April

April 1:

Born:  Jane Powell, actor (1928)

          Debbie Reynolds, singer, actor (1932)

          Jim Ed Brown, singer (1934)

          Rudolph Isley, singer (The Isley Brothers) (1939)

          Ali MacGraw, actor, (Love Story) (1939)

          Danny Brooks rocker (Dovells) (1942)

          Ronnie Lane, Small Faces (1946)

          Arthur Conley, soul singer, (1946)

         John Barbata drummer (Turtles) (1946)

Events: Soap operas "General Hospital" & "The Doctors" premier on TV (1963)

            David Bowie's first single "Anything You Say" is released. (1966)

            Jimi Hendrix's "Are You Experienced" is released. (1966)

            The Beach Boys sue Capitol Records for $2,041,464.61. (1969)

            Marvin Gaye shot to death by his father Marvin Gaye Sr in Los Angeles CA at 44 (1984)

           John Forsythe, actor, (Bachelor Father, voice of Charlie in Charlie's Angels, Dynasty) dies at age 92 (2010)

            Lee Aaker, best known as the 1950s child star of "The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin,"  died at 77 (2021)

           CW McCall, country singer, best known for the number one hit, Convoy, dies at 93 (2022)

April 2:

Born:  Marvin Gaye (1939)

          Leon Russell, singer, rocker (1941)

          Kurt Winter rocker (The Guess Who) (1946)

Events: Susan Anspach, actress, dies at 75 (2018)

April 3:

Born:  Doris Day, actory (1924)

         Marlon Brando, actor, Omaha NE (1924)

         Johnny Horton, singer, (Battle of New Orleans, North to Alaska) (1929)

         Jan Berry, Jan & Dean (1941)

         Wayne Newton Roanoke VA, singer (1942)

         Tony Orlando, singer (1944)

         Dee Murray, ex-Elton John Band (1946)

Events:  Sarah Vaughan jazz singer, dies of lung cancer at 66 (1990)

April 4:

Born: Muddy Waters [McKinley Morganfield], guitarist (1915)

         Anthony Perkins New York NY, actor (Psycho) (1932)

         Hugh Masekela, Wilbank South Africa, trumpeter (Grazin' In the Grass)

         Major Lance (1941)

         Berry Oakley, The Allman Brothers (1948)

Events:  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assasinated. (1968)

             Brad Johnson actor (Annie Oakley), dies at 56 (1981)

             Gloria Swanson actress, dies of a heart ailment at 84 (1983)

April 5:

Born:  Gale Storm Bloomington TX, actress (My Little Margie, Gale Storm Show) (1922)

          Tony Williams, The Platters (1928)

          Frank Gorshin Pittsburgh PA, impressionist/actor (Riddler-Batman) (1934)

          Eric Burdon England, rocker (Animals) (1941)

          Allan Clarke, The Hollies (1942)

          Crispian St Peters, rocker (1944)

Events:  Gene Pitney, singer, songwriter dies at 66 (2006)

             Charleton Heston, actor, The Ten Commandments, Ben Hur dies at 84. (2007)

             Honor Blackman, actress, best known as "Pussy Galore",  in James Bond film Goldfinger dies at 94 (2020)

              Bobby Rydell, singer, actor, best known for songs Wild One,  Kissin' Time, We Got Love dies at 79 (2022)

  April 6:

Born:  Merle Haggard, country singer (1937)

         Roy Thinnes Chicago IL, actor (The Invaders) (1938)

         Michelle Phillips, The Mamas and The Papas (1944)

Events:  Bobby Hutton US Black Panther leader, shot to death (1968)

             The Rolling Stones signs a distribution deal with Atlantic Records (1971)

             Bob "The Bear" Hite singer (Canned Heat-"Goin' up the Country"), dies 38 (1981)

             Tammy Wynette, country singer, best known for Stand by Your Man,  dies at 55. (1998)

             Mickey Rooney, actor for nine decades, dies at 93. (2014)

            Merle Haggard, country singer, hits included Okie from Muskogee, Silver Wings, If We Make It Through December, Mama Tried and so many more, dies at 79. (2016)

