Items From The ZB's

New Zealand Listener, Volume 6, Issue 135, 23 January 1942, Page 21

Items From The ZB's

stances, the customary Friendly Road Service of Song from stations 2ZB, 3ZB, and 4ZB at 11 a.m. each Sunday morning will not be on the air from 4ZB next Sunday, January 25, but will be heard every Sunday after that. The service, which is conducted by Uncle Tom, consists of the singing of well known hymns by the Friendly Road Choir and includes in each session a brief message from the other founder of the "Friendly Road," Uncle Scrim. * *& ce IKE father, like son, has proved a true saying in the case of Jack Jackson, who will be featured in the Kings of Jazz session from 3ZB on Saturday, January 31. Jack’s father was a wellknown cornet player in London. Just before the outbreak of war in 1914 he led the famous Callender’s Cable Works Band in the Crystal Palace Contest when they won first prize, and on this occasion the third cornetist was Jack Junior, seven years old, and so small that he had to ‘stand on a soap-box in order to be seen. At the age of sixteen young Jack was playing his way round the world in the ‘ship’s orchestra on a Cunard liner, and in 1933 he formed his own band and appeared at the Dorchester Hotel, London, with immediate success. Broadcasting to the Empire has always had a special appeal for Jack Jackson, and he has also appeared with success in light entertainment programmes for the BBC. A picture of him appears on this page. B see, of unforeseen circum- % % %* ROVING very popula: with Dunedin audiences and frequently heard from other ZB stations is the clever young radio impersonator Bill Moore (otherwise known as " Redhead ") whose picture appears opposite. Canadian born, "Redhead" claims that his ancestry is nevertheless 100 per cent. Irish. He has lived in Canada, Irelar.d, Australia, and New Zealand, and although it is only within the last few years that he discovered, almost by accident, that he had gifts of impersonation, he found that he subconsciously absorbed and reflected the speech of the country where he happened to be living. A little while ago " Redhead" was Kving in Christchurch, where he was employed by an advertising agency, and when Station 3ZB was conducting Amateur Trials he went along. As one of the finalists he tied for first place. "Redhead" is now under contract to Station 4ZB, and his repertoire is increasing-it now includes impersonations of Richard Tauber, Bing Crosby, John McCormack, John Charles Thomas, Popeye, Maurice Chevalier. His memory is remarkable, for he has learned and perfected all his presentations without making any use of written notes. He does not know a note of music and has never had any voice training.