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88-595: The Adult Contemporary chart is published weekly by Billboard magazine and lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States. The chart is compiled based on airplay data submitted to Billboard by stations that are members of the Adult Contemporary radio panel. The chart debuted in Billboard magazine on July 17, 1961. Over the years, the chart has undergone

176-475: A Latin singer. Besides, he felt the public would know his ethnic background by his singing in Spanish and by telling everybody he was Mexican. In contrast, the case has been made that Russell's light-skin and European features (like Vikki Carr ) were the determining factors in opening the doors to the recording industry (Avant-Mier, 59; Macias, 125) that otherwise shut out Mexican-Americans whose appearance

264-549: A Top 10 pop hit as well. The method for compiling the chart at that time allowed some rock and roll artists, such as Lesley Gore and the Drifters , to make the chart on occasion with their softer or ballad releases, regardless of whether Easy Listening and middle of the road radio stations were actually playing those songs. In 1965, no No. 1 pop hits appeared on the Easy Listening chart. After 1965, differences between

352-475: A YouTube video that Russell, as a child, had contracted polio and had some paralysis in his left arm and leg. When this came to the attention of don Ramón Cruz, he taught Russell to play the bass drum in order to strengthen those muscles. This may have been Russell's initial exposure to the instrument. Russell attended Roosevelt High School in Boyle Heights, where he continued his musical education. He

440-544: A dance band singer and swing drummer. He sang "If I had a Dozen Hearts" in a duet with Betty Hutton and a solo on "Love Me". He also displayed his percussionist skills on a drum solo of " China Boy ". In 1946, he appeared in the film Breakfast In Hollywood , where he sang "If I Had a Wishing Ring" in English and bilingual renditions of " Magic Is the Moonlight" / "Te quiero dijiste (Muñequita linda) " and " Amor ". In

528-605: A drummer, he left high school the summer before his senior year to try and join his band. Gus Arnheim and his orchestra had been playing the Cocoanut Grove and the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles since the late 1920s and had employed such singers as Bing Crosby , Russ Columbo , and Woody Herman . Russell auditioned for Arnheim and got the job not only as a drummer but vocalist, too. However, since he

616-525: A husky chorus in Spanish ;– after going through the English version – has all the slick chicks swooning like crazy." Russell hoped to perform in Mexico, although he had never been there, despite being of Mexican heritage. Russell was then invited to Hollywood by Buddy DeSylva , co-founder of Capitol Records, to screen-test for motion pictures. He was contracted to appear in

704-493: A lesson at the Phillips Music Company on Brooklyn Avenue (now Avenida César Chávez) in Boyle Heights. This neighborhood music store was owned by William Phillips, a Jewish-American Navy veteran, drummer, and musician. By practicing in the basement of his house and during breaks at his part-time job, he quickly became an excellent drummer. Stella Cruz, the sister of bandleader don Ramón Cruz, recalled in

792-471: A mild manner, wide-eyes, and a toothy smile. About his performance, co-star, Gloria Jean said, "[He] was very bland, wishy-washy, but he had a lovely voice." On March 13, 1947, he was a performer in the 19th Academy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, as he sang " You Keep Coming Back Like a Song " from the musical film Blue Skies , one of the songs nominated for

880-496: A newspaper vendor at a corner in downtown L.A . He grew up in a bilingual home, hearing and speaking Spanish with his parents, while speaking English with his siblings, and people outside of the home. His parents enjoyed listening to Mexican music, in particular, mariachi . At this young age, Russell did not appreciate the music of Mexico , nor did he fully comprehend the Spanish language. He felt so frustrated that he would ask his parents to speak to him in English. Moreover, he

968-535: A pioneer in the record industry for his attention to foreign markets, and co-founder of Capitol Records , made sure that Russell's records were distributed throughout Latin America, which meant huge sales for Capitol and ever-growing popularity for Russell south of the border. The success of Russell, along with the stable of Capitol recording artists, permitted Capitol to construct the famous thirteen-story "Stack o' Records" Building in 1954. The following year, Capitol

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1056-965: A radio format in the 1990s brought a number of new country crossovers onto the AC airwaves, including Martina McBride , Wynonna Judd , LeAnn Rimes , Shania Twain, Billy Joel , Lonestar , Mary Chapin Carpenter , and Garth Brooks . More recently, a new wave of country performers has been crossing over to AC, including Tim McGraw , the Dixie Chicks (who topped the AC chart with their cover of Fleetwood Mac 's " Landslide "), Rascal Flatts , Keith Urban , Carrie Underwood , Taylor Swift , Sugarland , Lady Antebellum , Jason Aldean (whose AC success came by way of his duet with Kelly Clarkson, " Don't You Wanna Stay "), The Band Perry , Sam Hunt , and Dan + Shay . Contemporary Christian music has also been relatively successful in crossing over to mainstream radio. In