            Don Rickles, comedian, actor, frequent guest on The Tonight Show, dies at 90 (2017)

            James Drury, actor, best known for the star of the TV series The Virginian dies at 85 (2020)

April 7:

Born:  Percy Faith, orchestra leader, (A Theme "From A Summer Place") (1918)

          Bobby Bare Irontown OH, country singer (500 Miles, Detroit City) (1935)

          Charley Thomas, The Drifters (1937)

          Mick Abrams, Jethro Tull (1943)

          Roberta Shore [Schourup] Monterey Park CA, actress/singer (Virginian) (1943)

          Janis Ian (1951)

Events: Supreme Court strikes down laws prohibiting private possession of obscene material (1969)

           Ted Williams' first game managing Washington Senators, loses to Yankees 8-4 (1969)

           Mike Wallace, journalist and one of the original correspondents on CBS 60s Minutes dies at age 93 (2012)

            James Hampton, actor, best known as bugler Hannibal Dobbs on "F Troop," Caretaker in the original "The Longest Yard"  dies at 84 (2021)

                                                   April 8:

Born: Peggy Lennon Los Angeles CA, singer (Lennon Sisters) (1941)

         Julian Lennon, son of John and Cynthia Lennon (1963)

Events:  Time Magazine asks "Is God Dead?" (1966)

             The Grateful Dead release their first LP (1967)

             40th Academy Awards postponed to April 10th due to death of Martin Luther King Jr (1968)

             Baseball's Opening Day is postponed because of Martin Luther King Jr assassination (1968)

             Expansion teams Royals, Expos, Padres & Pilots win their 1st games (1969)

              Omar Bradley last US 5-star General, (Normandy) dies in New York at 88 (1981)

              Lauro Nyro, singer, songwriter dies at 49 (1997)

              Margaret Thatcher (The Iron Lady) first female Prime Minister of Great Britain and longest serving Prime Minister dies at 87 (2013)

              Annette Funicello, singer, actor and the original Mouseketeer, dies after a long battle with multiple sclerosis at 70 (2013)

April 9:

Born:  Hugh Hefner, (Playboy Magazine) (1926)

          Carl Perkins, singer (1932)

          Terry Knight, record producer, singer (1943)

          Gene Parsons, The Byrds (1944)

          Chico Ryan, Sha Na Na (1948)

Events:  "TV Guide" publishes 1st issue (1953)

             "Ticket to Ride" by The Beatles is released. (1965)

              The Houston Astrodome opens (1965)

              "Eight Miles High" by The Byrds charts (1966)

               1st Boeing 737 rolls out (1967)

               Martin Luther King Jr, buried in Atlanta GA (1968)

               Paul McCartney announces official split of the Beatles (1970)

               Brook Benton singer ("Just a Matter of Time"), dies of meningitis at 56 (1988)

April 10:

Born:  Glen Campbell (1936)

          Bobby Hatfield, The Righteous Brothers (1940)

Events:  Senate passes landmark Civil Rights Bill (1960)

              Demolition begins on Polo Grounds to clear way for housing project (1964)

              Larry Linville, actor, best known as Major Burns in TV series MASH, dies at 60 (2000)

April 11:

Events:  Emmett Ashford becomes 1st black major league umpire (1966)

             President Lyndon Johnson signs 1968 Civil Rights Act (1968)

             Jonathan Winters, actor, comedian, dies at 87 (2013)

             John Warren Geils Jr. (leader of J. Geils Band) dies at 71 (2017)

April 12:

Born:  Tiny Tim (Herbert Buckingham Khaury) (1932)

          Herbie Hancock (1940)

          John Kay, Steppenwolf (1944)

          David Cassidy, singer, actor (The Partridge Family) (1950)

Events:  Bill Haley and The Comets record "Rock Around The Clock" (1954)

            Bill Veeck& Chicago Comiskey Park debut the "Exploding Scoreboard" (1960)

            Birmingham police use dogs & cattle prods on peaceful demonstrators (1963)

            Jan Berry, of Jan and Dean, hits dead man's curve in his Corvette and hits a parked truck. His lower body and speech are paralyzed for five years. (1966)

