Hi Scott, I have a similar list from the LOC. As I mentioned in
a post sometime ago, Frank and the Flashes came on at 8:45.Listening to the
entire show, you have to wonder how it garnered such huge ratings every week.
It truly was amateurishDefinitely was not Frank's first radio appearance. Tony
Motolla told me that Frank and he had sustaining 15 minute musicshows on WAAT
in Jersey City. Tony thought they started in 1934. Earliest I can find is April
1935. Here is Frank'sapplication to appear on the show. You'll notice he cites
WAAT for previous radio appearances.Ed
In researching the Hoboken Four when they were touringwith the Major Bowes
group, I came across this on a sports auctionsite:
Here's the description that was with the listing:
1935 Frank Sinatra "Hoboken Four" Setlist fromMajor Bowes Amateur Hour -
"American Treasures" Library ofCongress
His earliest known recording was form this. One of his earliest performance and
perhaps his first time onradio. The mate to this is in the LOC and is
considered among the"American Treasures of the Library of Congress"major
bowesamateur hour predated American idol (fans voted in their favorites)
Belowtaken from Library of Congress which has his application In 1935, thefirst
year of radio network broadcasts of Major Bowes' Amateur Hour, morethan thirty
thousand acts auditioned for the talent contest program. Oneof the successful
acts was the "Hoboken Four." The vocalquartet auditioned as "Frank Sinatra and
the 3 Flashes," butwas renamed, purportedly by Major Bowes himself. The act won
thecompetition of the September 8, 1935, broadcast and joined one of
MajorBowes's traveling vaudeville units. Sinatra soon left the tour to
strikeout on his own.
Note: It carries the date September 8th. Here's ourlisting for that day:
1935 Major Edward Bowes & The Original Amateur Hour
Sponsor: Chase & Sanborn Hour
Location: Capitol Theater, 51st & Broadway, New York City
Sunday Evening
NBC Radio
8-9 PM EDTin a
Announcer: Graham McNamee
Ed O'Brien
At approximately 8:45 on September 8, 1935, Major Bowesintroduced the
Hoboken Four to a nationwide
audience. Bowes show was one of the most popular in the history ofcommercial
radio. An audience of
millions sat listening in their living rooms on that Sunday evening 80years
ago.The four members of the group were
Fred Tamburro, James "Skelly" Petrozelli, Pat Principe andFrank Sinatra.
Frank had filled out the application for the show."Frank Sinatra and The
Three Flashes" was the name of hisgroup. Major Bowes
didn't like it. Hoboken Four was a very quick substitute. Bowes asked whospoke
for the group and Frank froze. Nothing
came out. Fred Tamburro, known as Tamby, stepped forward.
After the Major announced the group billed themselves as the"Singing and
Dancing Fools," he asked where they worked in
Hoboken. Tamby told him where Patty and Jim had worked. Then, infront of the
Capitol Theater audience, Tamby looked
at Frank and said, "This fellow here never worked at all."Bowes asked Tamby
what they were going to do. Tamby told
him they were going to sing "Shine"( Crosby's hit with TheMills Brothers in
1932), and then they were going to dance.
Despite some formidable competition that evening, including a fewoperatic
numbers, other singing groups and some fine
solo musicians, the Hoboken Four won the amateur contest.
