Radio doings (Dec 1930-Jun1932)

January, 1931 RADIO DOINGS Page Twenty-one VARIETY . . . Wesley Tourtelotte . . . KHX Wesley B. Tourtelotte, after a short vacation, returned to devotees of organ music on a recent Sunday evening and will be heard every night except Sunday from 7:00 to 7:30 o'clock. Mr. Tourtelotte has had an interesting career. He was first started on the piano at the tender age of six years, and he continued his lessons during his school days at Hartford, and Middletown, Connecticut. When he later went to the University of Pennsylvania to study mechanical engineering, he continued his piano study and broadened out to also master the pipe organ with the well-known Ralph Kinder, organist of the Holy Trinity church in Philadelphia. It was while so employed that he joined the Air Service in Springfield, Mass., and was promptly sent to Arcadia Balloon School in California. When the war ended, Mr. Tourtelotte lent his engineering talents to one of the big local oil companies. During all this time, he had hammering at the back of his brain, his desire for musical expression. He got in touch with one of the local broadcasting companies and originated the first midnight organ concerts, about two and one-half years ago. From Mr. Tourtelotte's first radio broadcast, his fame has grown until today he is one of the best known and best liked organists on the air, and KNX feels fortunate in being able to broadcast the new series of Tourtelotte organ concerts. This is the low-down on why the "Happy Chappies" are happy chappies. Only three short years ago, KFRC started a little propaganda about two lads, who, it was rumored, did harmonizing as it had not previously been done. From KFRC these lads journeyed to KTAB and then decided that Southern California audiences should not be deprived of their entertainment. Soon there was a great furore over at KFI-KECA and the Happy Chappies burst on the horizon with "When the Bloom Is on the Sage," which is still panicking audiences. Now out at KMPC, Nat Vincent and Freddie Howard, the Happy Chappies, are packing them in the studio every day with a noon-day program of harmonizing that is really excellent. Their sixtyminute program is an all request fea The Happy Chappies . . . KMPC ture and apparently the requestees can't get them too old or obscure for the boys. Nat Vincent, peering over Fred Howard's shoulder, plays one of the meanest "by ear" pianos in these parts and Fred Howard writes lyrics and tenorizes with Nat's baritone. These lads have won a secure place in the hearts of shut-ins as well as other listeners by their happy spontaneous and obliging manner. If you aren't Happy Chappies addicts, better tune in KMPC any noon and fall under their spell. And if this phenomenal success isn't something to be happy about, we don't know about happiness. If there is anyone within KNX's coverage that hasn't enjoyed Bert Butterworth's "Optimistic Do-Nuts" program, we are ashamed of them. Seven years ago the Davis Perfection Bread Company (and that's quite a break, because we are not allowed to mention sponsors in this department) decided to pioneer radio advertising; so Mr. Butterworth went into a huddle with himself and when he emerged he had conceived the "Optimistic Do-Nuts" which holds the record for being the oldest sponsored program in western broadcasting, having had all these seven years, the same sponsor, same time, same idea, same station, etc. And five years ago there appeared Mr. Jasper Weldon, otherwise Windy Whitewash, who came out of the east to sing a most amazing bass along with the other entertainers. Whitewash traveled on the Butterfield circuit (no relation of Bert's) as a member of a male quartet and, perhaps, that's where he perfected such bass voice classics as "When the Bells in the Light-House Ring Ding Dong," "Asleep in the Deep," and "Old Black Joe." During the day Mr. Weldon is employed by a local furniture store and every Friday night at 8:00 o'clock finds him busily managing the male quartet and performing with the "Optimistic Do-Nuts." Mum Jasper Weldon . . . KNX