The Joe Walsh GiftDay Story

Joe Walsh is a flat-out amazing guitarist and songwriter. As guitarist for the rock and roll band The Eagles, he’s written such rock classics as “Life in the Fast Lane” and “In the City”. I know Walsh though better as a neighbor. He lives near my home in Los Angeles. I’m also connected to him because I‘m friends with his road manager, Smokey Wendell.

One afternoon I was talking to Smokey when the topic of Walsh’s upcoming 50th birthday, on November 20, 2007, came up. Smokey told me that he was clueless about what gift to get for Walsh because Walsh had practically everything he wanted or needed. In my conversation that day with Smokey, I learned that Walsh was a huge fan of radio (ham radio, old-time radio, etc). Walsh loved radio so much, in fact, Smokey said, that he wrote about it in radio in of his songs entitled, appropriately enough, “The Radio Song”. Smokey smiled when he told me that Walsh and he loved to drive while on tour together and listen to the radio; they jogged the dial looking for old-time radio shows, old music programs... anything that had aired on radio. I told Smokey that GiftDay was going to find him a special, meaningul gift for Walsh.

I went online later that day and found a website that hosted old-time radio programs. I next began looking for programs that aired on Walsh’s birthdate, November 20, 1947. I soon hit “pay dirt” in the form of a radio show called “Kraft Music Hall,” hosted by Al Jolson.

In early American radio history, you could easily make an argument that there are really only two names that are important: Al Jolson and “everybody else.” Jolson was a towering figure of musical theatre, unquestionably the most exciting stage star of his generation, and a profound influence in movies. He was also an acclaimed recording artist. Between 1912 and 1930, Jolson had 85 songs on the pop music charts, 23 reaching the #1 spot. Jolson had more #1 hits than Elvis Presley (18) or The Beatles (20).

When I listened to Jolson’s radio show from November 20, 1947, I literally got goose bumps. At the beginning of the recording, Jolson and his co-host, Oscar Levant, talked about a wedding that Jolson was invited to but couldn’t attend. (Jolson quipped that the only way to be a bridesmaid was to lie about his age.) The pair never mentioned whose wedding it was so I googled the date... turns out it was the day Queen Elizabeth II got married! I loved this bit of trivia and knew Walsh would too! (Walsh later remarked to Smokey that he had no idea about the coincidence.)

There was also a whole lot more about the date, November 20, 1947 that Jolson talked about on his show. At one point, Jolson remarked that “Santa better not be caught dead wearing red this year.” (It was 1947, and the Cold War and communists were all over the news). Jolson later brought on a movie star guest, Charles Boyer, who spoke of movies playing in theaters at the time. The November 20, 1947 Kraft Music Hall recording was a veritable time capsule that captured the treasures of a very special and very important moment in time. (To listen to clips from the show from this date, click HERE.)

GiftDay is already at work locating other radio shows by date and will make them available on its website to everyone. GiftDay endeavors to find meaning and poetry in gifts - so that the gifts can be used to tell gift recipients that they are unique and special and that they have been thought about and fussed over.

Because everyone likes to be treated like a rock star on their birthday. Even rock stars.