Week of June 15, 1959

A U.S. Navy patrol plane is attacked by two Soviet built MIG jet fighters over the

Sea of Japan. The tail gunner was seriously wounded.

President Eisenhower takes a dim view of prospects for a summit meeting - that

prospects are no brighter than a fortnight ago, due to Soviet “unreadiness” to

discuss anything promising at Geneva.

Sheriff’s deputies haul a cursing, fist-swinging Gov. Earl K. Long to a Louisiana

state mental hospital. Doctors say the 63-year-old governor of Louisiana is

suffering from paranoia schizophrenia - delusions of persecution.

The State Department says The United States pledges anew to protect “the

courageous people of West Berlin from Communist pressure.”

Secretary of State Christian Herter returns to

Washington and reports that what Russia really wants

is to pull West Berlin into the Iron Curtain and extend

Red influence over all Germany.

The U.S. population hits 177 million.

Vice President Richard Nixon, his wife and two

daughters spend a fun-filled day at Disneyland. They

led a 150-unit parade along with Mr. And Mrs. Walt

Disney, musicman Meridith Wilson and Art Linkletter.

The occasion marked the opening of six new attractions

at Disneyland - including the Matterhorn and

Submarine Voyage rides. But the big thing seemed to be the new Disneyland

Monorail - the first monorail to

operate in the United States on a

daily basis.

In Wakefield, Mass - The

expansive new Pleasure Island

theme park opens its doors after

an intensive building program.

An important part of the park is a

reproduction of a New England

village of the 1800’s.

Week of June 15, 1959

In La Jolla near San Diego, Gerald Lehrer sees his friend Robert Pamperin eaten

by what is believed - a great white shark. Both were skin diving. Lehrer said that

a few minutes before the attack he had seen what looked like a killer whale

swimming from under a kelp bed. He said he swam to the surface just as the

shark struck his companion. “Bob was yelling. There was a great deal of

thrashing. Then Bob disappeared. It was terrible… terrible. The victim was an

engineer at nearby Convair. Pamperin’s wife Caroline was on the shore at the

time and became hysterical when Lehrer came in to alert lifeguards. They have a

son (9) and a daughter (6). Everyone was ordered out of the water. Officials

believe Pamperin’s body will never be recovered because a shark of that size

could easily devour a man.

Hollywood news - George Reeves (45) -

TV's "Superman" - commits suicide in his

home in the Benedict Canyon area of

Los Angeles. According to the Los

Angeles Times - Reeves was at home

with his fiancé

- Lenore Lemmon (35)

and New York writer Robert Condon.

Reeves and Condon went to their

bedrooms with Lemmon still downstairs.

At about 1AM - two visitors came calling -

Bill Bliss and Carol Van Ronkel. Reeves

came downstairs irate, saying he was "in no mood" for a party and threatened to

throw Bliss out. He apologized and went back upstairs. For some reason, Lenore

Lemmon told her guests: "he's going upstairs to shoot himself." A noise was

heard upstairs and Lemmon continued: "see, he's opening the drawer to get the

gun." A shot did go off of which she said, "See there, I told you; he's shot

himself." They ran up into his bedroom and found him dead from a gunshot

wound to the head.

George Reeves had a busy week ahead. He was scheduled for an exhibition

bout with Archie Moore in San Diego the following day. He and Ms. Lemmon

were supposed to marry on Friday.

Ms. Lemmon , well known in New York café society

circles, hasn’t not worked as an actress for a number of

years. George Reeves was born George L. Bessolo in

Woolstock, Iowa and grew up in Pasadena, CA. His

mother, Mrs. Helen Bessolo of Galesburg, Ill is reported

en route to take charge of arrangements.

Week of June 15, 1959

Passing

- Ethel Barrymore

- queen of the

American theater’s most illustrious family - dies in

her sleep in her Beverly Hills home. She was 79.

Marry

Brigitte

Bardot to actor

Jacques Charrier in

Paris. The French

movie star alternately

sobbed and giggled.

Jacques

(23)

and

Brigitte (24) had gone

to great length to throw reporters and

photographers off the trail and to make this a

private wedding. Several days earlier, Charrier told

reporters in St. Tropez on the Riviera; “Yes, we’re

married.” He was even wearing a wedding ring.

In London - a jury of 10 men and two women

award Liberace $22,400 in libel damages for a newspaper columnist’s implication

that the entertainer was a homosexual. The decision set plump, middle-aged

women to squealing and caused a near-riot outside the courtroom.

Return engagement by singer - Peggy Lee (35) divorces her third husband, actor

Dewey Martin.

Lenny Bruce concludes a two-week engagement at Mr. Kelly’s in Chicago.

