On September 15, 1954, a famous skirt made history. The wearer was Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe. The skirt in question was blown up by a blast from a subway vent in New York, for a scene in the film The Seven Year Itch. It would go on to adorn the walls of homes the world over for decades after.
It had taken Monroe a long time to reach that level of stardom. From life in a foster home, she had struggled to make it in Hollywood. There were men, bad marriages, the odd nude photo shoot. In short, she had paid her dues. By the time she was shooting her last film, The Misfits in 1961, she was among the most famous movie stars on earth.
As for that famous scene, there have been numerous attempts to recreate it. But is there really a star around who can fit Monroe’s shoes?
When Road Runner came home
To the eternal delight of children - and a fairly large number of adults - the Road Runner cartoon made its television debut on September 16, 1949. It came to us courtesy Warner Bros. in a short film titled Fast and Furry-ous.
As Wall-E proves, animation isn’t what it used to be. There will always be a sense of nostalgia for most of us though, whenever we hear that voice go ‘Beep, beep!’
When the guitar god died
A drug overdose claimed the life of 28-year old guitar god Jimi Hendrix on September 18, 1970.
Born in Seattle in 1942, Hendrix began playing his instrument of choice at an early age. He may have given it up after joining the army as a paratrooper but, luckily, received an honourable discharge following an injury. After playing as a back-up musician for legends like B B King, Sam Cooke and Little Richard, he started out on his own. Pretty soon, he had a fan following.
By the time Hendrix made his now-legendary appearance at Woodstock in 1969, audiences had grown used to the idea of being in the presence of genius. With his death, the music industry lost someone who was just beginning to understand his own potential. The options before him were limitless.
Sadly, it wasn’t meant to be.
The track that made history
Here’s a bit of information old-timers will smile about. On September 19, 1960, Chubby Checker’s song The Twist went to the top of the charts.
By the time it went off them, it had become one of the most successful singles in pop music history. And here’s the more interesting bit. The track is the only one to top the charts twice, after it was released again in 1962!
It stayed on the charts for a very impressive 39 weeks, and launched a dance move that can still be seen today if you are invited to the right kind of parties!
When the first online newsgroup was launched
The legendary David Bowie got his first of many number one hits with Fame, on September 20, 1975.
It had taken the high school dropout eight years after the release of his first album The World of David Bowie in 1967 to get to the top, despite the phenomenal success of his influential The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars in 1972. By the time the eighties rolled up, Bowie was a certified pop star the world over, and had begun dabbling in acting as well.
What many aren’t aware of is his success as an entrepreneur though. One of the first major artists to take an interest in the Internet, he launched the first artist newsgroup online and was the first to release an Internet-only single titled Telling Lies, in 1997.
When the X-Files Clicked
Television show The X-Files premiered on September 10, 1993. It was our first taste of the chemistry between Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. By the time it had finished with television on May 19, 2002, TV Guide had called it the second greatest cult television show (after Star Trek) of all time!
It’s hard to put a finger on why the series, starring David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, became as huge as they did. It could be the timing — it fit right in with a nation s distrust of governance — or the content, which focused on everything from conspiracy theories to extraterrestrial life. Or, then again, it could just be the fact that both actors were very good together.
Whatever the reason, something definitely clicked. The X-Files was nominated for a staggering 141 awards, and won 61 individual awards including the Golden Globes, Emmys and Screen Actors Guild Awards. Go, re-live the action on DVD.
When Dire Straits topped the charts
More music news. Dire Straits topped the Billboard charts on September 21, 1985, with Money for Nothing. Apparently, he wrote the track after hearing an employee at an electronics store making fun of MTV. The man’s monologue was used for the song’s lyrics!
Rather humble beginnings for a track that continues to inspire children of the 1980s to get down and boogie. Don’t know what we’re talking about? Ask your parents.
When Cleopatra was filmed
On September 1, 1959, Hollywood actress Elizabeth Taylor signed on the dotted line with 20th Century Fox to make the film Cleopatra. She was paid $1 million. It was the culmination of a long road to stardom that began with her first appearance on screen at the age of 10!
Unlike the fate that befalls most child actors — and a number of instances in Bollywood spring to mind — Taylor retained her charm into her teens. From movies like Lassie, she moved to romantic roles. By 18, she was married — her first of many lawful unions.
As for the making of Cleopatra, it was during this period that Liz began a long-term affair with co-star Richard Burton, whom she married in 1964 after divorcing her fourth husband.
By the late 70s, her career had begun to slow down, although she still starred in TV movies, launched a perfume line and involved herself in charity to fight AIDS.
For now, we can only hope the King of Pop makes a comeback and hits the top once more.
On September 5, 1992, newspapers reported that American pop star Prince had signed a $100 million contract with Warner Bros., making him the highest-paid pop artist in the United States.
He entered the music business via local radio, where he was given free studio time in exchange for his work. After his demo attracted the attention of Warner Bros. in 1978, he released one album a year until 1982, becoming one of the first black performers on MTV by the eighties.
Interestingly, soon after his million-dollar paycheque, Prince and Warner Bros. decided they couldn’t really get along. It led to his changing his name from Prince to an unpronounceable symbol, and the media referred to him as ‘The Artist Formerly Known as Prince’ for the next seven years. But that’s another story.
