Bea Wain & Andre Baruch
Recorded June 17th, 1988 - 80 min
She sang with Larry Clinton’s orchestra and appeared on many radio programs including Your Hit Parade. He was a major network announcer working on a variety of coast-to-coast broadcasts such as Your Hit Parade, Myrt and Marge and The Shadow. During the declining years of the big bands and network radio, the husband and wife team of Bea and Andre appeared on radio as Mr. and Mrs. Music and later as hosts of an “original recording” revival of Your Hit Parade. He was born August 20, 1906 and she was born April 30, 1917. He was 81 and she was 70 when this conversation was recorded in their Beverly Hills, California home just a few days after celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. He died September 15, 1991 at age 85. She died August 19, 2017 at age 100.
The Shadow - 11/23/47 - The Comic Strip Killer
Did you enjoy the interview? Listen to announcer Andre Baruch on The Shadow from November 23, 1947.
July 21, 2012 at 11:57 pm
I had the delight of working at WPBR, Palm Peach, during a time when Bea & Andre had their show. As I worked the overnight shift, I would leave Andre some quick notes in French, on his desk, and the evening I reported to work, I would find his reply on my desk, also in French (which I had learned in high school; French was his native tongue). Once at a station meeting, it was Andre who came up to me, shook my hand, and said I was doing a great job on my show! I will never forget that moment.
On occasion, I would come to the station when I should have been sleeping, to watch Bea and Andre work their magic on the air. Andre was just as self-effacing in real life as he was in your interview, while Bea could be egocentric. Nevertheless, they made a fabulous team, ending each show in unison, with “This is Bea Wain, and this is Andre Baruch”.
Then, in unison, “Be well.”
It struck me how Andre was in love with his craft, yet not with himself. They say the radio announcer’s best friend is a mirror. But it wasn’t Andre’s; his best friend was his wife.