What Was the ‘Good Old Music from the U.S.A.’ in October 1943?

In the last of Babe’s letters I transcribed, he told his parents, “Right now, I am listening to the news, which will be followed directly by some good old music from the U.S.A. Last night, I fell asleep right in the middle of the Bob Hope program.”

It got me wondering: What was the “good old music” from the United States. As it turned out, it’s not exactly my taste. The No. 1 hit the week Babe wrote that letter was “Pistol Packin’ Mama” by Al Dexter. I’ve never heard of the song or the artist until now. If you ask me, the song was pretty forgettable. But it turned into a hit later for Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters, too, apparently. Read more of this post