Sunday, December 2, 2012

Well, The Three Belles are going strong in England and driving their act to a full gig schedule. And now, we are negotiating to bring them to the U.S. this upcoming Spring 2013 for a tour so the Amerian audience may relive the legacy of The Andrews Sisters, the greatest singing group America has ever produced. So, hang on to your hats, and we will keep you posted. And, "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree with Anybody Else But The Three Belles until  they come Marching Home."

Thursday, September 6, 2012

The Three Belles, those great singing girls from Britain, and whom we intrduced to Amerian Audiences in our latest book Perfect Harmony,  has listed their "gig" schedule that takes them into December. As you may know,Patty Andrews has passed the legacy of the Andrews Sisters to those three singing beauties. There is also a short feature about the girls covering their career highlights. They are headed for the big time for sure. Write to Pete King and subscibe to Big Band Buddies Magazine-Pete King, 5, St. Ambrusca Road, Crantock, Cornwall TR8 5SF, U.K. You'll love that terrific little magazine.

Saturday, August 18, 2012


Sheldon Harnick was amazed that Tony B. Babino sang exactly like Jolson and even put a spin on Harnick's song "Sunrise, Sunset" and sang it as if he were Jolson himself and it was perfect. Sheldon's eyes welled up and so did mine. That song is sensational and will always be thrilling when applied to the right event. Sheldon is 88 and you would think he was but 65. His dad, a dentist, loved Jolson, always thrilled by his music. Of course, Sheldon has written for the Broadway stage for many years and has collected 10 Emmy's, 9 for Fiddler, and one Pulitzer Prize ( for the drama of Fiorello, a musical he did with Jerry Bock, the composer of both Fiorello and Fiddler.) And, he is still at it, recently composed a new musical not yet released, but soon it will be known and performed on off Broadway. I spent the day with Sheldon and he spent some slow moments reading through my book "When Jolson Was King," and took home a copy. The man is humble and gracious in his manner and has become a true friend. Incidentally he also wrote the song " Artificial Flowers" which helped make Bobby Darin a recording star.

Today, August 18th 2012 at the Al Jolson festival in Oceanside, NY,  have had the privilege of introducing Sheldon Harnick a true icon of Broadway. A man who has become one of the leading lyricists in a class with Oscar Hammerstein II, Johnny Mercer, Cole Porter, Frank Loesser, and Irving Berlin. His lyrics written for the great Broadway musical “Fiddler on the Roof” will be performed forever over and over and,  all over the world.  The song “ Sunrise, Sunset” will be performed forever wherever music is cherished. 
This man has earned the coveted Pulitzer Prize for  drama for his work in the musical “Fiorello” as well as an Emmy---- and nine Emmy’s for Fiddler,  shared with his partner,  the late composer Jerry Bock.


Sunday, May 27, 2012

O'Shaughnessy Accolade

The great William O'Shaughnessy, author of many books including his newest Vox Populi, the O'Shaughnessy Files has complimented my writings in his new book. He autographed it " For Richard Grudens-America's great historian of all the great music makers of our time."  Well I'm genuinely honored by someone who has succeeded in radio and the press. In every O'Saughnessy book, there is stunning and powerful wisdom and brilliant observations from Governor Mario Cuomo whom he so admires. Howard Stern calls him the white-haired mogul and Brooke Astor says his writings are marvelous.

Sunday, April 22, 2012



RICHARD GRUDENS-INTERVIEWS OVER THE YEARS
115 COUNT AS OF 4/23/12 


GUY MITCHELL FRAN WARREN BEA WAIN
RED NORVO LARRY ELGART HERB JEFFRIES
BENNY GOODMAN W.B. WILLIAMS CLINT EASTWOOD
WOODY HERMAN CONNIE HAINES BILLY GRAHAM
COUNT BASIE JANE RUSSELL SHIRLEY JONES
ANN JILLIAN RHONDA FLEMING PAT BOONE
BOB HOPE KATHRYN CROSBY FRANCES LANGFORD
LIONEL  HAMPTON JOHNNY MINCE LARRY GELBART
TEDDY WILSON JOHNNY MATHIS ED MCMAHON
HARRY JAMES ARTIE SHAW SID CAESAR
BILL CHALLIS LES BROWN BUDDY HACKETT
JOE FRANKLIN JOE WILLIAMS DIZZY GILLESPIE
MARGARET WHITING TONY B. BABINO SARAH VAUGHAN
HELEN O’CONNELL DORIS DAY KITTY KALLEN
FRANKIE LAINE KAY STARR HELEN FORREST
LENNON SISTERS ROSEMARY CLOONEY TERESA BREWER
BRIAN SISTERS BILLY ECKSTINE LYNN ROBERTS
WARREN COVINGTON BUDDY MORROW EDDY ARNOLD
CHARLES DURNING MITCH MILLER PHILIP CROSBY
LOIS HUNT PATRICE MUNSEL DICK CLARK
EARL WRIGHTSON BEVERLY ROBERTS JANET CANTOR
JO STAFFORD AL MARTINO DIANA KRALL
PATTY ANDREWS TONY BENNETT AL COLLINS (JAZZB)
MILLS BROTHERS JIMMY ROSELLI DOLLY DAWN
LARRY O’BRIEN JULIUS LA ROSA ANITA O’DAY
RAY ANTHONY CARMEL QUINN GLORIA JEAN
JERRY VALE VIC DAMONE LES PAUL
DON CORNELL DOM DE LUISE JOHN MILLER
MICHAEL FEINSTEIN CHARLTON HESTON WILLARD ALEXANDER
SKITCH HENDERSON TOM POSTILIO BUDDY RICH
PHYLLIS DILLER SALLY BENNETT DARYL SHERMAN
RICHARD SUDHALTER PEGGY LEE CY COLEMAN
TEX BENEKE JAY LEONHART JULIA RICH
ERVIN DRAKE JACK LAWRENCE BILLY MAY
VAN ALEXANDER LEE HALE DON RICKLES
TONY MARTIN BUDDY GRECO MEL TORME
SYBIL JASON JACK JONES HUGH HEFNER
CRISTINA FONTANELLI GIA PRIMA DIANA ROSS

