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Today in Entertainment History

Today in Entertainment History

Today in Entertainment History: "L.A. Law" debuted

By The Associated Press undefined

On Sept. 15, 1949, "The Lone Ranger" premiered on ABC with Clayton Moore as the masked hero and Jay Silverheels as Tonto.

In 1965, "Lost in Space" and "Green Acres" premiered on CBS.

In 1969, Ed Sullivan released "The Sulli-Gulli," his first and only rock record. He was hoping to create a new dance.

In 1971, the detective series "Columbo," with Peter Falk in the title role, debuted on NBC.

In 1974, bassist Gary Thain of Uriah Heep suffered a near-fatal electric shock during a concert in Dallas.

In 1979, ABBA began its first North American tour, in Vancouver, British Columbia.

In 1980, David Bowie opened on Broadway in the title role of Bernard Pomerance's play "The Elephant Man." The production had already played in Denver and Chicago.

In 1986, "L.A. Law" made its debut on NBC.

In 1990, Steve Miller's song "The Joker" hit number one in Europe, 16 years after it had hit number one in the U.S. The song saw newfound popularity after it had been used in a Levi's jeans commercial.

In 1992, federal officials cited pilot error for the helicopter crash that killed guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan in 1990 in Wisconsin. The National Transportation Safety Board said the pilot didn't plan properly for "darkness, fog, haze and rising terrain." Four others, including the pilot, also were killed in the crash.

Also in 1992, the NTSB said the crew and specialists on the ground were responsible for the plane crash that killed most of Reba McEntire's band in 1991.

In 2004, guitarist Johnny Ramone of The Ramones died of prostate cancer in his home in Los Angeles. He was 55.

In 2012, singer Annie Lennox married doctor Mitch Besser in London on a boat on the Thames (tehmz) River.

In 2017, singer Ric Ocasek (oh-KAS'-ek) of The Cars died of heart disease in New York. He was 75. His estranged wife, model Paulina Porizkova (por-iz-KOH'-vah), was taking care of him as he was recovering from surgery.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Tommy Lee Jones is 76. Movie director Oliver Stone is 76. Drummer Kelly Keagy (KAY'-gee) of Night Ranger is 70. Actor Barry Shabaka Henley ("Bob Hearts Abishola") is 68. Drummer Mitch Dorge (DORJ) of Crash Test Dummies is 62. Actor Danny Nucci (NOO'-chee) ("The Fosters") is 54. DJ Kay Gee (JEE) (Naughty By Nature) is 53. Actor Josh Charles ("The Good Wife," "Sports Night") is 51. Actor Tom Hardy ("The Dark Knight Rises") is 45. Actor Marisa Ramirez ("Blue Bloods") is 45. Guitarist Zach Filkins of OneRepublic is 44. Actor Dave Annable ("Brothers and Sisters") is 43. Actor Amy Davidson ("8 Simple Rules") is 43. TV personality Heidi Montag ("The Hills") is 36. Actor Kate Mansi ("Days of Our Lives") is 35.