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August 30 On This Date
1996 MELISSA ETHERIDGE taped an episode of “SESAME STREET”. (She sang a parody of her song, “LIKE THE WAY I DO” as a tribute to the letter “U”; “LIKE THE WAY U DOES”)
1996 Nude dancers at the Lusty Lady in San Francisco voted 57-15 to join a union.
1993 “LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN” premiered on CBS with a 10.9 rating.
1989 LEONA HELMSLEY was convicted of income tax evasion.
1984 Shuttle Discovery’s maiden voyage.
1983 1st nighttime shuttle launch. 1st black astronaut. (Guy Bluford)
1981 BILL SHOWMAKER rode John Henry to victory in the inaugural Arlington Million, becoming the first jockey to min a $1 million purse.
1968 Apple Records first release. (“HEY JUDE/REVOLUTION”)
1964 Most strikeouts recorded in a career. (MICKEY MANTLE – 1,331 times)
1963 The “Hotline” between the White House and Moscow was installed.
1937 JOE LOUIS successfully defended his world heavyweight title with a 15-round unanimous decision at Yankee Stadium. (vs. Tommy Farr)
1918 N.Y. Giants beat Brooklyn Dodogers in a game that lasted only 57 min.
Born On This Date August 30
1973 TV personality LISA LING “THE VIEW”
1972 Actress CAMERON DIAZ “The Mask” (1994″, “Charlie’s Angels” (2000), “The Oyher Woman” (2014) and “There’s Something About Mary.” (1998)
1967 Model FREDERIQUE VAN DER WAL Promotes her own line of Frederique perfume and swimwear.
1963 Actor MICHAEL CHIKLIS John Belushi in “WIRED”, “THE FANTASTIC FOUR” (1994), “THE COMMISH” and “THE SHIELD.”
1957 Jazz saxophonist GERALD ALBRIGHT Grammy-winning saxaphonist, flautist and bass player. “Bermuda Nights.” (1988)
1954 Vocalist & soingwriter DAVID PALMER A member of Steely Dan. He was fired from thje group in 1973 for concerns about how he interprets songs.
1953 Basketball’s ROBERT PARISH #00 The Chief’ played for 4 teams in the NBA. (1976-1997) HOF 2003
1951 Actor/producer TIMOTHY BOTTOMS Sonny Crawford in “The Last Picture Show,” (1971) “The Paper Chase” (1973)
1948 American comedian & actor LEWIS BLACK A regular on “The Daily Show.” As a stand-up comedian, his act often contains angry rants about politics, religion and cultural trends.
1947 Actress PEGGY LIPTON “MOD SQUAD”, “TWIN PEAKS”
1944 Baseball’s TUG MCGRAW Frank Edwin “Tug McGraw Jr. was an MLB relief pitcher doe 19 seasons (1965-1984) with the Mets and Phillies. Career record 96-92. He was a 2X All-Star.
1943 South African actor JOHN KANI “Captain America,” “Black Panther,” “Mufasa: The Lion King”
1943 Cartoonist ROBERT CRUMB Strip: “KEEP ON TRUCKIN’” and the character Fritz the Cat,
1943 French Alpine skier JEAN-CLAUDE KILLY Won 3 gold medals at the 1968 Winter Olympics. Downhill, slalom and giant slalom.
1941 Actor and former U.S. Rep. BEN JONES Cooter on “The Dukes of Hazzard” He left the show for a few episodes caused by a dipute as to whether his character would be cleanshaven or have a full beard.
1939 Actress ELIZABETH ASHLEY “The Carpetbagger” (1964), “Evening Shade”. Won a Tony Award for “Take Her, She’s Mine.”
1935 Singer & songwriter JOHN PHILLIPS Papa John’ was the leader of the Mamas & the Papas. Also a member of The Journeymen. He died of heart failure.
1927 American fashion designer GEOFFREY BEENE One of New York’s most popular fashion designers, he created comforable, but dressy women’s clothing and accessories. (Born Samuel Albert Bozeman Jr. in Haynesville, LA)
1925 Putt-Putt Golf founder DON CLAYTON Developed the miniature golf course in 1954. The former insurance executive was ordered to get some rest by his doctor. 265 Putt-Putt Golf courses around the world. Died at age 70.
