|
The Woolworth Hour
''The Woolworth Hour'' is an American radio program of concert music that was broadcast on CBS from June 5, 1955, until December 29, 1957. Beginning on September 4, 1955, it was also carried on 47 stations on the Dominion Network in Canada. Overview Episodes of ''The Woolworth Hour'' were "designed to appeal to a broad popular taste" including "lush string arrangements of old standards and some new hits plus a touch of the classical." Bruno Zirato Jr., the director, said that listeners "turn to us for standard music that they seldom find elsewhere on the air." Conductor Percy Faith summed up his view of the show: "I like to picture a romantic young couple hearing the program on a car radio — or a family sitting around after Sunday dinner — or a husband and wife, who have had many years together, hearing a song from their courtship. We try to have something for everyone." Faith led a 36-piece orchestra and a chorus on the program. When he took a two-month vacation in the su ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dominion Network
The Dominion Network was the second English-language radio network of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation from January 1, 1944 to 1962. It consisted of the CBC-owned CJBC (AM), CJBC radio station in Toronto and a series of 34 privately owned affiliates from coast-to-coast. The Dominion Network was set up as a complementary network to the CBC's main English service which became known as the Trans-Canada Network. While the Trans-Canada Network focus was on public affairs, educational and cultural programs, the Dominion Network's broadcast schedule consisted of lighter programming fare than that of the Trans-Canada Network and carried more American programming. As well, the Dominion Network operated mostly in the evenings, freeing affiliates to air local programming during the day. History The Dominion Network was launched on January 1, 1944 after a request by private affiliates asking to set up their own radio network in order to carry American programming was turned down. CBC ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based in New York City from the mid-1920s and gained a national profile through his orchestra's appearances at the Cotton Club in Harlem. A master at writing miniatures for the three-minute 78 rpm recording format, Ellington wrote or collaborated on more than one thousand compositions; his extensive body of work is the largest recorded personal jazz legacy, and many of his pieces have become Standard (music), standards. He also recorded songs written by his bandsmen, such as Juan Tizol's "Caravan (1937 song), Caravan", which brought a Spanish tinge to big band jazz. At the end of the 1930s, Ellington began a nearly thirty five-year collaboration with composer-arranger-pianist Billy Strayhorn, whom he called his writ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jerome Hines
Jerome A. Hines (November 8, 1921 – February 4, 2003) was an American operatic bass who performed at the Metropolitan Opera from 1946 to 1987. Standing 6'6", his stage presence and stentorian voice made him ideal for such roles as Sarastro in ''The Magic Flute'', Mephistopheles in ''Faust'', Ramfis in '' Aida'', the Grand Inquisitor in '' Don Carlos'', the title role of '' Boris Godunov'' and King Mark in ''Tristan und Isolde''. Early life and education Hines was born Jerome Albert Link Heinz in Hollywood. He studied mathematics and chemistry at the University of California, Los Angeles, while also studying voice with Vladimir Rosing. Music Hines made his operatic debut at the San Francisco Opera in 1941 as Monterone in ''Rigoletto''. He changed his surname to Hines at the suggestion of his manager Sol Hurok to avoid the anti-German feelings prevalent during World War II. In 1946, Hines made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera as the Sergeant in '' Boris Godunov''. He went on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, alternatively billed as Nat "King" Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's career as a jazz and Traditional pop, pop vocalist started in the late 1930s and spanned almost three decades where he found success and recorded over 100 songs that became hits on the pop charts. Cole started his career as a jazz pianist in the late 1930s, when he formed the King Cole Trio, which became the top-selling group (and the only black act) on Capitol Records in the 1940s. Cole's trio was the model for small jazz band, jazz ensembles that followed. Starting in 1950, he transitioned to become a solo singer billed as Nat King Cole. Despite achieving mainstream success, Cole faced intense racial discrimination during his career. While not a major vocal public figure in the civil rights movement, Cole was a member of his local NAACP branch and participated in the 1963 March ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April25, 1917June15, 1996) was an American singer, songwriter and composer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, Intonation (music), intonation, absolute pitch, and a "horn-like" improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing. After a tumultuous adolescence, Fitzgerald found stability in musical success with the Chick Webb Orchestra, performing across the country but most often associated with the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. Her rendition of the nursery rhyme "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" helped boost both her and Webb to national fame. After taking over the band when Webb died, Fitzgerald left it behind in 1942 to start her solo career. Her manager was Moe Gale, co-founder of the Savoy, until she turned the rest of her career over to Norman Granz, who founded Verve Records to produce new records by Fitzgerald. With Verve, she recorded ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dolores Hawkins
Dolores Hawkins (September 22, 1929 '' – '' January 15, 1987) was an American rhythm & blues singer from Brooklyn, New York. Vocal career She is remembered for her vocals that accompanied band leaders Gene Krupa and Red Saunders (musician), Red Saunders. She recorded "Heavenly Father"/"Rocks in My Bed" with The Four Lads in 1952. Walter Winchell mentioned the ''newcomer'' Hawkins in his column of March 25, 1953. He said that she was admired by female vocalists Gloria DeHaven and Monica Lewis during her performance at the Copacabana (nightclub), Copacabana. Hawkins released the single record "Scrap of Paper"/"I've Got A Letter", a 78 RPM, on OKeh Records in April 1953. The orchestra that accompanied her vocals was directed by Joe Reisman. In 1954 Hawkins recorded "George"/"Silly Man"' on Epic Records. ''Billboard Magazine'' commented that she sang the ballad pastiche "George" with "the coolness of an English Savoyard." She performed the title song for the 1956 film "A Kiss Befo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Billy Daniels
