club,” “Suicide Squad”)

1979 – Rock singer-songwriter-guitarist Chris Daughtry, whose music career was launched by a fourth-place finish on “American Idol”

History Highlights

1898 – In a landmark moment for chemistry and physics, French scientists Pierre and Marie Curie publish a paper announcing their discovery of the element of radium (Ra). The groundbreaking discovery later garners the husband and wife team the Nobel Prize.

1946 – Mobster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel opens the Flamingo Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, aiming to establish a stylish and cosmopolitan gambling destination in the Nevada desert. Siegel closes the resort just two weeks later due to lackluster business, and the following June, he is killed in a mob hit. After undergoing multiple ownership changes through the years, the Flamingo is still in operation as the oldest casino on the Vegas Strip.

1966 – Kwanzaa is observed for the first time. The seven-day holiday with strong African roots was designed by Dr. Maulana Karenga, the chair of Black Studies at California State University at Long Beach, as a celebration of African American family, community and culture.

1972 – Harry S. Truman, the 33rd U.S. president, dies in Independence, Missouri at the age of 88.

1973 – “The Exorcist” opens in movie theaters across the U.S., terrifying audiences and establishing a new standard for the horror genre. Based on William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel of the same name, the Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning movie is about a girl, played by Linda Blair, that is possessed by an evil spirit.

1974 – Cancer claims the life of beloved comedian Jack Benny at the age of 80.

1982 – TIME magazine breaks from tradition when the magazine’s editors replace the annual “Man of the Year” cover story with “Machine of the Year” and profile the personal computer.

1996 – Six-year-old beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey is found beaten and strangled in the basement of her family’s Boulder, Colorado home. Her murder becomes the focus one of most intensive and publicized police investigations in U.S. history and remains unsolved to this day.

Musical Milestones

1964 – The Beatles score their sixth No. 1 single of the year as “I Feel Fine” kicks off three weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. The song is the Fab Four’s 29th to make the charts in 1964.

1970 – “My Sweet Lord,” by George Harrison, kicks off four weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100 and makes Harrison the first ex-Beatle to reach No. 1 as a solo act.

1981 – Olivia Newton-John begins her sixth week reigning over the pop chart with “Physical,” which remains at No. 1 for the first four weeks of 1982.

1987 – The “Dirty Dancing” soundtrack is the middle of a nine-week reign as the No. 1 album. It becomes one of the best-selling albums of all time.

1992 – Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” enters its fifth week on top of the Billboard Hot 100. The track continues to hold the top spot for the first nine weeks of 1993.

1998 – “I’m Your Angel.” by R. Kelly and Céline Dion, is in the middle of a six-week run on top of the singles chart.

1999 – Soul, R&B and funk singer-songwriter Curtis Mayfield, best known for his acclaimed 1972 “Super Fly” soundtrack,” dies at the age of 57. Mayfield — a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee — was a member of The Impressions before embarking on a solo career.

2009 – The Jay-Z/Alicia Keys duet, “Empire State of Mind,” is in its fifth and final week as a No. 1 single.

On This Day November 20

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Celebrity Birthdays

1908 – British journalist and “Masterpiece Theatre” host Alistair Cooke (d. 2004)

1925 – U.S. Attorney General and Senator Robert F. Kennedy (d. 1968)

1932 – Actor-game show host Richard Dawson (d. 2012)

1939 – Dick Smothers of the musical comedy duo The Smothers Brothers

1942 – Joe Biden, 47th Vice President of the United States and former U.S. Senator from Delaware

1943 – Model-turned-actress Veronica Hamel, most remembered for her role as public defender Joyce Davenport in the NBC police series “Hill Street Blues”

1947 – Guitarist, singer and former Eagles band member Joe Walsh, born Joseph Fidler (“Life’s Been Good,” “All Night Long”)

1956 – Actress Bo Derek, born Mary Cathleen Collins (“Tarzan, the Ape Man,” “10,” “Tommy Boy”)

History Highlights

1923 – The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office grants Garrett Augustus Morgan a patent for his mechanical traffic signal that adds a warning setting (which eventually becomes the yellow light) to the existing stop and go. The African-American inventor, who also created a fireproof hood (gas mask) for firefighters, sells the rights to the traffic signal to General Electric for just $40,000.

1945 – Two dozen high-ranking Nazis go on trial in Nuremberg, Germany, for atrocities committed during World War II. Judges from the Allied powers — Great Britain, France, the Soviet Union, and the U.S. — preside over the hearings.

