Friday, January 27, 1961: 'Sing Along With Mitch'

Hosted by longtime music producer and executive Mitch Miller, "Sing Along With Mitch" premieres on NBC. Viewers are invited to join in on the songs, as lyrics appear on the bottom of the TV screen. (As for the fabled "bouncing ball" that appeared above the lyrics, Miller says in the interview linked below that his show never used one, and I can't find any footage that has it.)

* Watch an episode (in four parts): @ and @ and @ and @

* Show summary: @

* Miller biography: @

* New York Times obituary (Miller died on July 31, 2010): @

* 2004 interview with Miller: @

* "Television: Mail-Order Melody" (Time magazine, March 3, 1961): @

* Miller and his No. 1 hit, "The Yellow Rose of Texas": @

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