TOKYO (AP) – A Japanese music foundation has sold a renowned Stradivarius
violin for $16 million at a London auction to raise money for tsunami disaster relief.
The nonprofit Nippon Foundation said Tuesday the proceeds from selling the nearly
300-year-old violin known as the Lady Blunt will go to relief projects in northern Japan.
The group’s music affiliate owned the violin made in 1721 and hardly used. The new owner was not identified.

Meredith Baxter, also known for some years as Meredith Baxter-Birney, is 
a actress and producer. She is known for her roles in Family on ABC-TV,
1976-1980, and the NBC-TV sitcom Family Ties (1982-1989). Baxter got
her first big break on television in 1972 as one of the stars of Bridget
Loves Bernie, a CBS-TV sitcom.   

The Railroad Hour was a radio series of musical dramas and comedies broadcast
from the late 1940s to the mid-1950s. The show was sponsored by the Association
of American Railroads and starred singer-actor Gordon MacRae. Marvin Miller was
the announcer of the series that began on ABC October 4, 1948 as a 45-minute
program, and was reduced to 30 minutes on April 25, 1949, continuing until
September 26, 1949. It then moved to NBC for a run from October 3, 1949, until
June 21, 1954. On both networks it aired Monday evenings at 8pm(et).The theme
song for the program was “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad”.

Gordon MacRae with guest Dinah Shore

Announcer Marvin Miller