January 24 Radio History

➦In 1916...Longtime Chicago baseball announcer Jack Brickhouse was born in Peoria Illinois.  He was the TV voice of the Cubs from the 1940’s into the ’80’s.  Early on he did TV play by play for the White Sox as well, and did radio for the NFL’s Chicago Bears.  He died Aug 6, 1998 after suffering a heart attack while undergoing surgery.  Brickhouse was 82.


➦In 1942..."Abie's Irish Rose," with a cast that variously included Clayton "Bud" Collyer, and Mercedes McCambridge, began a 2½-year run on NBC Radio.




➦In 1958...The Quarry Men gave their only performance at the Cavern Club in Liverpool. Three years later the musicians returned as the Beatles.


➦In 1962...Brian Epstein signed with the Beatles as their manager. George and Paul's fathers had to sign for their sons, who were still minors. According to the terms of the agreement, Epstein was to get 25 percent of the group's earnings, provided they made more than $400 each per week.



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


➦In 1962...the Billboard album chart reflected the current Twist dance craze, with four of the Top Ten LPs belonging to Chubby Checker: “For Twisters Only,” “Let’s Twist Again,” “Your Twist Party,” and “Bobby Rydell/Chubby Checker.”

➦In 1984...Apple introduces the Macintosh 128K

➦In 1992...choral director & composer Ken Darby died of heart problems in Sherman Oaks, Calif., at age 82. In 1929 he formed the King’s Men vocal quartet featured for years on the Fibber McGee & Molly radio show.  He also won three Oscars and was the principal composer of Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender" but signed the rights over to his wife Vera Matson, whose name appears as co-lyricist and co-composer with Presley. The song was adapted from the Civil War era song "Aura Lee." His choral group, the Ken Darby Singers, sang behind Bing Crosby on the original 1942 recording of "White Christmas," and provided the music for two 1950s TV western series, "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" and "The Adventures of Jim Bowie."

➦In 1993...Ashley Jade Stern was born, the daughter of Radio personality Howard Stern

➦In 2001...bandleader Les Brown died at age 88.  His “Band of Renown” introduced Doris Day to North American audiences, and played radio, TV & live events for Bob Hope including 18 USO tours, for almost 50 years.

➦In 2015…Pioneering radio and television talk show host Joe Franklin, who hosted his own TV show in New York City for more than 40 years, died of prostate cancer at the age of 88.

At 14, Franklin began writing skits for The Kate Smith Hour and at 16, Franklin officially began his entertainment career as a record picker on radio sensation Martin Block's Make Believe Ballroom where he became known as "The Young Wreck with the Old Records".

He was considered to be an authority on popular culture of the first half of the 20th century, including silent films.