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12 November 2024

(Until 12 November)

Joanie O’Brien sang with Harry James and Elvis – Phantom Dancer

Greg Poppleton Swing Radio Show

Joan O’Brien was a singer, movie and TV actor in the 1950s-60s who sang with Harry James and Bob Crosby and co-starred with Elvis Presley and Cary Grant. She’s your Phantom Dancer feature artist this week.

The Phantom Dancer is your weekly non-stop mix of swing and jazz from live 1920s-60s radio and TV every week.

LISTEN to this week’s Phantom Dancer mix (online after 2pm AEST, Tuesday 12 November) and weeks of Phantom Dancer mixes online at, at https://2ser.com/phantom-dancer/

SINGER

Joan Marie O’Brien became a professional singer while still in high school on the Los Angeles country TV show, Hometown Jamboree, in 1951.

In 1954, she became a regular on The Bob Crosby Show and stayed until shortly before the show’s cancellation in 1958.

Lawrence Welk hired O’Brien as a one-week replacement for his champagne music singer Alice Lon in July 1959. O’Brien had come to Welk’s attention years earlier as a singer on Bob Crosby’s show.

In 1960, she sang as soloist for composer Buddy Bregman at the Moulin Rouge night club in Los Angeles.

O’Brien sang with the Harry James band in 1968.

ACTOR

Joanie O’Brien co-starred with Cary Grant and Tony Curtis in the 1959 film Operation Petticoat.

O’Brien acted in several episodes on the TV western Bat Masterson. The episode S2E01 “To the Manner Born” (1959) had her singing as up-and-coming opera soprano, Dora Miller.

O’Brien was cast as survivor Susanna Dickinson in John Wayne’s 1960 epic feature film retelling of battle of The Alamo.

In 1961 O’Brien again co-starred with John Wayne as his love interest in The Comancheros.

She played Elvis Presley’s girlfriend in the 1963 film It Happened at the World’s Fair.

Her most frequent acting performances were in television during the 1960s. She made two guest appearances on Perry Mason. In 1960 she played Betty Roberts in “The Case of the Singing Skirt”, and in 1965 she played Jill Fenwick in “The Case of the Lover’s Gamble”.

In 1964 O’Brien guest starred in an episode of The Man From UNCLE. Series star Robert Vaughn subsequently cast her as Ophelia in Hamlet at the Pasadena Playhouse.

After retiring in 1969 due to a stormy personal life, she settled down and successfully raised two children while running a management firm for the Hilton Hotel chain.

12 November PLAY LIST

Play List – The Phantom Dancer
107.3 2SER-FM Sydney
LISTEN ONLINE
Community Radio Network Show CRN #682

107.3 2SER Tuesday 12 November 2024
12:04 – 2:00pm (+11 hours GMT)
National Program
5UV Adelaide Monday 2:30 – 3:30am
5GTR Mt Gambier Monday 2:30 – 3:30am
3MBR Murrayville Monday 3 – 4am
4NAG Keppel FM Monday 3 – 4am
2MIA Griffith Monday 3 – 4am
2BAR Edge FM Bega Monday 3 – 4am
2BRW Braidwood Monday 3 – 4am
2YYY Young Monday 3 – 4am
7RPH Hobart Monday 3 – 4pm
3VKV Alpine Radio Monday 6 – 7pm
7MID Oatlands Monday 3am – 4 and 6 -7pm
2MCE Bathurst Thursday 9 – 10am
1ART ArtsoundFM Canberra Friday 10 – 11am
and Sunday 11pm
Reading Radio (QLD) Friday 1am – 2
2ARM Armidale Friday 12 – 1pm
5LCM Lofty FM Adelaide Friday 1 – 2pm
6GME Radio Goolarri Broome Saturday 4am – 5am
Denmark FM (West Australia) Saturday 10 – 11am
Repeat: Wednesdays 10 – 11pm
7LTN Launceston Sunday 5 – 6am
3MGB Mallacoota Sunday 5 – 6am
3BBR West Gippsland Sunday 5 – 6pm
2SEA Sapphire Coast Eden Sunday 9 – 10pm

