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James Kern (“Kay”) Kyser (June 18, 1905, Rocky Mount, North Carolina–July 24, 1985) was a famous bandleader and one of the first to become a radio celebrity.
He was the son of pharmacists Paul and Emily Royster Howell Kyser, and a cousin of Vermont Royster. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, his campus popularity and enthusiasm as a cheerleader caused him to be invited to join a commercial band being formed by other students. Although he started clarinet lessons, he was better as an entertaining announcer for the band than as a musician. He adopted the initial of his middle name as part of his stage name, for its alliterative effect.
Kyser came up with an act that was part musical, quiz and singing. This was brought to Mutual Radio in 1938 then to NBC Radio in 1939. The show was called Kay Kyser’s Kollege of Musical Knowledge and was a great hit. He starred as “The Ol’ Perfessor,” with his catchphrases “That’s right—you’re wrong,” “Evenin’ folks, how y’all?” and “Yess-dance! Yess-dance!” “Kay Kyser’s Kollege of Musical Knowledge” ran on radio until 1949.
Kyser was also known for singing song titles, a device copied by Sammy Kaye and Blue Barron. When the song began, one of the lead singers (usually Harry Babbitt) sang the title phrase, and then the first verse or two of the song was performed instrumentally before the lyrics resumed.
On February 26, 1941, Kay Kyser was the first bandleader to perform in front of military personnel. He had 11 number one records in his lifetime. Several of his recordings spawned catchphrases, such as “Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.” His group also had a major hit with “Three Little Fishes,” a novelty song.
“Kay left a strong recording legacy in American popular music, including his Kollege of Musical Knowledge,” said Harry Babbitt, who sang for Kay Kyser in the 1930s and 1940s. “I’m very fortunate and proud to have been an integral part of that band and that legacy. Kay was a businessman. We all liked him and liked what he stood for. He was first class. It’s sad to say, but there are an awful lot of people who don’t remember Kay Kyser.”
Unlike most other big bands of the era, which centered around only the bandleader, individual members of Kyser’s band became stars in their own right and would often receive the spotlight. Besides Harry Babbitt, some of the more popular members included comedic cornet player Ish Kabibble, Ginny Simms—who had her own successful acting and singing career after leaving Kyser’s band—Sully Mason, Mike Douglas (years before he became a popular TV talk show host), and Georgia Carroll. Carroll, a blonde fashion model and actress whose best-known role was as Betsy Ross in Yankee Doodle Dandy, was dubbed “Gorgeous Georgia Carroll” when she joined the group in 1943 and within a year, she and Kyser had married.
During the late 1930s and early 1940s, Kyser’s band appeared in several motion pictures, usually as themselves, beginning with That’s Right—You’re Wrong (1939). Some of the films built a plot around the band, such as Carolina Blues (1944) in which Kyser has to replace his lead singer (Carroll) who has run off to get married. Caught in a jam, he reluctantly hires the daughter of a powerful defense plant owner, played by Ann Miller. Two of the band’s best known performance appearances were in 1943 when they appeared in the wartime films Stage Door Canteen and Thousands Cheer, both of which were produced to boost the morale of troops and their families.
Kyser’s personal performing style can best be described as enthusiastic, sometimes intentionally comedically so. Unlike most other bandleaders of the time, Kyser would also sing with his group and dance, as illustrated during the group’s performance of “I Dug a Ditch” in Thousands Cheer and other film appearances.
After the war, Kyser’s band continued to record hit records, including two featuring guest vocalist, actress Jane Russell, as well as another, It’s All Up to You, featuring vocals by Frank Sinatra and Dinah Shore. Reportedly, Kyser had actually intended to retire following the end of the war, but performance and recording contracts kept him in show business for another half decade. During this time, Kyser made a cameo appearance in a Batman comic book.
In 1949 and 1950, Kay Kyser’s College of Musical Knowledge aired on NBC-TV. In addition to Kay Kyser, the TV show featured Ish Kabibble and vocalists Mike Douglas, Sue Bennett and Liza Palmer, plus the vocal group The Honeydreamers. Also featured on the program was the dance team of Diane Sinclair and Ken Spaulding. Ben Grauer was the announcer during the first season.
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