time

Great Balls of Fire, rather than just Balls.

Its 12 years since the death of US actor James MacArthur, aged 72. The adopted son of playwright Charles MacArthur and actress Helen Hayes, he started as a boy actor in radio and theatre work, initially in productions with his mother where a boy actor was needed, before his first TV role at 18; he was contracted to Disney for a time, leading to other work for the studio for which he dropped out of Harvard. Notable films were Kidnapped! and Swiss Family Robinson, both 1960, the same year he made his Broadway debut, opposite Jane Fonda, which would be his only Broadway role, and also the year he had a couple of (very) minor hit singles. Other film roles followed, including one in Hang 'em High, which would lead to his most famous role, Danny 'Danno' Williams in the original Hawai'i Five-O. He reprised the role in an unaired pilot for a 1997 reboot, with Gary Busey, and was to have made a cameo appearance in the 2010 reboot, but died before filming. An on-air tribure was made before the 1 Novermber broadcast.

I had a post 'liked' by someone other than diego.

Bill Rodgers (right), Baron Rodgers of Quarry Bank, the oldest surviving of the 'Gang of Four' SDP founders, is 94 today. He suffered a stroke in 2001.

40 Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge over troubled water 39 Freda Payne – Band of Gold 35 Slade - Coz I Luv You 34 Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Tears of a Clown 32 Jimi Hendrix Experience – Voodoo Chile 31 Dave & Ansel Collins – Double Barrel +4 30 T. Rex – Get It On 23 Dave Edmunds – I Hear You Knocking 18 T. Rex – Hot Love 17 Rod Stewart - Maggie May -2 7 Benny Hill - Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West) 0 Mungo Jerry - In the Summertime -4 I have nothing against In The Summertime per se, but its been circling the drain for a while, so down it goes. Bridge... on the other hand, looks certain for a top four finish, so even though it's my least favourite song still remaining, it gets a pass.

All a matter of personal taste, but re 1971, I'd add to the "honourable mentions" (i.e. those better than half the number ones). John Kongos - Tokoloshe Man John Kongos - He's Gonna Step on You Again Redbone - Witch Queen of New Orleans Dave & Ansell Collins - Monkey Spanner Cher - Gypsys Tramps & Thieves (and I'm not even a Cher fan) and possibly a few more.

Its 21 years since the death of John P. Roberts, heir to the Polident/Poligrip fortune. He was (along with partner Joel Rosenman) the money behind the Woodstock festival. He and Rosenman tried to pitch a TV show whereby two men with more money than ideas tried to launch businesses. To research they placed an ad in The WSJ, asking for business ideas, one of which was to build a recording studio in Woodstock to harness local talent (including Dylan & Hendrix). This morphed into the eponymous music festival. It took him until 1980 to get out of debt from the event. He died from cancer, aged 56.

Gordon Cowans, European Cup Winner with Aston Villa and former England international, is 64 today. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2020.

I've got '72 & '73 even in terms of those I'd vote for (6 each) but '73 is ahead in those I'd vote against (8 as opposed to 6 for '72), with the rest being those I have no strong feeling either way (5 v 3).

36 Dave & Ansel Collins – Double Barrel +4 35 Freda Payne – Band of Gold 32 Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Tears of a Clown 32 Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge over troubled water 30 T. Rex – Get It On 29 Jimi Hendrix Experience – Voodoo Chile 29 Slade - Coz I Luv You 25 Edison Lighthouse - Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) 22 Dave Edmunds – I Hear You Knocking 19 T. Rex – Hot Love 18 Rod Stewart - Maggie May 15 Benny Hill - Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West) 8 Lee Marvin - Wanderin' Star  7 Mungo Jerry - In the Summertime 3 George Harrison - My Sweet Lord -6

Is there any confirmation that this rep's comment isn't more bullshit?

He was even briefly dead in Wikipedia

It appears that everyone reporting it is referencing the TMZ story, which no longer exists.

It had to be Florida

Create 49 sock puppet accounts.

Only 'probably'? I can assure you, you won't be the only one downvoting this! Looking at Dawn's charting singles, the ones that didn't get to number one are (IMO) a lot bit better than the ones that did (though a low bar, I grant you).

Time to put some numbers in. Matthew's Southern Comfort can go, finally. 38 Dave & Ansel Collins – Double Barrel +4 35 Freda Payne – Band of Gold 32 Edison Lighthouse - Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) 32 Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Tears of a Clown 29 Slade - Coz I Luv You 28 T. Rex – Get It On 28 Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge over troubled water 27 Jimi Hendrix Experience – Voodoo Chile 26 Dave Edmunds – I Hear You Knocking 18 Rod Stewart - Maggie May 17 T. Rex – Hot Love 17 Benny Hill - Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West) 14 Mungo Jerry - In the Summertime 14 Lee Marvin - Wanderin' Star  7 George Harrison - My Sweet Lord -1 0 Matthews Southern Comfort - Woodstock -5

*cough* Mouldy Old Dough > Eye Level

I've scrubbed him from my shortlist.

36 Freda Payne – Band of Gold 31 Dave & Ansel Collins – Double Barrel +4 29 Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Tears of a Clown 28 Edison Lighthouse - Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) 28 T. Rex – Get It On 27 Jimi Hendrix Experience – Voodoo Chile 27 Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge over troubled water 27 Rod Stewart - Maggie May 23 Slade - Coz I Luv You 23 Dave Edmunds – I Hear You Knocking 21 Diana Ross - I'm Still Waiting 17 T. Rex – Hot Love 15 Benny Hill - Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West) 15 Lee Marvin - Wanderin' Star  12 Mungo Jerry - In the Summertime 11 Mungo Jerry – Baby Jump 9 George Harrison - My Sweet Lord -3 8 Matthews Southern Comfort - Woodstock 5 Christie - Yellow River -3 4 Elvis - The Wonder of You

Amou Haji, dead, aged 94. Commentators curse or summat.

People, it's "shoo in/shoo-in", not "shoe in/shoe-in".

She also retired as director for BOST the following year. On the subject of Benidorm, Sticky Vicky (now 79) was mentioned as a possibility some years ago on the strength of her cancer diagnosis. She had a fall earlier this year which required hospitalisation.

Georgia State Trooper Ronnie Gay has died. He was one of three actual state troopers who had parts in Smokey & The Bandit. He's the one asking to be let off at the next exit.

36 Freda Payne – Band of Gold 30 Edison Lighthouse - Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) 30 Dave & Ansel Collins – Double Barrel +3 28 T. Rex – Get It On 27 Jimi Hendrix Experience – Voodoo Chile 27 Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Tears of a Clown 26 Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge over troubled water 25 Slade - Coz I Luv You 23 Rod Stewart - Maggie May 23 Dave Edmunds – I Hear You Knocking 22 Benny Hill - Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West) 20 T. Rex – Hot Love 17 Lee Marvin - Wanderin' Star  15 Mungo Jerry – Baby Jump 15 Diana Ross - I'm Still Waiting 12 George Harrison - My Sweet Lord -3 12 Christie - Yellow River -2 10 Elvis - The Wonder of You 9 Mungo Jerry - In the Summertime 7 Dana – All Kinds of Everything +1 6 Matthews Southern Comfort - Woodstock -1