On May 31st, 1958, Sheb Wooley’s “Purple People Eater” hit the top of the pop charts and stayed there for six weeks.

In 1961, Chuck Berry opened Berry Park, an outdoor amusement park in Wentzville, Missouri.

In 1976, The Who got into the “Guinness Book of World Records” as the loudest rock band ever, when their concert in England measured 120 decibels. That record has since been broken.

In 1977, Emerson, Lake and Palmer began a tour of the U.S. accompanied by a 70-piece orchestra.

In 1978, The Trammps’ “Disco Inferno” album went gold.

In 1989, the first International Rock Awards Ceremony was held in New York City. The Traveling Wilburys’ “Volume One” was named album of the year, Guns N’ Roses won artist of the year, and newcomer of the year went to Living Colour.

In 1990, “Seinfeld” made its debut as “The Seinfeld Chronicles” on NBC.

In 1995, Ted Nugent placed his handprint and signature in cement in the Hollywood Rock Walk.

In 1996, singer Elsbeary Hobbs, who sang bass with The Drifters, died of throat and lung cancer in New York. He was 59.

In 1998, singer Geri Halliwell, better known as Ginger Spice, quit the Spice Girls.

In 2000, singer Johnnie Taylor died of an apparent heart attack at a hospital in Dallas. He was 62. He’s probably best known for songs like “Who’s Making Love” and “Disco Lady.” That same day, Latin bandleader Tito Puente (PWEN’-tay) died in New York from complications from open heart surgery. He was 77.

In 2006, Katie Couric appeared for the last time on NBC’s “Today” show after 15 years on the program. She left to anchor the “CBS Evening News.”

(AP) — Organizers of a televised benefit concert say they raised more than $6 million in pledges and ticket sales to help people in Oklahoma trying to recover after a deadly tornado last week.

A spokeswoman for the United Way of Central Oklahoma reported the updated figures Thursday after the “Healing in the Heartland: Relief Benefit Concert” hosted by Blake Shelton and televised live on NBC.

Several country music stars with Oklahoma ties performed during the Wednesday night concert in downtown Oklahoma City. The included Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Vince Gill, Reba McEntire and Rascal Flatts. Other performers included Usher, Darius Rucker and Luke Bryan.

The money goes directly to the United Way of Central Oklahoma. It will distribute funding to agencies helping those affected by the May 20 tornado.

(AP) — Nicki Minaj is following Mariah Carey out the door on “American Idol.”

The hip-hop diva announced Thursday on Twitter that it is “time to focus on the music.”

Fox and “Idol” producer FremantleMedia say in a statement that they wish her the best.

Minaj became a new judge on the Fox talent competition last year along with Carey and Keith Urban. Minaj and Carey bickered on the show, creating a feud that was uncomfortable for both viewers and contestants.

Carey announced earlier Thursday that she wasn’t coming back to “Idol” so she can focus on her upcoming tour.

“Idol” veteran judge Randy Jackson announced ahead of the 12th season finale that he is also leaving the show.

The Nebraska State Fair Fan Club is set to launch on June 3 for the 2013 entertainment line-up.  According to Chelsey Jungck, Events and Entertainment Director, “We’ve streamlined the process into four easy steps.  Choose the concert you want to see, choose how many memberships you’d like, fill out the billing information and voila, print out your gate admission ticket, which is also your Fan Club voucher, and you’re ready to go.”

 

Benefits include:

• Your official 2013 Fan Club Pin
• Your official Fan Club credentials
• Your official concert wristband
• Your official State Fair Tote
• Preferred section seating
• No lines.  No waiting.

The Nebraska State Fair Fan Club redemption site will be located at the Welcome Center, just inside the main entrance.  Fan Club Members will have their voucher scanned at the entrance and will retain that same voucher for redemption at the Welcome Center.

Jungck says, “Fan Club members enter the concert through a separate door and can take their seat much closer to show time than other concertgoers.”

The cost to join the Fan Club is $30 per person and is available for the following shows:

 

Kellie Pickler             Friday, August 23                    7:30pm

Mel Tillis                    Wednesday, August 28           11:00am and 3:00pm

TobyMac                    Thursday, August 29               7:30pm

Eli Young Band         Friday, August 30                    7:30pm

 

Jungck says, “As in past years, in addition to the Fan Club, free wristbands are also available for these shows on a first come/first served basis.”  Wristbands are available day of show at noon with the exception of Older Nebraskan’s Day and Mel Tillis when wristbands are available at 8am.  All the details can be found on StateFair.org.

Country fiddler Johnny Gimble is 87
Actor Clint Walker (“Cheyenne”) is 86
Actor Keir Dullea (“2001: A Space Odyssey”) is 77
Actor Michael J. Pollard is 74
Guitarist Lenny Davidson of The Dave Clark Five is 69
Actor Colm Meaney (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”) is 60
Actor Ted McGinley (“Hope and Faith,” ”Married…With Children”) is 55
Actor Ralph Carter (“Good Times”) is 52
Country singer Wynonna Judd is 49
Guitarist Tom Morello of Audioslave and Rage Against The Machine is 49
Guitarist Patrick Dahlheimer (DOL’-hy-mer) of Live is 42
Singer-actress Idina Menzel is 42
Singer Cee Lo Green (Gnarls Barkley, Goodie Mob) is 39
Rapper Remy Ma is 33
Guitarist James Smith of Underoath is 31
Actor Jared Gilmore (“Once Upon A Time,” ”Mad Men”) is 13.

