Fred Waring Show

Fred Waring was one of the most famous bandleaders and proponents of choral singing of the Twentieth Century. Fred and his “Pennsylvanians” became the first singing band, the first to use megaphones, to feature vocalists with an orchestra, and to combine an orchestra with a glee club. His innovations in live performance led to a long career on radio which spilled into the early years of television.

Waring and the Pennsylvanians were fixtures of WW2 war bond rallies and entertainment for training facilities for service personnel. He was a fan of comic strips, hosting many cartoonists at his home and at the Shawnee Inn resort he owned. Chester Gould, creator of Dick Tracy, appears on his program in one of the recordings in the Hehn collection.

In addition to his musical career, Waring was an entrepreneurial musician who created “The Waring Blendor,” a common kitchen appliance for making meals and drinks. The Waring blenders are still in extensive use in commercial and institutional kitchens around the world.

These recordings are part of the Joe Hehn Memorial Collection. Mr. Hehn (1931-2020) was a pioneering collector of radio recordings when the hobby emerged in the 1960s. Digitizing his collection of reel tapes and discs is the effort of a wide range of North American volunteers, supported by groups like the Old Time Radio Researchers.

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.