BB’S AMATEUR HOUR A
MONG AFRICANS
Pictured above is a typical
half- hour ameteur radio pro
gram, produced by and for Af
ricans and beamed out of Fr
eetown, Sierre Leone, West
Africa, over the British Broad
casting corporation’s net work
every Wednesday and Satur
day at 8:15 p. m. Called Varie
ty Time,” it is produced by
Ralph Wright, an African law
clerk who is a versatile mus
ican with a love of radio. The
program, listed at the top of
Freetown’s “Hooper rating,”
consists of dramatic and hum
orous sketches, dance hits, an
blues and songs of local orgin,
done by radio^jninded amat
eurs drawn from all walks of
life.
Top, left: Carpenter Ebene
zer Calendar, 37, leads his ba
nd of fellow carpenters at an
audition. Note Calanders’ head
dress.
Top, right: Producer-Com
pere Wright, 34, shown pilay
ing the theme song of the pro
gra mat the close of the show.
Wright grooms his performers
for several hours before they
go on the air.
Second row, left: An impr
omptu band, made up of the
winners of a Saturday evening
audition, open the program
with a medley of late hit tunes
Enid Miller, 25 year old typist
with a cable company, sings
the lyrics; while Festus Jones,
23, clerk, takes a few rides on
the trumpet.
Second row, center: Calan
der takes time out to sing a
solo.
Second row, right: Cast of
“Give the Devil His Due,” a
humorous sketch written by
Producer Wright sound eff
ects and all. Clerk Francis “Sc
rubbs” Macfoy, 25, as the dev
il, turned out to be a natural
comic. His spontaneous humor
had almost disastrous results
for his fellow artists could har
dly restrain from laughter.
School teacher Isabell Stefan
opuiua, Li, is naving trouble
keeping a straight face.
Bottom, left :Mfccfoy ^ingls
a funny song, “When I’m Cle
aning windows,” and accomp
anyies himself on the banjo.
Bottom, center: Miss Miller
sings a hot number in the Bet
ty Hutton style, with accomp
anying twinkles in her eyes.
Bottom right: Miss Miller
and her school teacher, broth
er, Lionel, 23 sing a medley of
Sinatra sentimentals to their
own accompaniment.
“First Lady of Nickels”
One of the Lincoln Univer
sity (Mo.) coeds above will be
crowned “The First Lady of
Nickles” at the close of the
current drive on the Lincoln
dium Fund. L to R—Gwendo
lyn Hill, Kansas City, Mo.;
Doris Pelton, Little Rock;
Geraldine Richmond, St. Lou
campus. “The March of Nick
les”, a student group, is spon
soning the contest as a phase
of its campaign to aid the Sta
Farm Value Up
Economists note that farm values
are now 92 per cent higher than be
fore the war. In many states, val
ues are above the 1920 peaks.
Fight Infantile Paralysis
National Foundation for Infantile
Paralysis thus far has spent $7,300,
000 for research, education and epi
demic aid in its fight on polio.
4 ■■ ■ ■■ — .■ .i -
IMMEDIATE
INSTALLATION
★
Automatic
GAS WATER HEATERS
★
Telephone or call in person
for prices and terms
»
I
t
is; Cleopatra Gerhardt, Sedal
ia, Mo.; Betty Petty, Jefferson
City, Mo.
300,000 Negro True Comics |
Hit Nations Newstands
Responding to a nation-wide I
demand, the Delta Sigma The
ta Sorority and the National
week 300,000 copies of Ne^ro
Heroes, No 2, picture color
true stories of o u t s t a nding
Negroes. This issue featurers
life histories of Jackie Robin
son, Booker T. Washington,
Sadie T. M. Alexander, Tous—
saint L’Overture, Mabel K. St
aupers, Sugar Crile Robinson,
and the adventurers of the 784
Tank Battalion in World War
II; and short sketches of Fred
erick Douglass, Katy Fergus
on, Phyllis Wheatley, Tom
Molyneaux (early 19th cent
ury boxer), and Alexander
Pushkin, the Russian poet
The true stories in the 32
page booklet meet a long-felt
need for inspiration material
for young America. They will
also serve to supplement Ne
gro history texts and to pro
mote interracial understand
ing. Following the publication
of the first NEGRO HEROES
in 1947, hundreds of enthusi
astic letters were received by
the National Urban League
from teachers, counsellors, and
arents, commending thhe ven
ture and urging additional is
sues. Many of the letters came
also from boys and girls who
listed the names of other Ne
groes they would like to read
about, several of whom are
included in the second issue.
I
S> I
TWO MUSIC MASTERS
Trumpet to lips, W. C. Han
dy does hi's famous “St. Louis
Blues” while Sugar Chile Rob
inson boogies at the piano in
accompliment. The pair were
teamed together last Tuesday 1
evening in a broadcast for the
United Negro College Fund,
now in its fifth annual camp
aign to raise more than a mil
lion dollars to aid 32 member
schools—(Ransom Photo)
Spider Gets Billy Smith’s Help I
Omahan Quintro Hosza, who
fights under the name of Spider
Webb, has been getting some
expert coaching here the past
week. His teacher has been
Billy Smith (left), who started
in Omaha Golden. Gloves and
FAMOUS FIGHTER HERE
Billy Smith, 3rd light heavy
weight contender, formerly of
Omaha, who now resides in
Oakland, California, is here on
vacation. He will be here until
after his birthday, which is
now ranks third among the Na
tion's light-heavyweights.