On May 30th, 1968, The Beatles began recording the “White Album.”

In 1978, Swan Song Records announced that Led Zeppelin had entered the recording studio for the first time since the death of Robert Plant’s son a year earlier. The sessions became the band’s final album, “In Through The Out Door.”

In 1987, Beastie Boy Adam Horovitz was arrested in Liverpool, England, for allegedly throwing a beer can at a fan during a concert. He was later acquitted.

In 1990, the band Midnight Oil gave a free concert on flatbed trucks outside of an Exxon building in response to the oil spill of the Exxon Valdez (val-DEEZ’) in Alaska.

In 1992, singer Paul Simon married singer Edie Brickell (brih-KEL’).

In 1995, Robert Dewey Hoskins was arrested for scaling the fence around Madonna’s Hollywood Hills mansion. He was later convicted of stalking her.

In 1996, John Tesh made his last appearance as host of “Entertainment Tonight.” He stepped down after ten years to pursue his music career.

Beyoncé’s bootylicious-ness is not for touching.

That should go without saying, but a clip from Bey’s Monday concert in Copenhagen, Denmark, shows that one attendee didn’t get that memo.

The singer, wearing a tailored, sparkling jumpsuit, was walking along the stage while performing her single “Irreplaceable” to encourage those closest to her in the audience to sing along.

As she turned around to head back in the other direction, a concertgoer reached up and swatted her on her bum.

He must not know about Queen Bey, as she calmly but confidently told the grabby audience member that she’d have him escorted out. After the brief interruption, Beyoncé picked up where she left off, feathers seemingly unruffled.

The 31-year-old was performing in Denmark as part of her “Mrs. Carter Show” world tour, a lengthy trek during which she’s weathered a brief bout of exhaustion, which increased speculation that she’s expecting.

Actor Clifton James is 92
Actor Kevin Conway (“Gods and Generals”) is 71
Singer Gary Brooker of Procol Harum is 68
Actor Anthony Geary is 66
Singer Rebbie (REE’-bee) Jackson is 63
Composer Danny Elfman is 60
Bassist Michael Porcaro of Toto is 58
Singer LaToya Jackson is 57
Actor Ted Levine (“Monk,” ”The Silence of the Lambs”) is 56
Actress Annette Bening is 55
Actor Rupert Everett is 54
Singer Melissa Etheridge is 52
Actress Lisa Whelchel (“The Facts of Life”) is 50
Singer Jayski McGowan of Quad City DJ’s is 46
Guitarist Noel Gallagher (Oasis) is 46
Guitarist Chan Kinchla of Blues Traveler is 44
Guitarist Mark Lee of Third Day is 40
Cartoonist Aaron McGruder (“Boondocks”) is 39
Singer Melanie Brown (“Scary Spice”) of the Spice Girls is 38
Rapper Playa Poncho is 38
Actor Brandon Mychal Smith (“Sonny With A Chance”) is 24.

On May 29, 1942, Bing Crosby recorded “White Christmas.”

In 1952, country singer Hank Williams was divorced by his wife, Audrey Shepherd.

In 1959, one of rock’s first outdoor festivals took place in Atlanta, Georgia, featuring Ray Charles, B.B. King, Ruth Brown, Jimmy Reed and The Drifters. It attracted 9,000 people.

In 1971, Paul McCartney released “Mary Had A Little Lamb.” It was one of McCartney’s least successful songs, but still cracked the Top Thirty.

In 1973, Roger McGuinn, formerly of The Byrds, made his solo debut in New York.

In 1977, Elvis Presley walked off stage in the middle of a concert in Baltimore. It was the first time in his 23-year career that he did so, aside from when he was sick.

In 1987, a jury in Los Angeles found “Twilight Zone” movie director John Landis and four associates not guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of actor Vic Morrow and two children.

In 1999, the remains of Iron Butterfly bassist Phil “Taylor” Kramer were found inside a van in a ravine near Malibu, California. He had disappeared four years earlier while driving to the airport to pick up a friend.

In 2004, gunmen in the Congo attacked a group of unarmed military observers who were escorting Sum 41. The band had to be evacuated to Uganda. They were in the Congo to film a documentary for a Canadian charity.

In 2011, singer Sean Kingston crashed his watercraft into a bridge in Miami Beach, Florida. He was seriously injured, and a female passenger was also hurt.

Less than two weeks after Angelina Jolie described her decision to have a double mastectomy to avoid breast cancer in an Op-Ed article in The New York Times, her aunt, Debbie Martin, has died of the disease in Escondido, Calif., The Associated Press reported. She was 61 and died on Sunday.

Ms. Martin was the younger sister of Ms. Jolie’s mother, Marcheline Bertrand, who died of ovarian cancer in 2007. Ms. Jolie wrote in The Times on May 14 that it was her mother’s death and the presence of a defective gene, BRCA1, which increases her risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer, that prompted her to have preventive surgery.

Ron Martin, Ms. Martin’s husband, confirmed to The A.P. that she also had the BRCA1 gene, but was not aware of it until after her 2004 cancer diagnosis. “Had we known, we certainly would have done exactly what Angelina did,” he said.

He added that after learning she had breast cancer his wife had her ovaries removed because, like several other women in her family, she had a high genetic risk for ovarian cancer.