| June 26 |
| 1909 -- Elvis Presley's manager claimed to be from West Virginia but he is actually born this date in Breda, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands, and his name isn't Tom Parker, it's Andreas Cornelius Van Kuijk -- and he just might have been a killer. According to Alanna Nash's excellent biography The Colonel: The Extraordinary Story of Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis Presley, Colonel Andreas may have fled his homeland -- and entered the U.S. illegally -- after committing murder. According to The Colonel (Anna Nash, by the way, also wrote the engrossing Golden Girl: The Story of Jessica Savitch), those two factors were why Parker never let Elvis tour Europe. He might not have been willing to leave so many millions on the table, though, had he not received an unconscienable 50 percent of Elvis's income in the latter part of The King's career. But it must be noted that Elvis gave it willingingly; without The Colonel, he reasoned, there would be no Elvis. The Colonel died January 21, 1997, following a stroke, at the age of 87. The King had died 20 years earlier at the age of 42. 1916 -- TV commentator & news anchor Alex Dreier, who received acclaim for his coverage of the Korean Conflict, is born in Honolulu. After he left broadcasting Alex crafted a relatively successful tv and film career before retiring in 1979. It wasn't without a low point, however; in 1976 he played the role of Dr. Ulmer in the movie 'Invisible Strangler,' also known by its alternate title of 'Astral Fiend.' And how many times do you get to bring that up during the course of a typical day?! Alex died of natural causes on March 11, 2000. He was 83 years old. 1949 -- Fred Allen closes out his radio career and begins the transition to television. Unlike that of his professional 'rival' (but real-life friend) Jack Benny, the transition is shorter and much less successful. On the golden box we could imagine the hint of a smile, the trace of a twinkle in the eye behind Fred's sardonic humor. He found the going much smoother on panel shows, particularly after he began a stint in 1953 on 'What's My Line?' The run came to an end with Fred's death following a heart attack on March 17, 1956. Fred was 62 years old. 1959 -- Television loses one of its standard-bearers as Edward R. Murrow interviews actress Lee Remick, his 500th and final guest on 'Person to Person.' 1977 -- Elvis Presley gives what turns out to be his final performance, a concert in Indianapolis. Ironically, it's on his manager's, Col. Andreas Cornelius Van Kuijk, 68th birthday (See 1909, above). 1983 -- daytime soap 'Loving' premieres on ABC and airs 3,169 episodes before its cancellation in 1995. 1984 -- Seven years following his divorce from Miss Vicki, Tiny Tim (born Herbert Butros Khaury) marries second wife, Jan Alweiss. His first marriage was seen by an estimated 35 million viewers; this one, without the platform of 'The Tonight Show,' is seen by fewer. |