検索キーワード： 制作 "Happyland" エンターテインメント・舞台芸術

Andy Williams got his start doing anonymous voice tracks for movies in the 1940s. He got his start singing at teas with his brother and then made a move to singing on radio in Des Moines, Iowa, and Chicago. Finally Williams found his way to New York, where he started to really focus on his singing career. Television played an instrumental role in Williams' success. His big breakthrough came as a singer on The Tonight Show starring Steve Allen.

The late comedian Richard Jeni of Platypus Man and The Mask talked to Bart Torres in this interview from 2005 about his most recent HBO special, A Big Steaming Pile of Me. Jeni makes some humorous observations about hotels and explains how he enjoys Las Vegas without gambling. Jeni also talks politics and about the ever-widening partisan gap in America.

Bart Torres spoke with late comedian Ralphie May in 2016 about preparation for May’s first time playing the famous Treasure Island Theater in Las Vegas. May gave some humorous tips for visiting Vegas and joked about his big plans for the stage constructed for the acrobatics show Cirque du Soleil, as well as his opinions on the then-upcoming 2016 presidential election.

Steven Wright, actor, comedian, writer, Oscar winner, narrator of Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, and Rolling Stone’s 15th greatest stand-up in the world, got his start on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. In this installment of Las Vegas Connection, Wright talks to Bart Torres about his unique, signature deadpan delivery, and how he doesn’t believe in time.

Bobby Vinton says he never wanted to be a musician; he wanted to be a football player instead. In fact, his parents would bribe him 25 cents an hour just to get him to practice his clarinet. Vinton sat down with Wink Martindale in 1973 to discuss his success with "Blue on Blue" and the story behind "Roses are Red". He says writing songs is difficult, and he isn't sure who is buying his albums. Vinton also discusses putting together a pop music band in high school and how he began his acting career.

Natalie Cole, the second of five children, said her parents raised her to work hard for what she wanted. The award-winning artist sat down with Wink Martindale to discuss what it was like growing up in a house filled with music. In this intimate conversation from the 1970s, she also reflects on her good friend Stevie Wonder, the similarities between her and her famous father's voices, and being compared to Aretha Franklin.

For his fifth birthday, Ray Anthony's father bought him a trumpet. It wasn't until the age of 12, when his trumpet was hidden as a punishment, that he realized he couldn't live without it. Anthony opened up to Wink Martindale in this interview from 1978 about joining the Al Donahue Orchestra at the age of 17, getting fired from the Glenn Miller Band, and the popularity of the Bunny Hop. He also talks about the sound of Glenn Miller and what makes it so special. Anthony goes on to discuss what it was like starting his own orchestra and having his brother join him.

For Alan and Marilyn Bergman, being married and working together as songwriters had many perks. The two found that their relationship allowed them to be uninhibited in sharing ideas while crafting a song. In this interview recorded with Wink Martindale in the 1980s, they discussed their lives, lyrics, and careers as songwriters. The couple provides an intimate and detailed look at the songwriting process, along with sharing interesting stories about some of the songs they've written.

Jerry Vale always knew that he wanted to sing. His tremendous vocal talent and charismatic personality allowed the crooner to impress both in recording and in live performances, as he toured all over the country and regularly topped the pop charts throughout the 1950s and 1960s. In this conversation with Wink Martindale, Vale discusses his career as a performer, some of his most popular recordings, and the people that helped him in his professional journey. He provides a personal look at his fantastic rise to success.

In part two, we hear about Welk from his manager Sam Lutz and others that played an important part in his career. We also hear from Lawrence Welk in a conversation he had with Wink Martindale in 1973. Welk shares stories of numerous performances across the country, his time on tour, and interactions with his fans. He also discusses his television career and his eventual return to recording music with Dot Records.

Lawrence Welk left home at the age of 21 and spent two years trying to get a job with bands with little success. Though his career got off to a rocky start, Welk would go on to become a renowned musician, bandleader, and television personality. In part one, we hear about Welk's earliest days of his life and career. In a conversation with Wink Martindale in 1973, he reflects on the beginning of his career and journey to success, while sharing intimate details about his personal life and experiences.

Bobby Goldsboro describes the first song he ever wrote with a laugh as "one of the worst you've ever heard". Though those first attempts at songwriting weren't exactly successful, he went on to enjoy a wildly successful career, including the chart-topping hit "Honey", which sold more than a million copies in the United States. At the height of his popularity in 1973, Goldsboro sat down with Wink Martindale to discuss his wildly successful career, that included 16 top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

While some would contend that Carly Simon's wealthy background gave her a leg up, her talent and skill as a musician make it clear that she earned every bit of her current and future success on her own. Her first break came while she was on vacation. She and her sister, Lucy, took a trip to Cape Cod and tried to get a job performing in a summer resort. As luck would have it, the previous performer had left, so they started singing there with a repertoire of three songs.

Despite her phenomenal success as a singer, Joni James initially had dreams of dancing. While she continued to receive scholarships and praise for her vocal performances, dancing was what she wanted to pursue and she continued to pay for lessons. When faced with the decision of going to school or pursuing her career, on the advice of a producer that "youth was the most urgent thing in show business", she dove headfirst into singing.

Brenda Lee's astoundingly successful career began at the early age of three, when she won a singing contest. At the age of 15, her career was well underway, drawing comparisons to the legendary Judy Garland and accumulating fans all over the world. She is perhaps best known for her 1960s single, "I'm Sorry", which she recorded at the age of just 14. Lee sat down with host Wink Martindale to discuss her captivating musical career. She speaks about her roots in gospel music, her many hit singles, and her deep love of music.

When Kenny Rogers started singing in high school, he went through numerous gimmicks and phases trying to find a way to make his voice identifiable. Audiences didn't respond to what he was doing, and on the advice of a friend, he dropped the gimmicks and started to embrace his own sound. Many awards, hit songs, and decades later, and there is no doubt of his gift for storytelling and distinctive sound.

In 1973, Captain & Tennille wrote and cut a record completely at their own expense. The product of that recording session, "The Way I Want to Touch You", proved to be a regional hit and was the first step in their fascinating journey to major label success. The couple sat down with host Wink Martindale just as their first hit was climbing the charts. In this captivating interview, they discuss how they got started in music, the creation of their first album, and their love of performing.

Patti Page's music provided a soothing counterpoint to the revolutionary sound of rock n' roll in the 1950s, incorporating elements of country music into traditional pop songs. From 1948 through 1970 she had nearly 100 records on the Billboard Singles chart, including "(How Much Is That) Doggie in the Window", "Old Cape Cod", "Allegheny Moon", and "Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte". Page sat down with host Wink Martindale to discuss her personal life, the early days of her career, and her astounding popular success.

Harry Belafonte didn't start out with a dream of being a singer. He wanted to be an actor and studied theater for five years in New York. Unable to find work as an actor, he had to choose between abandoning dreams of being a performer entirely and finding a new area of entertainment to pursue. Opportunity struck when he was offered a chance to be an intermission singer at a local jazz club, and his singing talent began to catch on.

Though his work was often classified as just "arrangements", Percy Faith's work went well beyond that and could be more accurately described as "recompositions". He got his start as a child studying piano and eventually made his mark as an instrumental stylist, importing elements of jazz and rock into mood music. In a conversation with host Wink Martindale, Faith discusses the work it takes to find and keep fans, his lengthy music career, and his focus on creating music that makes him happy versus music that might sell well.