1144-404: A series of name changes, being called Easy Listening (1961–1962; 1965–1979) , Middle-Road Singles (1962–1964) , Pop-Standard Singles (1964–1965) , Hot Adult Contemporary (1984–1996) and Adult Contemporary (1979–1984, 1996–present) . The current number-one song on the chart is " Lose Control " by Teddy Swims . The Billboard Easy listening chart, as it was first known,

1232-409: A singer, a famous singer, a fella that took Bing Crosby 's place years ago. His name was Russell Columbo , one of the famous singers of that era. I'm gonna call you Russell – Andy Russell. Russell compromised on the name change because during that era many performers adopted stage names in order to enter the entertainment industry. He did not want to be discriminated against and stereotyped as only

1320-407: A singer. You've got to play some instrument." I said, "But, gee, I'm a singer." And they said, "Yeah, we're paying you two dollars, two-fifty a night and it's too much. You know, the guys wanna split the rest of the money." So I said, "What can I learn in a hurry so I can join the band? ... Drums would be the easiest thing." So I got a bunch of the old records and started to learn to play drums. Down in

1408-497: A star of radio, television, motion pictures, records and nightclubs . He toured extensively throughout Latin America, Spain, Portugal and Cuba , and hosted the television variety program El Show de Andy Russell in Argentina from 1956 to 1965. Upon returning to the United States, Russell continued to record. His 1967 single " It's Such a Pretty World Today " reached #1 on Billboard Magazine 's Easy Listening Chart . In

1496-435: A very long death. Or, to optimists, to get a second life." One theory states that many adult contemporary stations play less newer music because they also give ample airtime to hits of the past, so the de-emphasis on new songs slows the progression of the AC chart. Also, certain program directors have asserted that AC is a song-based format, as opposed to other radio formats that are infused with singer-based programming, so there

1584-511: A year, Easy Listening was again chosen as the chart name in 1965 when the change in compilation occurred. In April 1979, the Easy Listening chart officially became known as Adult Contemporary , and those two words have remained consistent in the name of the chart ever since. In 1996, Billboard created a new chart called Adult Top 40 , which reflects radio station programming that exists somewhere between "adult contemporary" music and "pop" music. Although they are sometimes mistaken for each other,

1672-507: Is no guarantee that a new single by a certain artist will appeal to the listeners. The record for most time atop the Adult Contemporary chart is 55 non-consecutive weeks, achieved by Miley Cyrus with her 2023 release, " Flowers ". A number of other songs have logged more than 20 weeks apiece at the summit; The 2003, Uncle Kracker 's collaboration with Dobie Gray on Gray's own 1973 hit, Drift Away spent 28 weeks at No. 1. Ed Sheeran's " Shape of You " from 2017 has logged 24 weeks at No. 1 on

1760-427: Is re-released (for example, featured on a current movie soundtrack and given a renewed promotional push from a record label) or a song can take an extended amount of time to climb to position fifteen. Billboard chart managers ultimately make the decision about which songs can remain on the current chart in such cases. These are the songs with 20 or more weeks at number one as of the chart dated August 3, 2024. As of

1848-458: Is the current top group, and fifth overall, with 62 weeks. Elton John also has the most chart-toppers on this survey with 18, while the Carpenters hold the record for the most chart toppers among groups with 15, and Celine Dion has the most #1's among female artists with 11. In 2011, Billboard announced the top 100 performing songs on the AC chart and the top 50 performing artists to celebrate

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1936-559: The Billboard Hot 100 chart in the early 1990s, many of the secondary charts began to experience differences as well. Certain songs achieved higher debut positions on the Hot 100 due to the new formulas used to calculate chart positions, and lengthy stays at number one became more common. This trend began to surface on the AC chart in 1993 after Billboard began using data received from Broadcast Data Systems as its measure for calculating

2024-598: The bolero " Bésame Mucho " (English title: "Kiss Me Much"), with original music and Spanish lyric by Mexican composer Consuelo Velázquez , English lyric by American composer Sunny Skylar , and backing by the Al Sack Orchestra. He sang "Bésame Mucho" bilingually, the first vocalist to offer Spanish and English treatments to popular songs, often with a chorus in English followed by a chorus in Spanish, and, in doing so, displaying his Latin background. "Bésame Mucho" became Russell's first charted hit. It entered

