The Ink Spots were an American vocal jazz group who gained international fame in the 1930s and 1940s. The Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame inductees paved the way for rhythm and blues and dew-wop. The Ink Spots began performing in the Indianapolis area around 1931, appearing on radio station WLW in Cincinnati. By 1934 they made it to the Apollo Theater in New York, and started touring in England. In 1936, the Ink Spots were the first African Americans to appear on television, when the medium was in the experimental stage of development. By 1938 they had their own nationwide radio show. In 1939 they recorded a ballad called, "If I Didn't Care", was a smash hit, selling over 19 million copies. Hoppy Jones, Deek Watson, Charlie Fuqua, and Bill Kenny went on to appear in movies, and made many guest appearances on variety shows during the golden age of TV, between 1948 and 1952. You will hear The Ink Spots 1938 radio show, plus an appearance on the Jack Benny radio program in 1948.

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The Zero Hour was a daily Mutual Broadcasting System radio drama hosted by Twilight Zone star Rod Serling. We're going to hear two episodes from 1974 starring African-American actor Greg Morris, the Cleveland, Ohio native who got his start appearing on such TV shows such as The Twilight Zone, Branded, and Ben Casey. Morris is best known for his role as electronics expert Barney Collier on Mission: Impossible, and as Lt. David Nelson on crime drama Vega$. Now, he stars in Other Sins Only Speak and the Rehabilitation of Citizen Fimple on Zero Hour.

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Meet Gene Shimandle, the former college professor who launched a walking campaign to increase organ donations after receiving a heart transplant. Also Dr. Holly Thacker of the website Speaking of Women's Health who warns of the Osteoporosis Crisis.

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Mystery dramas were always a listener favorite during radio's classic era. You will hear four such theater productions in this podcast. Mollé Mystery Theater was a 30-minute anthology radio program that ran from 1943 to 1948. It was sponsored initially by Sterling Drugs, manufacturers of Mollé Brushless Shaving Cream. ABC Mystery Theater was a similar series on the air from 1951 to 1954 and made a brief transition to ABC-TV. We have Mystery Playhouse from 1945, and the CBC Radio Mystery Theater which was written, adapted, produced and broadcast by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation from 1966 to 1968.

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It's time for Destination Freedom, a weekly radio program produced by NBC Radio's Chicago affiliate from 1948 to 1950. The show presented biographical histories of prominent African-Americans. The show was the brainchild of black journalist and author Richard Durham. This episode is called Dark Explorers, and is about the Moors of New Spain.

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An examination of New Thought Christianity, the Catholic Child Abuse scandals, religious violence, and the separation of church and state.

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This podcast is about Huddie William Ledbetter. Better known by his stage name Lead Belly, was one of the most celebrated folk and blues singers of his time. His most popular songs "Goodnight, Irene", "Midnight Special", "Cotton Fields", became American classics. Lead Belly was celebrated for his songwriting skills, strong vocals, and virtuosity on the twelve-string guitar. He's a Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame inductee. Lead Belly was born in 1888, and faced many hardships as a young African-American growing up in the Jim Crow South, serving several prison sentences for murder, attempted homicide, and assault. But Lead Belly spent his time behind bars, performing concerts for his fellow inmates and perfecting his craft. Once he got out for good, Lead Belly was given a radio show, and signed a contract with RCA Victor, one of the biggest record companies at the time. You will hear 3 episodes of the Leadbelly Show on New York Radio Station WNYC in 1940, one with special guest, legendary folk singer Woodie Guthrie. You'll also hear Lead Belly perform on the show, This Is Jazz in 1947, just 2 years before his death.

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At the age of 25 in 1927, Charles Lindbergh became an international hero when he made the first non-stop solo flight from New York to Paris. Even though British aviators John Alcock and Arthur Brown made the first ever non-stop transatlantic flight in June 1919. Never-the-less, the solo flight by the former airmail pilot was viewed as a tremendous breakthrough for aviation. A huge celebration was held in Washington DC when Lindbergh arrived to meet with government and military leaders. In the coming years, few would celebrate Lindbergh as he evolved into a Nazi sympathizer and serial adulterer.