Hey guys,

I frequent a number of forums, and one of those centers around old-time music & radio. One of the members there is looking for information on the Sheaffer Parade radio show. I quote the message in full:

I'm trying to find any information about the Sheaffer Parade radio program. I'm researching a relative, Frank Gallagher, who was known as "The singing star of Shaeffer pen program" and earlier of the "Shaeffer Pen program".

One of his songbooks was ,
GUILTY. Gus Kahn, Harry Akst & Richard A. Whiting (w & m).Leo Feist Inc., 7579-2. New York: 1946. 2 pp. Cover text: Featured by Frank Gallagher, singing star of the Sheaffer Pen Program, (with his photograph)

has anyone heard of this program?

Some clues to your question can be found in old Sheaffer ads, where they put plugs in for the radio shows they sponsored.

In September 1942, Sheaffer started its sponsorship of the "Sheaffer World News Parade" with conservative news commentator Upton Close. NBC carried the 15-minute program on Sundays at 3:15 p.m. (Eastern War Time). The program later renamed "Sheaffer's World Parade with Upton Close," and expanded to 30 minutes. The 30-minute program was aired at 3 p.m.

The program was relatively well listened to. Close's average Hooper rating was between 4.7 and 6.9, pretty good for a Sunday afternoon program (by way of comparison, Walter Winchell's Sunday night news program averaged a 25).

Close had a loyal listenership, but NBC took him off the air in December 1944. Supposedly, a boycott of Sheaffer pens by listeners who disliked Close's right-wing commentary was blamed. However, there is no real proof of that, since Sheaffer pens were relatively scarce to begin with because of the company's near-total conversion to war work.

In any event, after Close was replaced by Max Hill, the program became "Sheaffer's World Parade."

After World War II ended, the appetite for news programs waned and many news and commentary programs disappeared. By 1946, the 3 p.m. Sunday time slot Sheaffer sponsored on NBC became the "Sheaffer's Parade" with pianist Carmen Cavallaro and his band.

From September 1947 until September 1948, singer Eddy Howard was the host of the "Sheaffer's Parade" on Sundays at 3 on NBC.

I don't know what happened to the Sheaffer's Parade after that. My guess is by the fall of 1948, the stampede to television was beginning and many popular radio shows lost their sponsorships by the end of the decade as a result.