This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2006)

John Reagan McCrary (October 13, 1910–July 29, 2003), better known as Tex McCrary, was an American journalist and public relations specialist who invented the talk show genre for television and radio, and appeared on radio and TV with his wife, Jinx Falkenburg.

Born in Calvert, Texas, McCrary graduated from the Phillips Exeter Academy in 1928^[1] and from Yale University in 1932, where he was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity and Skull and Bones and his club nickname was "Sancho Panza".^[2]:125[3]

A staunch Republican, McCrary reportedly played a major role in the nomination of Dwight Eisenhower for the U.S. presidency.^{[citation needed]} According to Richard Kluger's The Paper, McCrary was responsible for John Hay Whitney's purchase of the former The New York Herald Tribune.^[4] He died in New York City.

References[link]

Sources[link]

• Charles J. Kelly, Tex McCrary: Wars, Women, Politics: An Adventurous Life Across the Twentieth Century (Hamilton Books 2009, ISBN 978-0-7618-4455-6)

External links[link]

Biography portal

• Tex McCrary at Find a Grave

Jinx Falkenburg
Born	Eugenia Lincoln Falkenburg (1919-01-21)21 January 1919 Barcelona, Spain
Died	27 August 2003(2003-08-27) (aged 84) Manhasset, New York
Occupation	model, actress

Eugenia Lincoln "Jinx" Falkenburg (21 January 1919 - 27 August 2003) was an actress, expert swimmer and tennis star, and one of the highest-paid and most ubiquitous cover-girl models in the United States during the 1930s and 1940s, one of the first supermodels. She married journalist and influential publicist Tex McCrary in 1945. ^[1]

Known as “Tex and Jinx” to most American households, the glamorous couple pioneered and popularized the talk-show format, first on radio and then in the early days of television. They hosted a series of interview shows in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s that combined celebrity chit-chat with discussions of important topics of the day. ^[2]

Early life[link]

Born in Barcelona, Spain to American parents, her father Eugene “Genie” Lincoln Falkenburg was an engineer for Westinghouse. Thinking the name would bring good luck, she was nicknamed Jinx by her mother Marguerite “Mickey” Crooks Falkenburg, an accomplished athlete and tennis player (Brazil women’s champion in 1927), and the name stuck. ^{[3][page needed] [4]} All the Falkenburg offspring became known for their tennis abilities. Bob Falkenburg, Jinx’s younger brother, won the men’s singles championship at Wimbledon in 1948. ^[5]

The family moved to Santiago, Chile where she spent her early years. She first received media attention at age two when the New York Sun ran a full-page picture and story of her exploits as a “baby swimmer.” ^[6]A revolution in Chile caused the family to return to the United States and the family moved to Los Angeles, California. She attended Hollywood High School but left in 1935 at the age of 16 to pursue a career in acting and modeling. ^[7]

Career[link]

Acting and modeling[link]

The Falkenburgs were at the center of a younger social set at the West Side Tennis Club, the watering hole for the Hollywood crowd. While playing tennis at the club, Falkenburg caught the eye of a talent scout for Warner Bros. and got signed to a studio contract. ^[8] After a few brief walk-ons, Falkenburg’s fluency in Spanish won her minor roles in a series of forgettable Spanish-language films made for distribution in Latin America. ^[9]

In 1937 her modeling career took off when she met celebrity fashion photographer Paul Hesse, ^[10]whose Sunset Strip studio was a gathering place for advertising moguls and motion picture industry celebrities. Calling her "the most charming, most vital personality I have ever had the pleasure to photograph",^[11] he took her picture for the August 1937 cover of The American Magazine, triggering similar offers from 60 other publications.^[12] Falkenburg eventually wound up on over 200 magazine covers and in some 1,500 commercial advertisements in the 1930s and 1940s.^[13][14] She was considered to be one of the most beautiful women of that era, known for her All-American girl athletic good looks. The New Yorker magazine said she “possessed one of the most photogenic faces and frames in the Western world.” ^[15]The New York World Telegram claimed her face was seen more often and in more places than any other woman in the country. ^[16]And a headline story in the January 27, 1941 Life Magazine said Jinx Falkenburg “is the leading candidate for America's No. 1 Girl for 1941.”

