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Ok folks, today’s post is taking us back to the early days of the Traditional pop standards era, 1946. The era starts roughly around the mid 1940s and lasts till sometime in the early 1960s.
Today’s featured artist is unique in that he was not a musician but a business student that started his “musical” career as a cheerleader at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Commerce degree. Can you guess his name? The title above is a hint. Still don’t know? Well I won’t keep you in suspense any longer.
It’s Kay Kyser, born James Kern Kyser in Rocky Mount, N.C. on June 18, 1905. He became UNC’s bandleader in 1926-27 when current band leader Hal Kemp convinced him to take over for him; Kemp had decided to leave to seek his own career. It was at this time that Kyser adopted the name Kay Kyser because he thought it sounded snappy.
After graduating Chapel Hill in 1928, Kyser and the band go on the road achieving minor success until 1934 when Hal Kemp again steps in to help his old buddy by recommending the Kay Kyser Orchestra to the manager of The Blackhawk club in Chicago. With a steady gig, the band can afford to hire Ginny Simms as lead female singer and the bands popularity starts takes off eventually landing a recording contract with Brunswick in 1935.
Unlike other bands of the era which centered on the bandleader, many members of Kyser’s band went on to become stars in their own right.
Some of the most notable members included: Harry Babbitt, Bruce King, comedic cornet player Ish Kabibble, Ginny Simms, Mike Douglas (years before he became a popular TV talk show host), and Georgia Carroll who in 1945 married Kyser.
What Kyser is best known for is his musical quiz show, “Kay Kyser’s Kollege of Musical Knowledge,” with Kyser playing the role of the “The Ol’ Perfessor.” The show was an instant hit developing an audience of 20 million listeners and was broadcast in 1938 on the Mutual radio network moving to the NBC radio network where it was on the top ten from 1939 to 1949. “Diplomas” were mailed to listeners who sent in quiz questions to be used on-air.
The band produced 11 number one hits between 1939 and 1946 and charted 35 more top ten hits.
There’s more I can say about Kay but I’ll end here. Enjoy one of my favorites “Ole Buttermilk Sky” which went number one in 1946.
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Here’s a bonus for you a clip of Kay and his “Kollege of Musical Knowledge”
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