2112-478: The country charts has also been common on the AC chart since the chart began. Among the country stars who had a number of singles cross over to the AC chart (and the pop chart as well) from the 1960s through the 1980s included Brenda Lee , Ray Price , Patsy Cline , Johnny Cash , Anne Murray , Ronnie Milsap , Barbara Mandrell , Dolly Parton , Kenny Rogers , Eddie Rabbitt , Crystal Gayle , Willie Nelson , and Juice Newton . The huge growth of country music as

2200-780: The "Russell Sprouts", of which there were 300 fan clubs throughout the United States. As he became more popular, Russell began making personal appearances in different venues in the country. His first personal appearance was on June 28, 1945, at the RKO Boston Theater in Newark, New Jersey , (Frank Sinatra's home town). Later, he made an appearance at the Paramount theater in New York, where he signed on to perform for two weeks, and wound up staying for five weeks. A review of Russell's performance stated: "His way of sliding into

2288-511: The 1940s were in 1947: " Anniversary Song " which reached #4, and " I'll Close My Eyes " which reached #15. Russell had twelve records break into the charts between April 1944 and September 1948, eight of them in the top ten. He was not only an established star of the Big Band era , but recognized as a unique contributor with his bilingual singing style that opened up the international market for Capitol. Music-store owner, Glenn E. Wallichs,

2376-425: The 1960s include Elvis Presley , Roy Orbison , Connie Francis , Dean Martin , Andy Williams , the 5th Dimension , and Glen Campbell . " Love Is Blue " by Paul Mauriat held the top of the Easy Listening chart for 11 weeks in 1968, which remained the longest stay at No. 1 until 1993. The Hot 100 and Easy Listening charts became more similar again toward the end of the 1960s and into the early and mid-1970s, when

2464-625: The 1980s, with nine songs accomplishing that feat. Two were by Lionel Richie, " You Are " in 1983 and " Hello " in 1984, which also reached No. 1 on the Hot 100. Other songs reaching the summit on both the AC and pop charts were " Time After Time " by Cyndi Lauper , " I Just Called to Say I Love You " by Stevie Wonder , " Live to Tell " by Madonna , " I Just Can't Stop Loving You " by Michael Jackson (his only No. 1 on both charts), " Seasons Change " by Exposé , " Look Away " by Chicago , " Tell Her About It " by Billy Joel , and " Right Here Waiting " by Richard Marx . With changes in methodology made to

2552-511: The 1990s include Mariah Carey , Michael Bolton , Whitney Houston, and Shania Twain . Newer female singer-songwriters such as Sarah McLachlan , Natalie Merchant , Jewel , Melissa Etheridge , and Sheryl Crow also broke through on the AC chart during this time. A notable pattern that developed during the 2000s has been for certain pop songs to have lengthy runs on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart, even after

2640-459: The 2000s decade, such as Beyoncé 's " Irreplaceable ", Fergie 's ballad " Big Girls Don't Cry ", Gnarls Barkley 's " Crazy ", Rihanna 's " Take a Bow ", and Timbaland 's remix of OneRepublic 's " Apologize ". R&B artists who have achieved major success on the AC chart in the past include Dionne Warwick , Aaron Neville , Diana Ross (with her solo career), James Ingram , Lionel Richie , Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey . Crossover from

2728-402: The 50th anniversary on the chart. The top song on the list was " Truly Madly Deeply " by Savage Garden , which hit number one for 11 weeks in 1998, spent a total of 58 weeks in the top 10, and spent 123 weeks on the chart. That chart longevity would only be passed by another one of their songs, " I Knew I Loved You " (which ranked at #21 on that list), from their album Affirmation . Elton John

Adult Contemporary (chart) - Misplaced Pages Continue

2816-452: The AC chart. In addition, Celine Dion's " A New Day Has Come " from 2002 and Kelly Clarkson 's 2004 song " Breakaway ". Both songs spent 21 weeks at No. 1 on the AC chart. Through 2022, Celine Dion has logged 87 weeks atop the AC chart, which is the most for any artist; Adele has moved into second place with 83 weeks, Ed Sheeran holds third place and the most for a solo male artist with 67 weeks, followed by Elton John with 63 weeks. Maroon 5

