Morbid Bidness

On January 20th, 1965, disc jockey Alan Freed died in Palm Spings, California, of kidney and liver disease. He was 42. He's credited with coining the phrase "rock and roll." [Or stealing it from colored people. — Ed.] In 1973, Jerry Lee Lewis made his debut at the Grand Ole Opry. Opry officials allowed him to perform as long as he didn't use profanities and played only country music. By the end of the set, Lewis broke both agreements. [Good for The Killer! — Ed.] In 1982, singer Ozzy Osbourne bit the head off a live bat during a concert in Des Moines, Iowa. He claimed he thought it was a toy thrown to him by an audience member. In 1984, Johnny Weissmuller, an Olympic champion who went on to movie stardom as "Tarzan," died in Acapulco, Mexico, at age 79. In 1988, Beach Boy Mike Love hurled insults at Paul McCartney, Diana Ross, Bruce Springsteen and Mick Jagger while the Beach Boys were being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. [Best thing a Beach Boy has ever done? Just might be. — Ed.] In 1990, actress Barbara Stanwyck, known for her role on "The Big Valley," died of heart failure. She was 82. Also, comedians Roseanne Barr and Tom Arnold got married. They have since split up. In 1993, actress Audrey Hepburn died of cancer in Switzerland at the age of 63. In 1998, singer Alice Nutter [That can't be her real name, can it? — Ed.] of Chumbawamba said on "Politically Incorrect" that the band advocated fans stealing copies of their album. Virgin Megastores reacted by pulling their albums from the shelves and putting them behind the counters. Associated Press