            1st B-52 bombing on North Vietnam (1966)

            Joe Louis [Brown Bomber] US heavyweight champion (1937-49), dies at 66 (1981)

            Abbie Hoffman yippie peace activist of the 60's, dies at 52 (1989)

            Gilbert Gottfried, comedian, actor, best known for starring in the film Aladdin dies at 67 (2022)

                                                     April 13:

Born:  Horace Kay US singer (Tams) (1934)

          Lyle Waggoner Kansas City KS, actor (Carol Burnett Show) (1935)

          Lester Chambers, Chambers Brothers (1940)

          Eve Graham, New Seekers (1943)

         Jack Casady Washington DC, rock bassist (Hot Tuna, Jefferson Airplane) (1944)

         Al Green, singer (1946)

         Jim Pons, Mothers of Invention (1946)

Events: Sidney Poitier becomes 1st black man to win Oscar for best actor (1964)

            Mickey Mantle dies at 63 (1995)

April 14:

Born: Rod Steiger West Hampton NY, actor (1925)

         Buddy Knox, Happy TX, rock vocalist (Party Doll) (1934)

         Loretta Lynn, country singer (1935)

         Ryan O'Neal actor (Peyton Place, Love Story) (1941)

Events: Elston Howard becomes the 1st black to wear the Yankee uniform (1955)

            Bye Bye Birdie opens on Broadway (1960)

            Burl Ives folk singer/actor dies at 85 (1995)

            Percy Sledge, R&B singer, known for his #1 hit When A Man Loves A Woman dies at 74 (2015)

April 15:

Born:  Elizabeth Montgomery Los Angeles CA, actress (Samantha/Serena-Bewitched) (1933)

Events: NFL changes penalty flag from white to bright gold (1965)

            Raymond Bailey actor (Mr Drysdale-Beverly Hillbillies), dies at 75 (1980)

            Joe Terry, the former Philadelphia street-corner singer and longtime frontman of Danny & the Juniors dies at 78 (2019) 

            Georgia Engle, actress, Mary Tyler Show, dies at 70 (2019)

April 16:

Born: Henry Mancini (1924)

        Roy Hamilton singer (You'll Never Walk Alone, You Can Have Her) (1929)

        Edie Adams [Elizabeth Edith Enke] Kingston PA, actress/Mrs Ernie Kovacs (Ernie Kovacs Show, It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World) (1931)

        Dusty Springfield, singer (1939)

        Bobby Vinton (1946)

Events: Babe Ruth baseball legend, dies (1948)

            Walter Cronkite begins anchoring CBS Evening News (1962)

             Pat Summerall, NFL player, sportscaster, dies at 82 (2013)

             Harry Anderson, actor, best known in "Night Court" dies at 65 (2018)

April 17:

Born: Don Kirshner (1934)

         Ron Estrada, Mothers of Invention (1943)

Events: Eddie Cochran [car crash], dies (1960)

             Ford Mustang formally introduced ($2368 base price) (1964)

             Sirhan Sirhan is convicted of assassinating Senator Robert F Kennedy (1969)

             Vinnie Taylor, Canned Heat dies [drug overdose] (1974)

             Johnny Cash plays the White House for Richard Nixon (1970)

             Randy Scruggs, country songwriter and singer, dies at 64 (2018)

April 18:

Born: James Drury New York NY, actor (Virginian) (1934)

         Lenny Baker, Sha Na Na (1946)

         Hayley Mills London England, actress (Parent Trap, Pollyanna) (1946)

Events: Albert Einstein German/US physicist (E=MC²), dies (1955)

            Dr James Campbell performed the 1st human nerve transplant (1963)

            Sandy Koufax is 1st to strike out the side on 9 pitches (1964)

            Bill Russell became 1st black coach in NBA history (Boston Celtics) (1966)

            London Bridge is sold to US oil company (to be erected in Arizona) (1968)

            Dick Clark, the oldest teenager, (American Bandstand) dies at age 82 (2012) 

April 19:

