The Sing Era
Don Blocker worked behind the music, promoting and selling for several record companies over his long and impressive career. First working for Dot Records, Don learned the craft, which he later honed at Liberty Records. His deep understanding of the business and his caring approach to the artist...
Allen Blasco began to smile during his NAMM Oral History interview when he spoke about how his mother and father met at Jenkins Music in Kansas City. His father was in charge of the music publishing department of Jenkins and his mother worked in the retail part of the company. Soon after they met,...
Carol Buschmann grew up in Sheboygan, Wisconsin where she joined the all girls singing group the Chordettes just a year after it was formed in 1947. She stayed with the group until they disbanded in the early 1960s after having several top selling albums and two hit records in the 1950s including “...
Dorothy Schwartz was one of the original members of a girls Barber Shop style group that was brainchild of a girlfriend from high school in her hometown of Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The group called themselves The Chordettes. Dorothy traveled with the group performing at Barber Shop fairs and programs...
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Ray Ellis had a remarkable career as a songwriter and arranger. His career spanned jazz and popular music, as well as cartoons and game shows. Ray arranged for Billie...
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Joe Franklin was a music historian who had a series of radio and television shows including two on New York TV that ran from 1951-1993! Joe was a good guy, funny, and full...
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Patti Page was the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner who broke out from the role as a band singer during the swing era to create a very successful solo career,...
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Georgia Gibbs, often billed as “Her Nibbs,” enjoyed a successful career as a singer with the big bands beginning in 1936. Over the years she performed with Tommy Dorsey,...
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Ella Mae Morse was a vocalist for Jimmy Dorsey's Orchestra when she was just 14 years old. She went on to sing with Freddie Slack with whom she recorded a string of hits...
This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Jo Stafford had a remarkable career as both a big band singer and as a solo recording artist after the swing era. Her career included a string of hit popular songs such as...