These days, Prince continues to wow millions with his live performances, and frustrate record labels with interesting distribution strategies for new music. May his tribe increase.
Musician Buddy Holly was born on September 7, 1936. He was to be recognised as a pioneer for creating the standard rock band format of two guitars, a bass and drums.
Going where no man has gone before!
On September 2, 1969, the final episode of science-fiction television series Star Trek was aired. It had first hit television screens a mere three years before, and didn’t rise beyond the number 52 spot in the ratings. And yet, four decades on, the William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy-starrer continues to attract new generations of fans.
Following the success of the original series, Star Trek eventually grew to four TV series and a surprising nine movies. Worse, it inspired a countless number of folk to don fake plastic ears and meet at Trekkie conventions. The saga continues.
On the same day, in 1995, Michael Jackson’s single You Are Not Alone entered the Billboard Hot 100 at the number one spot. Why is this important? Simply because it was the first song in history to debut at the top of the chart! It was the singer’s thirteenth number one single, and made Michael — who turned 50 a week ago — the number three all-time chart-topper behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley.
For now, we can only hope the King of Pop makes a comeback and hits the top once more.
A Prince’ly’ symbol
On September 5, 1992, newspapers reported that American pop star Prince had signed a $100 million contract with Warner Bros., making him the highest-paid pop artist in the United States.
Born Prince Rogers Nelson in Minneapolis, this son of a jazz musician began learning piano as a child. By the time he was a teenager, he could play a lot more instruments — something that continues to astonish fans familiar with his mastery of them.
He entered the music business via local radio, where he was given free studio time in exchange for his work. After his demo attracted the attention of Warner Bros. in 1978, he released one album a year until 1982, becoming one of the first black performers on MTV by the eighties.
Interestingly, soon after his million-dollar paycheque, Prince and Warner Bros. decided they couldn’t really get along. It led to his changing his name from Prince to an unpronounceable symbol, and the media referred to him as ‘The Artist Formerly Known as Prince’ for the next seven years. But that’s another story.
These days, Prince continues to wow millions with his live performances, and frustrate record labels with interesting distribution strategies for new music. May his tribe increase.
The day the music died
Musician Buddy Holly was born on September 7, 1936. He was to be recognised as a pioneer for creating the standard rock band format of two guitars, a bass and drums.
In the 1972 hit American Pie, singer Don McLean referred to the event as ‘the day the music died.’ It was an apt tribute to an artist whom Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney, among many others, have named a major influence.
Making the world LOL
Born in New York in 1890 Groucho — along with brothers Chico, Harpo and Zeppo — got into showbiz early, encouraged by their mother. They would, eventually, make America and the world laugh out loud with their antics, both on screen and off.
From the vaudeville circuit, the Marx brothers moved to Broadway in the 1920s. One of the comedies they created became their first film, and the hits started to roll in. Groucho had a successful performing career even after the brothers stopped making films though. He performed constantly, doing a one-man show at Carnegie Hall when he was 82!
How funny was this man? He’s the one who said things like: ‘A black cat crossing your path signifies the animal is going somewhere’; ‘Anyone who says he can see through women is missing a lot’; and ‘Getting older is no problem. You just have to live long enough.’ If that’s not funny, what is?
This Police is watching you!
English band The Police played their first gig on August 18, 1977. They would go on to become one of the world s biggest bands, and give us a truckload of hits including Every Breath You Take — possibly among the most misunderstood tracks in the history of pop music.
Gordon Sumner (we know him better as Sting), Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland got together for their first gig at a nightclub in Birmingham.
They released a single a year later and, by 1979, had a record deal in the bag. The successes began to pile up, with one chart-topping album after another.
By 1983’s Synchronicity, however, they had run out of steam, and decided to take a break while still on top. They didn’t officially get back ever again, except for a few reunion concerts earlier this year.
For fans, Sting may still be a superb pop musician, but The Police will always boast their own brand of magic.
Star struck!
Gene Roddenberry was born on August 19, 1921, possibly to make life on earth a happier place for some. His legacy would be a race of people in silver clothing referred to, somewhat affectionately, as Trekkies.
Despite studying criminal justice, he first began his career as a pilot, was shot down on a bombing mission during World War II, and won a medal in the process. He had a second crash while flying a commercial airplane, which convinced him to stop flying and become a police officer. The money offered by the television industry soon tempted him to try his luck there and, in a nutshell, the world promptly received a sci-fi programme titled Star Trek, in 1966.
Considering it ran for a mere three years, and didn’t exactly top the ratings charts, it’s hard to understand why Star Trek continues to attract new generations of fans, while inspiring a hundred prequels and sequels in the process. For Trekkies the world over, however, life just isn’t the same without a pair of pin-on Vulcan ears to call their own.
When Roddenberry died on October 24, 1991, he became one of the first people to be buried in space. It was the obvious resting place for a man clearly intrigued by life beyond the stratosphere.
They made life bearable!
The legendary duo Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers made it to the cover of Life magazine on August 22, 1938.
At a time when America was struggling with its Great Depression, the photograph was looked at as one of hope, proof that entertainment always plays a huge role in making ordinary life more bearable.
