The Laker's Morning Drive

It was 53 years ago today (February 3rd, 1959) that Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson died in a plane crash after a performance in Clear Lake, Iowa. They had played the Riverside Ballroom in Green Bay the night before heading to an unscheduled show at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake.

The three had been performing along with Dion & The Belmonts as part of the Winter Dance Party Tour, which would cover 24 cities in a short three-week period from January 23rd to February 15th. Holly, who had parted ways with longtime backing group the Crickets the previous year, was backed up by a then-unknown Waylon Jennings on bass and Tommy Allsup on lead guitar.

Holly chartered a plane to fly him and his band to Fargo, North Dakota, near Moorhead. Jennings and Allsup gave up their seats to Richardson and Valens. Dion was supposed to be on the plane rather than Valens, but balked when he heard that his share would be a whopping $36 -- the exact amount of his parents' monthly rent back home in the Bronx. When Holly learned that Jennings wasn't going to fly, he said, "Well, I hope your old bus freezes up!" Jennings responded, "Well, I hope your plane crashes!" This friendly banter would haunt Jennings for years. Valens, who was sick, told Allsup, "I'll flip you for the remaining seat." On the toss of a coin, Allsup lost the seat -- but won the rest of his life.

The plane never made it to Minnesota.

At the time of the crash, Buddy Holly was 22 years old. Ritchie Valens was 17, and the Big Bopper was 28.

CLICK HERE to read the Wikipedia story about this Fateful Day in Rock N' Roll!

THE AVERAGE GUY AND THE SUPER BOWL from Men's Health:

• 7.5 million: Number of Super Bowl parties held each year, more than any other at-home party
• 141.4 million: Number of Americans who watched Super Bowl XL (nearly half the U.S. population)
• 126 million: Number of Americans who voted in the 2004 presidential election
• 1,200 calories: Average calorie intake during a Sunday football session
• Potato chips: The most popular football snack, accounting for 27 billion calories and 1.8 billion grams of fat on Super Bowl Sunday alone
• 20 percent: Increase in antacid sales on the day after the Super Bowl
• 13,333: Number of NFL linemen, at 300 pounds each, it would take to balance the 4 million pounds of fat consumed from potato chips alone by Americans on Super Bowl Sunday
• 10 feet: Depth to which the 43.8 million pounds of avocados consumed on Super Bowl Sunday would fill a stadium
• 1.5 million: Number of television sets sold the week before the Super Bowl
• 30 million: Pounds of five popular snack foods Americans consume on Super Bowl Sunday (11.2 million pounds of potato chips, 8.2 million pounds of tortilla chips, 4.3 million pounds of pretzels, 3.8 million pounds of popcorn, and 2.5 million pounds of nuts)
• 28 percent: Increase in number of fatal heart attacks among men on days when their football team lost at home.

Sir George Martin, Giles Martin (his son), and Dhani Harrison listening to the mix of "Here Comes The Sun".

Suddenly Dhani opens the channel with the "lost solo guitar". And now, with the master track in the background, you can hear how it sounds in music.

Happy Birthday to Graham Nash!!! In 2010, along with the rest of the Hollies, Nash was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The occasion marked Nash's second entrance into the Hall, having already been inducted with Crosby, Stills, & Nash back in 1998.

Here's one of my favorites from Graham Nash and the Hollies... Nash says it was written about Marianne Faithful... hmmm.

Punxsutawney Phil says "Many shadows do I see: six more weeks of winter it must be."

With the weather we've had in Northeast Wisconsin... I say "BRING IT ON"

Unusual weather for these parts ... some sun, some clouds and temps in the upper 30's and 40's!

CLICK HERE TO READ HUFFINGTON POST'S ARTICLE ON THE REASON FOR OUR LACK OF WINTER WEATHER THIS YEAR!

The most desirable woman of 2012 -- according to the readers of AskMen.com -- is Sofia Vergara. The Modern Family star topped the website's annual poll, dethroning Blake Lively, who fell to 32.

Model Kate Upton landed in the number 2 spot, while Rooney Mara, Miranda Kerr and Nicki Minaj rounded out the top five.

