Mostrando resultados por autor "Wink Martindale" en Todas las categorías

Coney Island was the birthing ground for the man the rest of the world would eventually come to know as Neil Diamond. In this special Hall of Fame spotlight, host Wink Martindale takes a look at Diamond's illustrious career, beginning with those early days in Coney Island, which, Diamond tells Wink, was "the most fantastic place in the world for a kid to grow up". Diamond shares his memories of the first song he wrote and also reveals how he feels about his skills as a guitar player.

Norma Deloris Egstrom grew up far away from the big city life where her future would take her. While still a teenager, she left her small town of Jamestown, North Dakota, to audition for WDAY in Fargo. An hour later she found herself on the air and with a brand-new name, courtesy of radio personality Ken Kennedy: Peggy Lee. The singer, songwriter and actress sat with Wink Martindale in her Hollywood Hills home in 1975 and reflected on the early days of her career, her musical influences, and her ability to adapt to new sounds and audiences.

John Denver dominated the 1970s with sold-out concerts and chart-topping music. Wink Martindale spoke with Denver in Los Angeles in 1975 in the midst of this success. Denver recounts the road that began with him dropping out of college and moving to Los Angeles to find work as a singer. Denver passionately describes his attachment to music beyond entertainment, and his desire to connect with audiences on a personal level.

Herb Alpert's career began under the name Dore Alpert. When his first few releases with RCA Records failed to gain traction, he was dropped from the label. That's when Alpert joined forces with his friend Jerry Moss to form an independent label. Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass grew to great success by the mid-60s, with pre-orders for their album numbering in the millions. Host Wink Martindale sat down with Alpert and takes listeners on an exciting journey from those earliest days to the heights of Alpert's career.

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 conversation with host Wink Martindale, Lightfoot discusses working his way up throughout his career and how it shaped the way he views success.

Nat King Cole's musical journey began as a teenager receiving classical piano training, which he later abandoned to pursue jazz with the Nat King Cole Trio. His career continued to evolve as he found success as a singer with hits including "Nature Boy", "Mona Lisa", and "Too Young". Narrator Wink Martindale takes listeners on a captivating journey with producers, songwriters, and other colleagues, sharing stories of Cole's exceptional career. His wife Maria Cole provides an intimate look at the legendary musician.

Glen Campbell's career extended throughout song and screen as he worked in television, in 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 country categories.

When Kenny Rogers started singing in high school, he went through numerous gimmicks and phases trying to find a way to make his voice identifiable. Audiences didn't respond to what he was doing, and on the advice of a friend, he dropped the gimmicks and started to embrace his own sound. Many awards, hit songs, and decades later, and there is no doubt of his gift for storytelling and distinctive sound.

In part two, we hear about Welk from his manager Sam Lutz and others that played an important part in his career. We also hear from Lawrence Welk in a conversation he had with Wink Martindale in 1973. Welk shares stories of numerous performances across the country, his time on tour, and interactions with his fans. He also discusses his television career and his eventual return to recording music with Dot Records.

Lawrence Welk left home at the age of 21 and spent two years trying to get a job with bands with little success. Though his career got off to a rocky start, Welk would go on to become a renowned musician, bandleader, and television personality. In part one, we hear about Welk's earliest days of his life and career. In a conversation with Wink Martindale in 1973, he reflects on the beginning of his career and journey to success, while sharing intimate details about his personal life and experiences.

In a time when hard rock was all the rage, The Carpenters were bringing a softer sound to the airwaves of the 1970s. While many artists churned out new music constantly, they took a different approach. They waited for a great song with a great sound to come together, putting out a new song only when they were sure they were putting out a hit. Siblings Karen and Richard Carpenter sat down with Wink Martindale in 1970 during the success of "Close to You".

The Beach Boys started in the Wilsons' garage with members Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson; their cousin Mike Love; and friend Al Jardine. Their first hit was in 1962 and was considered a "surf" song that had distinct vocal harmonies. History will show the progression of the Beach Boys songs that permeated the culture of the day. The harmonies, melodies, and arrangements provided a new soundtrack in the culture of the '60s, '70s, '80s and into the new millennium.

Roy Orbison was just one of many legendary performers to come out of the powerhouse that was Sun Records. In a conversation with Wink Martindale, Orbison discusses how he got his start with Sun and its founder Sam Phillips. Orbison continues to discuss his hectic early days of touring where he would perform anywhere and everywhere including drive-in theaters and backs of flatbed trucks.

It's a testament to Johnny Mathis' talent and legacy that in 1958, just two years after signing with Columbia Records, the label released Johnny's Greatest Hits, the first album of its kind. It remained on the charts for the next nine and a half years. Wink Martindale sat down with Mathis for a conversation in 1971. He discussed the diverse audience his music attracted, what he attributed his success to, and his profound love of singing.

Rosemary Clooney grew up singing with her sister at family gatherings, and in her senior year of high school they were hired to sing at the local radio station. She soared to fame in the 1950s with the novelty song "Come On-a My House" and continued to release a number of other pop and jazz hits. In 1973 Clooney sat down with Wink Martindale to provide an intimate look at her early personal life and legendary musical career.

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 success. The couple sat down with host Wink Martindale just as their first hit was climbing the charts. In this captivating interview, they discuss how they got started in music, the creation of their first album, and their love of performing.

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 label, "Heartbreak Hotel", in January of 1956. As host Wink Martindale recalls, "Presleymania" was in full swing by 1957. Longtime Presley associates Carl Perkins, Scotty Moore, Ray Walker, and Gordon Stoker are just a few of the names who join Wink to share their memories of those early days of Presley's career.

Neil Sedaka had more than a dozen hits from 1958 to 1963, but his career slumped with the arrival of the British Invasion. In 1974, he found his way back to the charts with "Laughter in the Rain". In March of that year, Wink Martindale sat with Sedaka to discuss his early career and his thrilling comeback. Sedaka recounts his early life as a child receiving classical music training and secretly writing pop songs, despite his sister telling him to stick to the classics. Sedaka clearly made the right call.

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 Records. That first single marked the beginning of an astonishing career during which he rose to become the most famous rock and roll star in the world.

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 chart-topping hit "Honey", which sold more than a million copies in the United States. At the height of his popularity in 1973, Goldsboro sat down with Wink Martindale to discuss his wildly successful career, that included 16 top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.