1919 Singer KITTY WELLS “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” spent 6 weeks at #1 on Billboard’s Country chart.
1918 Baseball’s TED WILLIAMS 2,654 hits, 521 HR, 6 batting titles, 19 seasons. Williams is the last player to hit .400, having batted .406 in 1941. Missed 1943-45 & much of 1952-53 seasons due to military service.
1908 Actor FRED MACMURRAY “MY THREE SONS” (1960-72)
1898 Actress SHIRLEY BOOTH Primarily a theater actress, Booth was one of 24 performers to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting: She was the recipient of an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards and three Tony Awards. She is best-known as “Hazel” (1961-1966)
Famous Deaths This Month
Recent Celebrity Obituaries
8/23/2023 American businessman Maurice Tempelsman, the longtome companion of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, died from complications of a fall at age 95. The Belgian-American diamond merchant and the former first lady began their relationship about 5 years after the death of Jackie’s second husband, Aristotle Onassis. Tempelsman moved into her Fifth Avenue penthouse apartment in NYC.
8/20/2025 Viral judge Frank Caprio died at 88. He was known for his unique way of dealing with the cases in front of him. This was based on advice he got from his father who watched his first day as judge. He criticized his son, Judge Caprio for not being compassionate enough.
8/14/2025 Donald McPherson, a Navy fighter pilot and the nation’s last surviving World War II “ace,” died at age 103. He flew an F6F Hellcat named “Death ‘n Destruction” from the USS Essex, McPherson shot down five Japanese planes to earn his “ace” designation.
8/11/2025 Actress Danielle Spencer died at 60. She was known for her deadpan comedic genius and her role as Dee Thomas on the TV show “What’s Happening!!” and its sequel “What’s Happening Now!!!”
8/7/2025 NASA astronaut Jim Lovell died. He was involved in the Gemini program and was the commander of Apollo 13.
8/6/2025 Brad Pitt’s mom Jane Ella Pitt died at age 84.
8/4/2025 American singer Jane Morgan known for her song “FASCINATION” died in hospice at 101. She recorded about 40 albums and sang in 5 languages. She was a regular on “The Ed Sullivsan Show” and the “Tonight Show,” “Merv Griffin” and “Mike Douglas.” She was married to Jerry Weintraub. (Born 5/3/1924 in Newton, MA)
8/3/2025 Actress Loni Anderson died in a Los Angeles area hospital just days before her 80th birthday. She had apparently been suffering from a prolonged illness. She was best-known for playing the clever receptionist Jennifer Marlowe for 4 seasons at “WKRP in Cincinnati.” (1978-1982) She appeared in “Stroker Ace” (1983) with her 3rd husband Burt Reynolds. She was married four times and had two children, including a son with Reynolds. Autobiography: My Life in High Heels.” (1995) (Born 8/5/1945 in St. Paul, MN)
8/2/2025 Actress Kelley Mack died from glioma in her hometown of Cincinnati, OH. She was 33. Known for :The Walking Dead,” (2018-2019) and Penelope Jacobs on “Chicago Med.” (Born 7/10/1992)
8/1/2025 Grand Ole Opry Legend Jeannie Seely, died at 85. The popular singer-songwriter was known as ‘Miss Country Soul’ and began her career performing on radio at age 11. She was the first woman to host there and performed more times on the Opry stage than anyone else; 5,000+ She was the first woman to host the Grand Ole Opry and the first to wear a miniskirt on the Opry stage.Her signature song was “DON’T TOUCH ME.” Other hits include “SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY” “I’LL LOVE YOU MORE (THAN YOU’LL NEED)” And “LEAVIN’ AND SAYIN’ GOODBYE.” Her songs have been recorded by Merle Haggard, Dottie West, Ray Price, Ernest Tubb, Hank Jr, and Willie Nelson. (Born 7/6/1940 in Titusville, PA)
7/29/2025 “BATMAN” star Alan Aboutboul died after collapsing on a beach in Tel Aviv at age 60. Known for his role as Dr. Leonid Pavel in “THE DARK KNIGHT RISES” (2012) and Sylvester Stallone’s mujahideen sidekick Mousa Ghani in “RAMBO III.” (Born 5/28/1965)
7/28/2025 Chicago Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg passed after suffering from cancer, ‘Ryno’ was 65. He played mostly with the Cubs after coming up with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1981. The Phillies traded Sandberg and Larry Bowa to the Cubs for Ivan DeJesus, now considered the worst trade in Phillies history. He was a lifeetime .285 hitter.ks.#23 was an All-Star 10 consecutive years and won 9 consecutive Gold Gloves. (1983-1991) His jersey number was retired and he was inducted intothe Hall of Fame in 2005. (Born 9/18/1959)
7/26/2025 “Swanp People” regular Junior Edwards died. Considered “one of the greatest alligator hunters,” Edwards was 61 and sufferiing from colon cancer. He appeared on the show2 for 16 seasons.
