Radio doings (Dec 1930-Jun1932)

Behind The MIKE nith Harry James [Continued from Page 23] AND may we present the name oi Wedgwood Nowell as the fastest radio speaker in the world. His record is 252 words a minute, exceeding the broadcast of Floyd Gibbons who was clocked while delivering 217 words a minute, according to the Literary Digest. Mr. Nowell celebrated his 460th Playgoers Club broadcast the other day. He told me that he had sent out more than four million words over the air for the Playgoers Club. He wanted me to check up on the number from the scripts he has used, but I took his word for it as he seems to be a pretty nice sort of fellow. Tune in on him some day at KGFJ. I HAVE had many mothers bring their daughters to my studio trying to convince me that they were world beaters, pointing out the fact that their music lessons had cost from ten dollars and up for a half hour. I know of one mother who feels justly proud of her daughter and the lessons she has taken. And that's the mother of Winnie Parker, that low voiced singer on KFI-KECA. Winnie has never had a lesson other than from her mother. She is an accomplished pianist as well as a vocalist. The mother is supervisor of the music departments in the Broadway high school, Glendale, California. Winnie has a brother who recently returned from a trip around the world as pianist with a nationally known orchestra. If the president of the Columbia chain can pick a fifteen hundred dollar a week artist for his staff after listening Winnie Parker, of KFI-KECA, whose only vocal lessons were from her mother. Her first, Mrs. Parker tells us, were taught with a hair brush. lo a phonograph record, we would recommend that he tune in KFI some night and get an earful of two thousand dollar's worth of harmony when Winnie Parker and Don Ricardo are on the program. THEN we find Jack Carter, the Boy from London, taking his turn as an announcer for KNX. I suppose some of Jack's English kin would throw up their hands in horror if they heard their relative introduced as an announcer. But the Paris Inn job is just one of the many duties he performs. Jack was a former vaudeville headliner and I can remember when he was Charlie Hamp, whose charming voice used to entice listeners into buying toothpaste, is now hard at work in the Hollywood Hills building a new home. Remember that soothing "softer-yes, softer than the enamel on the teeth themselves"? independent enough to refuse to make the long jumps from the East to the West Coast. I think he is waiting for the good old times to come back, if ever. By the way, Jack used to sing in the same musical comedy shows in England with Reginald Sharland, the Honorable Archie of KNX. I remember them well in "San Toy," in London several years ago. IT'S funny how some artists spend a life time studying for a profession then drift into something else. Take Marcia Conrad as an illustration. Years ago she was the backbone of // anyone recognizes this gentleman, who might be Harold Lloyd, or Groucho Marx (but he isn't), write an essay, not longer than 500 words, on any topic you like, enclose 50 cigar coupons (any brand), and then throw the whole thing out the window. But don't tell Glenn Rice you saw this picture! He thought we'd forgotten about those specs. Uncle John's staff at KHJ as a pianist and accompanist. Today you will find her with her head buried in books in the office of Frank Bull, manager of KMTR. She has been known to go out to eat, and to make periodical visits to the other two stations controlled by V. G. Freitag to harmonize some accounts there, but, as far as a piano is concerned, well, they are not on speaking terms. HAVE you heard the one about the fellow who reported to the police department that he had run over a well known radio announcer, and the desk sergeant advised him to go over to the city hall and collect his bounty? Well, that's the way some people admire announcers. No matter what your profession may be if you do any announcing you are just another announcer. I recall that Howard Jones asked Curtis Benton of KFWB staff how he came to be a radio announcer. Curtis was ready with a quick comeback but did not choose to explain his national reputation as a writer. He broadcasts the football games for KFWB. Paul Carson, the organist at the NBC studios at San Francisco, was a featured soloist for eight years at Glendale, California. He was a war buddy of Dick Creedon, continuity writer for KHJ. Page Twenty-four RADIO DOINGS