The Ink Spots were an American vocal jazz group who gained international fame in the 1930s and 1940s. The Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame inductees paved the way for rhythm and blues and dew-wop. The Ink Spots began performing in the Indianapolis area around 1931, appearing on radio station WLW in Cincinnati. By 1934 they made it to the Apollo Theater in New York, and started touring in England. In 1936, the Ink Spots were the first African Americans to appear on television, when the medium was in the experimental stage of development. By 1938 they had their own nationwide radio show. In 1939 they recorded a ballad called, "If I Didn't Care", was a smash hit, selling over 19 million copies. Hoppy Jones, Deek Watson, Charlie Fuqua, and Bill Kenny went on to appear in movies, and made many guest appearances on variety shows during the golden age of TV, between 1948 and 1952. You will hear The Ink Spots 1938 radio show, plus an appearance on the Jack Benny radio program in 1948.

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Mystery dramas were always a listener favorite during radio's classic era. You will hear four such theater productions in this podcast. Mollé Mystery Theater was a 30-minute anthology radio program that ran from 1943 to 1948. It was sponsored initially by Sterling Drugs, manufacturers of Mollé Brushless Shaving Cream. ABC Mystery Theater was a similar series on the air from 1951 to 1954 and made a brief transition to ABC-TV. We have Mystery Playhouse from 1945, and the CBC Radio Mystery Theater which was written, adapted, produced and broadcast by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation from 1966 to 1968.

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This podcast is about Huddie William Ledbetter. Better known by his stage name Lead Belly, was one of the most celebrated folk and blues singers of his time. His most popular songs "Goodnight, Irene", "Midnight Special", "Cotton Fields", became American classics. Lead Belly was celebrated for his songwriting skills, strong vocals, and virtuosity on the twelve-string guitar. He's a Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame inductee. Lead Belly was born in 1888, and faced many hardships as a young African-American growing up in the Jim Crow South, serving several prison sentences for murder, attempted homicide, and assault. But Lead Belly spent his time behind bars, performing concerts for his fellow inmates and perfecting his craft. Once he got out for good, Lead Belly was given a radio show, and signed a contract with RCA Victor, one of the biggest record companies at the time. You will hear 3 episodes of the Leadbelly Show on New York Radio Station WNYC in 1940, one with special guest, legendary folk singer Woodie Guthrie. You'll also hear Lead Belly perform on the show, This Is Jazz in 1947, just 2 years before his death.

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