Entertainment History
On Dec. 11, 1946, country singer Hank Williams made his first recordings.
In 1957, Jerry Lee Lewis secretly married his 13-year-old cousin, Myra Gale Brown, in Hernando, Tennessee. The marriage lasted 13 years.
In 1964, singer Sam Cooke was shot and killed at a Los Angeles motel.
In 1972, Genesis performed its first U.S. concert at Brandeis University in Massachusetts.
Also in 1972, police in Knoxville, Tennessee, arrested singer James Brown for disorderly conduct. The charge was dropped after Brown threatened to sue the city.
In 1992, former talk show host Johnny Carson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
In 2015, Motorhead played their last show, in Berlin. Frontman Lemmy died 17 days later.
Also in 2015, actor Pamela Anderson was featured on the cover of the final Playboy magazine to feature nudity.
Today’s birthdays: Actor Rita Moreno is 93. Singer David Gates of Bread is 84. Actor Donna Mills (“Knots Landing”) is 84. Actor Lynda Day George (TV’s “Mission: Impossible”) is 80. Singer Brenda Lee is 80. Actor Bess Armstrong is 71. Singer Jermaine Jackson is 70. Bassist Mike Mesaros of The Smithereens is 67. Bassist Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue is 66. Actor Ben Browder (“Stargate SG-1”) is 62. Singer-bassist Justin Currie of Del Amitri is 60. Bassist David Schools of Widespread Panic is 60. Actor Gary Dourdan (“C.S.I.”) is 58. Actor-comedian Mo’Nique is 57. Actor Max Martini (“The Unit”) is 55. Rapper-actor Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) is 51. Actor Rider Strong (“Boy Meets World”) is 45. Actor Xosha Roquemore (“The Mindy Project,” “Precious”) is 40. Actor Karla Souza (“How To Get Away With Murder”) is 38. Actor-singer Hailee Steinfeld is 28.