Her biggest breakthrough as a model came in 1940 when she was picked by New York-based Liebmann Brewery, maker of Rheingold Beer, to be the first “Miss Rheingold.” ^[17] As the face for its marketing and advertising campaign, her image graced countless billboards across the U.S. and she was featured in promotional ads at every store that sold Rheingold. Her face and the campaign were an advertising executive's dream come true. Rheingold was suddenly the top brand in New York City.^{[18][page needed]}

A year earlier she was in Hawaii posing for renowned photographer Edward Steichen for a series of ads for the Hawaiian Steamship Company’s Matson Line, when she fell through a balcony at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and landed 30 feet below on a dining room table. ^{[19] [20][page needed]} While in the hospital recovering from her injuries, she was introduced to singer Al Jolson who was also convalescing there. Jolson wound up offering her a role in his upcoming Broadway show Hold Onto Your Hat, that opened in January 1940.^{[21][page needed]} Though her part as a cowgirl was small, she stole the show. Fans started gathering nightly at her dressing room door at the Shubert Theater, forming the core of what would become a nationwide “Jinx Falkenburg Fan Club,” the only national fan club not devoted to a movie star. ^[22]

But Hollywood did come calling again and in the early 1940s she did a dozen movies, mainly for Columbia Pictures, sometimes in the starring role. Mostly B-films, neither they nor her acting garnered much in the way of critical plaudits. Among them were Two Latins from Manhattan, Sweetheart of the Fleet, Laugh Your Blues Away, She Has What It Takes, Two Senoritas From Chicago and Nine Girls.^[23] The biggest hit was Cover Girl, a musical about the modeling business that stars Rita Hayworth, with songs by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II. Falkenburg played herself in a cameo role.

Tex and Jinx: Radio and television[link]

Falkenburg first met John Reagan “Tex” McCrary when he came to photograph and interview her for a military publication after she opened in Hold Onto Your Hat. He was a Lieut. Colonel in the Army Air Forces. ^[24] They were about to be engaged in 1942 but World War II intervened and, after a globe-trotting romance during the hostilities,^{[25][page needed]} they married on June 15, 1945, in a civil ceremony conducted by New York Supreme Court Judge Ferdinand Pecora, famous for investigating the 1929 stock market crash and its aftermath. ^[26]

During the war Falkenburg traveled extensively on USO tours entertaining troops. The most arduous was a 42,000 mile 80-stop series of shows in the rugged China-Burma-India theatre of operations. ^[27] In 1945 she was awarded the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal for her contributions. ^[28]

In the winter of 1948, Falkenburg traveled to Berlin, Germany during the height of the Berlin Airlift, when the city was under blockade by the Russians and emergency supplies were being flown in by allied planes. She flew in with comedian Bob Hope and songwriter Irving Berlin to do highly-publicized Christmas shows for airmen and occupation soldiers. ^{[29] [30]}

Backed by some of his well-connected friends like millionaire statesman Bernard Baruch, McCrary convinced David Sarnoff, the chairman of RCA which owned NBC, to give the couple a morning show on the network’s New York radio station, WEAF. ^[31]The show was called “Hi, Jinx” and first aired on April 22, 1946. ^[32] Reviews ranged from "sprightly" to "rather intense discussions of foreign affairs." ^[33] In a cover story about the couple, Newsweek wrote: "A soft-spoken, calculating Texan, Tex McCrary, inched up to the microphone and drawled 'Hi, Jinx.' A voice with all the foam substance of a bubble bath answered, 'Hello Tex.'" ^[34]Over time they came to be known as “Mr. Brains and Mrs. Beauty.” ^[35]

The McCrary’s radio show was broadcast five mornings a week on New York radio station WEAF, and became a hit with critics and the public for tackling controversial issues like the A-Bomb, the United Nations and venereal disease along with talk about theatre openings and New York nightlife. ^[36]Their guests would be a mix of popular entertainers such as Mary Martin, Ethel Waters and Esther Williams and public figures such as Bernard Baruch, Eleanor Roosevelt, Margaret Truman, industrialist Igor Sikorsky and Indian statesman Krishna Menon. ^[37][38]

McCrary wrote the scripts and taught Falkenburg the art of interviewing and the basics of broadcast journalism. Over time she was considered the better interviewer, eliciting candid responses, often from the show’s more intellectual guests. Her technique was to ask questions until she understood the answer and so presumably, did all the housewives at home listening to her. ^[39] “They developed an audience that was ready to start thinking at breakfast,” wrote New York Times columnist William Safire who as a teenager was hired by McCrary to do pre-show interviews of guests. ^[40]

In 1947, McCrary and Falkenburg had their first television show, At Home, broadcast Sunday nights on NBC. The program combined film and live interviews of celebrities in their residences. The Swift Home Service Club tied household tips with breezy interviews. Another radio show, Meet Tex and Jinx got such a big audience that in 1947 and 1948 it became a summer replacement for one of radio’s most popular shows, Duffy’s Tavern.^[41]

Their popularity grew, and at one point in the early 1950s they hosted two radio programs and a daily television show and wrote a column for the New York Herald Tribune. Some of their shows were broadcast from Peacock Alley in the Waldorf-Astoria. ^[42]

Armed with tape recorder and microphone, Falkenburg often did interviews outside the studio.^[43] She covered many major stories of the day, including the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in London and the wedding of Grace Kelly to Prince Rainier of Monaco.^[44] In 1958, she was the only female reporter on the press plane that accompanied then Vice President Richard Nixon on his trip to South America where he encountered rock throwing crowds in Venezuela. ^[45] She also was on assignment and appeared on camera in the historic finger-poking televised "kitchen debate" in Moscow between Nixon and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. Safire maneuvered the two leaders into the kitchen of the model home, whose manufacturer was a client of McCrary’s, for a public relations coup of the first order. ^[46]

Politics[link]

In 1952 McCrary spearheaded a campaign, ultimately successful, to get General Dwight D. Eisenhower to run for president of the United States on the Republican ticket. A high point of that recruitment effort was a “Citizens for Eisenhower” rally at Madison Square Garden. Falkenburg and McCrary organized and hosted the three-hour event.^[47] At the behest of John Hay Whitney, finance chairman for the Republican Party, Falkenburg became head of the women’s division of the finance committee in 1954. ^[48] (McCrary was a wartime buddy and neighbor of Whitney--he and Jinx lived in a house on Whitney’s Greentree Estate in Manhasset, Long Island). [48] She continued to serve on the finance committee and remained a life-long Republican, occasionally lending her name to the party’s causes. ^[49]

Personal life[link]

Falkenburg had two sons, John Reagan McCrary III and Kevin Jock McCrary, with husband Tex McCrary. ^[50] In 1980, McCrary and Falkenburg separated but never divorced and remained friends. McCrary died at 92 on July 29, 2003 less than one month before Jinx. ^[51]

Later years[link]

Falkenburg informally retired from broadcasting in 1958 and continued to live in Manhasset. In 1962, she and McCrary anchored 16 weeks of coverage of the Billy Graham Crusade for Christianity. ^[52] In the early 1960s, Falkenburg was a commercial spokesperson for the American Gas Association. She became vice-president of Marian Bialac Cosmetics, a company owned by Whitney. Her athletic prowess remained on display. She took up golf at the age of 40 and within a short time had a 12 handicap. In 1975, at the age of 56, she was part of a celebrity team that played a pre-opening tennis match at Forest Hills before the start of the U.S. Open. ^[53]

She also was involved in charitable work. She was on the board of the North Shore Hospital in Manhasset which her husband was instrumental in getting built. ^[54]

Death[link]

