JUBILEE

The legendary Jubilee is an important American cultural treasure. Firstly, in October 1942, the Army Special Service Division Radio Branch (predecessor of the Armed Forces Radio Service) launched an all-black variety program. This gave African American entertainers a creative way to support the war effort. Moreover, actor Ernest “Bubbles” Whitman, the host of the program, put his indelible mark on the performances with spontaneous grace and infectious wit. Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Lionel Hampton, Lena Horne, the King Cole Trio, Jimmie Lunceford, and every other black entertainer made it to “hot horn hall” for recording sessions at NBC Radio City in Hollywood. However, the groundbreaking series also gave many dozens of black artists international exposure. Consequently, episodes are technically superb and in excellent audio condition. Therefore, our detailed history provides the most comprehensive documentation of this historic series. Learn more:       

“Plant You Now and Dig You Later”

AFter they established the series, AFRS began to book selected white artists to appear on Jubilee. However, black artists also appeared more frequently on the other AFRS productions. Likewise, the series continued in the immediate postwar period as troops returned home from overseas, although Ernie Whitman eventually stepped down as host. Moreover, the program then evolved into a regularly inter-racial series. But AFRS did not discontinue the vibrant Jubilee until 1949. But they revived the series in 1952 during the Korean War, a testimonial to its continued popularity. This is the detailed episode-by-episode chronology of the series, labeled AFRS H-11, with restored archive recordings of example episodes:

Listen to the Music

Jubilee #26, May 1943

Jubilee #142, July 1945

In conclusion, listen for Jubilee episodes regularly on the Star-Spangled Radio Hour. To learn more about the music and the era: