Lonesome Gal Radio Show Collection

Lonesome Gal was a radio show that began in the late 1940s, comprised of monologues describing the "Lonesome Gal" host's thoughts, feelings and experiences, all delivered in a sultry manner and interspersed with romantic music and popular songs. The show originally aired in Dayton, Ohio in October 1947 and quickly moved into national syndication. The host, Jean King, addressed the male-dominated listening audience directly, often referring to the listener using pet names like “muffin” or “baby." King wore a mask during public appearances and kept her identity a secret until 1953. At the show's peak, King recorded 200-300 shows per week, since she tailored shows to individual sponsors or locations. To accomplish this, King stayed in touch with local Chambers of Commerce so that she could accurately describe locations as if she had been there. The end date for the show is unclear.

Prior to her success with Lonesome Gal, King was cast into bit parts in several TV and radio series; she then moved to Dayton, where she began the Lonesome Gal show. When it went into syndication, she returned to Hollywood and met radio producer Bill Rousseau, who would later become her husband and procure sponsorship for the series. King passed away in 1993.

*Information for this biography was drawn from Communities of the Air: Radio Century, Radio Culure. Edited by Susan Merrill Squier. Durham and London: Duke University Press, 2003.