Category Archives: Music

Police kill man, rock ‘n’ roll, Dodgers win, August 21, 1958

Posted on August 21, 2008 by lmharnisch

  Hula Hoops and Dick Clark at the Hollywood Bowl (with Rod McKuen!) Jan and Arnie ("Jennie Lee," "The Beat That Can’t Be Beat")? The Six Teens ("A Casual Look")? These are not names that are familiar to me. Hey … Continue reading →

Posted in #games, @news, Countdown to Watts, Dodgers, Front Pages, Homicide, LAPD, Music, Rock 'n' Roll, Television | 2 Comments

Police pose as reporters to evict woman, baseball players fight on airplane; August 6, 1958

Posted on August 6, 2008 by lmharnisch

  Jazz legend Ziggy Elman vanishes from his Valley home after an argument with his wife … over a chicken sandwich!   Robbers smash a jewelry store window and steal gems valued at up to $1 million ($7,287,702.23 USD 2007) … Continue reading →

Posted in Dodgers, Front Pages, Music | 1 Comment

Blind Tom dies

Posted on July 24, 2008 by lmharnisch

he Daily Mirror overlooked the death of "Blind Tom" Wiggins, reported June 28, 1908. Blind Tom played the piano, but he was more than a pianist. He wrote music, but he was far more than a composer. Blind Tom was … Continue reading →

Posted in art and artists, Blues, classical music, Music | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Blind Tom dies

June 16, 1908

Posted on June 16, 2008 by lmharnisch

Boxing at Chutes Park during the visit of the Great White Fleet, about April 20, 1908.     hutes Park is not the sort of place where responsible parents want their children. Not only does it have boxing, above, there … Continue reading →

Posted in Front Pages, Music, Politics, Sports | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on June 16, 1908

June 8, 1908

Posted on June 8, 2008 by lmharnisch

  Above, vaudeville and movies at the Orpheum … At left, an automobile and a streetcar collide at 9th Street and Flower. Also note the Latin American Republican League–and that in 1908 this group included Spanish, French and Italians … … Continue reading →

Posted in classical music, Downtown, Front Pages, Music, Politics, Stage, Transportation | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Bo Diddley–RIP

Posted on June 2, 2008 by lmharnisch

July 16, 1967

Posted in Music, Rock 'n' Roll | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Bo Diddley–RIP

May 31, 1958

Posted on May 31, 2008 by lmharnisch

At left, Marshal Dillon and Miss Kitty! But wait, there’s roller derby: the San Francisco Bay Bombers vs. the Los Angeles Braves! Talk about mind-rotting nostalgia: "Heckle and Jeckle," "Mighty Mouse" and "Howdy Doody." And, hmm…. "Bowling Time" or "Topper"? … Continue reading →

Posted in broadcasting, Front Pages, Music, Religion, Television | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on May 31, 1958

May 15, 1938

Posted on May 15, 2008 by lmharnisch

At left, John Charles Thomas performs in "Blossom Time." Below left, shots are fired in a raid on water taxis taking customers to the gambling ship Rex, right out of Raymond Chandler. Authorities also seize 51 Rex employees … In … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, City Hall, classical music, Downtown, Front Pages, LAPD, Music | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on May 15, 1938

May 3, 1938

Posted on May 3, 2008 by lmharnisch

  Note that William Grant Still took part in the rehearsals for these performances of "Lennox Avenue."   Here’s a link to more information from Duke University about William Grant Still. Email me

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on May 3, 1938

May 1, 1938

Posted on May 1, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, Arnold Schoenberg’s orchestration of Brahms’ quartet for piano and strings receives its U.S. premiere. I once listened to a recording of a talk by Schoenberg and was surprised to hear him pronounce his name "Shane-berg" as in "Bei Mir … Continue reading →

Posted in @news, books, classical music, Front Pages, Music, Religion | Tagged , , | Comments Off on May 1, 1938

