Juke In The Back

Air Week: March 9-15, 2026

Live 1951: Midnight Matinee

This week, the “Juke In The Back” presents a unique program designed to put the listener in a front row seat for a live rhythm review performance. So often, we wonder what a live program would have been like before the dawn of Rock n’ Roll? Well, thanks to the preservation of this 2 week program in Los Angeles from late September and early October of 1951, we can catch a glimpse. Promoter Bill Lester intended to hold weekly midnight concerts at the Olympic Auditorium in downtown LA, but after 2 weeks, the late-night shows were scraped, due to the fact that they were losing money. Lester hired LA disc jockey, Hunter Hancock, who was a trailblazer in playing R&B on the radio to emcee the shows. Some of the biggest names in West Coast R&B performed; Big Jay McNeely, Floyd Dixon, Maxwell Davis and Peppermint Harris. What’s spectacular is the lesser-known talent; Madelyn Perkins, Ernie Andrews, Smilin’ Smokey Lynn and the Gospel group, the Golden Keys. Radio station KMPC agreed to air the first half hour of these 2 hour concerts, which should have led to greater promotion of the event, but alas, after 2 weeks it was done. We are so fortunate that Bill Lester recorded portions of these shows, so that 75 years later, we can still experience the excitement and joy of the music. Sit back as Matt The Cat takes you to the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles for the Midnight Matinee, an exciting jaunt into the world of the live R&B review show.

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Air Week: March 2-8, 2026

The Moonglows, Pt. 2 – 1956-61

Much has been written about the great R&B vocal groups of the 1950s. Many of the classic groups were either great musicians and vocalists and never had the recognition or record sales to back it up or these groups were thrown together, they couldn’t sing very well and scored one, solid hit that still spins in the eternal jukebox of public consciousness. The Moonglows were one of the few groups to come out of the post World War II, pre-Elvis era, who were extremely talented and had the sales figures and notoriety to back it up. Originally called The Crazy Sounds, Harvey Fuqua and Bobby Lester led The Moonglows to a #1 R&B smash in 1954 with “Sincerely” on Chess, but that was after a somewhat bumpy start on Alan Freed’s Champagne Records and Chicago’s Chance Records. This week, Matt The Cat presents part 2 of a 2 part feature on the fantastic Moonglows, covering their career from 1956 through their breakup in 1958 and the singles that followed through the end of 1961. An interview with the late Reese Palmer reveals how Harvey Fuqua came to hire his group, The Marquees as the “new” Moonglows. This week’s “Juke In The Back” shares the rest of the story on this influential and important 1950s vocal group.

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Air Week: February 23-March 1, 2026

The Moonglows, Pt. 1 – 1953-55

Much has been written about the great R&B vocal groups of the 1950s. Many of the classic groups were either great musicians and vocalists and never had the recognition or record sales to back it up or these groups were thrown together, they couldn’t sing very well and scored one, solid hit that still spins in the eternal jukebox of public consciousness. The Moonglows were one of the few groups to come out of the post World War II, pre-Elvis era, who were extremely talented and had the sales figures and notoriety to back it up. Originally called The Crazy Sounds, Harvey Fuqua and Bobby Lester led The Moonglows to a #1 R&B smash in 1954 with “Sincerely” on Chess, but that was after a somewhat bumpy start on Alan Freed’s Champagne Records and Chicago’s Chance Records. This week, Matt The Cat presents part 1 of a 2 part feature on the fantastic Moonglows, covering their career from 1953 to 1955. Vocal harmony doesn’t get much sweeter than this, so don’t miss one note of this week’s “Juke In The Back” radio program.

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Air Week: February 16-22, 2026

Annie Laurie

We celebrate one of the heroines of Rhythm & Blues and early Rock n’ Roll as Annie Laurie takes the spotlight on this week’s “Juke In The Back.” Not much is known about her early years except that she was born in Atlanta in 1924. Her first recording was “St. Louis Blues” with bassist and bandleader Dallas Barley and from there she toured with Snookum Russell before Paul Gayten asked her to join his band in New Orleans. She made the “Crescent City” her new home and recorded the first hit version of Buddy & Ella Johnson’s “Since I Fell For You,” helping to make it a standard. Many classic recording with Paul Gayten followed with a few more making the charts before she began recording on her own on Columbia’s newly reactivated Blues subsidiary, Okeh Records. The Okeh sides were harder-edged and more contemporary R&B sounding, but none of them charted. A short stint with Savoy proved unfruitful, but she did get to record with Hal Singer’s band, which included guitar legend, Mickey Baker. She was back in the R&B Top 5 in 1957 with “It Hurts To Be In Love” for DeLuxe, but by the early ’60s, she gave up music for devotion to God. Matt The Cat shares Annie Laurie’s fascinating story on this week’s “Juke In The Back.” 

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Air Week: February 9-15, 2026

1956: Jukebox Rhythm Review, Pt. 2

This week, we journey back 70 years as the “Juke In The Back” puts the ol’ Rockola Jukebox front and center and we present part 2 of a 2 part feature on the biggest jukebox jivers from 1956. It was the first full year of Rock n’ Roll Music crossing over from its Rhythm & Blues roots into mainstream Pop Culture. This was the year that Elvis broke through and scored massive hits on the Pop, R&B and Country Charts. We’ll dig on the future King’s biggest record of the year as well as monster crossover hits by Bill Doggett and Little Willie John. Matt The Cat also spins tunes by B.B. King, Gus Jinkins, Otis Rush and Muddy Waters, that were solely R&B hits. So grab a nickel, grab a dime and let’s make some time with the top jukebox spinners from the second half of 1956 on this week’s Jukebox Rhythm Review.

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