1962 – President John F. Kennedy signs an executive order banning discrimination in government-sponsored housing. With the civil rights movement gaining momentum, the order bans federally funded housing agencies from denying mortgages to anyone based on race, color, creed or national origin.

1983 – A fictional account of a nuclear attack on the U.S. draws an audience of 100 million American TV viewers as “The Day After,” starring Jason Robards and JoBeth Williams, airs on ABC.

2003 – Legendary music producer Phil Spector faces indictment in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson. Spector pleads not guilty to the charges. Six years and two trials later, he’s convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 19 years to life in prison

Musical Milestones

1961 – “Big Bad John,” by country music star-turned-sausage magnate Jimmy Dean, is mid-way through its five-week run at No. 1 on the singles chart.

1965 – The Supremes have their sixth chart-topping single with the Motown production team, Holland–Dozier–Holland’s, “I Hear A Symphony.”

1971 – Isaac Hayes lays claim to the nation’s hottest single with “Theme from Shaft.” The track goes on to capture an Academy Award for Best Original Song, with Hayes becoming the first African American to receive that honor.

1976 – Rod Stewart is on an eight-week ride atop the Billboard Hot 100 with “Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright),” from his “A Night on the Town” album.

1982 – “Up Where We Belong,” the Grammy-winning Joe Cocker-Jennifer Warnes duet from the movie “An Officer and a Gentleman,” begins its third and final week on top of the Billboard Hot 100.

1993 – “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That),” by Meat Loaf, is in the middle of a five-week run at No. 1 on the pop chart.

2004 – The Usher-Alicia Keys duet, “My Boo,” maintains its hold on the top spot on the singles chart.

On this Day June 20

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Celebrity Birthdays

1909 – Australian actor Errol Flynn, best known for his romantic swashbuckler movie roles (d. 1959)

1924 – Grammy-winning country music (“Nashville sound”) guitarist Chet Atkins (d. 2001)

1931 – Actor Martin Landau (“Mission: Impossible,” “Space: 1999,” “Tucker: The Man and His Dream,” “Crimes and Misdemeanors,” “Ed Wood,” “The X Files,” “The Majestic”) (d. 2017)

1933 – Emmy-winning actor Danny Aiello (“The Godfather: Part II,” “The Purple Rose of Cairo,” “Do The Right Thing,” “Moonstruck”)

1942 – Grammy-winning Beach Boys founder and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Brian Wilson

1945 – Grammy-winning pop-country vocalist Anne Murray (“Snowbird,” “I Just Fall in Love Again”)

1949 – Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and former Commodores front man Lionel Richie (“Easy,” “Three Times a Lady,” “Still,” “Truly”)

1952 – Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor-comedian John Goodman (“Roseanne,” “Raising Arizona,” “The Babe,” “The Flintstones,” “The Big Lebowski,” “Monster’s Inc.,” “Argo,” “Flight,” “Treme,” “10 Cloverfield Lane”)

1967 – Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actress-producer Nicole Kidman (“Dead Calm,” “Days of Thunder,” “Far and Away,” “Batman Forever,” “Eyes Wide Shut,” “Moulin Rouge!”, “The Interpreter,” “Australia,” “The Hours,” “Rabbit Hole”)

History Highlights

1948 – Ed Sullivan’s long-running variety show, “Toast of the Town,” premieres and is later renamed “The Ed Sullivan Show.”

1963 – After reaching the brink of nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the U.S. and Soviet Union agree to set up a telecommunications link to prevent a nuclear catastrophe.

1967 – Heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali is convicted of draft evasion and sentenced to five years in prison. The U.S. Supreme Court later overturns the conviction on religious grounds.

1975 – Director Steven Spielberg’s movie “Jaws” opens in U.S. theaters, terrifying millions of beachgoers with its tale of a menacing, man-eating great white shark. “Jaws” sets the standard for the summer blockbuster, becoming the first motion picture to gross over $100 million at the box office. It was the highest grossing movie of all time until “Star Wars” was released two years later.

1977 – The U.S. achieves an energy industry milestone, as oil begins to flow through the Trans Alaska Pipeline.

1980 – After premiering in Chicago days earlier, “The Blues Brothers,” starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, opens in movie theaters nationwide.

Musical Milestones

1969 – David Bowie records “Space Oddity” at Trident Studios in London. It becomes one of his signature songs and eventually climbs to No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100.

1969 – Newport ’69, also known as the Newport Pop Festival, opens in California and kicks off the era of the rock-pop festival. It’s the first of seven events that year. Acts include Jimi Hendrix, Marvin Gaye, The Rascals, CCR, Ike & Tina Turner and Joe Cocker.

