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April 1, 1949: The First all-Black Television show

April 1, 1949: Happy Pappy premiered on WENR TV in Chicago, IL. The show’s actors were all-black, a significant milestone in radio history.

Four Vagabonds, along with Modern Modes, were some of the groups featured in the jazz-oriented show Happy Pappy. The Master of Ceremony for the broadcast, Ray Grant, was also a part of the show, a noted classic pioneer in the field of vocal harmony groups.

Happy Pappy continued after Grant stopped performing due to his loss of sight, but the show did not last long.
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  1. UnknownFebruary 24, 2020 at 1:20 PM

    Older shows like this seem to have very limited information regarding actors, producers, directors, etc. I can't seem to find a source for developed information regarding this and similar black shows.

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