2904-460: The Adult Contemporary chart and the Adult Top 40 chart are separate charts, and songs reaching one chart might not reach the other. In addition, the term " hot AC " refers to another subgenre of radio programming that is distinct from the Adult Contemporary chart, despite the apparent similarity in name. In the early years of the Easy Listening chart, the top song on the chart was generally always

2992-431: The Adult Contemporary chart began ranking only airplay. Some of the artists who achieved success on the adult contemporary chart in the 1980s were already established names, such as Elton John , Chicago , Barbra Streisand , Dan Fogelberg , Sheena Easton , Kenny Rogers , and Dionne Warwick , while newer acts such as Whitney Houston , Madonna , Air Supply , Lionel Richie , and Gloria Estefan also made an impact on

3080-700: The Christian and secular worlds with little disapproval from their fan bases. Many notable classic rock artists have also crossed over to the adult contemporary chart as well by way of releasing power ballads. Artists such as Journey , Foreigner , Pat Benatar , and John Mellencamp among many other artists have had AC chart hits in addition to charting on the Mainstream Rock chart. In addition, newer recordings by established classic rock artists have also gotten some airplay on adult contemporary stations. Heart , Bob Seger , and Elton John are just some of

3168-407: The Easy Listening chart would begin to be compiled by a method similar to the one used for other Billboard singles charts: reported playlists from radio stations airing the format as well as sales data submitted by record stores. By the early 1990s, automatic song detection and barcode sales information had begun to be the norm for most of the Billboard charts, although by this time the AC chart

3256-435: The Hot 100 chart and the Easy Listening chart became more pronounced. Better reflecting what middle of the road stations were actually playing, the composition of the chart changed dramatically. As rock music continued to harden, there was much less crossover between the Hot 100 and Easy Listening chart than there had been in the early half of the 1960s. Several No. 1 Easy Listening hits of the late 1960s only "Bubbled Under" on

3344-508: The Paramount Theater in New York, hoping to convince him to sing her music in English, since she considered him to be the top crooner of the period, above even Bing Crosby and Perry Como. Their successful collaboration and Russell's dynamic interpretations led to her works finally achieving the personal, commercial and international recognition that had eluded her, to some extent, in the United States and in her native Mexico. 1944

3432-584: The Spanish Mexican influences were obvious, with Russell's Spanish contributing to a soft and effective crooning job. That same year he also had another huge hit, which became another signature tune: " Amor ", music by Mexican composer Gabriel Ruiz , Spanish lyric by Mexican lyricist Ricardo López Méndez , English lyric by Sunny Skylar , and backed by the Al Sack Orchestra. It entered the charts on June 1, 1944, peaked at #5, and stayed on

3520-481: The acts that came of age as pop artists targeting younger audiences in the 1960s and early 1970s started moving toward easy listening as they matured ( Neil Sedaka , Paul Anka and the Osmonds being prime examples). Easy Listening radio also began including songs by artists who had begun in other genres, such as rock and roll, R&B , or even country (it was during this time frame that a number of songs charted on

3608-432: The adult contemporary radio stations in the United States chart that have reached recurrent criteria. Descending songs are moved to recurrent status based upon the following three-tiered system: if they rank below the top five after 52 weeks, if they rank below the top 10 after 26 weeks, or if they rank below the top 15 after 20 weeks. Exceptions are sometimes made, usually on a case-by-case basis. Occasionally an older song

Adult Contemporary (chart) - Misplaced Pages Continue

3696-467: The artists to have some of their 21st-century songs played on adult contemporary. In addition, some classic rock artists whose songs did not chart on the adult contemporary chart during their initial heyday have been played on AC stations in recent years: Whitesnake with Here I Go Again , Joan Jett with I Love Rock and Roll , and Def Leppard with Pour Some Sugar on Me among other artists. The Adult Contemporary Recurrent charts ranks airplay from

3784-570: The band, Russell noticed that when he played solo on the drums or sang bilingually, the couples in the audience would stop dancing and approach the bandstand to get a better look at the handsome vocalist who was singing in a different language. It was at a show at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee , that Arnheim saw that he was getting known. But Arnheim realized that it would be necessary for Russell to change his name. Russell recalled

3872-614: The best and most sincere phrasing. Russell's 4 top-ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart in 1944 sold millions of records, and opened the door later in the decade for touring around the country and appearances on radio programs, motion pictures, and television. By late 1944, he was declared by the Mutual Broadcasting System to be the "idol of the crew-cut and bobby-sox set, and one of the nation's top-ranking romantic balladeers". In 1946, his next big hit

