MizRita

Ending the 1920's dance era was the Lindy Hop, Charleston and the Jive emerging into the 1930's with Swing music and dance. In 1935 Frank Manning made the Lindy Hop popular by adding his own original steps to the already popular dance. Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey and Eddie Howard had the young people flocking to hear and to dance to the Big Bands.

Broadway produced some of the most famous American musicals, "Porgy and Bess" (1935) produced by George Gershwin and "Leave it to Me" by Cole Porter.

In 1936 the Department of the Interior hired Woody Guthrie to travel and perform his folk songs in the Northwest.

Radio reached it's popularity in the thirties. By 1939 about 80 percent of the population owned radio sets, thus preparing the way for the emerging and infamous music of the fourties. At the beginning of the 40's decade, the Big Bands were already in the Swing and dominated popular music. Many singers with the Bands went solo. Some of the best performers were Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Peggy Lee and Louis Prima.

BeBop and Blues and Rythym grew out of the Big Bands at the end of the decade. Some favorites were Dizzy Gillespie. Billy Holiday and Woody Herman.

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Radio was the lifeline for Americans in the 1940's, providing entertainment, music and news since not many owned televisions at the time. Television was'nt introduced until RCA made the first presentation at the 1939 World's Fair.

There is a vast amount of research that can be done on early television but I won't be displaying that on my page. It's a good history lesson for anyone interested though, you might want to research it.