Friday 25 November 2022

Charlie Applewhite born 25 November 1932

Charlie Applewhite (November 25, 1932 – April 27, 2001) was an American singer and radio host. 

Charles Edwin Applewhite was born  in Fort Worth, Texas. Applewhite was taught to sing by his mother, who was part of a church choir. He began singing in local children's talent shows at age 4. His first professional performance occurred at the age of 10, singing in a Fort Worth movie theater. After young Applewhite became old enough to go into downtown Fort Worth alone, he would travel there to sing for money on street corners if his allowance had run out. 

At High School, Applewhite learned how to read music and played trumpet in the school band. After his graduation, Applewhite worked for a short time in the oil fields. When he broke his arm in a work-related accident, Applewhite quit his job and went back to Fort Worth and began singing in a Dallas night club for five dollars a night. This led to a more lucrative offer from Carswell Air Force Base to entertain at their Officers Club for US$100 per week. Applewhite then received an offer to become a singing waiter at the Studio Lounge in Dallas. After working at the Studio Lounge for a time, Applewhite was offered night club engagements in Shreveport, Louisiana and Kansas City, Missouri. 

At age 21, he left Texas for New York City, attempting to make a career as a performer. His "big break" came of his own initiative; three days after arriving in New York and being turned down by every agent he contacted, he boldly ignored the office personnel and, unannounced, entered the office of Milton Berle and demanded that he be auditioned. Berle acquiesced in thoughts of appeasing him, but was impressed to the point of signing Applewhite to a contract to appear regularly on Berle's show. He was also signed to a contract with Decca Records. His first appearance on Milton Berle's television show was December 1, 1953. While working on the Berle program, Applewhite was a regular cast member of The Morning Show, along with female vocalist Edie Adams, while Jack Paar was the host. After Paar moved to a weekday afternoon television program at CBS, he brought Applewhite and the other cast members to the new show. 

               

Applewhite was divorced from his high school sweetheart in 1956, which led to his being reclassified as 1A for service. He was drafted into the United States Army, serving from 1956 until 1958. At the time he was drafted, Applewhite was earning US$100,000 a year; he was making many guest appearances on television and hosted more than six regular radio programs. Private Applewhite was given a one-week leave from his army duties in June 1956; he appeared as the star of a General Electric Theater presentation. 

Richaard Hayes, Charlie Applewhite & Gary Crosby

While in the service he hosted a radio show produced by the Army, promoting the Army, entitled Country Style, USA which featured leading country music talent. He also hosted another radio show that featured mainstream popular music talent. At one point he found himself hosting 17 weekly shows for the Army. Applewhite also recorded with the United States Army Band during his two years as a soldier. After discharge he maintained residence in New York, but developed interests in his native North Texas, owning the Gaslight Club in Dallas. 

For Decca Records three of his singles charted on Billboard. The first, entitled "Cabbages and Kings" occurred in February 1954. His next hit occurred in April that year. "This Is You". His last charting single appeared in June of that same year. "No One But You". Other popular recordings included "Ebb Tide", "I Could Have Danced All Night", and "I Love Paris". He released singles for MGM Records in 1956. He was briefly signed to RKO/Unique Records in 1957. Later in 1957, Applewhite signed with budget label Design Records, making an album for them entitled Our Love Affair. He was also included in that label's first release of singles. 

Charlie with Jeannie Carson

In September 1961 he was in a plane crash in Midland, Texas that took the life of his wife, Nancy, and an oil-executive friend while leaving Charlie unconscious and in critical condition. Applewhite, a licensed pilot, was at the controls of the single engine aircraft when it crashed into a field near the Midland Airport. It took a year for Applewhite to recover from his injuries. Because of the injuries to his face, Applewhite needed plastic surgery; he hoped he would then be able to make a comeback. 

