Audio Antiques

In episode #55 of Audio Antiques we brought you radio coverage of Charles Lindbergh's 1927 Washington DC celebration after making the first non-stop solo flight from New York to Paris. It made him an international hero. Just 42 years later, the Apollo 11 mission landed two American astronauts landed on the surface of the moon. On July 20th, 1969 Commander Neil Armstrong and pilot Buzz Aldrin becam...

He's been called one of the greatest civil rights statesman in American history. Frederick Douglass was born a slave in the state of Maryland in the early 18th century, and would later become the first African American nominated for Vice President of the United States. Between that time Douglass became a national leader of the anti-slavery movement, an advisor to President Abraham Lincoln, and wou...

Science fiction traces its roots back to ancient mythology. Its been popular in literature, film, and of course radio. At first, radio science fiction shows were created for kids. In the 1950's, the radio networks attempted to attract new listeners by creating half hour science fiction dramas for grown ups, to battle the new invention of television which was causing their ratings to seriously decl...

Ken interviews a man who travels coast-to-coast preaching the Gospel of Kindness. Also a look at the dangers of fireworks, and the threat of bed bugs.  For more visit http://krobcollection.com

The Zero Hour was a daily Mutual Broadcasting System radio drama hosted by Twilight Zone TV star Rod Serling. You're going to hear three episodes from 1974 starring African-American actor Greg Morris, who got his start appearing on such TV shows as The Twilight Zone, Branded, and Ben Casey, and countless other programs in 1960s, 70s, and 80s. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Francis Gregory Alan Morris is...

Listen to radio coverage of the last remaining weeks of World War Two! This horrific conflict lasted from 1939 to 1945, with the U.S. joining  the fight against the Axis Powers in 1941.  The war involved more than 100 million personnel from more than 30 countries, resulting in 85 million fatalities. Many of the deaths were from genocide, massacres, and disease, making World War II by far the deadl...

Cab Calloway was a jazz singer, dancer, bandleader and actor, who's talents won him acclaim with a career that spanned over 65 years. Cabell Calloway III had several hit records in the 1930s and 1940s, and reached the Billboard charts in five consecutive decades. Calloway also made several stage, film, and television appearances until his death in 1994 at the age of 86. Calloway was the first Afri...

It was one of the most tragic days in U.S. history. On November 22nd, 1963 President John F. Kennedy was gunned down by a sniper's bullets while campaigning in Dallas, Texas. He was fatally struck in the head while waving to thousands of admirers as he was riding in a presidential motorcade with first lady Jacqueline. Arrested for the crime was Lee Harvey Oswald, a former US Marine. Two days later...

On this podcast we have four classic radio programs. The first is from 1944, and is the true story of Skippy Smith, who opened the first African-American owned-and-operated defense plant during World War Two. The second is the 1943 story "I Got Wings", a drama about one of the first black pilots in the Air Force. Next, the 1945 story of Dr Charles Drew, who's work with blood plasma, made blood ban...

We have the 1944 Academy Awards ceremony as broadcast on the newly formed ABC Radio which had just purchased the Blue Network from NBC. The host is legendary comedian and actor Bob Hope. But before that, its the Rudy Valee Show, as the entertainer makes a bid to host the Academy Awards dinner. Helping him is comedian Pinky Lee, who would become famous hosting a children's TV show in the 1950s. Als...

Ralph Johnson Bunche was an American political scientist, diplomat, and leading participant in the decolonization process following World War 2, as well as the US civil rights movement. Bunche received the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to resolve the Arab–Israeli conflict in Palestine. He was the first African-American and first person of African descent to be awarded any Nobel Prize. Bun...

Game shows actually began during the golden age of radio, and they continue on radio and television today. Many of these shows are popular, and seldom cost much money to produce. The format is fairly simple. Contestants compete for a reward as directed by a host. On most game shows, participants have to answer questions, perform an act, or solve puzzles, to win either cash or prizes, which are pro...

Did you ever wonder why a legal copyright disclaimer is always played during baseball games? It's probably because of Gordon Barton McLendon, a radio broadcaster known as the Old Scotchman. After serving in the military during World War Two, McLendon created the Liberty Broadcasting System, a nationwide radio network that broadcast Major League Baseball games from 1948 to 1953. Those broadcast...

Willie Howard Mays Jr., also known as "the Say Hey Kid", is widely regarded as the greatest all-round baseball player in American history. The African-American center fielder spent 23 seasons in the major leagues. Mays started his outstanding career with the New York Giants in 1951, quickly becoming rookie of the year. In 1954, he won the National League Most Valuable Player Award, and h...

On this edition of Audio Antiques we again salute Cleveland, Ohio USA. The 54th largest city in the United States. However, during radio's golden age, Cleveland was one of the 10 largest cities in the U.S.and was a center of entertainment, the arts, manufacturing, and technology. But there was also also crime. So First up, we hear a newspaper story from the Cleveland News going coast to coast...

On this edition of Audio Antiques we are celebrating Cleveland, Ohio USA. During radio's golden age, Cleveland was one of the 10 largest cities in the United States. During it's heyday, Cleveland was a center of manufacturing , innovation, business, arts & culture, and crime, as you will hear in some of the law & order shows of the day. We begin with President Franklin Roosevelt gi...

Many experts believe André Watts was one of the greatest classical pianist of all time. Over the six decades of his career, this celebrated African-American musician performed as soloist with every major orchestra in the United States, and most of the world's finest orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the London Symphony Orchestra. Watts record...

Portia May White was a operatic contralto, known for becoming the first Black Canadian concert singer to achieve international fame. Born in 1911, White's formative years were spent performing in her father's church choir in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She competed in local singing competitions as a teenager and later trained at the Halifax Conservatory of Music. One of her most popular recordin...

We are examining women's fight for democracy in the United States. In 1939, NBC and the federal government teamed up to produce a series of programs called Gallant American Women. These shows outlined their struggle for equality beginning with the nation's founding. We're going to hear two episodes. The first entitled These Freedoms, about women's fight for freedom of speech, worsh...

Sidney Poitier was a trailblazing actor, film director, and diplomat who achieved numerous significant accomplishments throughout his career. As the first African-American to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, he made history with his powerful performances in films such as "Lilies of the Field" and the 1967 classic, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner." Poitier's impact ex...

An interview with a true Christmas Grinch, plus an exploration of ways to beat the Holiday blues. More at KRobCollection.com

In 1960, WBAI Radio in New York City hosted a historic debate between two prominent civil rights leaders, Malcolm X and Bayard Rustin. The discussion centered around the best approach to achieving racial equality and justice in America. Malcolm X, a fiery advocate for black nationalism and self-defense, argued for a more radical and militant approach to combating systemic racism. On the other hand...

Ken Robinson explores ways to have a trouble free Christmas Season.  More at KRobCollection.com

Muhammad Ali, was an African-American boxer, activist, entertainer, and philanthropist. Many experts regard Ali has the best heavyweight boxer of all time, and the greatest sportsman of the 20th Century. Born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. he became the heavyweight champ in 1964, and retired in 1981. Ali was an early performer of spoken word poetry and rap music. In 1963 his album "I Am The Great...

This edition explores one of the worst incidents of racial hatred in U.S. history. It happened to Army Sgt. Isaac Woodard in 1946, as the African-American veteran was returning home from World War Two, where he earned a battle star, Good Conduct Medal, and the Service medal. When traveling through Batesburg, South Carolina, Woodard was removed from the Greyhound bus he was riding on, by the police...