Born: Hugh O'Brian [Krampke] Rochester NY, actor (Wyatt Earp) (1925)

         Dick Sargent Carmel CA, actor (Darrin-Bewitched) (1933)

         Jayne Mansfield [Vera Jane Palmer] Bryn Mawr PA, actress (1933)

         Alan Price, The Animals (1942)

         Mike Kelly rocker (Duprees) (1943)

Events: "Johnny B. Goode" by Chuck Berry charts. (1958)

             Baseball uniforms begin displaying player's names on their backs (1960)

             At a cost of $20,000, the outer Astrodome ceiling is painted because of sun's glare, this causes the grass to die and eventually led to the installation of Astroturf (1965)

            Beatles sign a contract to stay together for 10 years ( of course they don't) (1967)

            Hugh "Lumpy" Brannum Actor (Mr Green Jeans of Captain Kangaroo), dies at 77 (1987)

            Levon Helm, drummer and singer for The Band dies at age 71 (2012)

April 20:

Born: Johnny Tillotson, singer (1939)

         George Takei Los Angeles CA, actor (Sulu-Star Trek, Green Berets) (1940)

April 21:

Born: Ernie Maresca singer/songwriter (Runaround Sue, Wanderer) (1939)

         Alan Warner, The Foundations (1947)

Events: The Seattle World Fair opens (1962)

April 22:

Born: Glen Campbell Delight AR, actor/singer (1936)

         Jack Nicholson Neptune NJ, actor (1937)

         Mel Carter singer ("Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me") (1943)

Events: John Lennon changes his name to John Ono Lennon. (1969)

            1st human eye transplant performed (1969)

            Huey Newton US, Black Panther leader, shot dead at 47 (1989)

            Cesar Chavez US farm worker (United Farm Workers), dies at 66 (1993)

            Richard Milhous Nixon 37th US President (1969-74), dies of stroke at 81 (1994)

            Paul Davis, singer, (I Go Crazy, '65 Love Affair, Cool Night) dies at age 60 (2008)

April 23:

Born: Shirley Temple, child actor, singer, (1928)

         Roy Orbison, singer (1936)

          Lee Majors [Harvey Lee Yearly] Wyandotte MI, TV actor (1939)

          Ray Peterson Denton TX, singer (Tell Laura I Love Her, Corrina, Corrina) (1939)

          Sandra Dee [Alexandra Zuck] Bayonne NJ, actress (1944)

Events: Houston Colt 45s Ken Johnson becomes 1st major league pitcher to lose a 9 inning no-hitter, Cincinnati Reds win 1-0 (1964)

           "Dirty Water" by The Standells charts. (1966)

           "Respect" by Aretha Franklin charts. (1967)

            United Methodist Church forms (1968)

            Sirhan Sirhan sentenced to death for killing Bobby Kennedy (1969)

            Howard Cosell sportscaster dies at age 77 (1995)

April 24:

Born: Freddie Scott US songwriter/singer (1933)

         Shirley MacLaine Richmond VA, actress, (1934)

         Barbra [Joan] Streisand Brooklyn NY, singer/actress/award winner (1942)

         Stu Cook, Creedence Clearwater Revival (1945)

         Doug Clifford, Creedence Clearwater Revival (1945)

         Robert Knight Franklin TN, rocker (Everlasting Love) (1945)

         Glen Cornick, Jethro Tull (1947)

Events: JFK accepts "sole responsibility" following Bay of Pigs (1961)

            Paul McCartney says there is no truth to the rumours he is dead (1969)

            US B-52's drop 3,000 ton bombs at Cambodian boundary (1969)

            Bud Abbott comedian (Abbott & Costello), dies at 78 (1974)

            Harold Reid, bass singer, for the Statler Brothers, dies at 80 (2020)

April 25:

Born: Jerry Lieber [songwriter] (1933)

         Al Pacino New York NY, actor (1940)

Events: Elvis has his first No. 1 hit "Heartbreak Hotel." (1956)

            Abortion legalized in Colorado (1967)

            Art Fleming game show host (Jeopardy), dies at 74 (1995)

