radioinfo’s Wendy J Whalley constantly updates our On This Day section so that you have the most up-to-date information to use in your song intros or On This Day segments.
Wendy uses a range of sources and is always monitoring the entertainment and obit pages so when somebody is in the news, she will update their information for you. Yes, it’s a real human being keeping our pages up-to-date, not AI, and Wendy personally edits the information.
She’s always keen to receive additional information from our readers too – if you think it is worth adding to On This Day.
This week in 1977, Saturday Night Fever opened in cinemas… it could be your chance to play some of that 70s disco schmaltz to relive the moment for your audience. Or maybe Dr Dre or Taylor Swift better suit your music format?
On This Day is one of our members-only sections. We ask you to pay a few dollars to support Wendy’s work and all the journalism we do in this trade publication. As everyone knows, real journalism by real people is not cheap these days.
We asked Wendy to select some of her favourite segments.
“Some of the enjoyable and amusing things I’ve added to On This Day include:”
7th December
In 1998, the Indiana University a cappella group Straight No Chaser performed their zany rendition of Twelve Days of Christmas at the school. In 2006, a video of the performance was uploaded to YouTube and went viral, earning the group a record deal and sending the song to #5 on the Adult Contemporary chart [check out the fun here]
30th November
In 1924, Allan Sherman was born Allan Copelon in Chicago, Illinois. He produced the popular game show I’ve Got A Secret, and made a living as a novelty singer, notably with the 1963 hit Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah. He died in Los Angeles on 20 November 1973 aged 48 of respiratory failure after years of alcoholism and weight gain.
1st November
In 1974, Kitty White was born when she first appeared on a vinyl coin purse, which helped her become a national sensation in Japan. Hello Kitty is the second highest-grossing media franchise in the world. Designed by Yuko Shimizu, a then-24-year-old illustrator who left Sanrio – a pioneer of content licensing – two years later.
19th November (listen to The Telephone Operator sketch
In 2014, the American film and theatre director, producer, actor and comedian Mike Nichols (born Mikhail Igor Peschkowsky in Berlin on 6 November 1931) died in New York City aged 83. Amongst dozens of film directing credits, including Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Catch-22, Silkwood, The Birdcage and Charlie Wilson’s War, he also teamed up with Elaine May to form the comedy duo Nichols and May with one of the most famous sketches being The Telephone Operator, you can listen to it here
” …and there are many more – I will endeavour to add more comedy skits and images in 2025″
“As we come to the end of another interesting, challenging, musical, and fun year in this industry that inspires such passion, I wish all our readers a safe, healthy and gentle Christmas season – whatever you believe – and that you share in joy, laughter, friendship, kindness, good food and drink, and have a moment to be grateful for all that we are, have, and can be. Blessings to you all.”
Wendy Jane
Please take out a subscription so that you can view On This Day and other locked sections of this site, details here. If you ask Wendy nicely or send her a tip for a new item in On This Day, she might offer you a discount (shhh, don’t tell the boss!). Wendy’s email is [email protected]
Tell us what you think. Contribute to our 2024 Readership Survey