Entertainment History
On Sept. 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 in 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,” starring 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: Actor Angie Dickinson is 93. Singer Cissy Houston is 91. Singer Johnny Mathis is 89. Actor Len Cariou (TV’s “Blue Bloods,” film “The Four Seasons”) is 85. Singer Marilyn McCoo is 81. Actor John Finn (“Cold Case”) is 72. Guitarist John Lombardo (10,000 Maniacs) is 72. Actor Vondie Curtis-Hall (“Chicago Hope, “Daredevil”) is 74. Country singer Deborah Allen is 71. Actor Calvin Levels (“Adventures in Babysitting”) is 70. Jazz singer Patrice Rushen is 70. Actor Barry Williams (“The Brady Bunch”) is 70. Actor Fran Drescher is 67. Country singer Marty Stuart is 66. Actor Crystal Bernard (“Wings”) is 63. Actor Eric Stoltz is 63. Rapper-producer Marley Marl is 62. Country singer Eddie Montgomery of Montgomery Gentry is 61. Singer Trey Anastasio of Phish is 60. Actor Monica Bellucci (“The Passion of the Christ,” ″The Matrix Reloaded”) is 60. Bassist Robby Takac of The Goo Goo Dolls is 60. Actor Lisa Thornhill (“Veronica Mars”) is 58. Actor Andrea Roth (“Rescue Me”) is 57. Actor Amy Landecker (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) is 55. Actor Silas Weir Mitchell (“Grimm”) is 55. Actor Tony Hale (“Veep,” ″Arrested Development”) is 54. Actor Jenna Elfman is 53. Actor Ashley Hamilton is 50. Actor Marion Cotillard (“Public Enemies,” ″La Vie en Rose”) is 49. Actor-musician Christopher Jackson (“Bull,” ″Oz”) is 49. Actor Toni Trucks (“SEAL Team”) is 44. Actor Lacey Chabert (“Mean Girls,” ″Party of Five”) is 42. Actor Kieran Culkin is 41. Rapper T-Pain is 40.