            Ginger Rogers actress/dancer (Top Hat, Stage Door), dies at 83 (1995)

April 26:

Born: Carol Burnett, San Antonio TX (1933)

         Maurice Williams (1938)

          Duane Eddy, musician (1938)

          Bobby Rydell, singer (1942)

          Gary Wright, singer, rocker (1945)

Events: Roger Maris hits 1st of 61 homers (1961)

            Arnold "Red" Auerbach retires as Boston Celtic's coach (1966)

            William "Count" Basie jazz piano great, dies on 80th birthday (1984)

            [William] Broderick Crawford actor (Highway Patrol), dies at 74 (1986)

            Lucille Ball comedienne/actress (I Love Lucy), dies of a massive heart attack at 78 (1989)

           Phoebe Snow singer of hit Poetry Man dies at age 60 (2011)

          George Jones, country singer with hits, She Thinks I Still Care, He Stopped Loving Her Today dies at 81 (2013)

April 27:

Born: Cuba Gooding US singer (Main Ingredient - Everybody Plays the Fool) (1944)

        Jim Ryun middle distance runner/world's outstanding athlete (1966) (1947)

Events: NFL officially recognizes Hall of Fame in Canton OH (1961)

            Edward R Murrow newscaster (Person to Person), dies at 57 (1965)

            RC Duncan patents "Pampers" disposable diaper (1965) 

            Jerry Springer, American journalist, former mayor of Cincinnati, and well known for his trash TV show The Jerry Springer Show dies at 79 (2023) 

                                                      April 28:

Born: Carolyn Jones, Amarillo TX, actress (Morticia-Addams Family) (1929)

         Ann Margret (1941)

         Jay Leno New Rochelle, comedian/talk show host (Tonight Show) (1950)

Events: Expo 67 opens in Montréal Canada (1967)

            Muhammad Ali refuses induction into the Army & stripped of boxing title (1967)

            Charles de Gaulle resigns as President of France (1969)

           Ed Begley actor dies at 69 (1970)

           Jack Ely, lead singer of the Kingsmen for the song, "Louie Louie" dies at 71 (2015)

April 29:

Born: Carl Gardner, The Coasters (1928)

         Rod McKuen, songwriter, singer (1933)

         Tommy James (1947)

Events: Frankie Lymon, singer [drug overdose] (1968

            Dick Clark testifies to the Senate about payola. (1960)

           ABC's "Wide World of Sports, debuts (1961)

           "Hey Joe" by Jimi Hendrix charts. (1967)

            Hair opens in New York City (1968)

            US Forces pull out of Vietnam (1975)

            Marvin Gaye shot to death by his father (1984)

            Johnny Crawford, actor, best known as Mark on The Rifleman, dies at 75 (2021)

April 30:

Born: Al Lewis actor (Grandpa-The Munsters) (1923)

        Johnny Horton Los Angeles CA, singer (Battle of New Orleans, North to Alaska, Sink the Bismarck) (1927)

        Willie Nelson (1933)

         Bobby Vee (1943)

         Jill Clayburgh New York NY, actress (1944)

Events: Mr Potato Head is 1st toy advertised on television (1952)

           "My Little Red Book" by Love is the first hit for Elecktra Records (1966)

           Inger Stevens actress (Katy-Farmer's Daughter), commits suicide at 35 (1970)

           Agnes Moorehead actress (Endora-Bewitched), dies from cancer at 67 (1974)

           Muddy Waters US blues singer/guitarist (Mad Love), dies at 68 (1983)

           Sergio Leone Italian director (Good, Bad & Ugly), dies at 60 (1989)

           Ben E. King, former lead singer of The Drifters before going solo, noted for his hit single "Stand By Me" dies at 76 (2015)

          Peter Mayhew, who stood 7' 3" tall andwho brought Chewbacca to life in the "Star Wars" trilogy diesat 74 (2019)

          Naomi Judd, singer and actor, performed as a duo with daughter Wynonna, dies at 75 (2022)

           Duane Eddy, twangy guitar icon, known for hits Because They're Young, Rebel Rouser, Forty Miles of Bad Road and many more dies at 86 (2024)