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

The O'Shaughnessy Touch

Well another honor has crossed my desk, and since life is really short, honors are always appreciated, especially coming from William O'Shaughnessy, recent author of Vox Populi. Bill has dubbed me "America's great historian of all the great music-makers of our time..." He should talk. He is the greatest of all that and more being one of the best known broadcasters in America. He has written 5 books about all the people he has interviewed and they are the greats in politics, media, the arts and people in the popular culture. Even author David McCullough says that he always looks forward to reading Bill's newest book. Boy,that is an honor. In Vox Populi he talks about departed friends Tim Russert, Robert Merrill, and Ossie Davis, among many others who are still with us.  You'd love his books. They are vast and interesting.

Dick Clark is gone. Unhappy new year.

I knew Dick Clark, as he appeared in several of my books for one reason or another. He was always among the first to order my newest book, usually three of them. He always called his order in, unlike most who mailed in solicitations sent to my regulars on the mailing list. Once he sent back a signed and addressed photo that I cherish. I first was introduced to him when we talked by phone about bandleader Larry Elgart who wrote the American Bandstand theme. Dick was always a nice guy in every sense of the word. I wish I would have known him better which is hard to do when you are 3000 miles apart and both busy with different projects.Dick Clark will appear in my next book in a full chapter. The book will be about those people who were always behind the scenes promoting and building careers of singers and musicians, people like Dick, Ed Sullivan, Major Bowes, Ted Mack Martin Block, MItch Miller, John Hammond, Arthur Godfrey, Steve Allen, William B. Williams, Willard Alexander, Alan Freed, Jan Murray and others who advanced the performers. It will be caled THE MUSIC MAKERS. See you then. And may God bless Dick Clark.

Friday, March 2, 2012

The Wonderful Brian Sisters

Recently, we discovered three singing sisters who sang mostly in the movies, in fact they sang in 15 movies and their voices were extraordinary. From the earliest time the girls had God-given talents and were able to sing in Perfect Harmony. They appear in my new book Perfect Harmony along with over 50 other groups that are profiled. The girls are Doris, Betty and Gwen. The girls began singing at the of 4, 6 and 8 being guided and tutored by their young mother, Meda, who drove them to Hollywood in their 1929 Model T Ford. She brought them to radio and film studios and landed work for them. Lately I have talking with Doris, now in her late 70s. she has contributed information and photos for the book and I urge you not to miss this book. Everybody is in it. Patty Andrews wrote the foreword, and she is 94. You will meet the Lennon Sisters, The Boswell Sisters, The Four Freshmen, the Pied Pipers, the Beatles, the Temptations, the Beach Boys, and so much more. See you in Perfect Harmony.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

In our quest for current talent with respect to singing groups, we ran across three wonderful girls from England. They call themselved THE THREE BELLES. They are ike the reincarnation of the great Andrews Sisters. They make no bones about it. They are the new Andrews Sisters. I spoke to Anneka Wass, the group leader on the phone while they were traveling by car to a singing gig and learned of their sincere singing tributes to the Andrews girls. The Three Belles  even sing the very tunes that made the Andrews girls world-famous and still the biggest record selling singers of all time. Some of their tunes were "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar," "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree," " The Boogie, Woogie, Bugle Boy of Company 'B'." and many other great Andrews Sisters songs.

The Three Belles are very young, Anneka (Betty) is 22, Gail (Sally) who is 21 and Dorothy ( Isabelle), "Who is also 21 and sings aout love and scolds the others when we get carried away," she says.

The girls got started in college as part of their project for their Creative and Performing Arts Course.

They are booked into 2012 and will attend and perform at the commemoration of "D" Day Landings in Normandy this Summer.

The girls are a feature alongside the Andrews Sisters story in my new book "Perfect Harmony," due out by April 2012 and celebrates the singing groups from the 1920' to the present. If you like  singing groups you'll love this book.

Patty Andrews has written the foreword for this book and is excited about the entry of The Three Belles, who will coninue the Andrews Sisters legacy. Patty Andrews and I have been friends since 1982 when I wrote press releases for her when she was performing solo in California with the Tex Beneke Orchestra and other musical venues.

Patty will be 94 in February. Hope she likes the bouquet if flowers me and my wife Madeline will send her.

Welcome to America Three Belles. We'll be listening!!!