Hit Parade

[W. Gray]

Does anyone remember the Mutual Broadcasting Company?

I listened to the Mutual game of the day (baseball) in the fifties and still have a Mutual baseball statistic hardback book I bought by mail in 1954. The announcers encouraged me to send in my $1.00, which I did.

Last I heard MBS had become a black network.

Does anyone remember DTN television?

The Dumont Television Network was the first television network. It also sold Dumont television sets. Their biggest star was Jackie Gleason. When he jumped ship to CBS in 1954 or so, it killed the network.

One of the TV stations in Kansas City broadcast both DTN and CBS programs.

One of the KC stations was owned by both WHB radio and KMBC radio. Part of the day the station was WHB television and part of the day it was KMBC television. I can still remember the announcer saying something like "This is KMBC TV signing over to WHB TV."

Evenually it became just KMBC TV.

[Jody]

Gee Bonnie, Why didn't you tune in at 12:15 and get LEON!?

[Rudy Taylor]

Little trivia contest:

What four words were used at the beginning of the Leon McAuliffe radio show?

I had the privelege of introducing him once at Bartlesville for a local talent show (he served as a judge), and I
actually got to say, "_____  _____ _____ _____!"

Thrilling!

[W. Gray]

Take It Away Leon!?

[Ole Granny]

Believe the same line was used for his live performances.  What was the name of the little club south of the Moline rodeo field?  Believe it was in early 50's!

[T. Sackett]

Leon is a favorite in this house when it comes to western swing music.  Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys are greatly missed, too.  I know that Asleep At the Wheel also play western swing, but they just are no match for Bob Wills and his band.

[W. Gray]

Back when all radio was live, KMBC radio in Kansas City featured a noon hour program called the Dinner Bell Roundup. It was country music and talk and tried to be funny.

At the end of the program the band played exit music and the announcer always said "Put on the coffee pot Daisy, I'm a coming home."

I went to the station with the Cub Scouts, I think in 1949 or 50 and watched this program one day. We actually went into the studio and sat in front of the performers who were an arm's length away and were all in western clothing. We were cautioned beforehand not to talk but we could clap as loud as we wanted after a musical number and laugh when we heard something funny.

The program sounded exciting when I listened at home but at the station, it seemed a bit boring. There was just a bunch of men standing around a microphone with pages of typewriter paper in front of their faces reading a script with the country band behind them.

Whereas KMBC featured country and western, WDAF radio was higher class.

In that station, the performers were behind a glass panel and we could talk. I remember a piano that might have been the first one I ever saw that was not an upright. There was a very well dressed woman playing. She was accompanied by an "orchestra," maybe a couple violins and a few other instruments. These instruments were all played by men in tuxes or fancy suits.

Each of these stations had several studios all of which had an "On Air" sign at the door. Only the studio that was actually broadcasting had the sign lit.

[sixdogsmom]

Once in awhile, Mama would get tickets for us to go see The Ark Valley Boys, the noon hour western group in Wichita at KFH radio. The program was much the same as that described by Waldo, although I do think they interacted with the audience, making it fun to visit there. I was impressed anyway, I had that autographed 8x10 glossy for many years! The same trip to town always involved a visit to Woolworths' basement and the pianist playing the latest from the hit parade to sell sheet music. We would also visit Bucks' an upscale department store. Not to buy anything but to use the bathroom. It had a maid, I was certainly impressed and thought I was just the stuff. The store also had caged canaries throughout to provide music for the shoppers. Nicer than Musac for sure. My trip to town usually ended with a new book of paperdolls from Kress basement, our bus stop was just outside. When I got older I spent many hours in these stores, had my first bite of pizza from Woolworths, it was terrible and not like any we get now. By then I said it was good, simply because it was so different.

[Bonnie M.]

Gee Bonnie, Why didn't you tune in at 12:15 and get LEON!?

I'm not sure Leon was on the station we listened to, at that time.   We really did attend a lot of Leon's dances, though. I think it was "The Hilltop" by Moline?  And, The Avalon, of course, at Fredonia.  Jo, did we have fun at those places, or not?

We had lots of fun attending the Bob Wills  dances at the "Buffalo Ranch" south of Elk City, and also at the "Westerneer" out north and west of Independence.    Also, Johnny Lee's dances at Fredonia.  Most of you are too young to remember such times!

That was before this became (my husband) Bob's theme song: 

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20071221/MULTIMEDIA/283841756

I had to help this video along once in a while by clicking on the "forward" icon.

[Ole Granny]

Lovely, Bonnie, Lovely!  Enjoyed it!