Entertainment History
On Oct. 4, 1931, the comic strip “Dick Tracy,” created by Chester Gould, made its debut.
In 1957, “Leave It To Beaver” made its debut on CBS. After a year, the show switched to ABC and ran until 1963.
In 1961, Bob Dylan made his concert hall debut in New York. About 50 people attended, mostly his friends, and he earned $20.
In 1970, singer Janis Joplin was found dead of a heroin overdose at a hotel in Los Angeles. She was 27. She had just finished recording the album “Pearl.”
In 1980, singer Carly Simon collapsed due to exhaustion on stage in Pittsburgh. She ended up canceling her tour.
In 1989, comedian Graham Chapman of Monty Python’s Flying Circus died of cancer in southern England. He was 48.
In 1990, “Beverly Hills 90210″ premiered on Fox.
In 1992, singer Sinead O’Connor ripped up a picture of the pope during an after-midnight appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” NBC’s switchboard in New York was flooded with calls, most of them criticizing O’Connor’s actions.
Today’s Birthdays: Country singer Leroy Van Dyke is 95. Actor Felicia Farr (“The Player,” “Kotch”) is 92. Author Roy Blount Jr. is 83. Actor Lori Saunders (“Petticoat Junction”) is 83. Actor Clifton Davis (“Madam Secretary,” “Amen”) is 79. Actor Susan Sarandon is 78. Actor Armand Assante is 75. Actor Alan Rosenberg (“Cybill,” ″L.A. Law”) is 74. Actor Christoph Waltz (“Inglourious Basterds,” ″Water for Elephants”) is 68. Actor Bill Fagerbakke (“Coach,” ″SpongeBob SquarePants”) is 67. Actor Kyra Schon (“Night of the Living Dead”) is 67. Rap producer Russell Simmons is 67. Actor Wendy Makkena (“Sister Act” films) is 66. Keyboardist Chris Lowe of The Pet Shop Boys is 65. Keyboardist Gregg “Hobie” Hubbard of Sawyer Brown is 64. Actor David W. Harper (“The Waltons”) is 63. Singer Jon Secada is 63. Media personality John Melendez (AKA “Stuttering John”) is 59. Actor Jerry Minor (“Dr. Ken,” ″Community”) is 57. Actor Liev Schreiber (“The Manchurian Candidate,” ″Scream 2″) is 57. Actor Abraham Benrubi (“Men In Trees,” ″ER”) is 55. Country singer-guitarist Heidi Newfield (Trick Pony) is 54. Singer-guitarist M. Ward of She And Him is 51. Actor Alicia Silverstone is 48. Keyboardist Robbie Bennett of The War On Drugs is 46. Actor Dana Davis (“Franklin and Bash,” “10 Things I Hate About You”) is 46. Actor Phillip Glasser (“Hang Time”) is 46. Singer-guitarist Marc Roberge of O.A.R. is 46. Actor Rachel Leigh Cook (“Perception,” “Josie and the Pussycats”) is 45. Actor Jimmy Workman (“Addams Family Values”) is 44. Singer Jessica Benson (3LW) is 37. Actor Melissa Benoist (“Supergirl,” ″Glee”) is 36. Actor Dakota Johnson (“Fifty Shades Of Grey”) is 35. Singer Leigh-Anne Pinnock of Little Mix is 33.
