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Genre | Popular music |
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Running time | 30 minutes |
Country of origin | United States |
Language(s) | English |
Home station | WEAF |
Syndicates | NBC |
Starring | Johnny Mercer |
Original release | June 22, 1943 – September 14, 1943 |
Sponsored by | Pepsodent |
Johnny Mercer's Music Shop is an old-time radio program that featured popular songs. It was broadcast on NBC from June 22, 1943, until September 14, 1943, as a summer replacement for The Pepsodent Show . A similar program with a slightly different title was broadcast in 1944. [1]
Mercer was a guest on The Pepsodent Show's season finale, providing a transition to the premiere of his own program the following week. [2] The show originated from WEAF and was sponsored by Pepsodent toothpaste. [3]
Singers Ella Mae Morse and Jo Stafford were regulars on the program, with musical support from The Pied Pipers and Paul Weston and his orchestra. [4] Although the program's cast was white, episodes sometimes presented a black image. For example, the first episode included both the song " Louisville Lou (That Vampin' Lady) ", which is about a black stripper, and a minstrel show skit. [2]
A review in the trade publication Billboard praised the program's musical performances but noted that its comedy components needed to be improved to better match Mercer's personality, [3] which the Encyclopedia of Music in the 20th Century commented was "so suited to the medium." [5]
As the title implies, Chesterfield cigarettes sponsored this 15-minute program, which ran from June 12, 1944, until December 8, 1944 on NBC. Members of the cast were the same as those in the 1943 program, except for the addition of Wendell Niles as announcer. [1] In addition to the NBC broadcasts, the show was also carried by the Armed Forces Radio Service for transmission to United States military personnel. [2]
John Herndon Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer, as well as a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records with music industry businessmen Buddy DeSylva and Glenn E. Wallichs.
Your Hit Parade was an American radio and television music program that was broadcast from 1935 to 1953 on radio, and seen from 1950 to 1959 on television. It was sponsored by American Tobacco's Lucky Strike cigarettes. During its 24-year run, the show had 19 orchestra leaders and 52 singers or groups. Many fans inaccurately referred to the show as The Hit Parade.
The Pied Pipers is an American popular singing group originally formed in the late 1930s. They had several chart hits through the 1940s, both under their own name and in association with Tommy Dorsey and with Frank Sinatra.
Chesterfield is a brand of cigarette, named after Chesterfield County, Virginia. The brand is owned by conglomerate Altria and produced by its subsidiary Philip Morris USA.
A Date with Judy is a comedy radio series aimed at a teenage audience which ran from 1941 to 1950.
Martin Block was an American disc jockey. It is said that Walter Winchell invented the term "disc jockey" as a means of describing Block's radio work.
The Chesterfield Supper Club is an NBC Radio musical variety program (1944–1950), which was also telecast by NBC Television (1948–1950).
Blondie is a radio situation comedy adapted from the long-running Blondie comic strip by Chic Young. It stars Arthur Lake as Dagwood Bumstead and, for the majority of its run, Penny Singleton as Blondie Bumstead. The radio program ran on several networks from 1939 to 1950.
Beat the Band is a musical quiz show heard on NBC radio from 1940 to 1944 in two distinctly different series. The program popularized the show business catch phrase, "Give me a little traveling music", often uttered on TV a decade later by Jackie Gleason.
After Perry Como left the Ted Weems Orchestra in late 1942, he returned to his home in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania with the idea of going back to his barbering profession. Como had many offers before and after he was back in his home town. As he was preparing to sign a lease to re-open a barber shop, he received a telephone call from Tommy Rockwell, who was with General Artists Corporation. Rockwell, who also represented Ted Weems, offered Como a sustaining (non-sponsored) radio program on CBS and also to get him a recording contract. The offers made by Rockwell meant remaining in New York to perform with no more road tours as had been the case for many years when Como was with both Freddie Carlone and Ted Weems. On the advice of his wife, Roselle, Como agreed to go to New York as it meant he could continue working in the music business and not be separated from his family.
Philip Morris Playhouse is a 30-minute old-time radio dramatic anthology series.
The Ginny Simms Show is an umbrella title that can refer to any of several radio musical variety shows in the United States. The versions were broadcast on CBS and NBC beginning September 19, 1941, and ending March 18, 1951.
The Frank Sinatra Show was a title applied—in some cases specifically and in other cases generically—to several radio musical programs in the United States, some of which had other distinct titles as indicated below. Singer Frank Sinatra starred in the programs, some of which were broadcast on CBS, while others were on NBC.
The Pepsodent Show is an American radio comedy program broadcast during the Golden Age of Radio. The program starred comedian Bob Hope and his sidekick Jerry Colonna along with Blanche Stewart and Elvia Allman as high-society crazies Brenda and Cobina as well as a continuously rotating supporting cast and musicians which included, for a time, Judy Garland, Frances Langford and Desi Arnaz and his orchestra.
Call for Music is an old-time radio program in the United States. It was broadcast on CBS February 13 – April 16, 1948, and on NBC April 20 – June 29, 1948. The title was adapted from the sponsor's signature radio tag, "Call for Philip Morris."
Campana Serenade is an old-time radio music program in the United States. It was broadcast on NBC from October 10, 1942 to April 10, 1943, and on CBS from September 4, 1943 to February 16, 1944.
The Dick Haymes Show is an American old-time radio musical variety program. It was broadcast on NBC from June 20, 1944, to October 9, 1945, and on CBS from October 13, 1945, until July 1, 1948. It was also carried by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
The Dinah Shore Show was a title applied—in some cases specifically and in other cases generically—to several radio musical programs in the United States, some of which had other distinct titles as indicated below. Singer Dinah Shore starred in the programs, some of which were broadcast on the Blue Network, while others were on CBS or NBC.
The Jack Carson Show is an American old-time radio comedy-variety program. It was broadcast on different seasons on CBS and NBC, beginning on June 2, 1943, and ending on December 20, 1956. The program was also known as The Sealtest Village Store, and the New Jack Carson Show. It was carried on the CBC Dominion network in Canada, as well. Additionally, The Jack Carson Show is the title of a television program that was broadcast on NBC from October 22, 1954, until March 11, 1955.
The Judy Canova Show is an American old-time radio comedy-variety program. It was broadcast on CBS July 6, 1943 – June 27, 1944, and on NBC January 13, 1945 – June 30, 1951, and December 29, 1951 – May 28, 1953. Each version differed from the others to some extent, although comedy and music remained the focal points. The program is notable for being the medium in which Judy Canova found her greatest success.