"I must be going. Lecture's over. I hope I've clarified things. The important thing for you to remember, Montag, is that we're the Happiness Boys, the Dixie Duo, you and I and the others. We stand against the small tide of those who want to make everyone unhappy with conflicting theory and thought."

Around 1919, an American songwriter and ragtime and jazz pianist, Eubie Blake, joined Noble Sissle, a jazz composer, singer and playwright, to become the "Dixie Duo." They performed in variety shows around America. In 1951 Blake actually came out of retirement to play USO shows. But they weren't radio stars, they played Broadway and even appeared in some talkies and even the classic 1927 silent Al Jolsen film, The Jazz Singer. Being black, they had a tough time breaking into radio prior to the 1950s. But in coming from vaudeville and theater, they had an angle...
In 1922, Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle showcased their single “Shuffle Along” on Boston's WNAC-AM during the Boston Radio Exposition. In 1941 Noble narrated a part of the program "Freedom's People." In January of 1954, WMGM-AM in New York hired Sissle as a disc jockey. His program focused on African American artists and jazz of course. His one-hour program "
The Happiness Boys on the other hand were huge radio stars. I've written about them before. [HERE] They were "Hobo" Jack Turner and Thomas Ernest Hare. Like other acts of the day they borrowed branding from the products that sponsored them. The insecticide Flit underwrote them and they were the Flit Soldiers. They performed as The Interwoven Pair on WJZ to hock Interwoven Socks and eventually as The Happiness Boys for Happiness Candy Stores a small chain owned by Irving Fuerst. Those radio spots started in 1923 on WEAF. In 1933 they were still together but using the name The Taystee Loafers, from yet another sponsor, the Taystee Bread Company this time on WOR. In 1936 they were still in radio but now The Gillette Gentlemen, promoting razorblades on the CBS network. By the time Fahrenheit 451 was in print, both had been dead for a decade.
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