Have You Heard, one of the pioneers of Rock and Roll, Chuck Berry, was born 89 years old today (10/18) in St. Louis.
Berry had 12 top-10 hits on the R&B charts, including four number-ones.
However, he had only one number-1 hit on the pop charts. That was “My Ding-a-Ling” in 1972, a song that didn’t even make the R&B top 40!
Sportscasting great Keith Jackson was born 87 years ago in Roopville, Georgia… which is in the west Georgia, near Carrollton.
Jackson called everything from speedskating to golf, from Evel Knievel to the World Series. He was also the first play-by-play man for “Monday Night Football.”
However, Jackson is best known for college football. Some refer to Jackson as “the Voice of College Football.”
He retired in 2006.
Mike Ditka is 76 today.
Lee Harvey Oswald was born the exact same day (10/18/1939). He was shot to death when he was 23.
Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann Summers on the old “Gilligan’s Island” sitcom, is one year older. She turns 77 today.
Casey Stengel retired as the New York Yankees’ manager 55 years ago today.
In 12 years with the Yankees, Stengel won 10 American League pennants and seven World Series.
Amazingly, he won 100 games in only one season (1954) and that was one of the only two seasons the Yankees did not make the World Series.
Cleveland won 111 games that season, setting American League records that still stand for number of wins in a year and winning percentage (.724). However, the New York Giants swept the Indians in the 1954 Series.
On October 18, 1954, Texas Instruments announced the first transistor radio.
Today is “Sunday School Teacher Appreciation Day.”
You can see “Have You Heard” each weeknight after weather on News13 at 11:00.
