Radio History: Dec 10

➦In 1889...actor Ray Collins was born in Sacramento.  Although best remembered as Lt. Tragg in 86 episodes of TV’s Perry Mason, he was a prominent member of Orson Welles Mercury Players beginning in radio.  He played 3 roles in CBS Radio’s legendary 1938 War of the Worlds. For several seasons he played Commissioner Weston on Mutual Radio’s The Shadow.   He died of emphysema July 11 1965 at age 75.

David Brinkley, Chet Huntley

➦In 1911...Newscaster Chester Robert "Chet" Huntley born (Died at age 63 from lung cancer – March 20, 1974). He is best known for co-anchoring NBC's evening news program, The Huntley-Brinkley Report, for 14 years beginning in 1956.

Huntley began his radio newscast career in 1934 at Seattle's KIRO AM, later working on radio stations in Spokane (KHQ) and Portland. His time (1936–37) in Portland was with KGW-AM, owned by The Oregonian, a Portland daily newspaper. At KGW he was writer, newscaster and announcer. In 1937 he went to work for KFI in Los Angeles, moving to CBS Radio from 1939 to 1951, then ABC Radio from 1951 to 1955.[5] In 1955, he joined the NBC Radio network, viewed by network executives as "another Ed Murrow".

In 1956, coverage of the national political party conventions was a major point of pride for the fledgling broadcast news organizations. NBC News executives were seeking to counter the growing popularity of CBS' Walter Cronkite, who had been a ratings success at the 1952 conventions. They decided to replace their current news anchor, John Cameron Swayze, but there was a disagreement on who the new anchorman should be. The two leading contenders were Huntley and David Brinkley. The eventual decision was to have both men share the assignment. Their on-air chemistry was apparent from the start, with Huntley's straightforward presentation countered by Brinkley's acerbic wit.

This success soon led to the team replacing Swayze on the network's nightly news program. It was decided to have the two men co-anchor the show; Huntley from New York City, Brinkley from Washington, D.C. The Huntley-Brinkley Report began in October 1956 and was soon a ratings success. Huntley and Brinkley's catchphrase closing of "Good night, David"—"Good night, Chet... and good night for NBC News" was developed by the show's producer, Reuven Frank. Although both anchors initially disliked it, the sign-off became famous. Huntley and Brinkley gained great celebrity themselves, with surveys showing them better known than John Wayne, Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart or the Beatles. The gregarious Huntley remained the same, a friend commenting in 1968 that "Chet is warm, he's friendly, he's unaffected, he's—well, he's just so damned nice."

Huntley's last NBC News broadcast was aired on July 31, 1970. He returned to Montana, where he conceived and built Big Sky, a ski resort south of Bozeman, which opened in December 1973.

➦In 1913...pianist, composer, conductor, and arranger Morton Gould was born at Richmond Hill NY.  In the 1930’s & 40’s he was musical director for national programs originating at WOR Mutual, and CBS Radio.  He moved on to composing Broadway & Hollywood film scores, winning a Grammy & Pulitzer Award along the way.   Gould died Feb 21, 1996 at age 82.

1938 issue

➦In 1914...actress/singer Dorothy Lamour was born in New Orleans.  In the early 30’s she had her own quarter-hour NBC radio show out of Chicago, and in the late 40’s she was singing hostess of NBC’s weekly Sealtest Variety Theatre from Hollywood. Besides her movie career, which included the “Road” series with Bob Hope & Bing Crosby, she made guest appearances on numerous TV series, including Damon Runyon Theatre, the Steve Allen Show, Burke’s Law, I Spy, Name of the Game, Marcus Welby MD, Hart to Hart, & Murder She Wrote.  She died of a heart attack Sep 22, 1996 at age 81.

➦In 1961...John, Paul George and Pete Best met for the third time with their new manager Brian Epstein.  They eventually signed a five-year contract with Epstein on 24 January 1962 giving Epstein 10 to 15 per cent of their income. They signed a new contract in October 1962 which gave Epstein 15, 20, or 25 per cent of revenues, depending on how much he helped the band earn.  The Beatles would then share any income after various expenses had been deducted. Epstein then formed a management company, NEMS Enterprises.

On October 1, 1962, four days before the release of "Love Me Do", Epstein signed Lennon and McCartney to a three-year NEMS publishing contract.

In 1963, Epstein advised the creation of Northern Songs, a publishing company that would control the copyrights of all Lennon–McCartney compositions recorded between 1963 and 1973. Music publisher Dick James and his partner Charles Silver owned 51 per cent of the company, Lennon and McCartney 20 per cent each, and Epstein 9 per cent.

Epstein's death in 1967 marked the beginning of the group's dissolution and had a profound effect on each Beatle. In 1997, McCartney said, "If anyone was the Fifth Beatle, it was Brian."

Beatles' Manager Brian Epstein was interviewed in New York City by Murray the K for WOR-FM Radio in March 1967.

➦In 1963..."The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite" featured a story about the new British pop music sensations, the Beatles. The report originally had been scheduled to air November 22 but was delayed because of extended news coverage of the presidential assassination.

➦In 1963... One day after his 6th birthday Donny Osmond made his debut, singing with his brothers “The Osmonds” on NBC-TV’s “Andy Williams Show.”

