Jim Lowe born 7 May 1927

Jim Lowe (born May 7, 1927) is an American singer-songwriter, best known for his 1956 number-one hit record, "Green Door". He also served as a disc jockey and radio host and personality, and has been considered an expert on the popular music of the 1940s and 1950s.
 
Born in Springfield, Missouri, Lowe graduated from the University of Missouri in Columbia. Jim was working in Chicago as a disc jockey, trying to find his niche in music, in 1954. That year, he was signed to Chicago's Mercury label, and wrote and recorded country and western material. One of his songs was the original version of the self-penned "Gambler's Guitar." The flip side of "Gambler's Guitar" was a wonderful version of the old standard, "The Martins and the Coys," done in a delightful country style. Both received airplay in Chicago, but "Gambler's Guitar" was covered by established singer Rusty Draper, making #6 and relegating Lowe's original to a #26 showing. Cover records were one thing, but Draper was on Lowe's own label, Mercury! 

Lowe soon moved to New York to continue his radio career, and switched to Dot Records in 1955. His first successful attempt with Dot was the novelty "Close the Door (They're Coming in the Windows)," a vaguely obnoxious tune if only because once heard, it absolutely could not be eradicated from the mind ("Those UH-uh-UH-uh, UH-uh- UH-uh, are everywhere!"). A few months later, he recorded another novelty, "Green Door," in a Greenwich Village apartment. This time, it was pure gold, rising to #1 in the Billboard Charts and #8 in the UK Singles Chart in November 1956.  

After a few more moderate hits for Dot, including, “Maybelline,” and “Four Walls", Lowe concentrated on his radio career. Dot released two albums by Jim Lowe. 

 

His most notable run as a disc jockey was with WNEW AM in New York. Lowe also worked at WNBC AM in New York where he was heard both locally and on the coast-to-coast NBC Radio weekend program Monitor. Lowe had a Saturday evening slot. The next year he switched stations and shifts, moving into the overnight “Milkman’s Matinee,” on WNEW. He also hosted “Jim Lowe’s New York,” noted for his command of Broadway and showbiz lore and trivia. There was another stint at “Monitor” from 1969 to 1973 and then a return to WNEW where Lowe remained until 1992. That’s when WNEW was sold and 1130 became Bloomberg News Radio.

He retired in 2004 at the age of 77, and lives in Southampton, New York. For contributions to the music industry, Lowe was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6341 Hollywood Boulevard.
(Info edited from Wikipedia, bsnpubs.com, & WNEW 1130 AM.com)