--- title: The Voice and American Idol's 1940s Radio Predecessor description: "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Show" ran for two years on the radio and another ten on TV, introducing talented young acts to the American public. canonical: https://time.com/3713497/arthur-godfreys-talent-scouts/ author: Eliza Berman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-02-23T13:00:30.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:05:34.403Z og:title: "American Idol" and "The Voice" Owe Their Success to This 1940s Radio Show og:description: "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Show" ran for two years on the radio and another ten on TV, introducing talented young acts to the American public. og:url: https://time.com/3713497/arthur-godfreys-talent-scouts/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt279e5d983b993803/69877fbdf887dc1f37e8a293/150218-cbs-talent-scouts-01.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: "American Idol" and "The Voice" Owe Their Success to This 1940s Radio Show twitter:description: "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Show" ran for two years on the radio and another ten on TV, introducing talented young acts to the American public. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt279e5d983b993803/69877fbdf887dc1f37e8a293/150218-cbs-talent-scouts-01.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # _American Idol_ and _The Voice_ Owe Their Success to This 1940s Radio Show  by [Eliza Berman](https://time.com/author/eliza-berman/)  ## Eliza Berman Berman is a senior editor at TIME. Feb 23, 2015 1:00 PM UTC  Arthur Godfrey talking to mother of girl who appeared on Godfrey's radio program, 1946. Arthur Godfrey talking to mother of girl who appeared on Godfrey's radio program, 1946.Cornell Capa—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  by [Eliza Berman](https://time.com/author/eliza-berman/)  ## Eliza Berman Berman is a senior editor at TIME. Feb 23, 2015 1:00 PM UTC If past years’ ratings are any indication, some 12 million Americans will tune in Monday night to the premiere of Season 8 of _The Voice_. Though _American Idol_ has lost some of its luster through its 14 seasons and _The X Factor_’s ratings are on the decline, the TV-watching public is stuck on these shows like white on Ryan Seacrest’s teeth. Long before Simon Cowell was a twinkle in his father’s eye, the Kelly Clarksons and Carrie Underwoods of the day were introduced to America by a man named Arthur Godfrey. Like _The Voice_, in which coaches can hear but not see competitors as they audition, _Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts_ relied on the aural above the visual—it was, after all, a radio show. When LIFE [profiled Godfrey](https://books.google.com/books?id=MkYEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA89&dq=%22arthur+godfrey%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=A%5FHkVN6sGMmoNtnJgogM&ved=0CCcQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false) in 1948, his voice was ubiquitous on the American airwaves, reaching 40 million listeners each week. “By refusing to shut up while other entertainers are enjoying a late morning’s sleep or rehearsing their next week’s shows” Ernest Havemann wrote, “he has built just about the biggest audience of anybody on the air.” _Talent Scouts_, “a sort of amateur hour for young professionals,” ran for 25 minutes on Monday nights with the sponsorship of Lipton tea. During the show, the “scouts”—who could be anyone from a manager to a parent—brought out their “talent” to perform in front of a live audience. Winners were decided by an old-fashioned applause meter, with a new star declared each night as opposed to the current model of waiting until the end of the season. “He will probably be on television very shortly,” LIFE predicted, and the prophecy soon came true: After two years on the radio, _Talent Scouts_ became a regular show on CBS, requiring no changes other than allowing cameras into the studio Godfrey already occupied. The show reached number one in the Nielsen ratings during the 1951-52 season, and remained a top program until it ended in 1958. In addition to emceeing, Godfrey offered input on decisions like wardrobe and song choice. Diahann Carroll, who debuted on the show as a teenager, said [in an interview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhFxncmL5vw) that “he had something to say about almost everything.” When Patsy Cline appeared in 1957 ready to perform “A Poor Man’s Roses” in a cowgirl outfit her mother had sewn for her, Godfrey advised her to ditch the country duds for a cocktail dress. He suggested she sing “Walkin’ After Midnight” instead. And after ten years of performing without a big break, Cline’s star was finally born. Godfrey had a couple of misses during his years judging talent. He passed over a certain hip-gyrating Mississippi kid, for one thing. Mr. Presley, no worse for the rejection, would find his break somewhere else. _Liz Ronk, who edited this gallery, is the Photo Editor for LIFE.com. Follow her on Twitter at_ [_@LizabethRonk_](https://twitter.com/LizabethRonk)_._  Arthur Godfrey talking to mother of girl who appeared on Godfrey's radio program, 1946. Cornell Capa—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Entertainer Arthur Godfrey, 1946. Cornell Capa—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Amateur impressionist Sidney Raymond performing on the "Talent Scouts" radio program, 1946. Cornell Capa—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Amateur entertainer George "Tiger" Haynes performing on the "Talent Scouts" radio program, 1946. Cornell Capa—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Amateur singer auditioning for "Talent Scouts" radio program, 1946. Cornell Capa—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Amateur ventriloquist Ann Phillips performing on the "Talent Scouts" radio program, 1946. Cornell Capa—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Amateur entertainers performing on the "Talent Scouts" radio program, 1946. Cornell Capa—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Singer Ruth Wayne performing on the "Talent Scouts" radio program, 1946. Cornell Capa—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Radio producer Irving Mansfield reading mail generated by "Talent Scouts" radio program, 1946. 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