February 11th

Today is the birthday

… of actor Leslie Nielsen. Lt. Frank Drebin is 83.

… of Conrad Janis. Mindy’s father on Mork and Mindy is 81.

… of Tina Louise. Ginger, the movie star from Gilligan’s Island, is 75.

… of Burt Reynolds. Bandit is 73. Burt — his real name is Burton Reynolds — was nominated for a supporting actor Oscar for Boogie Nights.

… of Gerry Goffin. Married to Carole King while they were still teenagers, Goffin is 70.

Songwriting partners Gerry Goffin and Carole King composed a string of classic hits and cherished album tracks for a variety of artists during the Sixties. A brief sampling: “Up On the Roof” (the Drifters), “One Fine Day” (the Chiffons), “I’m Into Something Good” (Herman’s Hermits), “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (the Shirelles), “Take Good Care of My Baby” (Bobby Vee), “Chains” (the Cookies), “Don’t Bring Me Down” (the Animals), “Take a Giant Step” (the Monkees) and “Goin’ Back” (the Byrds). The prolific duo, who remained married for much of the Sixties, even tapped their babysitter to sing one of the songs they’d written, and the result was a Number One hit and a new dance craze: “The Loco-Motion,” by Little Eva.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

… of Sheryl Crow. She’s 47.

All I wanna do is have some fun
I got a feeling I’m not the only one
All I wanna do is have some fun
I got a feeling I’m not the only one
All I wanna do is have some fun
Until the sun comes up over Santa Monica Boulevard

… of Governor Sarah Palin. Grandma Palin is 45.

… of Jennifer Aniston. She’s 40.

… of Q’orianka Kilcher. Pocahontas in The New World is 19.