Entertainment History
On Feb. 14, 1972, "Grease" opened off-Broadway. Original cast members
included Barry Bostwick and Adrienne Barbeau. The show moved to
Broadway later in the year. It closed in 1980. Also in 1972, John
Lennon and Yoko Ono began a week as co-hosts of the Mike Douglas
television talk show. In 1973, David Bowie collapsed from exhaustion at
the end of an elaborate Valentine's Day show at Radio City Music Hall.
In 1977, singer-songwriter Janis Ian received nearly 500 Valentine's
Day cards from fans. She sang about never getting Valentine's Day cards
as a teenager in her ballad, "At Seventeen. Also in 1977, The B-52's
played their first concert at a party in Athens, Georgia. In 1980, CBS
announced that Dan Rather would succeed Walter Cronkite as anchorman
and managing editor on "The CBS Evening News" the following year. In
1984, Elton John married studio engineer Renate (ruh-NAH'-tah) Blauel.
The marriage lasted four years. In 1992, Weezer had their first
practice as a band, in Los Angeles. They played their first show a few
weeks later. In 1996, the Artist Formerly Known As Prince married
dancer Mayte (MY'-tay) in Minneapolis. In 1999, singer Buddy Knox died
after a brief battle with cancer in Bremerton, Washington. He was 65.
He's probably best known for the 1957 hit "Party Doll. Today's
Birthdays: TV personality Hugh Downs ("20/20") is 95. Actress Florence
Henderson is 82. Country singer Razzy Bailey is 77. Jazz saxophonist
Maceo Parker is 73. TV personality Pat O'Brien ("The Insider," 'Access
Hollywood") is 68. Magician Teller of Penn and Teller is 68. Actor Ken
Wahl ("Wiseguy") is 59. Opera singer Renee Fleming is 57. Actress Meg
Tilly is 56. Singer Dwayne Wiggins of Tony! Toni! Tone! is 55. Actress
Sakina Jaffey ("House of Cards") is 54. Actor Enrico Colantoni ("Just
Shoot Me") is 53. Actor Zach Galligan ("Gremlins") is 52. Actor Valente
Rodriguez ("George Lopez") is 52. Bassist Ricky Wolking of The Nixons
is 50. Actor Simon Pegg (2009's "Star Trek") is 46. Bassist Kevin
Baldes of Lit is 44. Singer Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty is 44. Actor
Jake Lacy ("The Office") is 30. Actress Tiffany Thornton ("Sonny With A
Chance") is 30. Actor Freddie Highmore ("Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory," 'Bates Motel") is 24.
