Showing results by narrator "Wink Martindale" in All Categories

Roberta Flack gained national recognition with her song "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face". The singer, songwriter, and musician performed a wide variety of music including jazz, classical, folk, soul, pop and R&B. She was the first to win the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in two consecutive years. Wink Martindale speaks with Flack and provides a comprehensive overview of Flack's numerous accomplishments and successful career.

In this 1977 interview, Wink Martindale takes listeners on an extensive survey of the singer's long and successful career. From his first taste of fame with the single "Diana" to being one of the first pop singers to play in the Las Vegas casinos, Anka shares engaging stories of his career as an entertainer.

The story of The Mills Brothers is much like that of many entertainers, featuring humble beginnings, big dreams, success, tragedy, and ultimately a happy ending. In 1973, host Wink Martindale sat down with two of the original Mills Brothers, Harry and Donald, to recount their tale.

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.

When Kenny Rogers started singing in high school, he went through numerous gimmicks and phases trying to find a way to make his voice identifiable. Audiences didn't respond to what he was doing, and on the advice of a friend, he dropped the gimmicks and started to embrace his own sound. Many awards, hit songs, and decades later, and there is no doubt of his gift for storytelling and distinctive sound.

We continue our exploration of the career of Elvis Presley with the second installment of this three part series. Presley would face both happy times and challenging moments as his popularity continued to grow. He went Hollywood and added "movie star" to his resume, but he also got drafted in 1958, and that same year faced the death of his beloved mother.

We begin our exploration of the career of Elvis Presley, which found him recording for the now world-famous Sun Records with producer Sam Phillips in 1954. Only a few short years later, he would shift to RCA Records, releasing his first single for the label, "Heartbreak Hotel", in January of 1956. As host Wink Martindale recalls, "Presleymania" was in full swing by 1957. Longtime Presley associates Carl Perkins, Scotty Moore, Ray Walker, and Gordon Stoker are just a few of the names who join Wink to share their memories of those early days of Presley's career.

The second part of our Hall of Fame spotlight on Rodgers and Hammerstein details the phenomenal success Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II had as partners after joining forces in 1943. Throughout their long career in theater, the pair helped to start the careers of many now famous singers, dancers, and musicians.

Perry Como's career started with a dare. The teenage owner of a barbershop had done some singing locally, but when his friends dared him to get onstage and sing a few songs with Freddy Carlone, he was offered a job. Following touring, recording, and a brief return to the barber business, Como went on to host his own radio show and sign a recording contract with RCA records, where he would sell millions of albums.

The Beach Boys started in the Wilsons' garage with members Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson; their cousin Mike Love; and friend Al Jardine. Their first hit was in 1962 and was considered a "surf" song that had distinct vocal harmonies. History will show the progression of the Beach Boys songs that permeated the culture of the day. The harmonies, melodies, and arrangements provided a new soundtrack in the culture of the '60s, '70s, '80s and into the new millennium.

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 one, 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 two, 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.

In 1973, Captain & Tennille wrote and cut a record completely at their own expense. The product of that recording session, "The Way I Want to Touch You", proved to be a regional hit and was the first step in their fascinating journey to major label success. The couple sat down with host Wink Martindale just as their first hit was climbing the charts. In this captivating interview, they discuss how they got started in music, the creation of their first album, and their love of performing.

Petula Clark's career began at the age of nine. She got her start on BBC radio during World War II, and in the years to follow, she would perform hundreds of times for the troops and become known as "Britain's Shirley Temple". Clark sat down with host Wink Martindale to discuss her exciting musical journey, which spanned more than seven decades and included radio, film, television, and music. Martindale gives listeners an intimate look at the singer's personal life, family, and career.

Though his work was often classified as just "arrangements", Percy Faith's work went well beyond that and could be more accurately described as "recompositions". He got his start as a child studying piano and eventually made his mark as an instrumental stylist, importing elements of jazz and rock into mood music. In a conversation with host Wink Martindale, Faith discusses the work it takes to find and keep fans, his lengthy music career, and his focus on creating music that makes him happy versus music that might sell well.

In an interview with host Wink Martindale, Steve and Eydie sat down and discussed how they met, their early lives, and their love for performing. Martindale gives listeners an entertaining look at the couple's career and personal life.

Pat Boone's first hit came with "Two Hearts, Two Kisses (Make One Love)" in 1954. His success continued as he sold millions of records through the '50s and early '60s, and recorded more than a dozen singles that went gold. Boone's career expanded beyond music as he starred in numerous films and even hosted his own variety television show. He sat down with Wink Martindale for a conversation in May of 1972 to discuss his early life, his relationship with religion, and his prosperous career.

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. At 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.

Our third and final installment of a three-part exploration of the career of Elvis Presley takes a look at the final years for the legendary singer who we first became aware of in 1954 when he released his first single "That's Alright Mama" on Sun Records. That first single marked the beginning of an astonishing career during which he rose to become the most famous rock and roll star in the world.

Patti Page's music provided a soothing counterpoint to the revolutionary sound of rock n' roll in the 1950s, incorporating elements of country music into traditional pop songs. From 1948 through 1970 she had nearly 100 records on the Billboard Singles chart, including "(How Much Is That) Doggie in the Window", "Old Cape Cod", "Allegheny Moon", and "Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte". Page sat down with host Wink Martindale to discuss her personal life, the early days of her career, and her astounding popular success.