Tv Stars "Sing" (Sometimes yes, sometimes no)

Hi again from the your old Disk Jockey right here in the “stacks of wax.” Before we get started we need to pause for a word from our sponsor! OK, so I am not really going to do a commercial here, but it did get your attention.


Speaking of TV leads me into the subject for today: Young TV Stars who also had hit records. Thinking about this topic I came up with a total of six who had notable songs, I am pretty sure there are a few more, but they probably didn't make the charts. Three of those artists; Johnny Crawford, Annette, and Paul Peterson got their start on The Mickey Mouse Club. Johnny Crawford, who hit the charts with Proud and Cindy's Birthday was only on the first season of the show, he then went on to more fame as Mark McCain in The Rifleman. When I interviewed him he told me the first day he was on the Mickey Mouse club set he went ape over this cute little brunette, yes it was Annette. Johnny has never really been away from show business and is very active today with his own Orchestra that specializes on 30's style dance music. His CD, “Sweeping The Clouds Away, was one I had the pleasure of playing several cuts from during his interview. If you like big band music check if our at www.crawfordmusic.com. Another Mouseketter alumni, Paul Peterson had chart hits with She can't Find Her Keys and My Dad, Paul, unfortunately, is one of the artists I never got around to interviewing. He is still active and was recently interviewed along with Donna Reed Show co-Star Shelly Fabres on Bill O'Riley. I think I included Shelly Fabres as one of my youthful crushes her hit of Johnny Angel was a great dance song. Shelly is married to M.A.S.H. star Mike Farrell and is active in promoting her husbands autobiography. Even though I had a huge crush on her (Anna) Patty Duke's song, Don't Just Stand There, it goes down in my list of all time bad records, if she is reading this, I am sorry but without the studio enhancement it would have been even worse. Fortunately for her she is a tremendous actress winning Oscars, Emmy's and Golden Globe awards.

I saved the two most successful artists for last. Annette Funicello was discovered by and hired by Walt Disney himself. Her record releases were on Walt's own Buena Vista label , I think that they may have been the only contemporary songs ever on that label. Her hist included Tall Paul, Pineapple Princess, and First Name Initial, to name a few. She of course stared in the “Beach Movies” with Frankie Avalon later she was a spokesperson for Skippy Peanut Butter. Her last film Back To The beach was made around the time Annette was diagnosed with MS. She appeared in a cameo role in the TV movie “A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes, The Annette Funicello Story. Sadly, her M.S. has progressed to a point where she had not made any public appearances in years.

Ricky Nelson: was probably the second biggest heart throb in the 50's and 60's after Elvis. As part of the Ozzie and Harriet Show he had a great vehicle for promoting his songs. His real life Dad, Ozzie, was a band leader and a great promoter and launched a career for Ricky that included over 30 top 40 hits from 1957 to 1962, behind only Elvis and Pat Boone. Ricky died in a plane crash on December 31, 1985 on his way with his band to do a New years Eve gig. Bruce Belland of The Four Preps, who was a supporting actor on The Ozzie and Harriett Show, told me he was on his way to a party when he heard the news. “Kel, I was crushed, I had worked with the Nelson's and felt like I was part of their family, “ he told me during one of our two interviews.

Trivia: One of the shortest songs to make the Top Forty Charts was about a very popular amusement park, performed by Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon. Can you remember the songs name of the song and who the writer was? A hint the writer went on to host a show that at times could be VERY noisy. The answer Palisades Park written by TV host Chuck Barris. Yes, the same Chuck Barris who gave us “The Gong Show” and the “$1.98 Beauty Pageant”. Bye the way, the shortest Top 40 song ever belongs to our good friend Duane Eddy for "Some Kind-a Earthquake".