Sean Connery is 78 today.
Van Johnson is 92 and “Let’s Make A Deal” Monty Hall is 87.
Regis is 77.
Tom Skerritt, “Viper” in Top Gun, is 75.
Baseball hall-of-famer Rollie Fingers is 62.
Rollie Fingers’ 17-year career epitomized the emergence of the modern-day relief ace. After watching him post inconsistent results as a starter, the A’s moved Fingers to the bullpen. He excelled quickly and frequently in his new role. Relying on a sharp slider, Fingers went on to notch 341 career saves. Known for his handlebar mustache, Fingers became a familiar site during the post-season, appearing in 16 World Series games. He won both the American League MVP and Cy Young Award with the Brewers in 1981.
Academy Award nominee for supporting actress in Fatal Attraction Anne Archer is 61 today.
Gene Simmons is 59.
The more talented Elvis, Elvis Costello, is 54 today.
Born Declan Patrick McManus, Costello had the audacity to adopt “Elvis” as a stage name (at manager Riviera’s suggestion) and the talent to live up to such a seemingly scandalous appropriation. Greil Marcus profiled him in 1982: “He combined the brains of Randy Newman and the implacability of Bob Dylan, the everyman pathos of Buddy Holly and the uniqueness of John Lennon.”
Director Tim Burton is 50.
Hannah Montana’s dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, is 47.
Rachel Ray is 40.
Claudia Schiffer is 38.
Leonard Bernstein, “one of the most prodigally talented and successful musicians in American history,” was born on August 25th in 1918. The quotation is from his obituary in The New York Times.