Radio and television mirror (July-Dec 1951)

Record Details:

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BUGLE BOY The musical Phillipses; in addition to other instruments, Ralph Jr. and Ralph III also are handy with the bar bells, but wife Marg sticks to piano. Gabriel had nothing on Ralph Phillips! Ralph has trumpeted his way into a singing job on WFBR, Baltimore's Club 1300, Monday through Saturday from 1 to 2 P.M., announcing Homemaker Harmonies every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11 to 11:30 A.M. as well as newscasting on that station. To Ralph these developments have been the happiest tidings since he became the father of Ralph III, nicknamed "Teddy." There are a lot of things in the life of this six foot four inch, radio personality which seem to stem from his trumpet-playing. First of all, he came to Baltimore from Rhode Island to study the trumpet at the Peabody Conservatory of Music. Ralph got a job with Dean Hudson's dance orchestra because he could play the trumpet. He became the leader of the 483rd Service Unit Band in the Army because of his knowledge of music. And, he would never have met and married Margaret, because she is a native of Baltimore, if he had not gone there to study the trumpet. One night stands and army life have made Phillips a great home-lover. After he married Marg he decided to make a permanent home in Baltimore. That called for a steady job, so he worked into a small orchestra in a local nightclub. As a vocalist doubling in brass he got the idea for a different angle in his career. One of his fellow musicians worked on the Club 1300 radio program and he tipped Ralph off that a singing job was open at WFBR. That was how he broke into radio. Teddy is following in his father's footsteps as far as the trumpet is concerned. He blows his battered bugle and insists that he's going to be a trumpet player someday. Wife Margaret plays the piano, so all in all the Phillipses are a very musical family. "The trouble is," says Ralph, "I haven't got much time for home musicales after I play five hours in the club and do my work at WFBR." For a man who has a job both day and night there has to be some kind of relaxation so this is one case where the trumpet is excluded. Ralph took up weightlifting and he is now a firm believer in physical conditioning. The sport is well suited to a man who has two jobs and very few extra hours for recreation. The Phillips family lives in a brick-row house which is a type of structure very familiar to Baltimoreans. It is not exactly the best type of home for the neighbors of a trumpeter, but Ralph doesn't play there very often. Of course they are very proud and happy in their new home. Teddy has "what will someday be a park" across the street, and, at the moment, a lot of boards, excavations and partly built homes all around to play in. Not so long ago a funny situation developed when Ralph had some dental work done on his front teeth. He discovered that the dental work had thrown his "blowing-technique" on the trumpet out of order. He couldn't squeeze one note out of the horn. He dashed from the nightclub to the home of his dentist and in between grinds he'd blow. It took some time "and cold sweat," but eventually the sound came out all right. Another good reason for making radio a "first" career and the trumpet a hobby. 14