to sell LuckyStrike cigarettes onhisweekly
radio show from1944until 1955. Prior to
Luckies, Benny was sponsored by Jello.
Their productmay not have been as sexy,
but a bowl of Jello never killed anyone.
The songs on this CD offer a window
into the past. They come from the era
when you could smoke your way into
glamour and popularity. Even if your life
stopped short of party invitations from
Dorothy Lamour, youwere still seen as a
bit more fashionable with that butt
dangling from your lips. In a rare show of
American social equality, it didn’t matter
whether you were rich or poor, white or
black. Smoking was the great equalizer;
the great Americanhabit. Inhaling a pack
of cigarettes a daywas as routine as eating
three meals. We’ve gathered musical
examples to make the point. They come
from pop songs, country songs andR&B
songs. There was no shortage of material
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