March 28: Happy Birthday, Paul Whiteman

March 28: Happy Birthday, Paul Whiteman

Paul Whiteman was a Jazz bandleader who brought his genre of music to a million or so listeners who may not have otherwise enjoyed it. He was commercially successful and panned by critics, who felt he wasn't playing "real" jazz. To this minor controversy, he added fuel by calling himself "The King of Jazz."

It's worth a mention that his band had room for such great musicians as Red Nichols, Tommy Dorsey, and Eddie Lambert.

A couple of decades into his disputed run as "King of Jazz," Whiteman was tapped to host the radio show Kraft Music Program, which he faithfully did from '33 to '35. He then performed on the Chesterfield Hour and finally Paul Whiteman Presents.

We radio devotees owe Whiteman an additional debt due to the fact that he worked as ABC radio's music director for several years. He capped his radio career by hosting, from Philadelphia, Paul Whiteman's TV Teen Club.

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1946 Great Crepitation Fart Contest

Not for the faint of heart, here is the remarkable 1946 Crepitation (Fart) Contest (part of the 1946 News Broadcasts Collection ). You'll enjoy the fart-off between champion Englishman Lord Windsmear, and challenger, Australian Paul Boomer who had stowed aboard a cabbage freighter. The hilarious comedy recording was apparently created a spoof by two Canadian radio sportscasters in 1946, but this 15 minute recording definitely has some gems in it. Apparently they made several copies, but it was not for distribution. The recording was copied again and again on disc and reel to reel tape. It was distributed underground and played in dark rooms and back alleys around the world. If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element This recording is available with many other delightful treats on Random Rarities #7 available on MP3 CD , Audio CD , and instant download .

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Jack Webb was an American actor, television producer, director, and screenwriter, best known for his role as Sergeant Joe Friday in the 1950s TV series "Dragnet." Here's twelve FUN FACTS for you to know: Jack Webb was born on April 2, 1920 in Santa Monica, California. He served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, where he was a bomber pilot. In 1949, Webb created and starred in the radio series " Pat Novak for Hire ," which was the basis for the later " Dragnet " TV series. " Dragnet " was one of the first police procedural dramas on television, and it ran for eight seasons from 1951 to 1959. In addition to his work on " Dragnet ," Jack Webb also directed and produced several other TV shows, including "Adam-12," "Emergency!" and "Mark VII Limited." He was known for his distinctive style as a director, which involved using close-ups and quick cuts to convey a sense of immediacy. J

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