April 17, 1938

Posted on April 17, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, Shirley Temple, Peter Lorre and Mickey Mouse … Below, what do we have in Gothic type above the masthead? Yes, it is Easter Sunday in 1938 … At least 16 Arabs die in a fight between British troops and … Continue reading →

Posted in @news, Film, Front Pages, Music, Religion | Tagged , , | Comments Off on April 17, 1938

April 15, 1908: Accused Wife Killer Says ‘Everything Went Black’

Posted on April 15, 2008 by lmharnisch

Below, an old-fashioned lunatic–really crazy–is on trial in the killing of his ex-wife, who used to sleep with a knife under her pillow. He uses the “everything went black” defense … The Police Board appoints a committee to study scam … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1908, Front Pages, Homicide, Music | Tagged | Comments Off on April 15, 1908: Accused Wife Killer Says ‘Everything Went Black’

April 14, 1958

Posted on April 14, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, the Dodgers get a champagne welcome from Lawrence Welk at the Aragon Ballroom. Below, can it really be 50 years since Van Cliburn won the Tchaikovsky piano competition?  And in case you’re wondering: Liu Shi-kun and Lev Vlasenko tied … Continue reading →

Posted in broadcasting, classical music, Dodgers, Front Pages, Music | Tagged , , | Comments Off on April 14, 1958

April 13, 1958

Posted on April 13, 2008 by lmharnisch

KNOB-FM (103.1) went on the air in August 1957 as the world’s first all-jazz station under the ownership of Sleepy Stein, The Times said. According to an Aug. 18, 1957, story by Don Page, the station had received permission to … Continue reading →

Posted in #Jazz, broadcasting, Music | Tagged , , | Comments Off on April 13, 1958

April 9, 1958

Posted on April 9, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, a review of a concert at the Million Dollar Theater (coming up May 11: Mariachi Vargas!) Below, Mickey Cohen touches off a sensation by releasing Lana Turner’s love letters to Johnny Stompanato. Quote of the Day: "In all my … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Film, Front Pages, Hollywood, Homicide, Mickey Cohen, Music | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on April 9, 1958

April 8, 1958

Posted on April 8, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, Al Jolson in blackface as the lead in "Porgy and Bess" while African Americans play all the other roles? Now there’s a casting idea that takes my breath away. Philip Scheuer interviews Ira Gershwin and notes that the lyricist … Continue reading →

Posted in #opera, Film, Front Pages, Hollywood, Homicide, Music | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on April 8, 1958

April 2, 1908: Great White Fleet Out of Tunes, Seeks Songs in the Key of Sea

Posted on April 2, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, the tars of the Great White Fleet are fed up with the same old songs. I’m not sure about “I’m Afraid to Go Home in the Dark,” but I did find a song titled “I Used to Be Afraid … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1908, City Hall, Downtown, Front Pages, Music, Transportation | Tagged , , | Comments Off on April 2, 1908: Great White Fleet Out of Tunes, Seeks Songs in the Key of Sea

March 12, 1908

Posted on March 11, 2008 by lmharnisch

Below, notes on pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski during his stay in Los Angeles. A typical musician, he is usually so wound up after his performances that he doesn’t go to bed until 4 a.m., then sleeps to noon … The … Continue reading →

Posted in Front Pages, Music | Tagged , , | Comments Off on March 12, 1908

Mystery photo

Posted on February 20, 2008 by lmharnisch

OK, who’s the young man with the guitar? Phil Spector? (Kris Gray, Fred Ahlert). Absolutely…. This is a photo taken Nov. 10, 1958, and published in the Los Angeles Examiner. It was sent to me by William Dotson of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Rock 'n' Roll | Tagged , | Comments Off on Mystery photo

Rocket to Stardom

Posted on February 11, 2008 by lmharnisch
Posted in broadcasting, Music, Television, Transportation | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Rocket to Stardom