James Kern Kyser, known professionally as Kay Kyser, born on June 18, 1905, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, was an American bandleader and radio personality. After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1928, Kyser initially took clarinet lessons but found his true talent lay in entertaining audiences. In the late 1920s, Kyser recorded two sessions for Victor Records. Kyser's big break came with Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge, a radio show combining music with quizzes that aired on NBC from 1939 to 1949. His band achieved significant success during the Swing Era, securing 11 Number 1 records, including the novelty hit “Three Little Fishes” (1939), which sold over one million copies and earned a gold disc from the RIAA. His other successful releases include “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition” (1942) and “The Woody Woodpecker Song” (1948). He died on July 23, 1985, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