7/26/2025 Singer/songwriter/satirist Tom Lehrer, a Harvard-trained mathematician and entertainer died at age 97. He was a popular entertainer in the 50s and 60s, often critical of politics or the environment. “The Vatican Rag,” “The Masochism Tango” and “Poisoning Pidgeons in the Park.” (Born 4/9/1928)
7/24/2025 Pro wrestler and personality Hulk Hogan died at age 71. In addition to his wrestling career, he was an actor: “ROCKY III” (1982) and “Mr. Nanny” (1993) among others. (Born Terry Gene Bollea in Augusta, GA)
7/22/2025 Ozzy Osbourne died at 76. Black Sabbath’s Prince of Darkness was also a family man on reality TV. He had been struggling with Parkinson’s disease. His final appearance with the band came July 5th. Hits include “PARANOID” (1970), “IRON MAN” and “MASTER OF REALITY.” (1971) On January 20, 1982, Ozzy was involved in one of the wildest moments in rock history when bit the head of the off of a real bat off during a concert in Des Moines, IA. Someone had thrown the bat onstage. Ozzy thought it was fake, put it in his mouth and crunched down. He was taken to a hospital for rabies shots. Black Sabbath was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.
7/22/2025 American musician Chuck Mangione Charles Frank Mangione was an American flugelhorn player, trumpeter and composer and the smooth-jazz hit “FEELS SO GOOD.” (1978) (Born 11/29/1940 in Rochester, NY)
7/21/2025 Actor Malcolm Jamal Warner died while on family vacation in Costa Rica. He died while swimming at age 54.Best-known as Theo Huxtable on “The Cosby Show.” (1984-1992) Other credits: Chuck Cooper in “Major Crimes” and Julius Rowe in “Suits.” (Born 8/18/1970)
7/21/2025 Playboy model June Wilkinson died at age 85. The English model was once condidered the most prhotgraphed nude in America. Hugh Hefner discovered her in 1958 and gave her the nickname “the Bosom.” She appeared in at least 5 men’s magazines. She appeared in two episodes of “BATMAN,” but also “THE DORIS DAY SHOW.” (Born 3/27/1940)
7/17/2025 Singer & actress Connie Francis died at age 87. She had a few hits”STUPID CUPID” (1959), “WHERE THE BOYS ARE”, “EVERYBODY IS SOMEBODY’S FOOL” (1961) and “PRETTY LITTLE BABY” (1962) She sold 200 million records during her career. (Born December 12, 1937)
7/10/2025 Political commentator David Gergen died of Lewy body dementiaat age 83. The former presidential advisor served in the Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton administrations. After the White House, he began a second career as a Harvard professor and public lecturer, drawing great acclaim for his insights about moral leadership and democratic values.
7/9/2025 Pitcher Joe Coleman, the No.3 pick in the first MLB draft, died at age 78. The son and father of major leaguers, Coleman was drafted by the Washington Senators in 1965.
