Wink Martindale

For Alan and Marilyn Bergman, being married and working together as songwriters had many perks. The two found that their relationship allowed them to be uninhibited in sharing ideas while crafting a song.In this interview recorded with Wink Martindale...

Andy Williams got his start doing anonymous voice tracks for movies in the 1940s. He got his start singing at teas with his brother, and then made a move to singing on radio in Des Moines, Iowa and Chicago. Finally, Williams found his way to New York...

Billy Eckstine didn’t consider singing a potential profession until he earned $5 as second prize in an amateur competition. He was bit by the showbiz bug after working as an MC and singer in his hometown of Pittsburgh while on summer break from...

Bobby Goldsboro describes the first song he ever wrote with a laugh as “one of the worst you’ve ever heard.” Though those first attempts at songwriting weren’t exactly successful, he went on to enjoy a wildly successful career including the...

Bobby Vinton, “The Most Successful Unknown,” says he never wanted to be a musician; he wanted to be a football player instead. In fact, his parents would bribe him 25 cents an hour just to get him to practice his clarinet.Vinton sat down with Wink...

Brenda Lee’s astoundingly successful career began at the early age of three, when she won a singing contest. At the age of 15 her career was well underway, drawing comparisons to the legendary Judy Garland and accumulating fans all over the world.She...

In 1973, Captain & Tennille wrote and cut a record completely at their own expense. The product of that recording session, “The Way I Want to Touch You,” proved to be a regional hit and was the first step in their fascinating journey to major label...

While some would contend that Carly Simon’s wealthy background gave her a leg up, her talent and skill as a musician make it clear that she earned every bit of her current and future success on her own. Her first break came while she was on vacation....

Dick Clark had taken over for a TV show that served as "filler” and showcased different musical acts. Young girls were invited to watch as the studio audience, but when they got bored they got up to dance and a camera man caught the moment. From that...

Eddy Arnold dominated popular and country music from the late 40s to the 60s, despite changing tastes over those two eventful decades.In a conversation with host Wink Martindale, Arnold recounts his early life as a farm boy that earned him the...

Ella Fitzgerald’s career began at various amateur nights around New York City, most famously at the Apollo Theater in 1934. From those early days, Fitzgerald grew to be an iconic jazz singer and the First Lady of Song.In the spring of 1983, Fitzgerald...

We begin our exploration of the career of Elvis Presley, which found him recording for the now world-famous Sun Records with producer Sam Phillips in 1954. Only a few short years later, he would shift to RCA Records, releasing his first single for the...

We continue our exploration of the career of Elvis Presley with the second installment of this three part series. Presley would face both happy times and challenging moments as his popularity continued to grow. He went Hollywood and added “movie star”...

Our third and final installment of a three part exploration of the career of Elvis Presley takes a look at the final years for the legendary singer who we first became aware of in 1954 when he released his first single “That’s Alright Mama” on Sun...

The third part of our Hall of Fame spotlight on Frank Sinatra’s legendary career with host Wink Martindale continues the story of the artist who remains an internationally known icon. We dig deeper into the songs and soundtrack of Frank’s career as...

From Joe DiMaggio to Humphrey Bogart and from John F. Kennedy to Ronald Reagan, Frank Sinatra was close to legends. He inspired and worked with the greats of popular music for well over 50 years.The first installment of our four part Hall of Fame...

The second part of our Hall of Fame spotlight on Frank Sinatra’s legendary career features more audio interviews and highlights from Sinatra and the friends and family who knew him best -- including John F. Kennedy, Paul Anka and songwriter Sammy...

We conclude our four part Hall of Fame spotlight on Frank Sinatra’s career with more little known details about the man and his music. In this installment, you’ll hear about the post-Columbia Records days when he was no longer in demand. He had no...

Frankie Laine’s far-reaching appeal made him a hit in the ’40s and ’50s. While his contemporaries found success early in life, Laine didn’t see fame until his late 30s. Despite his late-blooming career, his excursion into the world of music began much...

Glen Campbell’s career extended throughout song and screen as he worked in television, film and as a songwriter and performer. He achieved moderate success early on as a country artist and made history in 1967 winning four Grammys in both the pop and...

Despite his first orchestra being a complete failure, Glenn Miller grew to become arguably one of the most famous big band leaders. Following this early stumble, Miller launched his second band in March of 1938 and went on to achieve great success...

Gordon Jenkins arranged for legendary musicians, recorded a dozen hit singles including “P.S. I Love You” and “Blue Prelude” and a host of other accomplishments in the world of music. The arranger, composer and pianist was influential throughout the...

Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot helped to define the folk-pop sound of the 60s and early 70s. With a focus on crafting quality albums, not hit singles, Lightfoot found great success and provided a soundtrack for a tumultuous time.In a...

Harry Belafonte didn’t start out with a dream of being a singer. He wanted to be an actor, and studied theater for five years in New York. Unable to find work as an actor, he had to choose between abandoning dreams of being a performer entirely, or...