Lonesome Gal

Jean King

The few surviving installments of the legendary syndicated old-time radio program feature Jean King as Lonesome Gal, who crafted a fifteen-minute daily persona as a virtual girlfriend for thousands of lonely male listeners in the 1950s. Her unique style included brief talks between music selections, often concluding with a reference to the upcoming song's title.

King, who created the show while feeling lonely in Dayton, Ohio, brought it to Los Angeles and syndicated it across the country. This collection includes two selections from 1949, where the music has been removed, but King's engaging talks remain intact, complete with Bond Street Tobacco commercials. Although the sound quality is somewhat muddy, listeners can still appreciate her half-honeyed, half-smoky voice and the gentle romanticism she provided.

Decades before the Internet, Lonesome Gal offered a form of virtual seduction that stopped short of outright sexuality, making her one of the last classic radio romantics.

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.