Showing results by author "Wink Martindale" in All Categories

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.

Sammy Davis Jr. was, quite literally, born into show business. As part of a well-known vaudeville family, he began performing when he was just four years old and never seemed to slow down. From stage to studio to screen the singer, dancer, musician, and actor travelled all over the world entertaining millions. Wink Martindale spoke with the charming Davis at his Beverly Hills home in 1976.

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II joined forces to create the most consistently successful partnership in the American theater. Included among the seemingly endless list of their work are legendary works such as Oklahoma!, South Pacific, The King & I, The Sound of Music, and many more.

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.

An in-depth examination of the career of Wayne Newton featuring extensive interviews with Newton.

Neil Sedaka had more than a dozen hits from 1958 to 1963, but his career slumped with the arrival of the British Invasion. In 1974, he found his way back to the charts with "Laughter in the Rain". In March of that year, Wink Martindale sat with Sedaka to discuss his early career and his thrilling comeback. Sedaka recounts his early life as a child receiving classical music training and secretly writing pop songs, despite his sister telling him to stick to the classics. Sedaka clearly made the right call.

Perry Como's career started with a dare. The teenage owner of a barbershop had done some singing locally, but when his friends dared him to get onstage and sing a few songs with Freddy Carlone, he was offered a job. Following touring, recording, and a brief return to the barber business, Como went on to host his own radio show and sign a recording contract with RCA records, where he would sell millions of albums.

The second part of our Hall of Fame spotlight on Rodgers and Hammerstein details the phenomenal success Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II had as partners after joining forces in 1943. Throughout their long career in theater, the pair helped to start the careers of many now famous singers, dancers, and musicians.

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.

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.

We begin our exploration of the career of Elvis Presley, which found him recording for the now world-famous Sun Records with producer Sam Phillips in 1954. Only a few short years later, he would shift to RCA Records, releasing his first single for the label, "Heartbreak Hotel", in January of 1956. As host Wink Martindale recalls, "Presleymania" was in full swing by 1957. Longtime Presley associates Carl Perkins, Scotty Moore, Ray Walker, and Gordon Stoker are just a few of the names who join Wink to share their memories of those early days of Presley's career.

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.

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.

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.

Our third and final installment of a three-part exploration of the career of Elvis Presley takes a look at the final years for the legendary singer who we first became aware of in 1954 when he released his first single "That's Alright Mama" on Sun Records. That first single marked the beginning of an astonishing career during which he rose to become the most famous rock and roll star in the world.

Despite his first orchestra being a complete failure, Glenn Miller grew to become arguably one of the most famous big band leaders. Following this early stumble, Miller launched his second band in March of 1938 and went on to achieve great success before his tragic disappearance in 1944. George T. Simon, big band expert, critic, author, and a close friend to Glenn Miller, provides listeners with on an overview of Miller's career. In his conversation with Wink Martindale, Simon provides an expert look at Miller's music, career, and personal life.

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.

We continue our exploration of the career of Elvis Presley with the second installment of this three part series. Presley would face both happy times and challenging moments as his popularity continued to grow. He went Hollywood and added "movie star" to his resume, but he also got drafted in 1958, and that same year faced the death of his beloved mother.

From 1934 to 1951, The Andrews Sisters recorded more than 400 songs, including hits such as "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" and "Rum and Coca Cola", and sold almost 100 million records. Wink Martindale sat down with sisters Patty and Maxine to discuss how they got started and why breaking up was the best thing to happen to them. In this interview from 1972, the sisters share captivating stories about what it was like traveling as a trio, working with Bing Crosby, and what they would have done differently.