Voices From The Grave

For close to three decades he was the man who introduced Johnny Carson to t.v. viewers. What was that like? How did he get that job? What’s he doing these days? These are all questions we set out to find the answers to. Hear Ed. McMahon speak with Gary James. Q – Mr. McMahon, do you ever watch the “Tonite Show” these days? A – Yes, I do. Q – I should probably not single out the “Tonite Show”. Do you ever watch the late night talk shows? A –…...

Dave Thomas, Founder of the Wendy’s Hamburger chain, is clearly one of the most famous American Entrepreneurs around today. He opened his first restaurant in 1969, naming it after one of his daughters, Melinda Lou, who was nicknamed “Wendy” by her brothers and sisters. In that first year of operation sales amounted to a little under $300,000. Today, with 5000 restaurants in the United States and 34 countries and territories, sales top the $5 billion dollar mark. More than 5 million customers are served each day in Wendy’s restaurants. Dave…...

In the 20 years he recorded for R.C.A. he sold more cords for the company than any other artist with the exception of Elvis Presley. He had thirty-five Number One singles and twelve old albums in the United States. Worldwide, he’s responsible for thirty one gold and four platinum albums, which translates to twenty five million records sold. In The Book of Lists, the fifteen all-time best album selling artists were listed. He was fifteenth and the only country singer on that roster. He’s won three Grammy’s and in May…...

Hear Box Car Willie Speak with Gary James   He’s universally known as the “World’s Favorite Hobo.” He is Box Car Willie. Box Car Willie has 15 Gold and 4 Platinum albums to his credit. In 1981, he became the sixtieth member of the Grand Ole Opry. Not just limiting himself to music, Box Car made film appearances in the movie “Sweet Dreams” (based on the life of Patsy Cline) and the T.V. movie “Country Gold” with Loni Anderson. In 1987, Box Car Willie bought a theater in Branson, Missouri…...

Warren Rogers was a close personal friend of Robert F. Kennedy who was a frequent guest at Hickory Hill—–the home of Robert and Ethel Kennedy. He traveled with the Senator in his bid for the Presidency in 1968, was in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles when Robert Kennedy was shot, and took him to the hospital in an ambulance with Ethel. “When I Think of Bobby” (Harper/Collins Books) is Warren Rogers’s personal memoir of Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Hear Gary James speak with Warren Rogers. Q…...

Along with The Counts, Bobby Comstock, enjoyed considerable success not only in the Central New York area but nationally as well. He appeared on Alan Freed’s t.v. show; did the Dick Clark Cavalcade of Stars Tour; and got a lot of play with a song called—–“I Wanna Do It”. Hear Gary James speak with Bobby Comstock. Q – I was talking to one of your ex-band mates recently, Duane Hitchings of Syracuse. Do you remember him? A – Duane—–of course I do. (Laughs). Q – What do you remember about…...