John Williams won his first Grammy Award for Best Original Score for his work on Jaws, the Steven Spielberg blockbuster, February 28, 1976. It was William's second Grammy nomination. He had been nominated for Best Sound Track Album or Recording of a Score for Checkmate back in 1962. Williams also won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for his composition on Jaws.
Frank Petersen, born March 2, 1932 in Topeka, Kansas, was the first African-American Marine Corps aviator and the first African-American Marine Corps general.
He enlisted in the US Navy in June 1950 and served as an electronics technician, but he vowed to a combat pilot. He entered the Naval Aviation Cadet Program in 1951 and completed flight training in October 1952. He accepted a commission as second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. He served during the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
In February 1979, he was promoted to brigadier general, the first African-American to achieve the rank in the US Marine Corps. In May 1983, he was promoted to major general and in June 1986, to lieutenant general. He was Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Development Command in Quantico, VA in July 1988 when he retired.
Billy Wilder's black-and-white masterpiece Sunset Boulevard won four Golden Globe awards at the 8th ceremony held February 28, 1951. It took home Best Picture, Best Actress for Gloria Swanson, Best Director for Wilder, and Best Original Score for Franz Waxman. It was nominated for three more awards: Best Supporting Actor for Erick von Stroheim, Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography Black and White.
Gloria Swanson beat Bette Davis for the Best Actress Award but they both lost the Academy Award.
Herb Alpert released his instrumental piece Rise July 1979 and won the Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance at the 22nd ceremony February 27, 1980. Alpert is the only musician to have an instrumental performance and a vocal performance enter into the Billboard Hot 100. His first entry was This Guy's In Love With You which reached #1 in 1968.
Rise reached #1 in October 1979 and remained for two weeks. It also reached #4 on the R&B chart, #17 on the Disco chart, and #1 for a week on the Adult Contemporary Chart.
Pamela Smith, who starts tomorrow as the chief of the US Park Police, is the first African-American woman to hold the top job. She announced already that officers will have to wear body cameras this year within 90 days. The program will be implemented across the country. The announcement comes after the Park Police has faced scrutiny over the clearing of protestors near the White House.
Helen Mirren, actress extraordinaire, won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in The Queen at the 79th ceremony February 25, 2007. She had some stiff competition because Meryl Streep and Judi Dench were also nominated.
The movie was nominated for five more awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Costume Design.
My man Billy Joel won a Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male for his album Glass Houses at the 23rd ceremony, February 25, 1981. It had also been nominated for Album of the Year but lost to Christopher Cross (WTF?).
