Johnny Mercer's Music Shop
WEAF | |
| Syndicates | NBC |
|---|---|
| Starring | Johnny Mercer |
| Original release | June 22 – September 14, 1943 |
| Sponsored by | Pepsodent |
Johnny Mercer's Music Shop is an
Mercer was a guest on The Pepsodent Show's season finale, providing a transition to the premiere of his own program the following week.
Singers Ella Mae Morse and Jo Stafford were regulars on the program, with musical support from The Pied Pipers and Paul Weston and his orchestra.[4] Although the program's cast was white, episodes sometimes presented a black image. For example, the first episode included both the song "Louisville Lou (That Vampin' Lady)", which is about a black stripper, and a minstrel show skit.[2]
A review in the trade publication Billboard praised the program's musical performances but noted that its comedy components needed to be improved to better match Mercer's personality,[3] which the Encyclopedia of Music in the 20th Century commented was "so suited to the medium."[5]
The Chesterfield Music Shop (1944)
As the title implies, Chesterfield cigarettes sponsored this 15-minute program, which ran from June 12, 1944, until December 8, 1944 on NBC. Members of the cast were the same as those in the 1943 program, except for the addition of Wendell Niles as announcer.[1] In addition to the NBC broadcasts, the show was also carried by the Armed Forces Radio Service for transmission to United States military personnel.[2]
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3.
- ^ ISBN 9781438455792. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
- ^ a b Frohlich, Shirley (July 17, 1943). "Johnny Mercer's Music Shop" (PDF). Billboard. p. 12. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
- Newspapers.com.
- ISBN 9781135929466. Retrieved 26 March 2019.