Week of February 15, 1959

It’s reported that Secretary of State John Dulles has

cancer and that radiation treatment will begin at once.

Fidel Castro (32), leader of Cuba’s revolution, is

sworn in as Prime Minster and concedes he faces

“the toughest test of my life.” Castro said he wants to

“carry forward the revolution in Cuba,” but conceded it

will be no easy task. He appealed to Cubans not to

be impatient about reforms, but to “aid and

understand us.”

Soviet Premier Khrushchev says that if the western

powers try to shoot their way through to West Berlin,

“this will mean the beginning of war.”

President Eisenhower says that if there is to be any shooting or use of force over

Berlin, it will be started by the Russians trying to “stop us from doing our duty.”

In Mexico - President Eisenhower and President Adolfo Lopez Mateos meet for

the first time. The President is there for two days of informal talks.

At Cape Canaveral - an Atlas ICBM blows apart three minutes after launching.

It’s the seventh time an ICBM has blown-up.

Adm. Arleigh A. Burke, chief of U.S. Naval Operations says that the United

States “has the ability right now, in being, to destroy the Soviet Union… in

several ways and several times over.”

Mobster Frank Costello is stripped of his American

citizenship because of a lie he told 34 years ago while

swearing to uphold the Constitution. He said he was a

realtor, but in fact, he was a bootlegger, according to the

government.

Sen. John F. Kennedy (D-Mass) will be the guest on

CBS-TV’s “Face the Nation” this week. Kennedy, mentioned as a possible

candidate for the Democratic nomination in 1960, makes his second appearance

on recent months on the program. The program is moderated by Stuart Novins.

Entertainment news - Singer Tommy Leonetti says he was dropped as a guest

star on this week’s “Dick Clark Show” after publication of testimony before the

Week of February 15, 1959

Friday night on ABC-TV

Television news -

NBC announces a new western - Bonanza. To be filmed in Virginia City, Nev.

The movie is inspired by the popularity of the other hour-long NBC westerns -

“Cimarron City” and “Wagon Train.”

Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt appears in commercials for Lever Brothers “Good

Luck Oleo margarine.” Look for them beginning this week.

Tuesday night television -

CBS - Burns and Allen, MacKenzie’s Raiders, To Tell The Truth, Arthur Godfrey,

Red Skelton, Garry Moore

NBC - Dragnet, Edie Fisher, George Burns Show, Bob Cummings, The

Californians, Mike Hammer, Jack Paar Show

Week of February 15, 1959

Radio news - Coca-Cola signs to sponsor a new teen show over KNUZ (1230)

in Houston - “Hi-Fi” club with deejay Chuck Dunway. Also, Larry Kane now has

one over KTRK-TV Houston.

DJ Murray the K , who lived in the IRT subway until someone

found a special WINS subway token is free. Everyone at the

station thought it would take several days before someone

turned in the token, but it took some 8 days.

Music news - More TV record hop/bandstand shows hit the

air - WTOL radio DJ’s Larry DeBeau and Joe Weaver host

“Toledo Bandstand” over WTOL-TV… WNBQ-TV “Chicago

Bandstand” expands to an hour with Dave Hull.

Week of February 15, 1959

Coral Records is rushing out an album of Buddy Holly’s biggest hits under the

title “The Buddy Holly Story.”

Clyde McPhatter makes his debut at Max Gordon’s Village Vanguard in

Greenwich Village.

Ray Charles says there’s good in any kind of music - “It used to hurt me when

rhythm and blues was considered bad music. It’s unfair to call anything all bad.

But rhythm and blues was scandalized. Then along came people like Elvis

Presley, Pat Boone and Little Richard and they called it rock and roll and it was

all right. To me, when they get a couple of guitars together with a backbeat, that’s

rock and roll or rockabilly. Rhythm and blues is genuine, down-to-earth Negro

music.”

Paul Anka - the 17-year-old singer/songwriter says

he has his favorites. “Take Bobby Darin. He can sing

just about anything. He’s got a great talent. But I have

quite a list. There’s Connie Francis, Jimmy Rodgers,

Frankie Avalon, Clyde McPhatter, Andy Williams, the

Everly Brothers and Fabian.” Anka says his biggest

favorite is Perry Como. “He’s one of the real solid

people of this business. And what a great man. I’ll tell

you something else, I’ve felt about the music

business. There are a lot of artists around today who

ought to take off their hats the arrangers and the

engineers who help make their records. Nobody ever

gives them their due. I’m mighty grateful to Don Costa. He’s done a lot for me.”

Henry Mancini - who you could say was unknown before he

hit it big with the “Peter Gun” theme - is on a press junket with

interviews with the press, deejays and others. Mancini was

with the Tex Beneke orchestra as arranger and pianist after

the war before settling down in Hollywood to write for movies

in the late 1940’s.

The first use of “fully compatible’ stereophonic sound will be

demonstrated on the “Perry Como” NBC-TV show on Saturday, February 28

during the 8:15-8:45 segment of the color show. The demonstration is one of the

features of RCA Victor’s current “Save on Stereo” campaign.

Week of February 15, 1959

Top hits in Britain -

As I Love You - Shirley Bassey

I Got Stung/One Night - Elvis Presley

Kiss Me, Honey Honey, Kiss Me - Shirley

Bassey

Baby Face - Little Richard

To Know Him Is To Love Him - Teddy

Bears

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - Platters

Doe Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour -

Lonnie Donegan

Problems - Everly Brothers

Top Country & Western -

Billy Bayou - Jim Reeves

Country Music is Here To Stay - Simon

Crum

Don’t Take Your Guns To Town - Johnny

Cash

Gotta Travel On - Billy Grammer

Life To Go - Stonewall Jackson

Come Walk With Me - Wilma Lee, Stoney Cooper

When It’s Springtime In Alaska - Johnny Horton

Pick Me Up On Your Way Down - Charlie Walker

I’ve Run Out Of Tomorrows - Hank Thompson

Dark Hollow - Jimmy Skinner

Movies this week in 1959 -

The Buccaneer - Yul Brynner, Claire Bloom, Charles Boyer

The Journey - Deborah Kerr, Yul Brynner

The Black Orchid - Sophia Loren, Anthony Quinn