December 17, 1936 Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy Show made its radio debut

On this day in 1936, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy Show made its debut.

December 15, 1918 Jeff Chandler was born

On this day in 1918, Jeff Chandler was born.

December 13, 1910: Van Heflin was born

On this day in 1910, Van Heflin was born.

December 11, 1920 Eddie Firestone Jr. was born

On this day in 1920, Eddie Firestone Jr. was born.

December 11, 1914 Dorothy Lamour was born

On this day in 1914, Dorothy Lamour was born.

December 10, 1902 Brace Beemer was born

On this day in 1902, Brace Beemer was born.

December 5, 1906 William Spier was born

On this day in 1906, famed radio writer producer, William Spier was born.

December 3, 1917 Ezra Stone was born

On this day in 1917, Ezra Stone was born.

December 1, 1886 Rex Stout was born

On this day in 1886, Rex Stout was born.

November 28, 1925: Debut of The Grandle Ole Opry on WSM

On this date in OTR: The "Grand Ole Opry" debuted on WSM in Nashville Nov. 28, 1925. NBC carried a 30-minute segment of the program 1939-1957.

November 9, 1906 Norman Macdonnell was born

Norman Macdonnell and Orson Welles

On this day in 1916, Norman Macdonnell was born.

September 7, 1943 Molle Mystery Theater made its radio debut

On this day in 1943, Molle Mystery Theater made its debut.

September 3, 1910 Grace Matthews was born

On this day in 1910, Grace Matthews was born.

August 22, 1920 Ray Bradbury was born

On this day in 1920, Ray Bradbury was born.

August 2, 1905 Alice Frost was born

On this day in 1905, Alice Frost was born.

July 23, 1912 Jackson Beck was born

On this day in 1912, radio announcer Jackson Beck was born.

July 10, 1948 Jeff Regan premiered

On this day in 1948, Jeff Regan premiered.

July 2, 1939 The Aldrich Family made its radio debut

On this day in 1939, The Aldrich Family made its radio debut!

June 30, 1899 Santos Ortega was born

On this day in 1899, Santos Ortega was born.

June 27, 1933 Gary Crosby was born

On this day in 1933, Gary Crosby was born.

June 26, 1904 Peter Lorre was born

On this day in 1904, Peter Lorre was born.

June 24, 1944 Boston Blackie made its radio debut

On this day in 1944, Boston Blackie made its radio debut!

June 24: Happy Birthday, Phil Harris

The persona Phil Harris created on the radio was one who was easy to like. He was a happy-go-lucky hep cat who never met a bottle or a pretty girl that he didn't like. By reputation, he made acquaintances with plenty of both. Most of all, the radio Phil Harris was easy to like because he was a fundamentally happy fellow, as willing to laugh at himself as he was to laugh at those around him.

When your boss is Jack Benny, of course, there is plenty around you to laugh at. Phil is best remembered as one of Benny's many “second bananas”, although he had a relatively successful career beyond the Jack Benny Program. He was never quite a superstar, but that seems to have been just alright with him.

On June 24, 1904, Wonga Philip Harris was born to circus performers Harry and Dollie Harris in Linton, Indiana. Harry, a circus band leader, taught the lad to play several instruments and gave his son his first gig, playing drums under the big top. The boy played in movie houses in his hometown, but got into music in a big way when the family settled in Nashville. He dropped the Wonga and played around the South with his band, the Dixie Syncopators. Eventually, Phil found his way to the West coast, leading the house band at San Francisco's St. Francis Hotel, and later headlining at L.A.'s Cocoanut Grove nightclub at the Ambassador Hotel in 1932.

In 1936, Harris was hired as the musical director for The Jello Program Starring Jack Benny. It became apparent off the air that Phil could handle a snappy comeback, so Jack encouraged his writers to give him more lines. The character developed for Phil was above remembering names and had nicknames for most of the principals on the show. He always greeted the boss with “Hiya Jackson” and Mary Livingstone became “Livvy”. On Phil's first appearance, Jack describes him as a good looking fellow, the kind of guy you can trust with your best girl, if you can trust your best girl!

