Entertainment History
On February 3, 1959, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big
Bopper" Richardson were killed in a plane crash in Iowa. Holly was 22,
Valens was 17 and the Big Bopper was 28. In 1967, Jimi Hendrix recorded
"Purple Haze" in London. It was released in March in the U.K. as a
follow-up to his first British single "Hey Joe. In 1968, Paul McCartney
recorded "Lady Madonna" at the Abbey Road studios. The record is
credited to The Beatles, but McCartney played with unknown session
musicians. In 1969, The Beatles, over objections from Paul McCartney,
hired manager Allen Klein to straighten out the band's financial
affairs. The band's mismanagement and money problems eventually led to
its breakup. In 1978, Harry Chapin met with President Carter at the
White House as Carter announced the establishment of a commission on
hunger. Chapin spent months lobbying Congress for the creation of the
commission. In 1996, actress Audrey Meadows died of cancer in Los
Angeles. She was 71. In 2003, authorities arrested producer Phil
Spector at his mansion in suburban Los Angeles. The body of actress
Lana Clarkson had been found in the foyer. In 2007, The Dixie Chicks
won five Grammys, including album of the year for "Taking the Long Way.
The album had been largely ignored by country music stations. In 2016,
musician Maurice White of Earth, Wind and Fire died at his home in Los
Angeles at the age of 74 after a battle with Parkinson's disease.
Today's birthdays: Comedian Shelley Berman is 92. Actress Blythe Danner
is 74. Singer Dennis Edwards (The Temptations) is 74. Guitarist Dave
Davies of The Kinks is 70. Singer Melanie is 70. Actress Morgan
Fairchild is 67. Actor Nathan Lane is 61. Guitarist Lee Ranaldo of
Sonic Youth is 61. Actor Thomas Calabro ("Melrose Place") is 58.
Actress Michele Greene ("L.A. Law") is 55. Country singer Matraca
(mah-TRAY'-suh) Berg is 53. Actress Maura Tierney ("ER," 'NewsRadio")
is 52. Singer Daddy Yankee is 41. Singer Jessica Harp (The Wreckers) is
35. Actor Matthew Moy ("2 Broke Girls") is 33. Actress Rebel Wilson is
31. Rapper Sean Kingston is 27.
