Categories: History

Granny Peters…alias Wonder Mother

How about a flashback in radio history, probably 1966, when KJR’s Pat O’Day and Lan Roberts recorded a series of episodes of “Wonder Mother”? It was only a few years ago that I realized the Wonder Mother Theme came from a Reprise LP called “Sunday Morning With The Comics”, by Jimmy Bowen and his Orchestra and Chorus. After the Wonder Mother open is the actual Reprise LP track, in stereo. Sadly, I don’t have any Wonder Mother episodes that ran on KJR.

From the Reprise LP, did you recognize Gary Owens as the announcer at the beginning of the track? I didn’t have the time to dig out the LP, but here is a pic from Ebay:

Jimmy Bowen Orchestra & Chorus [Reprise] Wonder Mother

Duane Smart

Duane Smart was Mr. Music Man for the J.P. Patches program at KIRO 7 tv. He also chose music for almost all of the local studio productions at KIRO. Be it a public service show or a new news theme, The Big Money Movie or the theme music for Joe Towey’s “Nightmare Theater”…..these were the days before “packaged” theme music came into being at KIRO. Duane also did freelance work recording commercials. For more than 20 years Duane Smart also did all the music that ran at Enchanted Village and Wild Waves. Once the J.P. Patches show went off the air, Duane decided to retire, after having enjoyed 29 years at KIRO.

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Bob Coffer says:

June 5, 2024 at QZVX at

Ah...my teen years! Good old Pat O'Day. I do have the Reprise 45RPM. I was surprised a local phenomenon ended up on a national label.
I've transplanted to Ohio, but my roots are Bremerton and Seattle.
Thanks for providing this!