*** Today is Schoolhouse Rock Day. The popular animated lesson series debuted on this date in 1973 on ABC.Although I know many of the classics, like How A Bill Becomes Law, Conjunction Junction, Lolly Lolly Lolly Get Your Adverbs Here (not "Libby, Libby, Libby" as I said this morning), and many others, I was more of a Bugs Bunny guy on Saturday mornings, so I'm not as up to speed on these three-minute gems as you may be.
It's also Wheel Of Fortune Day. That show premiered on this date in 1975. With original host, Chuck Woolery. One of my top 5 game show hosts, right in there with Bert Convy, Jim Perry, Richard Dawson and Gene Rayburn.Although that list would probably change each time I made it.
The birthday tie-in was in honor of Kathy Sledge's 50th birthday. "We Are Family" by Sister Sledge. And, yes, I still think of the Pittsburgh Pirates 1979 season every time I hear this song.
Hated the Pirates back then. The Phillies had won the division in '76, '77, and '78, only to come up short in the NLCS. The Pirates -- our main competition in the NL East -- won the division, and eventually the World Series, in 1979 with a bunch of drug addicts in ridiculous uniforms in '79 with this song blaring every five seconds.Of course, the Phillies won it all in '80, and this year, too, while the Pirates are back to being irrelevant, so it all worked out okay.
*** For the 80's Escape, we celebrated Kim Wilson's birthday by playing "Powerful Stuff" from Kim's band in the 80's, The Fabulous Thunderbirds.
