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.
Today in Old Radio History...