Photograph: Johnny Batson, emcee of 1960 Peach Festival parade
- Title
- Photograph: Johnny Batson, emcee of 1960 Peach Festival parade
- Accession Number
- 2023.22.21
- Accession Date
- Feb. 15, 2023
- Accession Creator
- David Lovegrove
- Depositor
- Found in collection
- Description
- Photograph of Johnny Batson, Master of Ceremonies of 1960 Peach Festival parade
- Date
- The photograph has two dates on the back: 1960 in the written description and June 14, 1961 on a stamp.
- Format
- photograph
- Storage Location
- General Archive Box #5 Folder #12
- Subject
- Johnny Batson was a radio host for WFBC, a pop music station in Greenville, S.C. In 1955 he began the Johnny Fan Club; in 1956 he began broadcasting from the Greenville Teenage Canteen in Cleveland Park. In 1958 Coca-Cola began the National Radio Fan Club; WFBC syndicated the program and the Johnny Fan Club transformed into a National Radio Fan Club program. On January 12, 1959, The Hi-Fi Club program started on WFBC, broadcasting a 30-minute program Monday through Thursday; it soon went to two hours on Friday and Saturday nights. The program was aimed at teenagers and had a membership system through high schools. The local Hi-Fi Club started sock hops in Greenville, broadcasting live from the Textile Hall. As it grew, the program moved to Greenville Memorial Auditorium. The program was very successful regionally, and they held sock hops in Greer at the Armory. There were admission requirements for all events: a membership card in the Hi-Fi Club, and a dress code of coats and ties for men, dresses for women. The first two hours of each event was broadcast live. They would typically host a couple bands, and Matson would interview both band members and audience members. Through the years, Matson interviewed numerous stars, from Fats Domino down to The Sparkletones, a local band from Spatanburg.
- Text
-
[back]
Johnny Batson was Master of Ceremonies in 1960. He was known as Coca-Cola's Mr. Hi-Fi.
June 14 1961 - References
- Smith, Michael Buffalo. The Brown Box. Lulu Press, 2011.
Part of Photograph: Johnny Batson, emcee of 1960 Peach Festival parade