Wake Up With Jim, May 11

He was a west coast superstar. He pioneered the television variety show, and featured crooners such as Frank Sinatra and Frankie Lane. When he launched a business venture along Route 66, Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable and Jack Benny happily invested. And he was the only convicted murderer to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 

On today's program America's storyteller shares the story of Spade Cooley, a man of many talents with a violent temper and a passion for alcohol. It's a story about the dark side of fame and fortune. 

Today's program is sponsored in part by Uranus Fudge Company & General Store. This fun filled, quirky roadside attraction blurs the line between the past and present, between the era of generic travel on the interstate highway and the colorful adventures of road trips on legendary Route 66.