Harlem Hospitality Club – Guest Episode: Little Miss Cornshucks, Amanda Randolph

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Host: Uncle Willie Bryant
Date: September 25, 2025
Location (in-show): Savoy Ballroom, Harlem, NYC

Episode Overview

This nostalgic episode of the Harlem Hospitality Club transports listeners back to the Golden Age of Radio, capturing the warmth, wit, and talent of Harlem of yesteryear. Hosted by the ever-charismatic Uncle Willie Bryant, the show blends musical performances, lighthearted banter, stories from community members, and vibrant personalities like Little Miss Cornshucks and Amanda Randolph. The episode is upbeat, community-centered, and filled with the everyday culture and dreams of Harlem residents, making space for laughs, heartfelt music, and the sharing of life experiences.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Warm Harlem Welcome and Musical Opener

• Uncle Willie Bryant opens the show from the Savoy Ballroom, welcoming club members and listeners to the “grand conclave.”
• The musical committee, with Lumel, Morgan, and the trio, serenades new members with “Linda,” setting a lively, neighborly tone.
  • [02:12] Song performance: “When I go to sleep I never count sheep...” – captures the romantic optimism of the era.

2. Member Introductions and Personal Stories

Zella Carter: From Tennessee to St. Paul

• Zella shares her journey from McKenzie, Tennessee, through Minnesota, with a charming story of how she met her husband—complete with humor about affairs, coal bins, and chance encounters.
  • [04:45] Zella Carter: “I was out looking for a room...I happened to go to the house where my husband was rooming...he whistled...then he decided he’d throw a lump of coal at me.”
  • Uncle Willie quips on unlikely romances: “Gee, what an interesting way to stop a lady—throwing coal at her.” [07:19]

3. Special Guest: Little Miss Cornshucks

• Returning by popular demand, Little Miss Cornshucks performs “Keep Your Hand on Your Heart,” accompanied by playful banter and audience encouragement.
  • [07:53] Little Miss Cornshucks (singing): “Keep your hand on your heart...I’d rather keep mine on my wallet.”
• Later in the show, she returns with the emotional “Have You Ever Loved Somebody?”
  • [20:18] “Have you ever loved somebody as you cried night and day? ...If you've ever been in love it’s the price love makes you pay...”

4. The Great Cooking Debate: Men vs. Women

• Applicants Andy Addison and Leroy Johnson (both professional cooks) spar over whether men or women cook better, full of spirited ribbing and boastful back-and-forth typical of Harlem camaraderie.
  • [12:16] Andy Addison: “I think a woman's a better cook.”
  • [12:28] Leroy Johnson: “Well, in my opinion, man is better cooked.”
  • Uncle Willie fuels the debate: “Well, I can understand why you think women are better cooks...” [12:23]
  • The conversation escalates humorously, with talk of who’s “streamlined,” who does the real cooking at hotels, and regional rivalry between Atlantic City and New York.

5. Comedy and Character: Amanda Randolph

• Amanda Randolph (as Aunt Amanda) delivers a rib-tickling performance of “All of Me,” and later the bluesy “Too Many Times.”
  • [15:26] Amanda (singing): “All of me, why not take all of me? Can’t you see I’m no good without you...”
  • Uncle Willie marvels: “Oh, it’s really amazing the energy Aunt Amanda has.” [16:57]
  • [26:35] Amanda (singing): “Too many times I believed you when you cried, honey, but you lied…”
  • Willie affectionately calls Amanda “that Amazon Amanda Randolph.” [28:16]

6. Harlem Community Voices

June Williams – The Psychology Student

• June studies child psychology at Fordham; wittily psychoanalyzes Uncle Willie, touching on topics like “paranoid,” “schizophrenic,” and “superiority complex.”
  • [18:21] June Williams: “I think you’re paranoid. Schizophreniac, psychoneurosis, and a minor depressor.”
  • [19:23] Uncle Willie Bryant: “I’m a maniac depressor. Yeah, well, maybe I am.”
  • June’s sharp wit shines through: “The next time you go to buy a suit, make sure you got a built-in straight jacket with it.” [19:34]

Mary Pierce – The 76-Year-Old “Aunt Mary”

• Mary reflects on growing up in Williamsburg, VA, discusses her fondness for children, dancing (preferring waltz and two-step over “Ziggy Zigga dances” like the Lindy Hop), and recites her first poem:
  • [25:51] Mary Pierce: “We are but minutes, little things, Each one furnished with 60 wings, with which we fly on our unseen track, And not a minute ever comes back.”
  • Her nurturing spirit: “All the children around there know me as Aunt Mary or Mom.” [25:04]

Elizabeth Singleton – The “Old Pig Cooker”

• Elizabeth shares a dream and detailed, colorful recipe for Southern barbecue, describing the use of oak wood, iron rods, and pepper-vinegar solution.
• Uncle Willie and the crowd affirm her “old pig cooker” status and laugh about waking up hungry from such dreams.
  • [29:11] Elizabeth Singleton: “Then the pig is all dressed, you got this oak with a nice red hot coal...you get your solution with hot pepper and vinegar...”
  • [30:03] Uncle Willie Bryant: “Is that right, members? Is that recipe right? Well, you are an old pig cooker, I assure you.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-----------|-------|---------| | 04:21 | “St. Paul, Minnesota? Laying all jokes aside, that's my mother's home. No kidding.” | Uncle Willie Bryant | | 06:21 | “He threw a lump of coal at me...so I went back and I was gonna bawl him out good.” | Zella Carter | | 10:58 | “Sing the song.” | Uncle Willie Bryant (egging on Little Miss Cornshucks) | | 12:16 | “I think a woman’s a better cook.” | Andy Addison | | 15:26 | “All of me, why not take all of me? Can’t you see I’m no good without you?” | Amanda Randolph | | 19:34 | “The next time you go to buy a suit, make sure you got a built-in straight jacket with it.” | June Williams | | 25:51 | “We are but minutes, little things...” | Mary Pierce (reciting) | | 28:16 | “I don’t know what we’re going to do with that Amazon Amanda Randolph.” | Uncle Willie Bryant |

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:21] – Show opens in the Savoy Ballroom, music and greetings
• [03:43] – Zella Carter’s story from Tennessee to Minnesota
• [07:45] – Little Miss Cornshucks performs “Keep Your Hand on Your Heart”
• [11:42] – The cooking debate (Andy Addison vs. Leroy Johnson)
• [15:00] – Amanda Randolph (Aunt Amanda) sings “All of Me”
• [17:09] – June Williams’ psychoanalysis conversation
• [20:18] – Little Miss Cornshucks sings “Have You Ever Loved Somebody?”
• [23:12] – Mary Pierce (Aunt Mary) shares wisdom and recites a poem
• [28:32] – Elizabeth Singleton recounts Southern barbecue dream/recipe
• [26:35] – Amanda Randolph returns with the bluesy “Too Many Times”

Conclusion

This episode is a rich tapestry of Harlem’s postwar community, full of music, humor, intimate stories, and sharp exchanges. Uncle Willie Bryant anchors the show with affectionate teasing and genuine warmth, giving club members and guests space to shine. Musical highlights from Little Miss Cornshucks and Amanda Randolph provide soulful interludes, while the lively debates and nostalgic recollections reveal the social fabric of the era. The blend of storytelling, song, and neighborly banter makes for a lively, heartwarming trip into radio history.