The Great Gildersleeve was a radio situation comedy broadcast from 1941 to 1957. The series was built around the character of Throckmorton Gildersleeve, small town water commissioner and his family. One of the co-stars was Lillian Randolph, an African-American actress and singer. Randolph appeared in hundreds of radio shows, getting her start on WTAM in Cleveland, Ohio. She appeared in many films, and television shows. Randolph's most notable movie appearances was in It's a Wonderful Life (1946), Magic (1978), and The Onion Field (1979). Randolph was a prominent voice in nineteen Tom and Jerry cartoons. She performed on the Bill Cosby Show, Sanford and Son, The Jeffersons, and Roots. You'll hear Lillian Randolph as Birdie the maid on NBC radio's the Great Gildersleeve in 1946, 1948, and 1950.

More at KRobCollection.com

Ken Robinson hosts a show about getting minorities involved in the banking and financial industries. (WJMO-AM Cleveland, 1982)

More at http://krobcollection.com

On this edition we take a look at African-American professional boxer Jersey Joe Walcott, who is regarded among the best heavyweights in the world during the 1940s and 1950s, winning the title at the age of 37. Walcott was born in 1914, and was only 15 years old when his father died. He quit school and worked in a soup factory to support his mother and 11 younger brothers and sisters, and then began training as a boxer. His first bout was in 1930. His last fight was in 1953, when he was knocked out by Rocky Marciano in the first round. After retiring from boxing, Walcott did some acting, playing small parts in a few movies and television shows. In 1956, Walcott performed the role of George the Trainer, in the Humphrey Bogart boxing drama The Harder They Fall.

Walcott also refereed several boxing matches, including the second fight between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston. From 1971 to 1974, Walcott was the elected Sheriff of Camden County, New Jersey, the first African-American to hold the position. From 1975 to 1984, Walcott was the chairman of the New Jersey State Athletic Commission. You're going to hear Jersey Joe Walcott take on boxing legend Joe Louis in a 1948 rematch on ABC radio. It's one of the earliest bouts broadcast on closed circuit television.

More at KRobCollection.com

Soap Operas were very popular during radio's classic era. Experts say the radio networks made more money from daytime serials than any other broadcast genre, because so many women were homemakers, and enjoyed being entertained while doing boring, tedious, housework. The first soap opera appeared on radio in 1930 and was an instant success. Very quickly, midday programing was filled with mostly soaps, lasting about 15 minutes each, with occasional news breaks. You will hear several soaps broadcast on CBS Radio the morning of September 21st, 1939. They are Hilltop House, Stepmother, Brenda Curtis, Big Sister, and Aunt Jenny's True Life Stories.

More at KrobCollection.com

First Jeopardy host Art Fleming, Home Health Care, and Phil Donahue.

More at KRobCollection.com

Timmie Rogers was an African-American comedian, singer-songwriter, bandleader and actor. Rogers was one of the first Black comedians allowed to directly address a white audience. Before Rogers, African-American comics had to either work in pairs or groups, only conversing with each other, and they had to play a character. Because of this, Rogers was known as the Jackie Robinson of comedy. Rogers was born in Detroit in 1915. At the age of eight, he was earning money by dancing on the street. At the age of 12, Rogers ran away from home and found a job as a dishwasher on a boat, where he learned to speak 9 languages including French and German. By 1932, Rogers was a professional dancer, and in the 1940s he began performing on radio. In 1949, Rogers starred in America's first black prime-time television show Uptown Jubilee on CBS. He was also a recurring guest star on The Jackie Gleason Show on CBS-TV for over 12 years, and would continue to work with Jackie for the next thirty years. In the late 1950s Rogers recorded for Cameo and Parkway Records. His hits included "Back to School Again" and "You'd Better Go Now". When performing, Rogers often played a 10-stringed guitar-like instrument called a Martin tiple, which he used on a 1975 episode of the Redd Foxx sitcom Sanford and Son. Rogers was inducted into the National Comedy Hall of Fame in 1993. You will hear Timmie Rogers perform on 3 editions of the Armed Forces Radio show Jubilee, the first two in 1945, and the third in 1947.

More at KRobCollection.com

The focus of this edition is the career of Lena Horne, the African-American dancer, actress, singer, and civil rights activist. Her career spanned over 70 years, appearing on film, television, and theater. Born in 1917, Horne became a popular night club singer at the age of 16. She made her first movie appearance in 1935, which lead to many radio performances. Lena Horne is the winner of 4 Grammy awards, one Emmy award and many other accolades. We'll will hear the story of her life in a 1949 edition of Destination Freedom. Then Lena Horne performs in a starring role (Which was very rare during Jim Crow America) on the CBS Radio drama, Suspense in 1944. You will hear Lena sing with the legendary Benny Goodman band on the armed forces program Jubilee in 1946. Lastly, She appears on the radio show, Guest Star in 1947.

More at KRobCollection.com

Ken explores Medical Hypnosis, Cardio Diets, and Perfect Parenting.

For details visit http://krobcollection.com