Entertainment History
On September 30, 1950, the Grand Ole Opry was first televised by
Nashville station WSM. WSM-AM had been broadcasting the Opry on radio
since 1925. In 1955, actor James Dean was killed in the collision of
his sports car with another automobile near Cholame, California. He was
24. In 1960, "The Flintstones" made its debut on ABC. In 1965, Donovan
made his American TV debut on "Shindig! In 1967, John Lennon and Paul
McCartney appeared on "The David Frost Show" to talk about the virtues
of transcendental meditation as taught by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. In
1982, "Cheers," with Ted Danson and Shelly Long, made its debut on NBC.
It ran until 1993. In 1984, "Murder, She Wrote," starring Angela
Lansbury, premiered on CBS. Today's Birthdays: Actress Angie Dickinson
is 85. Singer Cissy Houston is 83. Singer Johnny Mathis is 81. Actor
Len Cariou ("The Four Seasons") is 77. Singer Marilyn McCoo is 73.
Singer Sylvia Peterson of The Chiffons is 70. Actor John Finn ("Cold
Case") is 64. Guitarist John Lombardo (10,000 Maniacs) is 64. Country
singer Deborah Allen is 63. Jazz singer Patrice Rushen is 62. Actor
Barry Williams ("The Brady Bunch") is 62. Actress Fran Drescher is 59.
Country singer Marty Stuart is 58. Actress Crystal Bernard ("Wings") is
55. Actor Eric Stoltz is 55. Rapper-producer Marley Marl is 54. Country
singer Eddie Montgomery of Montgomery Gentry is 53. Singer Trey
Anastasio of Phish is 52. Bassist Robby Takac (TAY'-kak) of The Goo Goo
Dolls is 52. Actress Monica Bellucci ("The Passion of the Christ," 'The
Matrix Reloaded") is 52. Actress Lisa Thornhill ("Veronica Mars") is
50. Actor Silas Weir Mitchell ("Grimm") is 47. Actor Tony Hale ("Veep,"
'Arrested Development") is 46. Actress Jenna Elfman is 45. Actor Ashley
Hamilton is 42. Actress Lacey Chabert (shuh-BEHR') ("Mean Girls,"
'Party of Five") is 34. Actor Kieran Culkin is 34. Rapper T-Pain is 32.
