Edward Bowes
Major Bowes Amateur Hour, radio‘s best-known talent show, was one of
the country’s most popular programs broadcast in the 1930s and 40s. It
was created and hosted by Edward Bowes who presided over the radio
program until his death on his 72nd birthday, June 14, 1946.
Bowes brought his amateur hour to New York City’s radio station WHN
in April 1934. On March 24, 1935, the NBC Radio picked up the show,
with sponsor Chase and Sanborn. It ran on NBC until September of
1936, when it moved to CBS Radio for the remainder of its run on
radio in 1952. By then the show was known simply as The Original
Amateur Hour.
Bowes with a young contestant on the CBS Radio show
I can’t tell you the exact date, but the Major Bowes Amateur hour toured the country. It was in Joplin, MO and I think it was 1936 because I was 6 years old and I performed a acrobatic/tumbling act by myself on a great big stage. All I can really remember is that my costume was red satin, and I felt like I needed to go to the bathroom just before going on! I must not have won because I don’t remember anything else!