If you don’t cry, you’re not a man.
That can be legitimately be said about very few things in this world: Jimmy V’s speech, and um (no, not every time Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You” comes on the radio)…. well, this… the benchmark for all American men and tears:
“Brian’s Song” debuted tonight in 1971 on ABC as the Movie of the Week. It tells the story of Chicago Bears running backs Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo and their unlikely bond, from competing for the same job to becoming the first black and white teammates to room together on the road. Piccolo first helps Sayers through his devastating knee injury and in turn, Sayers is there every step of the way as Piccolo is forced to fight cancer. They say all true stories end in death. This was a true story.
Tonight in 1977 on CBS saw the last Christmas special ever for Bing Crosby. The show saw the strange pairing of Crosby and David Bowie singing a medley of “Peace on Earth” and “The Little Drummer Boy,” it what would become an iconic television/Christmas moment.
As for iconic, the most best-selling album of all time hit the shelves today in 1982. Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” has sold between 65 and 100 million copies worldwide. Seven of the albums nine songs were released as singles and anyone who was alive in the ’80’s can sing along to every word of every one of them.
1. Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin
2. Baby Be Mine
3. The Girl Is Mine (w Paul McCartney)
4. Thriller
5. Beat It
6. Billie Jean
7. Human Nature
8. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
9. The Lady In My Life
Someone named Rod Temperton wrote the two non-hits. But he also wrote Thriller. Jackson died in 2009 and Thriller ended that year as the 14th best selling album of the year. Appropo of nothing, Elisha Cuthbert was born the day Thriller came out.
November 30 birthdays are shared by many great men, leaders and storytellers, not the least of which are: Mark Twain, Dick Clark, Jonathan Swift, Winston Churchill, Ridley Scott, David Mamet, Bo Jackson, Terrence Malick, and last, but certainly not least, Billy Idol.
— Bill Hubbell