3960-407: The cellar, I'd learn to play drums and keep good time. This was when I was in junior high and I was learning to play drums. Later on, I got a teacher to teach me how to read, and before you knew it, I took drums seriously and I became one of the top drummers on the east side of L.A. – swing drummers. And I was playing drums with all these bands and then I'd sing. Russell took drum lessons for 50 cents

4048-626: The chart for a single week. Among songs which topped both the Easy Listening (renamed Adult Contemporary in 1979) and pop charts in the 1970s were " (They Long to Be) Close to You " and " Please Mr. Postman " by the Carpenters , " Song Sung Blue " by Neil Diamond , " Annie's Song " by John Denver, " You Are the Sunshine of My Life " by Stevie Wonder , " I Honestly Love You " and " Have You Never Been Mellow " by Olivia Newton-John, " Love Will Keep Us Together " by Captain & Tennille , and " You Light Up My Life " by Debby Boone . On August 21, 1982,

4136-492: The chart. The amount of crossover between the AC chart and the Hot 100 has varied based on how much the passing pop music trends of the times appealed to adult listeners. Not many disco or new wave songs were particularly successful on the AC chart during the late 1970s and early 1980s, and much of the hip-hop and harder rock music featured on CHR formats later in the decade would have been unacceptable on AC radio. No song spent more than six weeks at No. 1 on this chart during

4224-476: The charts for 10 weeks. The song was featured in the motion picture Broadway Rhythm . Russell had two more hits that same year: " What a Diff'rence a Day Made ", original title "Cuando vuelva a tu lado" (When I Return to You), music and Spanish lyric by Mexican composer María Grever with English lyric by American lyricist Stanley Adams and backed by the Paul Weston Orchestra. It entered

4312-443: The charts on April 15, 1944, and peaked at #10 on the Billboard's Hot 100 Chart in the United States, staying on the charts for 5 weeks. It sold over one million copies. Composer Velázquez heaped huge praise on Russell by stating that the worldwide success of "Bésame Mucho", which would become the most recorded Mexican song in history, effectively began with his rendition and recording of the song. A review of this song stated that

4400-437: The charts on October 21, 1944, peaked at #14, and stayed on the charts for 8 weeks. His other hit was " I Dream of You ," composed by Edna Osser with lyrics by Marjorie Goetschius , and accompanied by the Paul Weston Orchestra. It entered the charts on December 30, 1944, peaked at #5, and stayed on the charts for 5 weeks. It was b/w "Magic Is the Moonlight," another composition by Maria Grever [whose original Spanish title

4488-407: The conversation with Arnheim after the show: Andy, I've got to tell you something. The name Rábago has got to go. [laughs] Rábago's gotta go." I says, "What do you mean?" He says, "I've gotta change your name. Rábago hasn't got that ring to it, you know?" I says, "But that's my name." He says, "Look, we'll keep Andy, all right?" I says, "Okay. So what would you call me then?" He says, "I used to have

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4576-442: The country and easy listening charts, often not on the Hot 100). The longest stay at No. 1 on the Easy Listening chart in the 1970s was " Time Passages " by Al Stewart , which remained atop the chart for ten weeks. More common, however, was a high turnover rate at the summit of the Easy Listening survey during this decade. Over a three-year period from 1973 through 1975, there were 100 No. 1 songs on this chart, and most remained atop

4664-465: The crooners in this era, Russell drew his style from those who had come before, especially Haymes. Russell was viewed as the typical crooner, in the Sinatra style, who extended and drew out the words, while adding delightful shades and nuances to the phrases in his songs. He was not considered a bolero singer in the classic sense (of Latin America singers), but his execution of romantic songs had some of

4752-511: The date of July 31 where no union musician could record for any record company. This caused record producers to scramble to get vocalists and musicians into recording studios to get the recordings done before the deadline. Russell was able to make a test record with the George Siravo orchestra under the deadline. Mercer paid him $ 150-$ 175 for both sides of his first record. Russell narrowed his choices down to three songs and then chose

4840-470: The doors for later Hispanic bilingual artists to do the same. Through a fusion of musical styles, rhythms and languages, he created music that transcended borders and appealed to diverse audiences, becoming one of the first cross-cultural, multinational musical artists. Russell was born September 16, 1919 ( Mexican Independence Day ), as Andrés Rábago Pérez in Boyle Heights , which, at the time,