7/9/2025 Former MLB unfielder and coach Lee Elia passed away at 87. He played for the White Sox and the Cubs and managed the Cubs (1982-1983) and the Phillies (1987-1988). He might be best-known for a legendary profane tirade after a Cubs loss April 29, 1983. Career record 238-300. Won a World Series as the 3rd base coach in Philadelphia (1980) (Born 7/16/1937 in Philadelphia)
7/5 /2025 Former White Sox All-Star Bobby Jenks died from stomach cancer at age 44. Jenks and the Sox won the World Series in 2005. Also a reliever for the Red Sox. Jenks had recently lost his home to the Palisades wildfires. (Born 3/14/1981)
7/4/2025 Australia’s first celebrity chef Peter Russell-Clarke died from complications of a stroke. He was 89. He was known for the cooking series “Come and Get It.” The former freelance cartoonist and food writer was featured in several magazines and wrote cookbooks. (Born 9/19/1935 in Ballarat, Australia)
7/4/2025 Rodeo Superstar Spud Jones died at age 36. He was the first Navajo bull rider to ride in the world’s largest rodeo. He passed away in his sleep after suffering from unspecified ongoing health issues. When he was 20, Spud ranked 13th in the world in bull riding.
7/3/2025 Former Texas Rangers Manager (1977-1978), World Series champion Billy Hunter died at 97. He won 3 World Series as a player. (shortstop) He was the final surviving player of the St. Louis Browns. (Born 6/4/1928)
7/2/2025 Actor Julian McMahon, known for his roles in “FBI: Most Wanted,” and as Dr. Doom in the Fantastic Four films, “Nip/Tuck” (2003-2010) and “Charmed,” passed away at age 56 after a private battle with cancer. He was Ben Lucini in the Aussie soap opera “Home and Away.”Trivia: His father was the Prime Minister of Australia. (1971-1972) In Julian’s final role, he played the Australian Prime Minister in “The Residence” on Netflix. (Born 7/27/1968 in Sydney Australia)
7/1/2025 Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart died in Baton Rouge, LA at age 90. He had suffered a cardiac arrest on June 15. Swaggart pioneered TV evangelism and had a following of millions from around the world. He authored more than 100 books and as a musician, he sold 17 million gospel albums. His career was rocked in the 1980s when Swaggart got involved in several prostitution scandals leading to his suspension. He would later deliver his famous “I Have sinned!” speech on live TV in 1988. Trivia: According to Swaggart’s family, his cousins included rock-and-roll icon Jerry Lee Lewis and country music star Mickey Gilley. (Born 3/15/1935)
6/30/2025 “Star Wars” actor Kenneth Colley died aged 87. He had been suffering from Covid and pneumonia. Most-famous for his roles as Admiral Piett in “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi.” Colley is also known for playing Jesus in Monty Python’s “Life of Brian.”
6/29/2025 Stuntman Bob Elmore died at age 65. Known as The Executioner in “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” (2007) Leatherface in “Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2,” “Casino,” “The Usual Suspects,” “Being John Malkovich” (1999), “Uncle Buck” and “Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment.” (1985)
6/28/2025 Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer Dave Parker died at 74. He played 19 seasons in the majors and for the Reds from 1984-1987. He was a lifetime .290 hitter, a 7-time All Star, a National League MVP (1978), and two-time World Series Champion. He lead the National League in RBIs in 1985. He also played for the Angels, Blue Jays, Brewers, Athletics and Pirates. (1973-1983) MLB Hall of Fame (2025)
6/27/2025 Former State Department spokesman and diplomat Richard Boucher died at 73. Boucher served as the spokesman for secretaries of state James Baker, Madeleine Albright, Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice.
6/26/2025 Prolific composer Lalo Schifrin died at 93. Argentine arranger and conductor was best-known for the ” Mission: Impossible ” theme (film and TV) and his list of movies, “Cool Hand Luke” (1967), “Bullitt” (1968), “Dirty Harry” (1971), “The Amityville Horror” and TV (“Mannix,” “Starsky & Hutch,” “Petrocelli.” (Born: 6/21/1932)
6/26/2025 Actor Rick Hurst died at 79 Best-known for his role as Deputy Cletus Hogg, Boss Hogg’s cousin, on “TheDukes of Hazzard.” (1979-1982) He claimed in a recent interview to have been cast in 146 national commercials in 2 years. He claimed to have been in 146 national TV commercials in two years. (Born 1/1/1946 in Houston, TX)
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