Showing results by author "Wink Martindale" in All Categories

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.

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.

Eddy Arnold dominated popular and country music from the late 40s to the 60s, despite changing tastes over those two eventful decades. In a conversation with host Wink Martindale, Arnold recounts his early life as a farm boy that earned him the nickname "The Tennessee Ploughboy" and his eventual rise to arguably become the king of country. Arnold continues to discuss his work as a musician, his leap from country to pop, and the struggles and triumphs of his career and personal life.

Vic Damone quit school as a teenager to work at the Paramount Theater to help support his family after his father was injured. During this time he was exposed to a host of accomplished singers, both on the stage and behind the scenes. While operating the backstage elevator for Perry Como, Damone asked if he could sing for him to see if he had any talent. He stopped the elevator between floors and after he finished, Como told him he should keep it up.

Roberta Flack gained national recognition with her song "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face". The singer, songwriter, and musician performed a wide variety of music including jazz, classical, folk, soul, pop and R&B. She was the first to win the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in two consecutive years. Wink Martindale speaks with Flack and provides a comprehensive overview of Flack's numerous accomplishments and successful career.

It took 12 years for Mac Davis to find success in the music industry, first as a songwriter and later as a singer. Davis originally spent years working, going to college part time, and writing his own music. He later dropped out of college and pursued work in the music industry doing radio and sales promotions, all the while cutting bathroom demos while on the road for work. About five years later, Davis was transferred to the West Coast, where he finally found the inroads he was looking for.

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.

In February 1964, The Beatles made their TV debut on The Ed Sullivan Show, catching the attention of Bob Eubanks. Wink Martindale catches up with Eubanks in an interview from 1977 about The Beatles playing the Hollywood Bowl. He discusses having second thoughts about booking them for the concert and then selling out in three and a half hours.

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.

Petula Clark's career began at the age of nine. She got her start on BBC radio during World War II, and in the years to follow, she would perform hundreds of times for the troops and become known as "Britain's Shirley Temple". Clark sat down with host Wink Martindale to discuss her exciting musical journey, which spanned more than seven decades and included radio, film, television, and music. Martindale gives listeners an intimate look at the singer's personal life, family, and career.

Pat Boone's first hit came with "Two Hearts, Two Kisses (Make One Love)" in 1954. His success continued as he sold millions of records through the '50s and early '60s, and recorded more than a dozen singles that went gold. Boone's career expanded beyond music as he starred in numerous films and even hosted his own variety television show. He sat down with Wink Martindale for a conversation in May of 1972 to discuss his early life, his relationship with religion, and his prosperous career.

Ray Charles lived his life with no regrets, no matter the ups or the downs. After losing his sight at seven years old, and his parents passing away while he was a teenager, he went on to experience phenomenal success as a singer, songwriter, and musician. Charles didn't often agree to interviews, but in this rare and lengthy conversation he had with Wink Martindale in 1970 he offered an introspective look at his personal life and storied career.

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.

Lou Rawls got his start as a church choir boy. He performed a wide variety of musical styles, including gospel; soul; R&B; and jazz and blues for movies, TV shows, commercials, and numerous successful albums. In an interview with host Wink Martindale, Rawls discusses the many changes in the way music was created and performed throughout his career, his plentiful awards and accolades, and his early life growing up in Chicago.

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.

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.

"It's a Blue World" brought The Four Freshmen onto the charts and into the spotlight in 1952. In the years that followed, the band went through numerous lineup changes but never lost the sound that made them famous. Wink Martindale spoke with original members Bob Flanigan and Ross Barbour in 1973 about their career and the lasting influence they had on musical acts that followed.

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.

Frankie Laine's far-reaching appeal made him a hit in the '40s and '50s. While his contemporaries found success early in life, Laine didn't see fame until his late 30s. Despite his late-blooming career, his excursion into the world of music began much earlier, during his years as a teenager performing at dance marathons. Wink Martindale spoke with him in June 1973.

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.