Soldier Elvis Presley is seen Munich for a bit of nightlife. A strip teaser named

Marianne gave Elvis a special performance for him dressed only with one of

Presley’s phonograph records. And, when Presley tried to enter a gambling

casino in Bad Wiessee near Munich, he was barred because he did not wear a

necktie.

Medical news - Heart-pacing device operates continually in a man - Herman

Nisonoff of New York leaves Montefiore Hospital with a 2-lb portable machine

plugged into his heart. It will constantly shock the heart with electricity as he

pursues a fairly normal life.

Week of June 15, 1959

Television news - Jon Provost (9) - TV master of

“Lassie” on CBS-TV goes before a judge to get his

contract with Lassie Productions approved. It’s his third

year and under his latest option - he gets $384.62 a

week and his pay goes up to $1,153.85 in the seventh

and final year of his contract. Jon, who attends school on

a Hollywood sound stage was in court with his mom -

Mrs. B.A. (Cecilie) Provost of Pomona, CA.

Gene Barry walks off of “Bat Masterson” for three

days after a dispute with producers. It’s known that

Barry raised a major fuss when it was revealed

that NBC-TV had been considering converting the

show into a 60-minute series. He said the earlier

shooting schedule would deprive him of $100

thousand in personal appearance dates set for late

summer and demanded a new contract if the hour

show were actually done.

Edward R. Morrow will say, “And now from Person

To Person, good night and good luck” for the final

time on June 26. His final guests will be Hugh

Baillie - ex President of United Press and actress

Lee Remick. It will end Morrow’s six-year run with the show. “Person To Person”

has grossed CBS some $20 million and rarely has been without a sponsor.

Judge Frank Armstrong of Troy, NC refused to attend the Bar Association

convention at Blowing Rock (North Carolina) this week. The reason - because

Raymond Burr, who portrays Perry Mason, spoke at a banquet on the subject -

“Lawyers in the Public View.” Said the judge -“Perry Mason’s program bears no

semblance of the correct and proper means of administering justice, or the

proper conduct of the lawyer in the trial of a criminal judge. This program has

done more to reflect upon and discredit the administration of justice and the

proper conduct of lawyers than any program I know of. Instead of inviting such a

personage to address the association, the association should adopt a resolution

of censure to the systems which carry the program.”

Week of June 15, 1959

Monday night television -

CBS - Douglas Edwards with the news, Name That Tune, Bucksin, Father

Knows Best, Danny Thomas Show,

Ann Southern, Desilu Playhouse

NBC - News - Chet Huntley and

David Brinkley, Bucksin, Restless

Gun , Wells Fargo, Peter Gunn,

Goodyear Theater, Arthur Murray,

Jack Paar

ABC - Rosemary Clooney, The

Whistler, Orient Express, Bold

Journey, Inner Sanctum, Pro Golf,

ABC News with John Daley

Buckskin - Jody’s father is accused of

murdering a dance hall girl.

Restless Gun - Bonner visits an old

friend and runs into some mystifying events.

Father Knows Best - Jim and Margaret celebrate their 20 th wedding anniversary

by getting re-married.

Peter Gunn - Mother’s is bombed by mobsters after Mother refuses to go along

with an extortion racket.

Radio news - In an all cash deal - Richard Buckley of New York and John

Jaeger of Long Island purchase WDRC/Hartford for $815,000. Both were

associated in the ownership of WNEW, New York. WDRC is at 1360 on the dial,

with an FM station under construction.

Alan Freed who ran afoul of the law with his rock ‘n’ roll show at the Boston

arena back on May 3 - is ordered to stand trial June 29. 15 persons were either

stabbed, slugged or robbed by berserk gangs of teenage boys and girls.

Following the Freed fiasco, Mayor John Hynes banned rock ‘n’ roll sessions

throughout Boston saying, “These so-called musical

programs are a disgrace. They must be stopped and they will

be stopped here.”

Bruce Morrow of 1010WINS is featuring a “Musical

Museum” segment on his Saturday night show from 9 to

9:15pm. Records played on the segment are mainly

Week of June 15, 1959

WHK Cleveland’s Pete Myers , aka “Mad Daddy” moves

to the big town and WNEW. Problem is, “Mad Daddy” is

strictly rock ‘n’ roll and WNEW is not. What’s the plan?

Record producer Sam Phillips opens WLIZ in Lake Worth

Florida “You’ll love Liz and Liz loves you at 1380 on your

dial.” Like his WHER (Memphis), WLIZ has an all-female

airstaff. Philips is best known for his Sun Records and

discovering Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and Johnny

Cash.

Music news - Florence Henderson, who works with Bill Hayes, signs a two-way

record deal. She will record with Hayes on Kapp Records and signs with the

budget label Camden Records - an RCA line.

New artist - Freddie Cannon (19) has a big hit

with “Tallahassee Lassie” Cannon is from Lynn

Massachusetts. He’s already appeared on

Bandstand and at least one Alan Freed show.

