Today in Entertainment History: “My Ding-A-Ling” hit #1
On Oct. 21, 1958, Buddy Holly held what ended up being his last recording session. “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore,” which he recorded in that session in one take, became a hit after he died.
In 1961, Bob Dylan recorded his first album for Columbia Records. The self-titled album was recorded in one day and cost $400.
In 1971, Mick and Bianca Jagger’s daughter, Jade, was born.
In 1972, after 17 years of recording rock classics, Chuck Berry finally got a No. 1 hit with “My Ding-A-Ling.”
In 1992, Elton John filed a $35 million lawsuit in which he claimed a reporter for the TV show “Hard Copy” falsely stated John moved to Atlanta to be near an AIDS treatment center. The singer’s lawyers said he moved to Atlanta because he likes the city.
Also in 1992, Madonna’s erotic book “Sex” went on sale around the world. Americans paid up to $50 to see pictures reflecting her fantasies concerning sadism, masochism and bondage.
In 1995, singer Shannon Hoon of Blind Melon died of a cocaine overdose in New Orleans. He was 28.
In 1997, “Candle in the Wind 1997” by Elton John broke the record for the best-selling single of all time, just 37 days after its release. “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby had been the previous record-holder.
In 1999, Santana’s “Supernatural” album hit No. 1 on the Billboard album chart. It was Santana’s first No. 1 album since “Santana Three” in 1971.
In 2022, during a setup for a scene for the film “Rust” in New Mexico, actor Alec Baldwin fired a gun that killed a cinematographer and wounded the director. Baldwin had been told the gun was safe.
Today’s Birthdays: Actor Joyce Randolph (“The Honeymooners”) is 99. Keyboardist Manfred Mann is 83. Guitarist Steve Cropper of Booker T. and the MG’s is 82. Singer Elvin Bishop is 81. TV judge Judy Sheindlin (“Judge Judy”) is 81. Actor Everett McGill (“Twin Peaks”) is 78. Trumpeter Lee Loughnane (LOK’-nayn) of Chicago is 77. Actor Dick Christie (“Small Wonder,” “The Bold and the Beautiful”) is 75. Guitarist Charlotte Caffey of The Go-Go’s is 70. Director Catherine Hardwicke (“Twilight”) is 68. Singer Julian Cope is 66. Guitarist Steve Lukather of Toto is 66. Actor Ken Watanabe (wah-tah-NAH’-bee) (“Letters from Iwo Jima,” “The Last Samurai”) is 64. Actor Melora Walters (TV’s “Big Love,” film’s “The Butterfly Effect”) is 63. Singer-bassist Nick Oliveri (Queens Of The Stone Age) is 52. Keyboardist Charlie Lowell of Jars of Clay is 50. Actor Jeremy Miller (“Growing Pains”) is 47. Singer Matthew Ramsey of Old Dominion is 46. Actor Will Estes (“American Dreams”) is 45. Actor Michael McMillian (“True Blood”) is 45. Reality TV star Kim Kardashian (kar-DASH’-ee-uhn) is 43. Actor Charlotte Sullivan (“Rookie Blue”) is 40. Actor Glenn Powell (“Hidden Figures”) is 35. Country singer Kane Brown is 30.