• 99 women were recognized in total; including Scarlett Johansson and Kim Kardashian, who both made the top ten.

The top 20 are as follows:

1. Sofia Vergara
2. Kate Upton
3. Rooney Mara
4. Miranda Kerr
5. Nicki Minaj
6. Emma Stone
7. Scarlett Johansson
8. Kim Kardashian
9. Rihanna
10. Candice Swanepoel
11. Kate Middleton
12. Zooey Deschanel
13. Mila Kunis
14. Selena Gomez
15. Daisy Lowe
16. Katy Perry
17. Emma Watson
18. Lady Gaga
19. Lea Michele
20. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

It was 43 years ago this afternoon (January 30th, 1969) that the Beatles performed for the last time in public, on the roof of their Apple headquarters building in London. For the better part of that January, the group had been filming their rehearsals for a planned comeback concert, before band politics forced them to abort the plan and concentrate on recording a new album, tentatively titled Get Back. The Beatles and keyboardist Billy Preston, who were decked out in winter coats, played for about 42 minutes for a handful of fans, their wives, office workers and their personal staff. They performed a total of nine full songs: three versions of "Get Back," two versions of "Don't Let Me Down," two versions of "I've Got A Feeling," and one each of "Dig A Pony," and "One After 909" -- which was one of John Lennon and Paul McCartney's earliest compositions, dating back to the 1950's. Toward the end of the Beatles' set, the police were called and politely demanded that the group quit disturbing the peace, as dozens of office workers had begun crowding around in the streets near the Beatles' headquarters to hear the band play.

At the end of the final performance of "Get Back," Lennon uttered the immortal line, "I'd like to thank you on behalf of the group and ourselves and I hope we passed the audition." It was the last time that the Beatles would ever perform in public.

Bruce Springsteen will release his new studio album Wrecking Ball on March 6th. The album, which is "The Boss's" 17th studio set, features 11 new Springsteen recordings and was produced by Ron Aniello and Springsteen, with longtime manager Jon Landau serving as executive producer. A special edition of Wrecking Ball will also be available and include two bonus tracks -- "Swallowed Up" and "American Land" -- along with exclusive artwork and photography. Springsteen has also released the video for the album's lead single, "We Take Care Of Our Own."

We use Google Apps here at the station, and I use G-Mail for my personal and business correspondence. Nice of Google to collect all of our browsing data... to target online advertising targeted at us.

Hey Google... if you really want to try to sell stuff to Middle Age Chubby Disc Jockeys that can't afford to buy the stuff... knock yourselves out!! LOL

CLICK HERE to read about Google's latest Privacy Policies... a little scary!

Martin Scorsese's Hugo is poised to dominate the Academy Awards this year, having scored a leading 11 nominations on Tuesday morning. The Artist, a black and white, largely silent film set in the 1920s, scored 10 nods -- including Best Picture along with Hugo, War Horse, Moneyball, The Descendants, The Tree of Life, Midnight in Paris, The Help and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.

There will be plenty of star power on the red carpet, especially as Hollywood heavyweights -- and good friends -- George Clooney and Brad Pitt will be facing off against one another for Best Actor; Clooney for his role in The Descendants and Pitt for Moneyball.

Bridesmaids, already and fan and critics' favorite, got some Oscar love as well, with Melissa McCarthy earning a Best Supporting Actress nod and writers Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig getting recognized for their screenplay.

Pitt's Moneyball costar Jonah Hill saw his career drastically elevated with a supporting actor nomination, while relative newcomer Rooney Mara undoubtedly cemented her leading lady status after learning she'll face off against the likes of Meryl Streep and Glenn Close for the Best Actress trophy.

• There weren't any outrageous snubs, although People magazine noted that Albert Brooks (Drive), Michael Fassbender (Shame) and Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin) might have been expecting early wakeup calls that never came.
• The 84th Academy Awards will be held on February 26th and will be hosted by Billy Crystal.

REACTIONS FROM THE NOMINEES:

Melissa McCarthy: "I hope I can figure out something else to say to Glenn Close other than 'Holy (bleep) you're Glenn Close.' I just think she makes beautiful, smart, perfect decisions in her characters and roles she plays. She looms very large to me."

