Russell Davies - 23/01/2011

After recognising the significance in musical history of the date January 23rd - the date that Lena Horne made her final disc with the Charlie Barnet Orchestra (Haunted Town) - Russell dwells on the career of singer Margaret Whiting. He re-visits four of her famous recordings, as well as three more songs written by her composer father Richard Whiting. The discovery that there is a "Moonlight in Vermont Day" has Russell uncovering further songs accorded this accolade. He finds "Georgia Day" and plays the Mills Brothers' Georgia on My Mind and Funny Face Day, which he celebrates with Fred Astaire's original performance cut in 1928. And there's one more: Birth of the Blues Day. We hear Washington's recording of the De Sylva, Brown and Henderson song. After a last memory of Margaret Whiting, singing in 1982, Rebecca Kilgore winds up the show singing an early Walter Donaldson-Gus Kahn number He's the Last Word.