Falkenburg died in 2003 at the age of 84 at North Shore Hospital in Manhasset.^[55]

For her contribution to the television industry, Jinx Falkenburg has a star on the Hollywood Blvd. Walk of Fame at 1500 Vine St.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jinx Falkenburg

• Jinx Falkenburg at the Internet Movie Database
• Jinx Falkenburg at Find a Grave

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2011)

Arthur Alexander (May 10, 1940 – June 9, 1993) was an American country soul singer. Jason Ankeny, music critic for Allmusic, said Alexander was a "country-soul pioneer" and though largely unknown, "his music is the stuff of genius, a poignant and deeply intimate body of work on par with the best of his contemporaries."^[1]

Career[link]

Alexander was born in Sheffield, Alabama. Working with Spar Music in Florence, Alabama, Alexander recorded his first single, "Sally Sue Brown", under the name of June Alexander (short for Junior), which was released in 1960 on Jud Phillips' Judd Records. (Phillips is the brother of music pioneer Sam Phillips).

A year later, Alexander cut "You Better Move On" at a former tobacco warehouse-turned-recording studio in Muscle Shoals. Released on Nashville's Dot Records, the song became a soul/R&B chart hit, and laid the foundation for the modern recording studio FAME. "You Better Move On" is perhaps Alexander's best-known song, covered by the Rolling Stones, the Hollies, George Jones & Johnny Paycheck and Mink DeVille. "Anna (Go to Him)", a U.S. R&B Top Ten Hit, was covered by the Beatles and Humble Pie. The Beatles also did live recordings of "Soldier of Love", which was also performed by Marshall Crenshaw and Pearl Jam, "A Shot of Rhythm and Blues", and "Where Have You Been" recorded live at the Star-Club, in Hamburg, 1962. "Set Me Free" (covered by Esther Phillips and Joe Tex) were also major hits and established Alexander as a pioneering arranger of others' tunes, as well as an established songwriter in his own right.

In the mid-1960s, Alexander switched to another label, Sound Stage 7, but failed to find commercial success. Although a 1972 album for Warner Brothers was promising, the singer's potential seemed to wither. He secured a pop hit with "Every Day I have to Cry" on Buddah Records in 1975, but the success remained short-lived. The song was also covered by Ike and Tina Turner (produced by Phil Spector), The McCoys, Dusty Springfield, Joe Stampley, C.J. Chenier and others. The follow-up single "Sharing The Night Together" (written by Muscle Shoals songwriters Ava Aldridge and Eddie Struzick) reached #92 on the R&B charts, but earned Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show a Top 10 hit in 1978; the Dr. Hook version would be used in the 2012 Family Guy episode Mr. and Mrs. Stewie.

For many years, Alexander was out of the music business; he was a bus driver for much of this time. In 1990, he was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. He began to perform again in 1993 as renewed interest was shown in his small catalogue. His last album Lonely Just Like Me was his first in 21 years. He signed a new recording/publishing contract in May 1993 but suffered a fatal heart attack the following month, three days after performing in Nashville with his new band.

Legacy[link]

Alexander is the only songwriter whose songs have been covered by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan (who recorded "Sally Sue Brown" on his 1988 LP Down in the Groove.) "Go Home Girl" was also recorded by Ry Cooder on his 1979 album, Bop Till You Drop.

Discography (USA issues except where noted)[link]

Singles[link]

