January 15 In Radio History

In 1899...Goodman Ace was born. He was a Radio/TV actor/writer/columnist/humorist.

In 1945..."House Party" with Art Linkletter debuted on CBS Radio. The daily radio program aired for a total of 22 years. A television version of the show began in 1952 and ran for 17 years.

In 1953...Harry S. Truman became the first U.S. President to use Radio and TV to deliver his farewell upon leaving office.


In 1955...At the "Louisiana Hayride" in Shreveport, "Colonel" Tom Parker got his first look at a young singer named Elvis Presley singing "Hearts Of Stone," "That's All Right," and "Tweedle Dee."



In 1961...Motown Records signed the Primettes – Barbara Martin, Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, and Diana Ross – to a recording contract, on condition that they change the group's name. From several possibilities, they settled on the suggestion by Florence Ballard: the Supremes. Martin left the act in early 1962.



In 1967...The Rolling Stones appeared on a live broadcast of CBS-TV's "The Ed Sullivan Show" to sing both sides of their new single, "Ruby Tuesday" and "Let’s Spend The Night Together." Sullivan, however, instructed them to change the chorus of "Let's Spend the Night Together" to "Let's spend some time together." Lead singer Mick Jagger complied, but deliberately called attention to the censorship by rolling his eyes and mugging when he uttered the new words. After the performance, the Stones went backstage, then came back out dressed in Nazi uniforms with swastikas, which caused an angry Sullivan to tell them to return to their dressing rooms and change back into their performing outfits. Instead the Stones left the studio and Sullivan banned the group from ever appearing on his show again.