Today in Entertainment History

Associated Press - February 4, 2009 3:13 AM ET On February fourth, 1938, "Our Town," Thornton Wilder's play about small-town life in America, opened on Broadway. In 1961, singer Johnny Burnette underwent an emergency appendectomy in Los Angeles and was forced to cancel a British tour. He's known for the hit "You're Sixteen," which was on the Top 40 charts at the time. In 1969, Columbia Records signed Johnny Winter to a 5-year, $300,000 contract, which was unprecedented for a new artist. In 1971, The Osmonds received their first gold record, for "One Bad Apple." In 1983, singer Karen Carpenter died of cardiac arrest in Downey, California, at age 32. She had suffered from the eating disorder anorexia nervosa. [We found no photos of these two together, so no pictures at all. — Ed.] In 1987, Liberace died at his home in Palm Springs, California, of AIDS-related complications. He was 67. In 1993, entertainer Ben Vereen was discharged from a rehabilitation center in New Jersey. He had been getting therapy for seven months after he was hit by a truck near his home in Malibu, California. Today's birthdays: Actor William Phipps is 87. Actor Conrad Bain ("Diff'rent Strokes") is 86. Actor Gary Conway ("Burke's Law") is 73. Movie director George A. Romero is 69. Drummer John Steel of The Animals is 68. Singer Florence LaRue of the Fifth Dimension is 65. Singer Alice Cooper is 61. Actor Michael Beck is 60. Actress Lisa Eichhorn is 57. Singer Tim Booth of James is 49. Country singer Clint Black is 47. Country bassist Dave Buchanan of Yankee Grey is 43. Actress Gabrielle Anwar is 39. "Daily Show" correspondent Rob Corddry is 38. Singer David (dah-VEED') Garza is 38. Bassist Rick Burch of Jimmy Eat World is 34. Singer Natalie Imbruglia (im-BROO'-lee-uh) is 34. Rapper Cam'ron is 33. Singer Gavin DeGraw is 32.

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