Entertainment History
On Aug. 21, 1935, the Benny Goodman Orchestra played a concert that's
considered to be the beginning of the Swing Era. The concert was at a
ballroom in Los Angeles and included songs like "Just You, Just Me. In
1972, Grace Slick was sprayed with mace and Paul Kantner was slammed to
the floor by police following a chaotic show by Jefferson Airplane in
Akron, Ohio. A bomb threat had been phoned in, fans threw rocks at
police cars and officers responded with tear gas. In 1980, singer Linda
Ronstadt opened on Broadway in the opera "The Pirates of Penzance. She
also starred in the film version. In 1994, John Denver was charged with
drunk driving after he crashed his Porsche into a tree. In 1995, R.E.M.
sued Hershey Foods, claiming the company exploited its name when it ran
a "Kit Kat R.E.M. concert" sweepstakes in Hershey candy bars. The suit
was eventually dropped. In 1996, singer Rick James was released from
prison after serving two years for assaulting a woman. Two days
earlier, the woman he was to marry was jailed for shoplifting a $39
pair of boots. Also in 1996, singer David Byrne sued to prevent the
rest of Talking Heads from touring as The Heads. The suit was settled
out of court. Today's Birthdays: Actor-filmmaker-writer Melvin Van
Peebles is 84. Singer Kenny Rogers is 78. Guitarist James Burton (with
Elvis Presley) is 77. Actor Clarence Williams the Third ("The Mod
Squad") is 77. Singer Harold Reid of the Statler Brothers is 77. Singer
Jackie DeShannon is 75. Actress Patty McCormack ("The Roper") is 71.
Singer Carl Giammarese (GEE'-ah-mah-REE'-see) of The Buckinghams is 69.
Actress Loretta Devine ("Boston Public") is 67. Newsman Harry Smith is
65. Singer Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath) is 64. Guitarist
Nick Kane (The Mavericks) is 62. Actress Kim Cattrall ("Sex and the
City") is 60. Actress Cleo King ("Mike and Molly") is 54. Singer Serj
Tankian (TAHN'-kee-an) of System Of A Down is 49. Actress Carrie-Anne
Moss ("The Matrix," 'Chocolat") is 46. Musician Liam Howlett of Prodigy
is 45. Actress Alicia Witt ("Law and Order: Criminal Intent," 'Cybill")
is 41. Singer Kelis (kuh-LEES') is 37. Actor Diego Klattenhoff ("The
Blacklist") is 37. TV personality Brody Jenner ("The Hills") is 33.
Comedian Brooks Wheelan ("Saturday Night Live") is 30. Actor Cody Kasch
("Desperate Housewives") is 29. Country singer Kacey Musgraves is 28.
Actress Hayden Panettiere (PAN'-uh-tee-EHR') ("Nashville," 'Heroes") is
27. Actor RJ Mitte ("Breaking Bad") is 24.