Christopher Plummer: "I was pleasantly sleeping and someone had the audacity to wake me up."

Gary Oldman: "I thought it may elude me. I've always wondered what it was like. I've always peered through the curtain to the front cabin. I feel like I've been invited up. It's a great thing."

The Artist's Jean Dujardin: "There was an excitement to do a film that's a bit forbidden because in 2011, nobody does a silent, black and white film: `It doesn't fit the economy, it's not possible.' Well yes, it is possible. Apparently it's possible."

Martin Scorsese: "I know I've made pictures in the past that are tougher. So, despite my name on the picture, believe me, it's OK to come in the theater I think. Bring the kids! Bring the grandparents -- it's OK. I'll be good. I'm not kidding."

Brad Pitt: "I don't care how sugared up they get for school," after saying that he's making pancakes for his kids to celebrate.

Octavia Spencer: "I don't think I've processed it. It probably won't hit me until next week. Last year at this time, I was asleep."

Jonah Hill: "I wasn't nervous until people started asking me if I was nervous," who said he couldn't' sleep the night before nominations were announced

Nick Nolte: "It's great, especially at this age to still be in the ballgame playing. I don't want to retire, anyway. Never have. I don't know what the hell I'd do. There's not much I can do. I've been at this for 50 years."

And the nominees are . . .

Best Supporting Actress

Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help

Best Supporting Actor

Kenneth Branagh, My Week with Marilyn
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Max Von Sydow, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Best Actress

Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Rooney Mara, The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn

Best Actor

Demian Bichir, A Better Life
George Clooney, The Descendants
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Best Director

Michel Hazanavicius
Alexander Payne
Martin Scorsese
Woody Allen
Terrence Malick

Best Original Screenplay

Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Asghar Farhadi, A Separation

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Descendants
Hugo
The Ides of March
Moneyball
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Foreign Language Film

Bullhead
Footnote
In Darkness
Monsieur Lazhar
A Separation

Animated

A Cat in Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango

Best Picture

War Horse
The Artist
Moneyball
The Descendants
The Tree of Life
Midnight in Paris
The Help
Hugo
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

From shine.com this morning - New airfare rules go into effect today (January 24th). Here are some things you need to know about the new rules:

1. Airlines will have to include taxes and fees in their advertised prices. But starting Thursday, consumers will have a more-accurate idea of how much their tickets will really cost. The change applies to mandatory fees, however, not optional charges for bags and on-board entertainment -- though those fees must be more prominently displayed on airline websites as well, and they can't automatically be tacked on to your fare. Some airlines are concerned that customers won't understand what the higher prices are really all about. "We're not raising our fares, but it will look to the consumer like we've had a big price increase," Robert Kneisley, Southwest's associate general counsel, told the Associated Press.
2. You'll have 24 hours to cancel your reservation. As long as you've booked your flight at least a week in advance, you'll be able to hold your reservation (without having to pay for it) or cancel it without a penalty for 24 hours after making it -- even if you've made the reservation through a travel website instead of directly with the airline.
3. Airlines have to tell passengers promptly about delays. With the new rules, airlines will have to notify you by email, over the phone, or with a sign at the airport if there are any delays longer than 30 minutes. They also have to let passengers and the public know quickly if there are flight cancellations, if flights are diverted, or if a plane is delayed on the tarmac.
4. Baggage fees must be disclosed in advance. Instead of finding out about checked-baggage fees when you're at the curb or counter, airlines now must let you know how much you'll pay for your luggage when you make your reservation. (It can be pricey: Continental charges economy passengers $25 for the first checked bag and $35 for the second, as does Delta. American Airlines charges $25 for the first, $35 for the second, and a whopping $150 for the third -- and that doesn't count additional fees for extra-heavy bags.) The new rules also state that airlines have to disclose any baggage fees you might have if you're changing flights or switching from a major airline to one of their affiliates during a single trip.
5. Airlines can't raise prices after you've purchased your tickets. It sounds crazy, but it can happen: Some airlines stipulate in their contracts that they can raise prices after you've booked your flight, and charge you the difference before you board. According to the Associated Press, Allegiant Air has considered raising prices on already-purchased seats if oil prices rose.