4928-490: The ensuing years, Russell continued to perform in the United States and around the world, occasionally recording new records and making television appearances. Although well received, he did not achieve his previous level of success. During his 50-year career, Russell received many international accolades and awards, most notably being recognized as the original Latino crossover artist who introduced American audiences to popular songs sung in English and Spanish, thus opening

5016-507: The film The Stork Club (1945). His movie career had an inauspicious start at Paramount Studios . The Mexican-American crooner was told by a security guard that it was a closed set and that he would have to leave. He waited outside the stage door, sitting in the sun until Hal Walker , the director, came looking for him and told him to get to work. Russell asked nervously, "Are you sure it's all right now?" In his motion picture debut, he played himself in everything but name, as he [was] cast as

5104-535: The issue of Billboard dated August 3, 2024 Billboard (magazine) Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.236 via cp1112 cp1112, Varnish XID 951551719 Upstream caches: cp1112 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 08:41:08 GMT Andy Russell (singer) In 1954, he relocated to Mexico where he became

5192-482: The mid-1980s, the most successful CCM artist at the time, Amy Grant , crossed over into secular music with the 1985 single " Find a Way ", which became a Top Ten AC hit and a No. 1 Christian single simultaneously. In the 1990s and into the 2000s, other artists such as Lifehouse , MercyMe , Natalie Grant , Kathy Troccoli , Sixpence None the Richer , Steven Curtis Chapman , and Michael W. Smith have crossed in between

5280-795: The number of airplay songs on adult contemporary stations. Two consecutive singles (" The River of Dreams " by Billy Joel and " Said I Loved You...But I Lied " by Michael Bolton ) logged twelve weeks apiece atop the AC chart, surpassing "Love Is Blue"'s previous mark of eleven weeks at number one. As the decade progressed, other songs had even longer stays at number one, including " Change the World " by Eric Clapton (13 weeks, 1996), " Un-Break My Heart " by Toni Braxton (14 weeks, 1997), " Because You Loved Me " by Celine Dion (19 weeks, 1996) and " You'll Be In My Heart " by Phil Collins (19 weeks, 1999). In addition to Collins, who has had significant success on this chart, other artists with multiple number ones in

5368-635: The numbered chart appeared in July. The first No. 1 song on the Billboard Easy Listening chart was " The Boll Weevil Song " by Brook Benton . From 1961 to 1965, this chart was compiled from the Billboard Hot 100 chart by removing songs that were deemed rock and roll by the magazine and re-ranking the remaining songs. ( Record World 's equivalent "non-rock" chart followed the same criteria from 1967 through 1971.) Beginning in 1965,

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5456-836: The old Follies Theater on Main Street, the Orpheum Theater on Broadway, the Santa Monica Pier , and Joe Zucca's Show Case in Hermosa Beach . While he was singing with the Alvino Rey Orchestra, Russell's bilingual vocals had caught the attention of lyricist and composer Johnny Mercer , who asked him to cut a record for his fledgling Capitol Records . However, the 1942–44 musicians' strike threatened to derail Russell's career before it had even begun. Union President James Petrillo had set

5544-615: The point that acclaimed band leader Tommy Dorsey made him a lucrative offer to play only the drums, as he already had a singer, a young Frank Sinatra . Russell declined because "he decided he could make more of a name if he concentrated on his singing," so he chose to join Alvino Rey. Some of the venues in the Los Angeles area where he played were the Cocoanut Grove at the Ambassador Hotel on Wilshire Boulevard ,

5632-456: The pop chart (for example, Andy Russell 's 1967 version of "It's Such a Pretty World Today" that peaked at #119), or (as was the case with John Gary 's 1967 hit "Cold") failed even to "Bubble Under." In 1967, only one single reached No. 1 on both charts – " Somethin' Stupid " by Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra . This trend began to reverse by the end of the decade. Notable artists with multiple No. 1 songs on this chart during

5720-465: The pop music radio program Your Hit Parade . This popular program aired on Saturdays, 9:00–9:30 pm on NBC radio and was broadcast out of New York City. He replaced Lawrence Tibbett , an opera singer, who had previously replaced Frank Sinatra . After five months in New York, he was so popular that Lucky Strike cigarettes, the sponsor of the show, agreed to pay for the show to be broadcast out of its Los Angeles studios in order to appease Russell who