William Boone Daniels (September 12, 1915 – October 7, 1988) was an American singer active in the United States and Europe from the mid-1930s to 1988, notable for his hit recording of " That Old Black Magic" and his pioneering performances on early 1950s television. He was one of the first African-American entertainers to cross over into the mainstream. Daniels was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1977. Life and career Early life Daniels was born in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. where his father was a postmaster and notary. His mother was a schoolteacher and organist. Daniels had a heritage of Portuguese sailor, Native American (Choctaw), African American, and frontiersman Daniel Boone. Early career In 1935, Daniels moved from Jacksonville to New York to attend Columbia University. He planned to become a lawyer, but he was sidetracked during the Depression. His grandmother was a seamstress in Harlem for the ''Ziegfeld Follies'', and she encoura ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ann Miller
Ann Miller (born Johnnie Lucille Collier; April 12, 1923 – January 22, 2004) was an American actress and dancer. She is best remembered for her work in the classical Hollywood cinema musical film, musicals of the 1940s and 1950s. Her early film work included roles in ''Room Service (1938 film), Room Service'' with the Marx Brothers and Frank Capra's ''You Can't Take It with You (film), You Can't Take It with You'', both released in 1938. She later starred in the musical classics ''Easter Parade (film), Easter Parade'' (1948), ''On the Town (film), On the Town'' (1949) and ''Kiss Me Kate (film), Kiss Me Kate'' (1953). Her final film role was in ''Mulholland Drive (film), Mulholland Drive'' (2001). In 1960, Miller received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2017, ''The Daily Telegraph'' named her one of the greatest actors never to have received an Academy Award nomination. Early life Johnnie Lucille Collier (some sources provide other names, such as Lucille Collier and L ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rosemary Clooney
Rosemary Clooney (May 23, 1928 – June 29, 2002) was an American singer and actress. She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the song "Come On-a My House", which was followed by other pop numbers such as "Botch-a-Me (Ba-Ba-Baciami Piccina), Botch-a-Me", "Mambo Italiano (song), Mambo Italiano", "Tenderly", "Half as Much", "Hey There", "This Ole House", and "¿Quién será?, Sway". She also had success as a jazz vocalist. Clooney's career languished in the 1960s, partly because of problems related to bipolar disorder and drug addiction, but revived in 1977, when her ''White Christmas (film), White Christmas'' co-star Bing Crosby asked her to appear with him at a show marking his 50th anniversary in show business. She continued recording until her death in 2002. Early life Rosemary Clooney was born in Maysville, Kentucky, the daughter of Marie Frances (née Guilfoyle) and Andrew Joseph Clooney. She was one of five children. Her father was of Irish and German descent, and he ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Della Reese
Della Reese (born Delloreese Patricia Early; July 6, 1931 – November 19, 2017) was an American singer, actress, television personality, author and ordained minister. As a singer, she recorded blues, gospel, jazz and pop. Several of her singles made the US Hot 100, including the number two charting song, " Don't You Know?" (1959). As a television personality and actress, she was the first black woman to host her own talk show and appeared on the highly-rated CBS television series '' Touched by an Angel''. Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Reese sang in her church's choir and was discovered by gospel entertainer, Mahalia Jackson, who took Reese on tour for several years. Reese then joined a gospel group called The Meditation Singers before turning her attention towards secular music. She won a local talent competition, which led to a multiple-week appearance at The Flame nightclub in New York City. The appearance helped Reese secure her first recording contract with Jub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ferlin Husky
Ferlin Eugene Husky (December 3, 1925 – March 17, 2011) was an American country music singer who was equally adept at honky-tonk, ballads, spoken recitations, rockabilly and pop tunes. From 1948 to 1953, he recorded under the stage name Terry Preston. He also created and recorded as the comic, outspoken hayseed character, Simon Crum. In the 1950s and '60s, his hits included " Gone" and " Wings of a Dove", each reaching number one on the country charts. Between 1953 and 1975, he had 11 top 10 hits, two dozen top 20 hits and a total of 50 songs in ''Billboard'' magazine's top 100 country songs. His versatility and matinee-idol looks propelled a seven-decade entertainment career.McArdle, Terence "County music showman had comic alter ego" (March 18, 2011) ''The Washington Post'', p. B7 In 2010, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Biography Ferlin Husky was born in Gumbo, Missouri, an unincorporated community in northwestern St. Francois County, Missouri. His mo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jerry Vale
Jerry Vale (born Gennaro Louis Vitaliano; July 8, 1930 – May 18, 2014) was an American traditional pop singer. During the 1950s and 1960s, he reached the top of the pop charts with his interpretations of romantic ballads, including a cover of Eddy Arnold hit " You Don't Know Me" (1956) and " Have You Looked into Your Heart" (1964). Vale, who was of Italian descent, sang numerous songs in Italian, many of which were used in soundtracks of films by Martin Scorsese. Vale showed his love of Italian music with his albums, ''I Have But One Heart'' (1962) and ''Arrivederci, Roma'' (1963), full of Italian standards such as " Amore, Scusami", " Ciao, Ciao, Bambina", " Arrivederci, Roma", and " O Sole Mio". His renditions of " Volare", " Innamorata (Sweetheart)", and " Al di là" became classic Italian-American songs. Early life Vale was born Gennaro Louis Vitaliano in the Bronx, New York, to Italian immigrant parents and grew up in the Wakefield section of the Bronx, which at the time w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