The Spider has a June 7 date
with Eadie Mittro at Milwau
kee; Smith is preparing for a
thfrd match against Ezzard
Charles. - --
Monday, May 24th. Congratu
lations Ole Man. He will then
leave for Cleveland, Ohio, be
fore returning to California.
He is visiting his parents Mr.
and Mrs. Walter Smith, 2730
Parker treet.
YOUTH HEALTH
CONFERENCE AT
CENTRAL YMCA
The second Annual Youth
Health Conference will have
features which should appeal
to every youth in Omaha, said
Mrs. Ruth Solomon, chairman
Youth Division of the Omaha
Urban League Health Com
mittee, a Community Chest
IN Agency.
Mrs. Solomon listed the pro
grom contents as follows: Four
panel discussions led by out
standing community leaders, a
kickoff dinner with an after
dinner speaker, movies and a
social hour. The conference
will begin at 5 :00 p.m. and con
tinue throughout the evening.
Registration will be 25c with
an additional $1.00 for those
wishing to attend the dinner.
Helping i nthe planning of the
conference are the Northside
YMCA, North Branch YWCA
Woodson Center, Mid-West
Athletic Club, Central Hi-Teen
Agers, Starrite Club and The
Ebony Club. All youth organ
izations are invited to partici
pate.
The conference rogram will
be released next week.
TWO OUTSTANDING AM
ERICANS
PICTURE AT LEFT
Sugar Chile Robinson and
Mrs. Mabel K. Staupers smile
at each other over aa copy of
the new Negro Heroes, Nat
ional Urban League-Delta Sig
ma Theta publication. The
four color-picture magazine,
300.000 of which hit the nat
ion’s newstand this week, car
ries dramatic storjes of the
young musician and th'e fam
ous nurse as well as stories of
Jackie Robinson, Sadie T. M.
Alexander, Booker T. Wash
ington, Toussaint L’Overture,
and the adventures of the 784
Tank Battalion in World War
Pigeon* Travel Far
Message* have been carried as far
as 800 miles by homing pigeons.
BILLY HOLIDAY
CAPTIVATES
CLUB EBONY
ByFloyd Snelon, Public
Relations
New York—The Jazz Art
istry of Billie Holiday acclaim
ed and conceded “America’s
Greatest Song Stylist” is the
star attraction at Club Ebony,
52nd treet on Broadway, by
popular demand, for an indef
inite stay.
The eminent Billie Holiday
who recently rnadea spectac
ular omeback to public at
tention—her greatest and most
remarkable triumph. There is
very little question that La
Holiday, as a distinctive artist
of jazz and wing has made out-,
standing contributions to mod
ern popular singig nas any
other oi her predecessors.
Miss Holiday rarely gets
through a number without
thliere turning up a bit of
phrasing of improvisations
that would be the entire in
spiration for a full arrange
ment from most vocalists.
Billie Holiday gives it away
—described by Hawkins in the
New York Telegram.
This first Broadway appear
ance since her return to New
York in a musical vehicle ‘Hol
iday on Broadway' was mark
ed with success and splendor.
She will continue her ‘reign’
on Broadway the “‘Queen of
Song” at Club Ebony.
The New York Times re
ports “Billie Holiday, the in
imitable songstress (often im
itated) sings her songs superb,
enough to warm the hearts of
the fans and win those of the
doubters.”
“One could enjoy it wheth
er he was a ‘jazzophile’, a mus
ic-lover or simply one who
feels the nostagin of old show
tunes.”
A Stylist . . . Miss Holiday,
a plump, handsome gal, with
a beauttiful mouth and bright,
worried eyes, is unquestion
ably a performer of true dis
tinction. A rigorous stylist,
with perfect audibility and a
wonderful senss of timing, she
is more concerned with the
manner than the substance of
her songs, but there is never a
moment of doubht of the mas
tery of every effect she de
sires.—Watts, New York Post.
Others at Club Ebony, in
the new show includ Apus &
Estrellitta nationally known
comedy team; Son & Sonny,
Famous dancers; Dynamite
Jackson and the Smith Kids;
Also the lovely tan tantalizing
and terrific Ebonettes, choice
dancing gals under the direc
tion of Henry De Tang.
It is estimated that there are
100,000 model railroad hobby
ists in the United States.
These model railroaders col
lectively own and operate
enough trackage to reach from
New York to San Antonio,
Texas. Their total investment
in trains and tracks is around
ten million dollars.
An auxiliary refrigerating
unit, intended to be used in
mechanical refrigerators when
more ice cubes are needed is
i in your future.
'tie
PACIFIC NORTHWEST’
sX>*y, Blessed with a mild year-’round
climate . . . offering a variety of scenic
attractions and recreational opportuni
yV'"^^ A ties ... an ideal vacation area.
--The un;on pac;fjc route parallels th»
beautiful Columbia River Gorge for
% 200 miles. For convenience, comfort
and relaxation, go as the discriminate
ing traveler goes—by train.
CITY TICKET OFFICES
1614 Fomara Sf. and Cornar 13th and Dodge St*.
UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD