Timelines for year 1977
Gregg Jarrett
Graduated magna cum laude from Claremont Men's College in 1977 and received a law degree in 1980 from the University of California at San Francisco, Hastings College of the Law.
Peter Boyle
John Lennon was best man at his wedding on October 21, 1977. Boyle's wife was friends with Yoko Ono.
Bernie Mac
Started his career in stand-up comedy in 1977. His first professional comedy gig was at The Cotton Club in Chicago. He was so broke, he had to borrow a suit from his brother.
Neil Young
His songs "Southern Man" and "Alabama" were attacks on racism in the Southern US. The songs were "answered" by Lynyrd Skynyrd with their song "Sweet Home Alabama" (which in turn was "answered" by Warren Zevon's song "Play It All Night Long"). Some have interpreted Young's "Walk On" as an answer on his turn, although others think it's more likely the lyrics in "Walk On" refer to Crosby Stills Nash & Young. After Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines of Lynyrd Skynyrd were killed in a plane crash (1977), Young performed a rare live version of "Alabama" at Bicentennial Park, Miami, FL, on 11/12/1977, for Children's Hospital Charity with The Gone With The Wind Orchestra and he changed the lyric chorus from "Alabama" to "Sweet Home Alabama".
Laurel Cronin
She was awarded a 1977 Joseph Jefferson Citation for Actress in a Principal Role in a Play for "Company" at the Summer Comedy Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.
Brooks Robinson
Inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame with Frank Robinson in 1977 (charter inductees).
Janet Jackson
Her first biography was released in 1977 as a joint biography about her and brother Randy Jackson.
Roy Orbison
In 1977 Linda Ronstadt recorded a new version of "Blue Bayou" that became a major success and remained in the country music charts for months. In the early 1980s Don McLean's recording of "Crying" charted all over the world, reaching Number 1 in the UK. A duet between Orbison and Emmylou Harris took him to the country music Top 10 and crossed over into the pop charts.
Amzie Strickland
Veteran character actress familiar on film and TV from the 1950s on. Co-starred in the sitcom "Carter Country" (1977) for a single season.
Shirley Knight
She was nominated for a 1977 Joseph Jefferson Award for Guest Artist for her performance in the play, "The Landscape of the Body," at the Academy Festival Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.
Steven Williams
He was nominated for a 1977 Joseph Jefferson Award for Actor in a Principal Role in a Musical for "Joplin" at the St. Nicholas Theater Company in Chicago, Illinois.
David Soul
Between 1977 and 1982, he recorded four albums, which included a string of major hit singles: Don't Give Up On Us, Baby; Silver Lady; and Going In with my Eyes Open. He toured extensively with his band in the USA, UK, Japan and South America.
Junius Matthews
Suffered a stroke in 1977, which almost stopped him from voicing Rabbit in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977), but he managed to recover in time to do it.
Paula Mitchell
From 1977 to 1980, translated interviews and scripts from Italian into English for Cinemedia West Corporation (Los Angeles) - a documentary production company of which her then-husband, Giancarlo Lui, was the founder and president.
John Amos
Although he played Leslie Uggams's father in "Roots" (1977), he is only three years her senior in real life.
Ed Begley Jr.
Children: Amanda Begley (b. October 3rd 1977) and Nicholas Taylor Begley (b. January 4th 1979) with Ingrid Taylor.