Music audiobooks

Patti Page

By: Wink Martindale

Narrated by: Wink Martindale

Length: 20 minutes

Abridged: No

Patti Page’s music provided a soothing counterpoint to the revolutionary sound of rock n’ roll in the 1950s, incorporating elements of country music into traditional pop songs. From 1948 through 1970 she had nearly 100 records on the Billboard Singles chart including “(How Much Is That) Doggie in the Window,” “Old Cape Cod,” “Allegheny Moon” and... Read more

Percy Faith

By: Wink Martindale

Narrated by: Wink Martindale

Length: 35 minutes

Abridged: No

Though his work was often classified as just “arrangements,” Percy Faith’s work went well beyond that and could be more accurately described as “recompositions.” He got his start as a child studying piano and eventually made his mark as an instrumental stylist, importing elements of jazz and rock into mood music.

In a conversation with host Wink... Read more

Harry Belafonte

By: Wink Martindale

Narrated by: Wink Martindale

Length: 34 minutes

Abridged: No

Harry Belafonte didn’t start out with a dream of being a singer. He wanted to be an actor, and studied theater for five years in New York. Unable to find work as an actor, he had to choose between abandoning dreams of being a performer entirely, or find a new area of entertainment to pursue. Opportunity struck when he was offered a chance to be... Read more

Froschkönig oder der eiserne Heinrich

By: Gebrüder Grimm

Narrated by: Conny Strauch

Length: 15 minutes

Abridged: No

"Froschkönig oder der eiserne Heinrich" Sprecherin: Conny Strauch Komp/Key: Steven Pollow Flöte: Jane Pollow Ein halbes Jahrhundert lang haben die Brüder Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm an ihrer Sammlung der deutschen "Kinder und Hausmärchen" gearbeitet; der erste, noch schmale Band kam gegen Ende des Jahres 1812 heraus, eine zweibändige Ausgabe... Read more

The Mills Brothers

By: Wink Martindale

Narrated by: Wink Martindale

Length: 36 minutes

Abridged: No

The story of The Mills Brothers is much like that of many entertainers, featuring humble beginnings,, big dreams, success, tragedy and ultimately a happy ending. In 1973, host Wink Martindale sat down with two of the original Mills Brothers, Harry and Donald, to recount their tale.

The pair details the earliest days of their career in Piqua,... Read more

Captain & Tennille

By: Wink Martindale

Narrated by: Wink Martindale

Length: 30 minutes

Abridged: No

In 1973, Captain & Tennille wrote and cut a record completely at their own expense. The product of that recording session, “The Way I Want to Touch You,” proved to be a regional hit and was the first step in their fascinating journey to major label success.

The couple sat down with host Wink Martindale just as their first hit was climbing the... Read more

Al Martino

By: Wink Martindale

Narrated by: Wink Martindale

Length: 21 minutes

Abridged: No

Al Martino’s success began in 1952 with the single “Here in My Heart.” The self-taught crooner went on to find his biggest success in an unlikely source in 1963 with a version of “I Love You Because,” which was originally a country tune.

In August of 1972, he sat down for an interview with host Wink Martindale to reflect on his storied career.... Read more

Joni James

By: Wink Martindale

Narrated by: Wink Martindale

Length: 28 minutes

Abridged: No

Despite her phenomenal success as a singer, Joni James initially had dreams of dancing. While she continued to receive scholarships and praise for her vocal performances, dancing was what she wanted to pursue and she continued to pay for lessons.
When faced with the decision of going to school or pursuing her career, on the advice of a producer... Read more

Drum Dream Girl

By: Margarita Engle

Narrated by: Adriana Sananes

Length: 11 minutes

Abridged: No

Girls cannot be drummers. Long ago on an island filled with music, no one questioned that rule—until the drum dream girl. In her city of drumbeats, she dreamed of pounding tall congas and tapping small bongós. She had to keep quiet. She had to practice in secret. But when at last her dream-bright music was heard, everyone sang and danced and... Read more

Elvis Presley #02

By: Wink Martindale

Narrated by: Wink Martindale

Length: 27 minutes

Abridged: No

We continue our exploration of the career of Elvis Presley with the second installment of this three part series. Presley would face both happy times and challenging moments as his popularity continued to grow. He went Hollywood and added “movie star” to his resume, but he also got drafted in 1958 and that same year, faced the death of his... Read more

Roy Orbison

By: Wink Martindale

Narrated by: Wink Martindale

Length: 30 minutes

Abridged: No

Roy Orbison was just one of many legendary performers to come out of the powerhouse that was Sun Records. In a conversation with Wink Martindale, Orbison discusses how he got his start with Sun and its founder Sam Phillips.

Orbison continues to discuss his hectic early days of touring where he would perform anywhere and everywhere including... Read more

With My Eyes Wide Open

By: Brian "Head" Welch & Brian Welch

Narrated by: Brian "Head" Welch

Length: 6 hours 5 minutes

Abridged: No

He left KoRn to help himself. He went back to help others. And along the way, he nearly lost everything.A life-changing spiritual awakening freed Brian “Head” Welch from a stranglehold of drugs and alcohol and prompted him to leave the highly successful nu-metal band KoRn in 2005. What followed was a decade-long trial by fire, from the perils of... Read more

Eddy Arnold

By: Wink Martindale

Narrated by: Wink Martindale

Length: 31 minutes

Abridged: No

Eddy Arnold dominated popular and country music from the late 40s to the 60s, despite changing tastes over those two eventful decades.