5808-656: The same year, he sang "Without You" (based on Cuban composer Osvaldo Farrés ' song "Tres Palabras") on the soundtrack of the Walt Disney animated feature Make Mine Music , the pop music version of Fantasia . The "A Ballad in Blue" section illustrated the end of a relationship using raindrops, flower petals, and a love letter. In 1947, at the peak of his popularity, he appeared in the film Copacabana with Groucho Marx and Carmen Miranda . In this film, Russell good-naturedly plays his dumb-bell nightclub singer role with

5896-597: The show, the Billboard 1944 Music Year Book stated that "the talented, handsome ... young singer's commercial appeal [was] tremendous. Starting with one song, audience response demanded his current three singing spots." Later, from September 3, 1945, to May 27, 1946, Russell appeared on the CBS radio comedy show, The Joan Davis Show , which originated out of New York City. This program aired on Monday nights from 8:30 – 8:55 p.m. "Popular crooner Andy Russell served as both

5984-478: The songs have fallen off the Hot 100. Songs such as " Love Story " and " You Belong with Me " by Taylor Swift , " Waiting on the World to Change " by John Mayer , " Love Song " by Sara Bareilles and " You're Beautiful " by James Blunt have remained on the AC chart for many weeks, in some cases over a year after the song was originally released. An article on MTV 's website by Corey Moss describes this trend: "In other words, AC stations are where pop songs go to die

6072-483: The texture of much of the music played on Top 40 radio once more began to soften. Contemporary artists who recorded adult-appeal music, such as the Carpenters , Barbra Streisand , Barry Manilow , Anne Murray , John Denver , and Helen Reddy began to be played more often on Top 40 radio. Much of the music recorded by singer-songwriters such as James Taylor , Carole King , and Janis Ian got as much, if not more, airplay on this format than on Top 40 stations. A few of

6160-458: The variety anchor for The Joan Davis Show as well as Joanie's love interest in the situation comedy series ... [He] delivered as expected to the swoons and cheers of his millions of female fans of the era." In addition to singing, Russell also acted and played straight man to comedian Joan Davis . Paul Weston and his Orchestra provided the music. Finally, and most notably, starting on April 26, 1946, Russell began to appear as featured vocalist on

6248-519: Was " I Can't Begin to Tell You " which reached #7, and was from the film The Dolly Sisters . The next big hit came later in 1946: a two-sided hit with " Laughing on the Outside " which reached #4, and " They Say It's Wonderful " which reached #10, (from the Broadway show Annie Get Your Gun ). His next hit, "Pretending" which reached #10 was backed with "Who Do You Love?" His final chart-toppers of

6336-524: Was "Te Quiero, Dijiste (Muñequita Linda)"], with English lyric by Charles Pasquale, backed by the Paul Weston Orchestra, and featured in the MGM musical film Bathing Beauty . Previously, Grever had felt the appeal of her compositions were limited due to their musical complexity with lyrics written in Spanish. She thus sought out Russell, a popular vocalist, during his personal appearances at

6424-416: Was a banner year for Russell. Such success was unprecedented for a "kid from East Los Angeles", albeit a very talented, hard-working, and cocky kid. He was a part of the era when popular singers, or crooners , were beginning to take the spotlight away from the bands. Crooners such as himself, Bing Crosby , Frank Sinatra , Dick Haymes and Perry Como each had his own unique style. As the youngest of all

6512-408: Was a housewife. As a child, he loved listening to American popular music and Big Band , such as Benny Goodman , Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey . He idolized crooners Dick Powell , Bing Crosby and Jack Leonard . He went wild over popular music , knew all the hit tunes, and was the neighborhood authority on every name band leader in the country. While attending school, he also worked as

6600-477: Was a member of the ROTC marching band, the jazz band, and the high school symphony orchestra. He performed at high school football games, parades and dances. And under the instruction of Mr. Harry Gruppengetter, the music teacher, he learned to read music. He also enjoyed playing handball and boxing. He recalled that his high school experience was positive, and that he did not feel discrimination: "In those days, I

6688-416: Was able to learn only a little Spanish because his parents died when he was just 11 years old. His older brothers helped to raise the family. Despite these growing pains, he was determined to follow in the footsteps of his idols. In 1934, as a 15-year-old student in junior high school, he began his career as an up-and-coming teenage idol by singing with a local swing band headed by don Ramón Cruz. This band

6776-550: Was also a featured vocalist on the Old Gold Show , which was the name of the cigarette company that sponsored the program. Next up was an invitation to appear as a vocalist on The Jackie Gleason – Les Tremayne Show on NBC radio. Unlike his eponymous show which was broadcast from Los Angeles, California, it was necessary for Russell to take the train out to the East Coast, as this show originated from New York. It

