A historic day!

I don’t care what Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong say (3:35).

Or Billie Holiday (3:50).

Or Jimmy Buffett, who included the seldom-sung verse (4:13).

Or even the sugary-sweet, white-bread warblings of Doris Day (3:41).

Stars didn’t fall on Alabama last night.

Snow did.

At my daughter’s house.

We’ve been having pneumonia weather in the South this month. This morning the temperature at my house was 28 degrees Fahrenheit and it’s supposed to reach 72 this afternoon.

Potayto, Potahto, Tomayto, Tomahto

Just as there is only one Cher and only one Elvis (but truth in blogging compels me to tell you that there actually are three Elvises -- Elvis Presley, Elvis Costello who was born Declan Patrick MacManus, and Elvis Stoyko the ice-skater from Canada; I do not say that there are multiple Chers), there was also only one Ella and only one Louie. In case you are unfamiliar with them, they were Ella Fitzgerald (1917 - 1996) and Louis Armstrong (1901 - 1971).

Here they are collaborating on “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” (4:18), a song written by George and Ira Gershwin (who were born Jacob and Israel Gershowitz) for the 1937 film Shall We Dance where it was introduced by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers as part of a celebrated dance duet on roller skates.

Israel Gershowitz (Ira Gershwin) should not be confused with Israel Balin (Irving Berlin). Did you know that Jack Benny’s real name was Benny Kubelsky and Tony Curtis’s real name was Bernie Schwarz? Or that Marilyn Monroe was Norma Jean Baker and John Wayne was Marion Morris? But I digress.

I do apologize for the unflattering caricatures of Ella and Louie in the video clip. I do not apologize, however, for the music.

Speaking of a celebrated dance duet on roller skates, here are the one and only Fred and Ginger (1:01). At least this time Ginger didn’t have to do everything backwards and in high heels. Here they are in a more traditional role without the wheels (2:27).

Six of these seven have something in common

If you can’t identify them all, they are (or were):

Jean Stapleton (20th-century American actress in her role as Edith Bunker on All In The Family)
Louis Armstrong (20th-century American musician)
Dolly Parton (20th-century American singer/songwriter/performer)
Edgar Allan Poe (19th-century American author)
Al Joyner (20th-century American Olympian athlete)
Janis Joplin (20th-century American singer/songwriter/performer)
Robert E. Lee (19th-century American military leader)

Which one doesn’t have what the other six have (or had)?

For purposes of this quiz, Olympic medals, Emmys, Oscars, Grammys, Tonys, and the ability to play the trumpet don’t count.

Here is a big hint: The contest ends at midnight tonight. Look for the answer tomorrow!