Martin Block played music on the radio.
He played many records for people. He spoke like a friend. It felt like a big dance party. People loved to listen to him. Do you like to hear music?
Martin Block was a famous radio man.
He played music on the air. He had a show called the Make Believe Ballroom. It sounded like a real dance party. Martin did not shout like others. He spoke in a normal voice. It felt like talking to a friend. He even helped a singer find her name. He called her Dinah Shore. People loved to listen to his music. He was a very busy man.
Martin Block was a famous American disc jockey. A disc jockey is a person who plays records on the radio.
He became well known for his show, The Make Believe Ballroom. This show started in 1935. It made listeners feel like they were at a real dance party. In those days, most radio hosts spoke very loudly. Block did not do that. He spoke in a normal voice. It felt like a private talk with a friend.
Block was a very busy man. He found sponsors for his music shows. He even helped a singer find her famous name. He called her Dinah Shore. During a strike by musicians, Block found a clever way to keep playing music. He had friends in England send him records from there. This worked because the strike was only in the United States. By the end of World War II, he earned a lot of money. He was so popular that companies had to wait to work with him. In 1988, he was put into the Radio Hall of Fame.
Martin Block was a famous American disc jockey. People say a writer named Walter Winchell invented this term to describe Block's radio work.
Block was born in Los Angeles in 1903. Before he worked in radio, he sold small items for the home. He even worked as an office boy at General Electric when he was only 13. Later, he moved his family to New York to find new jobs. He found work as an announcer only one week after arriving. He became a star by changing how people heard music on the air.
In 1935, Block started a show called The Make Believe Ballroom on WNEW.
He used the name and idea from another host named Al Jarvis. The show made listeners feel like they were in a real ballroom. It sounded like top dance bands were playing live right there. Block actually had to buy his own records from a local shop. The station did not own any music for him to play. He even chose a song called "Sugar Blues" by Clyde McCoy as his first theme. This clever way of playing music helped him build a huge audience.
Block's way of talking was very different from other hosts. Most people spoke loudly so they could be heard in big theaters. Block spoke in a normal, quiet voice instead. It felt like he was having a private talk with each listener. This style made people feel very close to him. He was so good at finding sponsors that companies had to wait for a spot on his show. By 1941, there was a long waiting list for sponsors. He even helped a singer named Fannie Rose Shore. When she sang "Dinah," he called her Dinah Shore, and that became her famous name.
His career had many exciting moments and big numbers. In 1940, he hosted a special called the "$20,000 Jam Session." This featured famous musicians like Count Basie and the Dorsey brothers. During a music strike from 1942 to 1944, Block found a smart way to keep playing. He had friends in England send him records from the UK. This worked because the strike only happened in the United States. By the end of World War II, Block was making $22,000 every single week. He was one of the most successful people in radio.
Block's work changed how radio felt for many people. He even wrote lyrics for the famous Glenn Miller song "Make Believe Ballroom Time."
He worked on many shows, including the Chesterfield Supper Club. He even made short musical films for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1947. After he stopped his regular shows, he still hosted a small program called Guard Session. Block died in New Jersey in 1967. In 1988, he was honored by being put into the Radio Hall of Fame. His legacy lives on through the many people he helped become stars.
Martin Block was a highly influential American disc jockey. Some believe the term "disc jockey" was actually invented by writer Walter Winchell to describe Block's unique radio style.
Born in Los Angeles in 1903, Block had a varied early career. He worked as an office boy for General Electric at age 13. He later sold household appliances before moving his family to New York. Within one week of arriving in New York, he secured a job as an announcer. He became famous for creating catchy advertising slogans. For example, he created "ABC-Always Buy Chesterfield" for Liggett & Myers. He also created "LSMFT," which stood for "Lucky Strike Means Fine Tobacco."
In 1934, Block began working for the radio station WNEW with a salary of $20 per week. He gained a large audience in 1935 by playing records between news bulletins about the Lindbergh kidnapping. This led to the creation of his famous program, "The Make Believe Ballroom." Block borrowed the name and concept from a West Coast host named Al Jarvis. The show was designed to create an illusion for the listener. It made people feel as if they were in a ballroom with live dance bands. Because the station owned no music, Block had to buy his own records from a local shop. He chose the song "Sugar Blues" by Clyde McCoy as the show's first theme song.
Block's presentation style was a major departure from the standard radio delivery of the era. Most announcers used loud voices meant to reach large theater audiences. Block instead spoke in a normal, conversational tone. This made listeners feel like he was having a one-on-one talk with them. This personal connection made his show very attractive to businesses. Initially, station staff told him no one would sponsor a music show. Block proved them wrong by finding a sponsor for a brand of reducing pills called "Retardo." Within one week, the company received over 3,000 responses to his advertisements. By 1941, the show was so popular that sponsors had to join a waiting list.
The program featured many different types of musical segments and special events. One segment was titled "Saturday Night in Harlem," which featured jazz musicians like Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway. In 1940, Block hosted a "$20,000 Jam Session." This event featured famous artists like Count Basie, Harry James, and the Dorsey brothers. These musicians improvised music live for thirty minutes. Block also helped navigate difficult times for the music industry. During the American Federation of Musicians recording ban from 1942 to 1944, Block kept his show running. He had friends in England send him British recordings. This worked because the strike only applied to the United States.
Block's influence extended to the lives of many performers and listeners. In 1936, his show helped a young man prove his innocence in a legal case. The man used the show's broadcast schedule as an alibi to prove he was home. Block also had a significant impact on the career of singer Dinah Shore. During an audition, Block mistakenly called her "Dinah Shore" after she sang the song "Dinah." The name stuck and became her professional identity. His success was massive by the end of World War II. At that time, Block was earning $22,000 every week. He even co-wrote the 1941 Glenn Miller hit, "I Guess I'll Have to Dream the Rest."
As his career progressed, Block moved into various other media. In 1946, he hosted "Columbia Record Shop" for CBS. In 1947, he began a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to produce musical short films. These were titled "Martin Block Presents." He also worked for Voice of America, hosting an international version of his ballroom show. Even when he moved to Los Angeles for a contract with KFWB, he continued his work. He broadcast for the Mutual Broadcasting System from a studio in his home in Encino. He also continued announcing for the "Chesterfield Supper Club" from Hollywood.
Block's legacy in radio continued long after his main shows ended. He celebrated his 15th anniversary on the air in 1950. In 1955, he hosted a 20th-anniversary special for "Make Believe Ballroom" on both radio and television. The proceeds from this event went to the March of Dimes. Later in his career, he hosted a show called "Guard Session." This show was a throwback to his earlier style, featuring a simulated recording studio. Block died in September 1967 in Englewood, New Jersey. In 1988, he was officially inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame. The "Make Believe Ballroom" brand continued through various hosts for many years.
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