In a conversation with host Wink Martindale, Arnold recounts his early life as a farm boy that earned him the nickname “The Tennessee Ploughboy” and his eventual rise to arguably become the king of country. ... Read more

Ray Conniff

By: Wink Martindale

Narrated by: Wink Martindale

Length: 39 minutes

Abridged: No

Ray Conniff got his start arranging and conducting for other recording artists. His success working for others eventually led to Columbia allowing him to record an album under his own name which was released to great success and acclaim.

Conniff was the first artist to use voices and vocal arrangements as part of the instrumentation. In a... Read more

Elvis Presley #01

By: Wink Martindale

Narrated by: Wink Martindale

Length: 31 minutes

Abridged: No

We begin our exploration of the career of Elvis Presley, which found him recording for the now world-famous Sun Records with producer Sam Phillips in 1954. Only a few short years later, he would shift to RCA Records, releasing his first single for the label, “Heartbreak Hotel,” in January of 1956. As host Wink Martindale recalls, “Presleymania”... Read more

Elvis Presley #03

By: Wink Martindale

Narrated by: Wink Martindale

Length: 28 minutes

Abridged: No

Our third and final installment of a three part exploration of the career of Elvis Presley takes a look at the final years for the legendary singer who we first became aware of in 1954 when he released his first single “That’s Alright Mama” on Sun Records. That first single marked the beginning of an astonishing career during which he rose to... Read more

Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass

By: Wink Martindale

Narrated by: Wink Martindale

Length: 24 minutes

Abridged: No

Herb Alpert’s career began under the name Dore Alpert. When his first few releases with RCA Records failed to gain traction, he was dropped from the label. That’s when Alpert joined forces with his friend Jerry Moss to form an independent label.
Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass grew to great success by the mid-sixties with pre-orders for their... Read more

Gordon Jenkins

By: Wink Martindale

Narrated by: Wink Martindale

Length: 40 minutes

Abridged: No

Gordon Jenkins arranged for legendary musicians, recorded a dozen hit singles including “P.S. I Love You” and “Blue Prelude” and a host of other accomplishments in the world of music. The arranger, composer and pianist was influential throughout the 40s and 50s.

Despite his many musical talents, Jenkins discusses his desire but unfortunate... Read more

Steve & Eydie

By: Wink Martindale

Narrated by: Wink Martindale

Length: 22 minutes

Abridged: No

Husband and wife duo Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé performed back-and-forth comic banter while keeping music at the center of their act. While much of the act was meticulously rehearsed, the pair left parts of each performance open for adlibbing and improvisation.

In an interview with host Wink Martindale, Steve and Eydie sit down and discuss... Read more

Jo Stafford & Paul Weston

By: Wink Martindale

Narrated by: Wink Martindale

Length: 31 minutes

Abridged: No

Jo Stafford and Paul Weston both had successful careers in their own rights, but also enjoyed success as a duo and earning a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album in 1961. The pair sat down with host Wink Martindale to discuss their successful careers, musical work and personal lives.

Stafford performed as lead singer of The Pied Pipers and... Read more

Lou Rawls

By: Wink Martindale

Narrated by: Wink Martindale

Length: 28 minutes

Abridged: No

Lou Rawls got his start as a church choir boy. He performed a wide variety of musical styles including gospel, soul, R&B, jazz and blues for movies, TV shows, commercials and numerous successful albums.

In an interview with host Wink Martindale, Rawls discusses the many changes in the way music was created and performed throughout his... Read more

Petula Clark

By: Wink Martindale

Narrated by: Wink Martindale

Length: 21 minutes

Abridged: No

Petula Clark’s career began at the young age of nine. She got her start on BBC radio during World War II and in the years to follow she would perform hundreds of times for the troops and become known as “Britain’s Shirley Temple.”
Clark sat down with host Wink Martindale to discuss her exciting musical journey that spanned more than seven... Read more

Glenn Miller

By: Wink Martindale

Narrated by: Wink Martindale

Length: 30 minutes

Abridged: No

Despite his first orchestra being a complete failure, Glenn Miller grew to become arguably one of the most famous big band leaders. Following this early stumble, Miller launched his second band in March of 1938 and went on to achieve great success before his tragic disappearance in 1944.

George T. Simon, big band expert, critic, author and a... Read more

Porcelain

By: Moby

Narrated by: Moby

Length: 11 hours 19 minutes

Abridged: No

From one of the most interesting and iconic musicians of our time, a piercingly tender, funny, and harrowing account of the path from suburban poverty and alienation to a life of beauty, squalor, and unlikely success out of the NYC club scene of the late '80s and '90s.

There were many reasons Moby was never going to make it as a DJ and musician... Read more