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.
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 3.5 hours. He explains how increasingly more difficult it became over the years to sneak The Beatles out of the venue. Eubanks talks about how he believes The Beatles will always be popular and how proud he is to have been a part of their success.
Before the daughter of Nat "King" Cole ever sang for an audience, she was lip-syncing in front of her bedroom mirror to the Supremes. 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.
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 had they not been successful in music.
Bobby Vinton, "The Most Successful Unknown," 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.
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. She went on to have eight singles in the top 10 and another 16 singles in the top 40 on Billboard's Top 100 Chart between 1952 and 1961. In an interview with Wink Martindale, she recounts her enthralling journey from her dreams of being a dancer to her astounding success.
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.
The duo continued to perform before eventually disbanding and Carly began performing as a solo artist. In June of 1971, she sat down with Wink Martindale for a detailed conversation about her life, career and passion for music.
Billy Eckstine didn't consider singing a potential profession until he earned $5 as second prize in an amateur competition. He was bit by the showbiz bug after working as an MC and singer in his hometown of Pittsburgh while on summer break from college. He decided not to return to college and eventually began working in clubs throughout Buffalo, New York; Detroit and Chicago.
Eckstine sat down with Wink Martindale for an interview in May of 1973. He discusses the early days of his career, his recordings, live performances and love for what he does to make a living in this fascinating conversation.
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.
In 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 and 12 on the country chart with singles like "See the Funny Little Clown" and "Summer (The First Time)." He reflects on how his songwriting has changed over the years, what influences him both personally and musically and how he discovered he wanted to be in the music industry.
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 1 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.
In Part 2 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.
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.
