Edward Bowes
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Edward Bowes (June 14, 1874 – June 13, 1946), professionally known as Major Edward Bowes, was an American
radio Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3  hertz (Hz) and 300  gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...
personality of the 1930s and 1940s whose '' Major Bowes Amateur Hour'' was the best-known amateur talent show on radio during its 18-year run (1935–1952) on
NBC Radio The National Broadcasting Company's NBC Radio Network (also known as the NBC Red Network from 1927 to 1942) was an American commercial radio network which was in continuous operation from 1926 through 1999. Along with the NBC Blue Network, it wa ...
and CBS Radio.


Early life and radio career

Bowes’ father died when he was six years old, and young Edward worked as he could to augment the family income. After leaving grammar school he worked as an office boy, and then went into the real estate business, until the cataclysmic
1906 San Francisco earthquake At 05:12 AM Pacific Time Zone, Pacific Standard Time on Wednesday, April 18, 1906, the coast of Northern California was struck by a major earthquake with an estimated Moment magnitude scale, moment magnitude of 7.9 and a maximum Mercalli inte ...
wiped out his fortune. He then moved to
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
in search of other opportunities, soon realizing that the theatrical world was lucrative, and he worked busily in New York as a musical conductor, composer, and arranger. He also produced Broadway shows such as ''Kindling'' in 1911–12 and ''The Bridal Path'' in 1913. He was married to ''Kindling'' star Margaret Illington from 1910 until her death in 1934. He became managing director of New York's Capitol Theatre, which he ran with military efficiency. He insisted on being addressed as "Major Bowes," a nickname that sprang from his earlier military rank, though historians are divided on whether he was an active duty officer in
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
or held the rank as a member of the Officer Reserve Corps. Bowes brought his best-known creation to New York radio station WHN in 1934. He had actually hosted scattered amateur nights on smaller stations while manager of the Capitol. Within a year of its WHN premiere, ''The Original Amateur Hour''—its original name, according to historian Gerald Nachman, was ''Major Bowes and His Capitol Family''—began earning its creator and host as much as $1 million a year, according to ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
''. The rapid popularity of ''The Original Amateur Hour'' made him better known than most of the talent he featured. Some of his discoveries became stars, including
opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
stars Lily Pons, Robert Merrill, and
Beverly Sills Beverly Sills (born Belle Miriam Silverman; May 25, 1929July 2, 2007) was an American operatic soprano whose career peak was between the 1950s and 1970s. Although she sang a repertoire from Handel and Mozart to Puccini, Massenet and Verd ...
; comedian Jack Carter; pop singer
Teresa Brewer Teresa Brewer (born Theresa Veronica Breuer; May 7, 1931 – October 17, 2007) was an American singer whose style incorporated pop, country, jazz, R&B, musicals, and novelty songs. She was one of the most prolific and popular female singers of th ...
; and
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
, fronting a quartet known as the Hoboken Four when they appeared on the show in 1935. The show consistently ranked among radio's top ten programs throughout its run. Bowes' familiar catchphrase "Round and round she goes, and where she stops nobody knows," was spoken in the familiar avuncular tones for which he was renowned, whenever it was time to spin the "wheel of fortune," the device by which some contestants were called to perform. In the early days of the show, whenever a performer was simply too terrible to continue, Bowes would stop the act by striking a gong (a device that would be revived in the 1970s by
Chuck Barris Charles Hirsch Barris (June 3, 1929 – March 21, 2017) was an American game show creator, producer, and host, author, and songwriter. A key crew member of several hugely successful game shows, he was the creator of ''The Dating Game'' (1965– ...
's infamous ''
The Gong Show ''The Gong Show'' is an American amateur talent contest franchised by Sony Pictures Television to many countries. It was broadcast on NBC's daytime schedule from June 14, 1976, through July 21, 1978, and in first-run syndication from 1976 to ...
''). Bowes heard from thousands of listeners who objected to his terminating these acts prematurely, so he abandoned the gong in 1936. Nachman recorded that Bowes, "a businesslike fellow with a mirthless chuckle who, unlike most emcees, had a gift for nongab," went out of his way to make contestants feel at ease, often taking them to dinner before their appearances. Nachman credits Bowes for featuring more black entertainers than many network shows of the time.


Death and legacy

Major Bowes died on the eve of his 72nd birthday at his home in the New Jersey suburb of Rumson, New Jersey. The following week, his talent coordinator Ted Mack took over hosting duties. Nineteen months after Bowes' death, on January 18, 1948, the program, with Mack as host, debuted on the DuMont Television Network. As a measure of the affection attached to Bowes' name, the show continued to be called ''Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour'' until the 1950-51 season, when it became simply ''
The Original Amateur Hour ''The Original Amateur Hour'' is an American radio and television program. The show was a continuation of '' Major Bowes Amateur Hour'', which had been a radio staple from 1934 to 1945. Major Edward Bowes, the originator of the program and its ...
'', and in 1955 became ''Ted Mack and the Original Amateur Hour''. Mack continued to host the show throughout the remainder of its run, during which it ran on all four major networks, until 1970. The radio version, also with Mack, ran until 1952. Bowes was referred to in Cab Calloway's "I Love to Singa" from the movie ''The Singing Kid'' (1936), and in the Dorothy Fields lyrics for "Never Gonna Dance," from the Astaire-Rogers film ''
Swing Time In music, the term ''swing'' has two main uses. Colloquially, it is used to describe the propulsive quality or "feel" of a rhythm, especially when the music prompts a visceral response such as foot-tapping or head-nodding (see pulse). This sens ...
'' (1936). He is also referenced in the song ''
I'm Still Here I'm Still Here may refer to: Literature * I'm Still Here (book), ''I'm Still Here'' (book), a 2018 memoir by Austin Channing Brown * ''Ainda Estou Aqui'' (in English: ''I'm Still Here''), a 2015 memoir by Marcelo Rubens Paiva Film and television * ...
'' from Sondheim's 1971 musical ''
Follies ''Follies'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman. The plot centers on a crumbling Broadway theater, now scheduled for demolition, previously home to a musical revue (based on the ''Ziegfeld Follies ...
''. Major Bowes is referenced in two ''
The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology series, anthology television series created by Rod Serling in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described ...
'' episodes: " Static" (1961), where his show is heard on a mysterious radio that tunes into channels that no longer exist; his famous catch phrase "round and round she goes, where she stops nobody knows," is mentioned; as well as the episode “ Young Man’s Fancy” (1962). Bowes was a benefactor of the Catholic Church. Our Lady of Victory Church in Lower Manhattan is built on land donated by Bowes. Also, the auditorium at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains is named in his honor. He donated some of the rare books at St. Joseph's Seminary, Yonkers. In 1939, Major Bowes donated his multi-acre Ossining estate, known as "Laurel Hill," to the Lutheran Church, where it is still being enjoyed as an ecumenical retreat center. Run by a board of Lutheran lay persons and clergy, it is known as Major Edward Bowes Memorial Retreat, and operates year-round for students, church, and community groups in the greater New York metro area.


References


Further reading

* Gerald Nachman, ''Raised on Radio'' (New York: Pantheon Books, 1998)


External links

*
''Encyclopædia Britannica'' article on Edward BowesOld Time Radio Researchers Database of People and Programs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bowes, Edward 1874 births 1946 deaths American theatre managers and producers American radio show creators Radio personalities from San Francisco Burials at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery Businesspeople from San Francisco People from Rumson, New Jersey