The real success in Phil Harris's life was his marriage to actress Alice Faye. Alice was one of Darryl F. Zanuck's protégées, one of 20th Century Fox's most dependable money makers. Faye and Harris first met on the Rudy Vallee's Fleischmann Hour in in 1932. Although they were both married to other people at the time, Harris got in a fist fight at the Trocadero nightclub in 1938, defending Faye's honor. After they both divorced the couple was married in 1941. Phil and the whole band joined the Merchant Marine during the War while Alice continued her movie career.

The movie career soured during Faye's last picture with Fox. Zanuck was grooming another protege, and ordered many of Faye's scenes cut to cast a better light on the new girl. Alice was so upset that after the screening, she got into her car, drove off the lot and left the key to her dressing room with the guard at the gate. Her movie fans begged her to come back, but Alice found plenty to do, learning to run a household and raising the Harris kids (Phil Jr, adopted during Phil's first marriage, and daughters Alice and Phyllis) and running a household. She was still able to work with Phil in radio on The Fitch Bandwagon. The program was a showcase for big bands, including Harris's, but with the addition of Alice it became a delightful family situation comedy.

The Fitch Bandwagon morphed into the Phil Harris/Alice Faye Show when a new sponsor, Rexall Drugs, came on board. The Harris' essentially played themselves, and the shows featured a song from each of them each week. The show was often in the top 10, and may have actually increased Alice's popularity after she left the movie business.

Phil remained part of the Jack Benny Program. There was a scheduling conflict when Jack left NBC for CBS. Phil would only appear during the first half of Jack's show, then left the studio to walk over to NBC for his own show. In 1952, Bob Crosby took over as Jack's music director. There was some talk of bringing the Phil Harris/Alice Faye Show to TV, but the Harris' were not particularly interested.

Phil had a small part in the 1954 John Wayne film, The High and The Mighty. He also took his talents to the Disney Studios, appearing as Baloo the Bear in The Jungle Book and Abraham de Lacey Giuseppe Casey Thomas O'Malley the alley cat in The Aristocats.

Phil Harris died of a heart attack at his home in Rancho Mirage, in 1995. Alice had Phil's remains cremated, and kept them near her for the rest of her life. After her passing, she was also cremated, and they now share a space in the mausoleum at Forest Lawn. Two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame honor Phil Harris, at 6508 Hollywood Blvd for his work in recording and at 6651 Hollywood Blvd for his contributions to radio.

June 19, 1912 Martin Gabel was born

On this day in 1912, Martin Gabel was born.

June 13, 2013: Happy Birthday Bob Bailey

Born in Toledo, Ohio in 1913, Bob Bailey was a noted actor that did most of his career doing radio programs. Although his early years did catch him working films for 20th Century Fox, Bailey created a radio presence that attracted more attention for himself than film ever could. The early 40’s found him in Chicago handling radio programs that were on the air. It was not until 1946, that he became a regular on detective radio shows like, Let George Do It and Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. His time as George Valentine on the first mentioned program was from 1946 until the 50’s. In 1955, Bailey became the legendary Johnny dollar. That program ran until 1962, although Bailey had left the program in 1960. Although this time of his life found Bailey ending his acting career; he did find room as a cameo reporter on the film the Birdman of Alcatraz. Irony played around with Bailey as one of the actors from the film, Edmund O'Brien had played the insurance detective Johnny Dollar in the early 1950’s. Bob Bailey died in 1983 in California at the age of 70 years old. Bailey made not have enjoyed the illustrious careers of many of his peers, he still became a name remembered due to the theatre of radio.

June 12, 1890 Junius Matthews was born

On this day in 1980, Junius Matthews was born.

June 11, 1914 Gerald Mohr was born

On this day in 1914, Gerald Mohr was born.

