13 January: Lucky or Un in the Bidness of Show

Either way, it's dull or sad beyond conception. In 1962, comedian Ernie Kovacs died in an automobile accident in west Los Angeles, 10 days before his 43rd birthday. [Was that a Friday? — Ed.] In 1973, Eric Clapton made a comeback from drug addiction when he performed at the Rainbow Theatre in London. His backing band included Pete Townshend, Ron Wood and Steve Winwood. Thirty years ago, in 1979, singer Donny Hathaway died in a fall from a hotel window in New York. He was 34. Hathaway was known for his duets with Roberta Flack. In 1986, former members of the Sex Pistols sued former manager Malcolm McLaren. The suit was settled out of court. In 2002, "The Fantasticks" closed in New York's Greenwich Village. It was the longest-running musical in the world. It had begun production in 1960 and had been performed 17,162 times. In 2003, musician Pete Townshend was arrested on suspicion of possessing child pornography in London. Townshend was later cleared of the charges. Associated Press