Mr. Pop History – Has to be LA actor Edward Moss, who’s been impersonating the pop icon since 1996. Want the closest to Michael? Get Moss. 
Mr. Pop History – I think you can rotate them. Murray the K, Brian Epstein, Peter Brown, Billy Preston – you name it. Just depends on the particular month/year.
It was first hung on Murray the K – a top teen DJ on 1010WINS NY. When the Beatles first came to America – they latched on to Murray quickly. He really was the fifth Beatle in early 1964.
More interesting – very early on – The Beatles were only too happy to give Murray and his station – 1010WINS, free mentions. They’d do the same for rival WMCA, but Brian Epstein quickly put a stop to it. Aligning the Beatles to particular radio stations could tick-off competition and Epstein was very sensitive to Beatle airplay – but for a very short time – The Beatles let themselves go.
Take a look at this video. Every Beatle is giving WINS a special mention. It was simply amazing. At least here, they dug Murray. WINS DJ Murray the K w/The Beatles Just Before The Feb 9/1964 Ed Sullivan Show.
As of January 12…
Many of you have expressed concern that the week-by-week section has not been updated. You’re correct, but behind the scenes it’s a different story.
Fulfilling a 10-year buildout, mrpopculture.com will be completed by February 15 – with a whole new dynamic look and feel. And – its own search. As good as our Google search is, it doesn’t or can’t cull all the content. That’s been very frustrating because – as you know – all the content has been hand edited and every search should be 100% relevant.
Look for every week from 1955 to the current week – with a changing, dynamic front page. Plus – user features such as “your week.” The site literally will be updated everytime you come back, or everytime you hit F5! Nothing else like it out there.
When complete – it’ll be the only web destination of its kind. The only week-by-week directory in the world. Plus – the current week – the week we’re in now – will be displayed.
And so much more!
Mr. Pop History – Take a look at this from the www.mrpopculture.com week of April 23, 1967:
Music news – Beach Boy Carl (Dean) Wilson is arrested in New York on a Los Angeles indictment charging him with refusing to submit to induction in the Armed Forces January 7. The indictment was originally handed down last January 7. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in jail and/or $10,000 in fines if convicted. 
Mr. Pop History – There was indeed. Back on Thanksgiving, 2004 – NBC aired “The Seinfeld Story” where the cast members plus creator Larry David talked about how the series began with meager ratings – then morphing into its super sitcom status.
But really, it was a brilliant move to kick off the sitcom’s DVD debut – the first three seasons. 
Mr. Pop History – Roddenberry was ticked-off at NBC for its treatment of his original “Star Trek.” But, there was so much interest in “Star Trek” that it kept on revealing itself. Take a look at this – from the Mr. Pop week of February 15, 1973:
“Gene Roddenberry says there are some 8,000-advance reservations for the next Star Trek convention. Roddenberry still gets irked at the treatment of his show by NBC, which canceled the series after 3 TV seasons in 1969. This year, NBC suggested he make a pilot for a new Star Trek. Gene told the network – ‘You’ve got 78 pilots’ (the number of old Star Trek shows). Rumors are flying that Star Trek will return to television. Gene is producing a pilot many are calling ’son of Star Trek.’ It’s called Genesis II and it will air March 23 on CBS.”
www.mrpopculture.com
Mr. Pop History – My top-of-mind is Drew Barrymore, who was named after her father – John Drew Barrymore. 
Mr. Pop History – Well, do you mean without any prior talkshow experience? My two picks are Conan O’Brien and Craig Ferguson. Both were writers before they got their talk gigs. 
Mr. Pop History – He’ll be heard on a number of stations – in midday and he’ll compete
with Ryan Seacrest’s midday syndicated offering. It should start on January 18 and so far, over 60 stations have committed. Donny will serve music with light news and entertainment. The affiliate list will be announced soon – but you can bet – he’ll be on in places such as NY and Los Angeles.
Radio is clearly moving toward developing national personalities/national DJ’s – station by station. Not just mornings, but middays and particularly evenings where a number of stations run Billy Bush, Delilah or John Tesh. The downside, it gets rid of a lot of DJ jobs and local personalities. So much of the country is voice tracked on middays anyway. Donny Osmond has name recognition and in that strategy – it’s a good move.
Another 1970’s pop trend came from the slough of movies featuring primarily black actors with their gritty stories from the ghetto and the streets. Pop history refers to this period as “Blaxploitation” with movies starring the likes of Richard Roundtree (Shaft), Ron O’Neal (Superfly), Jim Brown, Pam Grier and others. 
Mr. Pop Culture Report
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