June 10, 1900 Fred Waring was born

On this day in 1900, Fred Waring was born.

June 5, 1895 William Boyd was born

On this day in 1895, William Boyd was born.

June 4, 1918 Howard Culver was born

On this day in 1918, Howard Culver was born.

May 23, 1890 Herbert Marshall was born

On this day in 1890, Herbert Marshall was born.

May 22, 1859 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was born

On this day in 1859, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was born.

May 21: Happy Birthday, Fats Waller

Today marks the 1904 birth of Thomas "Fats" Waller, one of the great jazz pianists of the mid-20th century. The Harlem native began playing at rent parties, raising some cash for the hosts. He broke into the music business writing novelty songs, and started recording with Victor Records in 1926.

Waller played the organ in addition to piano, and also laid down the vocals on his solo songs. His technique was considerable--he was an innovator in the difficult realm of stride piano, which requires fast alternation on the bass end of the keyboard, with the right hand augmenting the basic melody.

He hosted a radio show called "Fats Waller's Rhythm Club" from 1932-34. Waller's virtuosity and his smooth, comic patter made him a very popular entertainer in Depression-era America.

Happy Birthday, Fats!

May 17, 1942 The Whistler made its radio debut

On this day in 1942, The Whistler made its radio debut.

May 16, 1904 Clifton Fadiman was born

On this day in 1904, Clifton Fadiman was born.

May 14, 1910 Paul Sutton was born

On this day in 1910, Paul Sutton was born.

May 5, 1912 Bret Morrison was born

On this day in 1912, Bret Morrison was born.

May 3, 1932 Jack Benny Program made its radio debut

On this day in 1932, Jack Benny Program made its radio debut.

April 30, 1908 Eve Arden was born

On this day in 1908, Eve Arden was born.

April 28, 1878 Lionel Barrymore was born

On this day in 1878, Lionel Barrymore was born.

April 24, 1955 X-Minus One made its radio debut

On this day in 1955, X-Minus One made its debut.

April 17, 1935 Lights Out made its radio debut

On this day in 1935, Lights Out made its radio debut.

April 16, 1935 Fibber McGee & Molly made its radio debut

On this day in 1935, Fibber McGee & Molly made its radio debut.

April 15, 1917 Hans Conried was born

On this day in 1917, Hans Conried was born.

April 10, 1943 Falcon made its radio debut

On this day in 1943, Falcon made its debut.

April 8, 1943 The Adventures of Nero Wolfe made its radio debut

On this day in 1943, The Adventures of Nero Wolfe made its radio debut.

April 4, 1906 Bea Benaderet was born

On this day in 1906, Bea Benaderet was born.

April 3, 1924 Doris Day was born

On this day in 1924, Doris Day was born.

March 28, 1912 Frank Lovejoy was born

On this day in 1912, Frank Lovejoy was born. As Randy Stone, he was your favorite newspaperman on trail of crime and corruption in Night Beat.

March 28: Happy Birthday, Frank Lovejoy

March 28: Happy Birthday, Frank Lovejoy

We can't know if Frank Lovejoy was voted "Most Likely To Be The Blue Beetle" by his high school class, but it seems possible. The steely-eyed, square-jawed actor exuded intensity and a detective's predatory determination. If we were alive, he'd be celebrating his one hundred and first birthday.

Lovejoy's voice was one of the most recognized in the business, for Blue Beetle and several other shows. Blue Beetle hit the airwaves in May of 1940. Lovejoy gave voice to the title character, a superhero (whose alter-ego's name was Dan Garrett) with the strength of ten men. He carried a beetle pendant and left it around town to alert evil-doers he was on to them. Lovejoy held down this gig only for a Summer, and then future episodes went uncredited as to the voice.

Frank Lovejoy is also well-known for his parts in Box 13, Nightbeat, Dragnet, and This Is Your FBI. When they needed a stern cop or investigator, they called Lovejoy.