biography
| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1874–1946)
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| biography:
| Entrepreneur and radio impresario, born in San Francisco, California, USA. He left school at age 13 and worked as an office boy. He built a flourishing real estate business that was temporarily ruined by the earthquake and fire of 1906. He married Margaret Illington, an actress, and they moved E to run theatres in Boston and New York City. He built the Capitol Theatre in New York City, an early film ‘palace’, and in 1925 became the host of a popular radio programme that had originated from there since 1922. As manager of New York City's radio station WHN (1934), he began ‘Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour’ which offered potential stardom and a $10 stipend to contestants during the Great Depression. While he hosted this popular network radio programme until 1945, his manner and expressions became known nationwide. He left most of his $4.5 million estate to charity. |
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