Set 1
Duke Ellington Orchestra 
Take the A-Train + The Lady of the Lavender Mist
Duke Ellington Orchestra
Meadowbrook Gardens
Culver City Ca
KHJ Mutual-Don Lee Los Angeles
Sep 1947
Hi Ya Sue
Duke Ellington Orchestra
Meadowbrook Gardens
Culver City Ca
KHJ Mutual-Don Lee Los Angeles
Sep 1947
How Blue the NightDuke Ellington Orchestra
Meadowbrook Gardens
Culver City Ca
KHJ Mutual-Don Lee Los Angeles
Sep 1947
I’m Just a Lucky So-and-So + CloseDuke Ellington OrchestraMeadowbrook Gardens
Culver City Ca
KHJ Mutual-Don Lee Los Angeles
Sep 1947
Set 2
Freddy Nagel
Theme + You Do
Freddy Nagel Orchestra (voc) Dick Baldwin
Empire Room
Palmer House
WLS ABC Chicago
21 Sep 1947
Margie
Freddy Nagel Orchestra
Empire Room
Palmer House
WLS ABC Chicago
21 Sep 1947
Neat You
Freddy Nagel Orchestra (voc) Jane Easton
Empire Room
Palmer House
WLS ABC Chicago
21 Sep 1947
You’re the Sunshine of My Heart + September Song + Theme
Freddy Nagel Orchestra (voc) Dick Baldwin & Band
Empire Room
Palmer House
WLS ABC Chicago
21 Sep 1947
Set 3
Joanie O’Brien
Theme + Cryin’ in the ChapelJoanie O’Brien (voc) Bob Crosby Orchestra‘Bob Crosby Show’
KNXT CBS TV LA
30 Nov 1953
You, You, YouJoanie O’Brien and Bob Crosby (voc) Bob Crosby Orchestra‘Bob Crosby Show’
KNXT CBS TV LA
2 May 1955
Something’s Gotta GiveJoanie O’Brien and Alan Copeland (voc) Bob Crosby Orchestra‘Bob Crosby Show’
KNXT CBS TV LA
2 May 1955
Happy is a Boy Named Me + CloseJoanie O’Brien and Rod McKuen‘Shower of Stars’
KNXT CBS TV LA
30 Nov 1953
Set 4
Fletcher Henderson
Christopher Columbus (theme) + Stompin’ at the Savoy
Fletcher Henderson Orchestra
‘One Night Stand’
Casa Manana
Culver City Ca
AFRS re-broadcast
1945
Let’s Rock
Fletcher Henderson Orchestra
‘One Night Stand’
Casa Manana
Culver City Ca
AFRS re-broadcast
1945
Caldonia
Fletcher Henderson Orchestra (voc)
‘One Night Stand’
Casa Manana
Culver City Ca
AFRS re-broadcast
1945
I Found a New Baby
Fletcher Henderson Orchestra
‘One Night Stand’
Casa Manana
Culver City Ca
AFRS re-broadcast
1945
Set 5
Hit of the Week
Pardon Me Pretty Baby
Sam Lanin Orchestra (voc) Paul SmallHit of the Week Record
Aug 1931
I Found a Million Dollar Baby
Don Vorhees Orchestra
Hit of the Week Record
10 Sep 1931
Home
Rudy Vallee Connecticut Yankees (voc) Rudy Vallee
Hit of the Week Record
Jan 1932
I’m Keeping Company
Hit of the Week Orchestra (voc) Scrappy Lambert
Hit of the Week Record
Aug 1931
Set 6
Artie Shaw
Nightmare (theme) + Deep in a Dream
Artie Shaw Orchestra (voc) Helen Forrest
Blue Room
Hotel Lincoln
WEAF NBC Red NYC
2 Dec 1938
Softly as in a Morning Sunrise
Artie Shaw Orchestra
Blue Room
Hotel Lincoln
WEAF NBC Red NYC
2 Dec 1938
One Foot in the Groove
Artie Shaw Orchestra
Cafe Rouge
Hotel Pennsylvania
WEAF NBC Red NYC
19 Oct 1939
St Louis Blues _+ Nightmare (theme)
Artie Shaw Orchestra
Cafe Rouge
Hotel Pennsylvania
WEAF NBC Red NYC
19 Oct 1939
Set 7
Jimmy Dorsey
Contrasts (theme) + Shine on Harvest Moon
Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra
Radio Transcription
1939
That’s a’Plenty
Jimmy Dorsey Dorseyland Band
Radio Transcription
1950
Imagination
Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra (voc) Bob Eberly
Radio Transcription
1939
Basin Street Blues
Jimmy Dorsey Dorseyland Band
Radio Transcription
1950
Set 8
Charlie Parker
Scrapple from the AppleCharlie Parker Quintet‘Symphony Sid Show’
Royal Roost
WMCA NYC
15 Jan 1949
BeBopCharlie Parker Quintet
‘Symphony Sid Show’
Royal Roost
WMCA NYC
15 Jan 1949
Hot HouseCharlie Parker Quintet‘Symphony Sid Show’
Royal Roost
WMCA NYC
15 Jan 1949
All Gigs
12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
107.3 Radio 2SER
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