➦In 1967...Otis Redding and four members of the Bar-Kays (Otis’ backup group) were killed in the crash of a private plane near Madison, Wisconsin. Redding was just 26 years old. He came along at a time when black rhythm-and-blues artists were making inroads into the Top-40. But it was not until after his death that one of his records made the top of the charts. “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” was a number-one hit in early 1968, selling four-million copies in five months.

➦In 1980... Two days after his assassination...the body of John Lennon was cremated at the Fercliff Mortuary in Hartsdale, New York. The ashes were handed to Yoko Ono who took them back to their apartment in The Dakota.

Gosden and Charles Correll

➦In 1982...Freeman Gosden, the white radio actor (and situation comedy pioneer) who portrayed the black characters “Amos” & the “Kingfish” during the 30-year radio run of “Amos ‘n’ Andy”, died of congestive heart failure at age 83.

Gosden was born in Richmond, Virginia. During World War I he served in the United States Navy as a wireless operator, which prompted his great interest in the young medium of radio.

In 1921, Gosden first teamed up with Charles Correll to do radio work, presenting comedy acts, sketches, and hosting variety shows. They met in Durham, North Carolina, both working for the Joe Bren Producing Company. Their first regular show came in 1925 with their WEBH Chicago show Correll and Gosden, the Life of the Party. On this show the two told jokes, sang, and played music.

In 1926, Gosden and Correll had a hit with their radio show Sam & Henry on Chicago radio station WGN. Sam & Henry is considered by some historians to have been the first situation comedy.

From 1928 to 1960, Gosden and Correll broadcast their Amos 'n' Andy show, which was one of the most famous and popular shows on radio in the 1930s.

In 1969, Gosden was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in radio.

➦In 2004... an RCA microphone used by radio station KWKH, Shreveport for the historic Elvis Presley appearances at the Louisiana Hayride was sold for $37,500. The microphone was one of three used during 50 performances by Elvis for the Shreveport radio show from 1954 to ’56.

➦In 2016...Longtime Winnipeg morning man Bob Washington (CKRC), the voice of the K-Tel TV commercials, who also worked in radio in Moose Jaw, Saskatoon and Montreal before retiring to Vancouver, died of cancer at age 82.

➦In 2016...Allan Prell, the popular, folksy WBAL Baltimore liberal morning talk-show host recalled for his vivid imagination and gentle way of making fools of certain listeners, died Saturday at his Oakton, Va., home. He was 79.

Prell hosted a talk show from 1982 to 1999 at WBAL Radio.

Born in Shelby, Neb., Mr. Prell was the son of Philo Prell, a carpenter, and Ruth Ransom. He spent time during World War II in Middle River while his parents were defense workers. He spent a year at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, Neb., and he got a job at radio station KFTG. In a 1989 Baltimore Sun article, he said he worked at 27 radio stations — and was fired from most of them — before joining WBAL.

Gloria Loring is 78

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:

• Actor Fionnula Flanagan (“Waking Ned Devine”) is 83. 
• Actor-singer Gloria Loring is 78. 
• Drummer Walter “Clyde” Orange of The Commodores is 78. 
• Country singer Johnny Rodriguez is 73. 
• Actor Susan Dey is 72. 
• Musician Paul Hardcastle is 67. 
• Actor John J. York (“General Hospital”) is 66. 
• Actor-director Kenneth Branagh is 64. 
• Actor Nia Peeples is 63. 
• TV chef Bobby Flay is 60. 
• Singer-guitarist J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. is 59. 
• Bassist Scot Alexander of Dishwalla is 53. 
• Drummer Meg White of The White Stripes is 50. 
• Actor Emmanuelle Chriqui (“Superman and Lois,” “Entourage”) is 49. 
• Rapper Kuniva of D12 is 49. 
• Actor Gavin Houston (“The Haves and the Have Nots,” “Guiding Light”) is 47. 
• Bassist Noah Harmon of Airborne Toxic Event is 43. 
• Actor Patrick John Flueger (“Chicago P.D.”) is 41. 
• Country singer Meghan Linsey is 39. 
• Actor Raven-Symone (“That’s So Raven,” ″The Cosby Show”) is 39. 
• Actor-singer Teyana Taylor is 34. 
• Actor Kiki Layne (“Coming 2 America,” “If Beale Street Could Talk”) is 33.

✞REMEMBRANCES

• In 1896..Alfred Nobel, Swedish chemist who invented dynamite and founded the Nobel Prize ceremony on this date, dies at 63
• In 1967..Otis Redding, American soul singer-songwriter ("(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay"; "Respect"), dies in a plane crash in Lake Monona, Wisconsin at 26
• In 1996..Faron Young, American country and honky-tonk singer ("Hello Walls"; "It's Four in the Morning"), and actor (Hidden Guns; Daniel Boone, Trailblazer), commits suicide at 64
• In 2005..Richard Pryor, American Emmy and 5X Grammy Award-winning comedian (Live on the Sunset Strip), actor (Silver Streak; Stir Crazy), and screenwriter (Blazing Saddles), dies of a heart attack at 65
• In 2021..Michael Nesmith, American rock guitarist (The Monkees), and singer-songwriter ("Different Drum"), dies of heart failure at 78