Applewhite moved from New York to Lafayette, Louisiana in 1965. Retiring from the entertainment industry in 1967, he moved to Dallas and started an office supply business. Although he ended his professional career, he enjoyed embarrassing his family by singing in public areas. After suffering a stroke, he died in Plano, Texas in a nursing home on April 27, 2001. Applewhite was married at least twice, and had two sons and two daughters.

(Edited from Wikipedia)

  

5 comments:

boppinbob said...

Well music lovers, it seems that there is no compilation album of Charlie Applewhite that I can find anywhere, so I did my own. All recordings are taken from various sources with most from 78’s at Archive.org and a few mp3’s from various albums and of course YouTube, so quality will vary. I have tried to put them in some sort of chronological order.

For “Charlie Applewhite – This Heart I Bring” (2022 From The Vaults)” go here:

https://www.imagenetz.de/fVG8p

01) Charlie Applewhite - I Love Paris
02) Charlie Applewhite - Ebb Tide
03) Charlie Applewhite - Cabbages And Kings
04) Charlie Applewhite - You're All That I Need
05) Charlie Applewhite - This Is You
06) Charlie Applewhite - All
07) Charlie Applewhite - The Story Of Tina
08) Charlie Applewhite - The Girl Next Door
09) Charlie Applewhite - Can't Get You out of My Mind
10) Charlie Applewhite - Stars Never Cry
11) Charlie Applewhite - Not Too Young to Have Memories
12) Charlie Applewhite - You Were Meant for Me
13) Charlie Applewhite - No One but You
14) Charlie Applewhite - Blue Star (The -'Medic-' Theme)
15) Charlie Applewhite - A Prayer Was Born
16) Charlie Applewhite - This Heart I Bring
17) Charlie Applewhite - The Trouble With me Is You
18) Charlie Applewhite - My Heart Will Still be Yours
19) Charlie Applewhite - More More And More
20) Charlie Applewhite - Highway.
21) Charlie Applewhite - At Last
22) Charlie Applewhite - Don't ever leave me
23) Charlie Applewhite - I Apologise
24) Charlie Applewhite - Love Affair
25) Charlie Applewhite - You Can't Escape the Blues

Dates
1953 - 1-6
1954 – 7-13
1955 – 14-17
1956 – 18-19
1957 – 20-25

RayKay said...

Thank you!!!

The Kimbell Agency said...

Charlie Applewhite was my father. I am Lisa Applewhite Kimbell, and I live with my husband, Lewis Kimbell, from highland Park Texas. Yes, Daddy loved to embarrass us in public, but there is one mistake written in your bio. Daddy, owned Midway Office Supply in Dallas, not Fort Worth. It makes my heart beam knowing that he still has fans out there that appreciate his music. I brought Daddy to my second grade "Parents Talent Show" at Blanton Elementary in Arlington, TX. He sang my favorite song "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" whereby my emotions took over and I jumped in my Dads lap, and started to cry out of joy. I was the emotional child of the four of us. Angela was the oldest, then Martin, John, and I was the baby. Sadly, my sister succumbed to her addiction at just 39 years old and passed away. My brother Martin lives in Michigan, My brother john, lives in Houston, and I reside in prosper, Texas now. Daddy, didn't completely retire in 1967, he sang in various nightclubs and dinner shows around the DFW area until he was 56 years old.
Thank you, so much for writing about my Dad.
Lisa Applewhite Kimbell

The Kimbell Agency said...

You guys can see photos of me and Daddy on my Facebook page. www.facebook.com/lisa.a.kimbell/photos

Thanks,
Lisa Applewhite Kimbell

boppinbob said...

Hello Lisa, Thank you for your correction which I have now amended, also the extra news regarding your family. Unfortunately when researching your father, all the information I could muster was from Wikipedia. I note the link for Charlie's album I compiled is now obsolete. So here is a new link if you require it.
https://www.upload.ee/files/15401807/CharlieApplewhite.rar.html
Regards, Bob.