6864-571: Was an ethnically integrated, middle-class neighborhood in Eastside Los Angeles . He was the second youngest of ten children (eight boys, two girls) born to Mexican immigrant parents, Rafael Rábago and Vicenta (née Pérez), who had emigrated to United States in 1902 from the Mexican states of Durango and Chihuahua , where each had been born, respectively. His father was employed as an extra by Hollywood studios, while his mother

6952-429: Was based entirely on radio airplay and no longer incorporated retail sales reports. Currently the Adult Contemporary chart is compiled in much the same way as for other radio formats. The chart was known as the Easy Listening chart until 1962, when it was renamed Middle-Road Singles . In 1964, the name changed again, this time to Pop-Standard Singles . After alternating the name of this chart twice more in less than

7040-465: Was born of a desire by some radio stations in the late 1950s and early 1960s to continue playing current hit songs but distinguish themselves from being branded as " rock and roll " stations. Billboard had written articles about this trend during the time, and the magazine's editors decided to publish a separate chart for these songs beginning in 1961. The magazine offered an "Easy Listening" programming guide beginning January 9, 1961, which continued until

7128-567: Was composed mainly of Mexican and Mexican American musicians and played primarily in East Los Angeles . He also sang with the Stan Kenton Orchestra , and other groups, until one day he was told that he also would have to play an instrument to stay with the band. Russell recalled how he dealt with this curious dilemma: They said to me one night and broke my heart, they says, "Andy, we can't afford to have you as just

7216-696: Was dark-complexioned, like contemporary Chicano musician and singer Lalo Guerrero , who "wanted the success of an Andy Russell, whose appearance and name change were definite advantages." Loza notes: "in that particular era (and even today), name changing was common among performers, so that whether names have been changed for ethnic reasons cannot always be determined." Russell performed as bilingual vocalist and swing drummer with Arnheim for 4 years. During this period, he received offers from Paul Whiteman , Jimmy Dorsey , Glenn Miller , Charlie Spivak , and such bands as Johnny Richards , Sonny Dunham , Alvino Rey and Vido Musso . Russell's popularity grew to

7304-540: Was homesick. The shows from Hollywood began on September 21, 1946. He stayed on the program for 2 seasons, which led to huge popularity for the singer. It was during this time that Russell had the incredible fortune of having two records in the Top Ten, while performing as a vocalist on Your Hit Parade . As the original vocalist, he would actually be able to sing his own songs on the program, an event which very rarely happened. His screaming, teenaged fans called themselves

7392-467: Was just one of the guys. We had Russian people, we had Jewish kids, we had Mexican kids, we had the blacks , we never noticed things like that ... I'm a very cocky little Mexican kid from the East Side, and I never had those feelings. I always feel that it's up to the person." In 1935, at the age of 16, when Russell discovered that Gus Arnheim , a popular and influential band leader, was looking for

7480-410: Was nominated the top performing AC artist through that time, and also holds the record for the most No. 1 AC singles, top 10 singles, and singles on the chart. His song " The One " was ranked on No. 53 on the top 100 performing songs on the AC chart. Relatively few urban contemporary and hip-hop artists manage to successfully cross over to AC, although there were a few exceptions in the later part of

7568-413: Was reported that during the trip, he got sick because he had never been on a train before. Also, in addition to duties as a vocalist, Russell played straight man to Jackie Gleason , the legendary comic and performer who would later be the star of the classic television program The Honeymooners . He would do this later in a motion picture with Groucho Marx , too. With regard to his participation on

7656-480: Was sold for $ 8.5 million. By 1944, he had become a well enough regarded pop vocalist to be invited to perform on radio programs. On November 9, he debuted on his own radio show on the "Blue" network, or NBC , called The Andy Russell Show , which broadcast out of Hollywood , California. He was the host and featured vocalist. In addition, he would invite guests to appear on his program, such as Dinah Shore and Johnny Mercer. On Sunday nights over CBS radio, Russell

7744-476: Was underage and could not tour out of state, Arnheim adopted him and became his legal guardian . In addition, since he thought it was a good gimmick that made good business sense, Arnheim suggested that Russell sing bilingually in English and Spanish. Russell was hesitant, stating "No, Gus, my Spanish is very bad; I'm embarrassed." Arnheim finally convinced the youngster by saying "Do something different and people will notice." Russell agreed. Now on tour with

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