Preface: Unless you lived through the 50s, you may not be familiar with the Arthur Godfrey Show and the "sound meter". Arthur Godfrey was prominent on radio and pioneered television talent shows. In fact, he was instrumental in defining the first decade and a half of TV history in the United States.
The formula for Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts was simple enough. "Scouts" brought on their discoveries to a converted New York theater to perform before a live studio audience. Most of these "discoveries" were in fact struggling professionals looking for a break, and so the quality of the talent was quite high. At the program's conclusion, the studio audience selected the winner by way of an applause meter. [Source: The Museum of Broadcast...]
Today in Television History: January 21, 1957
If you heard the name Virginia Patterson Hensley, would you make the connection to one of the major female vocalists of all time? It all began when she won a contest on the Arthur Godfrey Talent program. In fact, Arthur Godfrey is heralded for making this soloist a star as a result of her first appearance on his show January 21, 1957. She sang "Walkin' After Midnight."
Welcome into the Spotlight...
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| Patsy Cline at Four Star Records in March 1957 Source: en.wikipedia.org |
Arthur Godfrey is heralded for making Patsy Cline a star as a result of her first appearance on his show January 21, 1957. Patsy sang "Walkin' After Midnight." Arthur Godfrey's career started out in radio, principally for CBS. When he permitted his radio program Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts to be televised, it was an immediate hit with the show running from December 1948 to July 1958. Half-hour segments were featured on Monday nights at 8:30 P.M
The formula for Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts was simple enough. "Scouts" brought on their discoveries to a converted New York theater to perform before a live studio audience. Most of these "discoveries" were in fact struggling professionals looking for a break, and so the quality of the talent was quite high. At the program's conclusion, the studio audience selected the winner by way of an applause meter. [Source: Archive of American Television]
Opening segment of a telecast of Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts
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| Cline promotional photograph - 1961 Source: en.wikipedia.org |
Patsy Cline left an indelible mark on the music industry in spite of the fact that her career was cut short. She had a feeling about her destiny and early death even commenting the week before she died: "Honey, I've had two bad ones (accidents). The third one will either be a charm or it'll kill me." Patsy Cline was killed in an airplane crash on the evening of March 5, 1963. The pilot of the Piper PA-24 Comanche plane was not trained in instrument flying. The flight encountered inclement weather and crashed nose down in a forest outside Camden, Tennessee.
Patsy Cline is best remembered for her biggest pop hit "Crazy" written by Willie Nelson, which is now considered a classic also becoming Cline's signature song.
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| Original cover of the 1961 studio album, Patsy Cline Showcase,
which featured her hits from that year, "I Fall to Pieces" and "Crazy". The cover (and name) were changed following Cline's death to the more-familiar version seen today. Source: en.wikipedia.org |
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| The cover of the re-released album in 1963 Source: en.wikipedia.org |
Long live the music of Patsy Cline!
And the music goes on beating to the rhythm of the changing times...
And the music goes on beating to the rhythm of the changing times...
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