Eileen Farrell - Early Career in Radio

Early Career in Radio

In 1940 Farrell began her career as a member of the CBS Chorus. After three months with the chorus, CBS offered her own weekly half hour radio program, Eileen Farrell Sings (also sometimes called Eileen Farrell Presents), on which she would perform both classical and popular music accompanied by the CBS Orchestra under conductor Howard Barlow. The program was coordinated by music director Jim Fassett and was mostly recorded at what is now the Ed Sullivan Theater. On the program she got to sing with several notable guest artists, including Margaret Harshaw, Frank Sinatra, Martial Singher, and Risë Stevens. The program first aired in early 1941 and quickly became popular. It ran through 1946.

While singing on her own program, Farrell also appeared as a guest on several other radio programs. She was a regular guest on Andre Kostelanetz's The Pause That Refreshes and Bernard Herrmann's Invitation to Music. She also made appearances on The Bell Telephone Hour, The Prudential Family Hour, Songs of the Centuries, and Your Hit Parade among others. In 1944 she made a special Christmas recording that was for the American soldiers stationed abroad during World War II with Shirley Temple as mistress of ceremonies.