LUNCH WITH BOOKS: History of the Wheeling Jamboree

March 06, 2018
12:00pm - 12:00pm

In January 1933, with George W. Smith as managing director of Wheeling’s WWVA radio station, the idea was conceived to program something special for late-night Saturday listeners. A country-style music program called a "Jamboree" was put together using local talent. History was made Jan. 7 when the WWVA Jamboree went on the air for the first time. Since its humble beginnings, the Jamboree has hosted many famous guests—Charlie Pride, Johnny Cash, and Loretta Lynn, to name a few—and been broadcast from a variety of locations in Wheeling including the Rex Theatre, Capitol Theatre & Music Hall, Market Auditorium, and the Wheeling Island Expo Hall, and it remains the 2nd oldest Country Music Radio Broadcast Stage Show in history. Dave Heath, current president of the Wheeling Jamboree, will present a history of the of the Jamboree, now celebrating its 85th anniversary.

David Heath is the current President and Treasurer of the Non-Profit 501 c-3 Wheeling Jamboree Corporation since 2012 and a member of the company's board of directors since 2008.He became the show’s Producer and Executive Director of the organization in 2009. Heath brings more than 48 years of music performance and production leadership. He is a pioneering e-commerce developer of software and computer hardware with Fortune 500 marketing expertise, and executive management credits to his role with the Jamboree. Heath is a Wheeling native graduating from the first class of Wheeling Park High School also attended the original Wheeling High School. Heath attended Marshall University majoring in Music Performance and Theory as well as West Liberty University in Music Education. Heath oversees all of the Talent that performs on each of the Jamboree shows and is the Executive Officer and Founder of Wheeling Radio Station WWOV FM in first going on air in 2014 (The new Radio Home of the iconic Wheeling Jamboree Radio Stage Show). The Wheeling Jamboree was originated by station WWVA 1170 AM and last aired the Wheeling Jamboree in December 2008.

The Wheeling Jamboree Celebrates its 85^th Anniversary of becoming a radio stage show on April 1^st 1933, Saturday, April 07, 2018 at 7:00pm at Wheeling’s Capitol Theatre with a Star-studded spectacular with Country Music Hall of Fame members Ronnie Milsap and Charlie McCoy along with Wheeling native singer-songwriter Tim O’Brien, Jamboree Patriarch Darnell Miller and Hosted by Jamboree Board Member and Country Industry broadcaster Keith Bilbrey.