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RUDY VALLEE INTRODUCED MANY RADIO PERFORMERS TO FAME
(From Radio Recall, December 2005)
Billed as “The Vagabond Lover,” Hubert Prior Vallee got his musical start and his nickname, “Rudy,” during a year at the University of Maine. Later at Yale, he organized his own band, and at age 23, he was on radio in London. By 1928 he got his own program on NBC and his variety show went on to garner superb ratings.
Despite his private life as an arrogant, unkind, and ill-tempered taskmaster of everyone on his radio show, he could be very generous to new comers to radio. He introduced many up and coming stars to his NBC audience over the years.
In August of 1942, NBC issued a press release that listed a partial summary of performers Vallee introduced, who later became stars:
Eddie Cantor
Jimmy Durante
Edgar Bergen
Fanny Brice
Phil Baker
Burns and Allen
Kate Smith
Judy Canova
Bob
Burns
Frances Langford
Olsen and Johnson
Milton Berle
......So,
heigh-ho everybody!