• "Sally Sue Brown/"The Girl That Radiates That Charm" Judd (1960)
• "You Better Move On"/"A Shot of Rhythm and Blues" Dot (1961) London (UK) (1962)
• "Soldier of Love (Lay Down Your Arms)"/"Where Have You Been All My Life" Dot (1962) London (UK) (1962)
• "Anna"/"I Hang My Head And Cry" Dot (1962) London (UK) (1963)
• "Go Home Girl"/"You're the Reason" Dot (1962) London (UK) (1963)
• "Dream Girl"/"I Wonder Where You Are Tonight" Tina Knittel (1963)
• "Baby, Baby"/"Pretty Girls Everywhere" Dot (1963)
• "Where Did Sally Go"/"Keep Her Guessing" Dot (1963)
• "Black Knight"/"Old John Amos" Dot (1964) London (UK) (1964)
• "Detroit City"/"You Don't Care" Dot (1965)
• "Baby For You"/"The Other Woman (In My Life)" Sound Stage (1966) London (UK) (1966)
• "Show Me The Road"/"Turn Around (And Try Me)" Sound Stage (1966)
• "Love's Where Life Begins"/"Set Me Free" Sound Stage (1968)
• "I Need You Baby"/"Spanish Harlem" Monument (1968)
• "Bye Bye Love"/"Another Time, Another Place" Sound Stage (1968)
• "Cry Like A Baby"/"Glory Road" Sound Stage (1969)
• "I'm Coming Home"/"It Hurts To Want It So Bad" Warner Brothers (1972)
• "Burning Love"/"It Hurts To Want It So Bad" Warner Brothers (1972)
• "Mr John"/"You've Got Me Knockin'" Garry Fink (1972)
• "Lover Please"/"They'll Do It Every Time" Warner Brothers (1973)
• "Every Day I Have To Cry Some"/"Everybody Needs Someone To Love" Buddah (1975) Buddah (UK) (1976)
• "Sharing The Night Together"/"She'll Throw Stones At You" Buddah (1976) Buddah (UK) (1977)
• "Hound Dog Man's Gone Home"/"So Long Baby" Music Mill (1977)

EPs[link]

• "Alexander The Great" (1963) London (UK)
• "Arthur Alexander" (1963) London (UK)

Studio albums[link]

• You Better Move On (LP, 1962) Label: Dot & London (UK)
• Arthur Alexander (LP, 1972) Label: Warner Brothers
• Lonely Just Like Me (CD, 1993) Label: Nonesuch/Elektra

Album reissues[link]

• Story Of Rock 'N' Roll (LP, 1977) Label: Ariola (Germany) (Reissue of You Better Move On)
• Arthur Alexander (LP, 1989) Label: Ace (UK)
• You Better Move On (CD, 1993) Label: MCA (1994) MCA (UK) (Reissue of LP with bonus tracks)
• Rainbow Road: The Warner Bros. Recordings (CD, 1994) Label: Warner Archives (Reissue of self-titled Warner LP above with bonus tracks)
• Lonely Just Like Me: The Final Chapter (CD, 2007) Label: Hacktone (Reissue of CD with bonus tracks)

Compilation albums[link]

• Various Artists - Greatest Rhythm And Blues Stars (1965) Label: Guest Star (two tracks by Alexander)
• Carl Perkins - Sing A Song With Me (1979) Label: Koala (four demos by Alexander)
• A Shot Of Rhythm And Soul (1982) Label: Ace (UK)
• Soldier Of Love (1987) Label: Ace (UK)
• The Greatest (1989 & 2006) Label: Ace (UK)
• The Ultimate Arthur Alexander (1993) Label: Razor & Tie
• Jon Tiven's Ego Trip - Blue Guru (1996) Label: Fountainbleu (one over-dubbed demo by Alexander)
• Various Artists - Bill Haney's Atlanta Soul Brotherhood (1998) Label: Kent (UK) (one track by Alexander)
• Various Artists - Bill Haney's Atlanta Soul Brotherhood Vol 2 (1998) Label: Kent (UK) (one track by Alexander)
• The Monument Years (2001) Label: Ace (UK)

See also[link]

• Muscle Shoals Sound Studio
• Soul music
• Country music

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Richard Younger; Get a Shot of Rhythm and Blues: The Arthur Alexander Story The University of Alabama Press (2000) ISBN 0-8173-1023-1

External links[link]

• Comprehensive Arthur Alexander Discography
• Arthur B. Alexander, Jr at FindaGrave
• Alabama Music Hall of Fame
• Interview With Richard Younger, "Get A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues: The Arthur Alexander Story"