New artist - Preston Epps - (28) Discovered by

KPOP (Los Angeles) DJ Art Laboe, who co-

wrote his current hit “Bongo Rock” and appears

on Laboe’s “Original Sound” label.

Dick Clark and promoter Irvin Feld form Clark-

Feld Productions which will package a series of

“Dick Clark Caravan” stageshows for

presentation in arenas, auditoriums and

ballparks. Although Clark will not appear with

the units, he will personally select the talent,

attend rehearsals and work closely with Feld on every aspect of the tours. The

first Clark “Caravan” will be launched in the East September 18 and will run for

52 days.

Dick Clark as an ABC-TV special coming up June 28 - “The Record Years.”

Line-up consists of Johnny Mathis, Fats Domino, McGuire Sisters, Fabian, Stan

Freberg, Les Paul and Mary Ford, Stan Kenton’s orchestra.

Week of June 15, 1959

Bobby Darin launches a new record label - Addison Records. Darin will still

record for Atco and will spot talent for his new label.

The Mystics - who’ve landed their first hit with “Hushabye” begin a three-week

Midwest tour. Lead tenor is Phil Cracolici (18) who plays piano. His brother,

Albee Cracolici just turned 20. Also in the group - Bob Ferrante (20), George

Galpo (17) and bass Allie Contrera (18). All are from Brooklyn.

Week of June 15, 1959

Bob Keene of Del Fi Records says at least 500 Ritchie Valens fan letters pour

into his West Coast office every week. Keene says there are at least 50 active

Ritchie Valens fan clubs and his label is going to release more Valens songs in

special sleeves. Keene says one of his up-and-coming artists is the Addrissi

Brothers. He says the market is glutted with stuff that can’t sell and it pays to wait

for the right song done with the right arrangement and interpretation.”

Record labels Dore and Era - co-owned by cousins Lou Bedell and Herb

Newman - split into separate record companies. Parting comes after a 5-year

association. Artists are similarly being divided. The labels have delivered an

impressive share of hits and artists including Art and Dotty Todd, Teddy Bears

and Gogi Grant.

Music trend - Folk is getting more and more attention. More folk records are

being released than ever before and more folk articles are being published. Of

particular interest is the new Newport Folk Festival , to follow the town’s jazz

festival.

T he Newport Folk Festival - the first of its kind - is scheduled

for Saturday, July 11 and a matinee and evening series for the

following day. Set to appear - Pete Seeger, the new sensation

of the folk blues field known as Odetta , Kingston Trio, John

Jacob, Niles, Martha Sohlamme, Oscar Brand, Jean Ritchie,

Cynthia Gooding, Barbara Dane, Bob Gibson, Leon Bibb,

Frank Warner, Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry. Also, Ed

McCurdy, Clancy Brothers, the Reverend Gary Davis, Frank

Hamilton, Billy Faier, Memphis Slim. The Kossoy Sisters and the New Lost City

Ramblers. More will be added.

A folk workshop has been set for Saturday afternoon and folk authority Professor

Marshall Stearns will lead a discussion group Sunday morning.

Al Grossman, former owner of Chicago’s

well-known Gate of Horn folk nightclub

and now manager of Odetta, says that

he envisions major folk festivals,

probably next season in various

midwestern cities.

Top jazz albums -

My Fair Lady - Shelly Manne & His

Friends

Week of June 15, 1959

Top albums this week in 1959 -

Gigi - soundtrack

Peter Gunn - Henry Mancini

Exotica, Vol. 1 - Martin Denny

77 Sunset Strip -

Come Dance With Me - Frank

Sinatra

From The Hungry I - Kingston Trio

Inside Shelly Berman

My Fair Lady - Original Cast

Hold That Tiger - Fabian

The Kingston Trio - Kingston Trio

Film Encores, Vol. 1 - Mantovani

Look To Your Heart - Frank Sinatra

Sing Along With Mitch - Mitch Miller

South Pacific - soundtrack

Top Country & Western -

Battle of New Orleans - Johnny

Horton

Home - Jim Reeves

Heartaches By The Number - Ray Price

Waterloo - Stonewall Jackson

White Lightning - George Jones

Black land Farmer - Frankie Miller

I’m In Love Again - George Morgan

A Thousand Miles Ago - Webb Pierce

Frankie’s Man, Johnny - Johnny Cash

Big Midnight Special - Wilma Lee & Stoney

Cooper

I Cried A Tear - Ernest Tubb

Am I That Easy To Forget - Carl Belew

Set Him Free - Skeeter Davis

Top Rhythm and Blues -

Personality - Lloyd Price

Kansas City - Wilbert Harrison

So Close - Brook Benton

So Fine - Fiestas

Endlessly - Brook Benton

I Waited Too Long - LaVern Baker