The Bell Telephone Hour, also known as The Telephone Hour, was a concert series broadcast on NBC Radio Network from April 29, 1940 to June 30, 1958. Sponsored by Bell Telephone as the name implies, it showcased the best in classical and Broadway music, reaching eight to nine million listeners each week. It continued on television from 1959 to 1968. Throughout the program's run on both radio and television, the studio orchestra on the program was conducted by Donald Voorhees.
Donald Voorhees conducting The Bell Telephone Hour on NBC Radio Network
Lena Horne performing in 1964
James Melton, a popular singer in the 1920s and early 1930s, later began a career as an operatic singer when tenor voices went out of style in popular music around 1932–35. His singing talent was similar to that of his contemporary Richard Crooks and baritones John Charles Thomas and Nelson Eddy, who sang popular music but also had operatic careers.
James Melton in a 1940s studio portrait
James Melton at the starting line of the 1951 Grand Prix Street Race at Watkins Glen NY