1970 Ad

Jet, Dec 3, 2001

November 26, 1970--Charles W. Gordone, playwright, director, actor and educator, became the first Black to win a Pulitzer Prize in drama for No Place to Be Somebody on this day. Gordone's play explored the dynamics of Black-White and Black-Black relationships through the story of a Black saloonkeeper who tries to outwit White mobsters. Gordone, a native of Cleveland, attended California State University, in L.A., New York University, the University of California and Columbia University. He also served in the U.S. Air Force. He became an actor in the early '50s, winning an Obie Award for his role in an Off-Broadway production of Of Mice and Men. During the 1950s and early '60s, he devoted much of his time to directing. Gordone's fame from No Place to Be Somebody helped him earn a grant from the National Institute of Arts and Letters in 1971. Other works that he produced during the '70s included Will Bignigga, Chumpanzee, BabChops and The Last Chord. He died on November 13, 1995, in College Station, TX.

December 1, 1982--Michael Jackson's Thriller, the best-selling album of all time, was released on this day. In 1985, it was proclaimed the Best Selling Album of All Time by the Guinness Book of World Records. Jackson's 1982 pop classic, which spawned seven top 10 hits, including Billie Jean, Beat It and Thriller, was certified for sales of more than 26 million copies; his cumulative album sales have reached 56 million. Thriller topped the charts for nine months (37 weeks) and remained on Billboard's album chart for more than two years (122 weeks). In February 1984, Jackson won 8 of the 12 Grammys he was nominated for at the 26th annual Grammy

Awards presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles. The Album of the Year award went to Thriller, and Jackson won Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.