Customer Reviews

Radio Speakers: Narrators, News Junkies, Sports Jockeys, Tattletales, Tipsters, Toastmasters and Coffee Klatch Couples Who Verbalized the Jargon of ... 1920s to the 1980s-A Biographical Dictionary

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

They were some of the most familiar voices during the Golden Age of Radio and beyond, but, in many cases, were also some of the most anonymous. They were the announcers, news and entertainment reporters, sportscasters, show hosts, and others or as author Jim Cox refers to them, the "Radio Speakers."

In his new book of the same title, Jim provides Old-Time Radio fans with a wonderful new resource. He has compiled an extensive body of information on an important segment of Golden Age of Radio talent; a segment that has received relatively little coverage in Old-Time Radio literature. The reader will find that much new enlightening and fascinating information has been included in this volume.

The work is truly extensive and includes profiles of 1,161 "Radio Speakers." The main portion of the book, The Dictionary, supplies detailed biographical sketches of some 569 "Speakers" These entries include birth and These entries include birth and death information, series worked, personal and career information, and numerous entertaining anecdotes. In the Appendix, there are very brief entries for another 592 network and syndicated radio personalities for whom little information exists on their careers and/or their performances on radio were relatively minor compared to their other activities in various other entertainment venues.

With the publication of Radio Speakers, Jim Cox has greatly expanded the body of knowledge on an important group of people who made vital contributions to Radio's Golden Age. This book is a significant reference work that should find its way in the libraries of scholars and fans of Old-Time Radio.

John Dunning, Martin Grams and Jim Cox are my three favorite authors. Every book that bears their name sits on my shelf. This is more reference than pleasure reading. Each entry features the name of the radio speaker/announcer, birth date, date of death, name of program and years they served duty, and whenever possible a bit of biography and background.

Durward Kirby, for example, cites his work on HOP HAZARD, CRIME FIGHTERS, CRISCO RADIO NEWSPAPER, THE GARRY MOORE SHOW, HILLTOP HOUSE, TWO FOR THE MONEY and others. What launched his radio career, he was 6 foot 4, blond hair, and a quote by Garry Moore about Durward is included among other trivia.

360 pages, fully indexed. Only flaw is the subtitle. The subtitle is supposed to explain that the approach for which the book extends profile. I cannot visualize someone typing "verbalized the Jargon" in a google search to find this book. Perhaps the publishers were having a little fun?