1981 – The medley “Stars on 45,” by the Dutch novelty band Stars on 45, is No. 1 on the Billboard singles chart.

1987 – “Head to Toe,” by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, is the most popular single in the U.S.

1992 – Mariah Carey’s cover of The Jackson 5’s “I’ll Be There” is No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The track is on her “MTV Unplugged” live EP.

2000 – The Ronettes are awarded $2.6 million in back earnings from Phil Spector. New York judge Paula Omansky ruled that the legendary producer had cheated them out of royalties.

2009 – The Black Eyed Peas own the top spot on the singles chart with “Boom Boom Pow.”

On this Day June 9

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Celebrity Birthdays

1891 – Composer-songwriter Cole Porter, whose music dominated Broadway from the 1930s to the 1950s (d. 1964)

1915 – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist, songwriter and electric guitar designer Les Paul, born Lester William Polsfuss (d. 2009)

1934 – Stand-up comedian and actor Jackie Mason (d. 2021)

1934 – Grammy Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame singer Jackie Wilson (“Lonely Teardrops,” “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher”) (d. 1984)

1961 – Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor Michael J. Fox (“Family Ties,” the “Back to the Future” movie series, “Teen Wolf,” “Spin City”)

1963 – Golden Globe-winning actor Johnny Depp (“What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,” “Edward Scissorhands,” the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “Rango,” “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindewald”)

1981 – Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actress Natalie Portman (“Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace,” “Garden State,” “Closer,” “Black Swan,” “Jackie”)

History Highlights

1934 – Donald Duck makes his debut in the Walt Disney short film, “The Wise Little Hen.”

1954 – In a dramatic confrontation, Joseph Welch, special counsel for the U.S. Army, lashes out at Senator Joseph McCarthy during hearings on whether communism has infiltrated the U.S. armed forces. Welch’s rebuke effectively derails McCarthy’s campaign to stoke the anticommunist hysteria of America’s ‘Red Scare’.

1973 – Secretariat wins the Belmont Stakes to become the first Triple Crown winner since Citation in 1948. Secretariat runs the 1.5-mile race in 2:24, a world record that many believe will never be broken.

1980 – Comedian Richard Pryor suffers third-degree burns over more than half of his body while freebasing cocaine.

1993- The so-called “Hollywood Madam,” Heidi Fleiss, is arrested and charged in connection with a high-class prostitution ring that catered to wealthy clients, including actor Charlie Sheen. A jury convicts Fleiss on three counts of pandering, for which she receives a three-year sentence. That conviction is overturned in 1996, but a federal tax-evasion case the next year leads to a 20-month prison sentence.

2006 – The animated feature film “Cars,” produced by Pixar Animation Studios, opens in U.S. theaters, starring Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen and Paul Newman in his final acting role, as Doc Hudson.

Musical Milestones

1958 – The hottest single in the U.S. is “The Purple People Eater” by Sheb Wooley. The novelty hit holds the No. 1 spot for six weeks.

1962 – “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” by Ray Charles, is in its second week as a No. 1 single. It retains the top spot for five weeks. Across the pond, the track hits the top of the U.K. singles chart that July and holds there for two weeks.

1972 – Elvis Presley plays his first concert in New York City — the first of four sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden. The performances are recorded for later release on the “Elvis As Recorded at Madison Square Garden” album.

1972 – One month after auditioning for Columbia Records, Bruce Springsteen is signed by the label and begins assembling his E Street Band. His debut album, “Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.,” comes out in January 1973.

1979 – The Bee Gees reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the ninth time with “Love You Inside Out.” It becomes the sibling trio’s final chart-topper.

1984 – Cyndi Lauper begins a two-week run on top of the Billboard singles chart with “Time After Time,” off her debut album, “She’s So Unusual.” The track earns a Song of the Year Grammy nomination.

1990 – “Hold On,” by Wilson Phillips, clinches the top spot on the pop chart. The track goes on to win the Billboard Music Award for 1990 Hot 100 Single of the Year and is nominated for a Song of the Year Grammy.

1998 – The Ronettes (“Be My Baby,” “Walking In The Rain”) appear in court for their lawsuit against producer Phil Spector, whom they allege breached their 34-year-old contract by failing to pay royalties since 1963. Although The Ronettes win the case, the New York State Court of Appeals later overturns the decision, saying Spector had unconditional rights to their recordings.

2001 – Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mýa and Pink have the No. 1 single with their cover of Labelle’s 1974 smash, “Lady Marmalade.”