John Denver dominated the 1970s with sold out concerts and chart-topping music. Wink Martindale spoke with Denver in Los Angeles in 1975 in the midst of this success. Denver recounts the road that began with him dropping out of college and moving to Los Angeles to find work as a singer.Denver passionately describes his attachment to music beyond entertainment, and his desire to connect with audiences on a personal level. While he’s lax to espouse any specific causes, he works to con...

Paul Anka recorded his first single at the age of just 14. In addition to his success as a performer, Anka was also an accomplished songwriter. His credits include the theme song for Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and one of Tom Jones’ biggest hits, “She’s A Lady.”In this 1977 interview, Wink Martindale takes listeners on an extensive survey of the singer’s long and successful career. From his first taste of fame with the single “Diana” to being one of the first pop singers to ...

Patti Page’s music provided a soothing counterpoint to the revolutionary sound of rock n’ roll in the 1950s, incorporating elements of country music into traditional pop songs. From 1948 through 1970 she had nearly 100 records on the Billboard Singles chart including “(How Much Is That) Doggie in the Window,” “Old Cape Cod,” “Allegheny Moon” and “Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte.”Page sat down with host Wink Martindale to discuss her personal life, the early days of her career and her a...

Brenda Lee’s astoundingly successful career began at the early age of three, when she won a singing contest. At the age of 15 her career was well underway, drawing comparisons to the legendary Judy Garland and accumulating fans all over the world.She is perhaps best known for her 1960s single, “I’m Sorry,” which she recorded at the age of just 14. Lee sat down with host Wink Martindale to discuss her captivating musical career. She speaks about her roots in gospel music, her many h...

The Coney Island section of Brooklyn, NY was the birthing ground for the man the rest of the world would eventually come to know as Neil Diamond. In this special Hall of Fame spotlight, host Wink Martindale takes a look at Diamond’s illustrious career, beginning with those early days in Coney Island, which Diamond tells Wink, was “the most fantastic place in the world for a kid to grow up.”Diamond shares his memories of the first song he wrote and also reveals how he feels about hi...

Andy Williams got his start doing anonymous voice tracks for movies in the 1940s. He got his start singing at teas with his brother, and then made a move to singing on radio in Des Moines, Iowa and Chicago. Finally, Williams found his way to New York where he started to really focus on his singing career.Television played an instrumental role in Williams’ success. His big breakthrough came as a singer on The Tonight Show starring Steve Allen. In February of 1973, he sat down with W...

Despite her phenomenal success as a singer, Joni James initially had dreams of dancing. While she continued to receive scholarships and praise for her vocal performances, dancing was what she wanted to pursue and she continued to pay for lessons.When faced with the decision of going to school or pursuing her career, on the advice of a producer that “youth was the most urgent thing in show business,” she dove headfirst into singing. She went on to have eight singles in the top 10 and...

Al Martino’s success began in 1952 with the single “Here in My Heart.” The self-taught crooner went on to find his biggest success in an unlikely source in 1963 with a version of “I Love You Because,” which was originally a country tune.In August of 1972, he sat down for an interview with host Wink Martindale to reflect on his storied career. Martino discusses his early life growing up, some of his musical influences and the highs and lows of his musical journey.

In Part 2 we hear about Welk from his manager Sam Lutz and others that played an important part in his career. We also hear from Lawrence Welk in a conversation he had with Wink Martindale in 1973.Welk shares stories of numerous performances across the country, his time on tour and interactions with his fans. He also discusses his television career and his eventual return to recording music with Dot Records.

When Kenny Rogers started singing in high school, he went through numerous gimmicks and phases trying to find a way to make his voice identifiable. Audiences didn’t respond to what he was doing, and on the advice of a friend, he dropped the gimmicks and started to embrace his own sound.Many awards, hit songs and decades later, and there is no doubt of his gift for storytelling and distinctive sound. In an interview with host Wink Martindale, Rogers discusses his journey coming up i...

Nat King Cole’s musical journey began as a teenager receiving classical piano training, which he later abandoned to pursue jazz with the Nat King Cole Trio. His career continued to evolve as he found success as a singer with hits including “Nature Boy,” “Mona Lisa” and “Too Young.”Narrator Wink Martindale takes listeners on a captivating journey with producers, songwriters and other colleagues sharing stories of Cole’s exceptional career. His wife Maria Cole provides an intimate lo...

Tony Bennett took his place at the forefront of pop music when he recorded “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” in 1962. Despite being trained in art, Bennett made the decision to pursue a career in music that included a stint as a singing waiter.Bennett spoke with Wink Martindale in August of 1972 about his accomplished career that included numerous awards, honors and hit singles. He discusses his numerous hit songs throughout the 1950s and beyond. While he sang some contemporary son...