Entertainment History
On August 25, 1970, Elton John made his U.S. debut at the Troubadour
Club in Los Angeles. The performance kicked off a brief tour and led to
a recording contract with MCA. In 1973, Allman Brothers Band drummer
Butch Trucks suffered a broken leg in a car crash in Macon, Georgia. In
1976, Boston released their self-titled album. In 1980, the
long-running Broadway musical "42nd Street" opened. After the
performance, it was announced that director Gower Champion had died
earlier in the day. In 1984, author Truman Capote (kah-POH'-tee) died
in Los Angeles. An autopsy revealed he overdosed on valium, codeine and
barbiturates. In 1986, Paul Simon's "Graceland" album was released. In
1987, the film "Dirty Dancing" made its world premiere in Los Angeles.
In 1994, a New York Supreme Court justice formally dissolved the
marriage between Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley. In 1999, keyboardist
Rob Fisher of Naked Eyes died after a long illness. He was 39. In 2001,
singer Aaliyah (ah-LEE'-yah) and eight others died in a plane crash
shortly after takeoff in the Bahamas. Aaliyah was 22. Today's
Birthdays: Game show host Monty Hall is 95. Actor Sean Connery is 86.
Actor Page Johnson ("Finnegan's Wake") is 86. Talk show host Regis
Philbin is 85. Actor Tom Skerritt is 83. Jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter
is 83. Singer Walter Williams of The O'Jays is 73. Actor Anthony Heald
("Boston Public") is 42. Singer Henry Paul of BlackHawk (and The
Outlaws) is 67. Actor John Savage is 67. Bassist Gene Simmons of Kiss
is 67. Singer Rob Halford of Judas Priest is 65. Keyboardist Geoff
Downes of Asia is 64. Musician Elvis Costello is 62. Director Tim
Burton is 58. Country singer-actor Billy Ray Cyrus is 55. Actress Ally
Walker ("Profiler") is 55. Actress Joanne Whalley is 55. Guitarist
Vivian Campbell of Def Leppard is 54. Actor Blair Underwood is 52.
Actor Robert Maschio ("Scrubs") is 50. DJ Terminator X of Public Enemy
is 50. Singer Jeff Tweedy of Wilco is 49. TV chef Rachael Ray is 48.
Country singer Jo Dee Messina is 46. Model Claudia Schiffer is 46.
Actor Eric Millegan ("Bones") is 42. Actor Alexander Skarsgard ("Big
Little Lies," 'True Blood") is 40. Actor Jonathan Togo ("CSI: Miami")
is 39. Actor Kel Mitchell ("Kenan and Kel") is 38. Actress Rachel
Bilson ("The O.C.") is 35. Actress Blake Lively ("Gossip Girl") is 29.
