In 1928 he signed a contract with the Great States Lawn Mower Company of Richmond through the urging of his friend and vice president of the company - Tom Nickel, for broadcast over WLW, Cincinnati. He took on the name “Singin’ Sam” and for this WLW program, Lawn Party, he was known as “Singin’ Sam, the Lawn Mower Man.” In off season from the broadcast, he would be sub-contracted by Nickel to other sponsors, e.g. “Singin’ Sam the Coffee Man” for Standard Brands.

He had been contacted by Barbasol, an Indianapolis-based company but didn’t sign fully with them on his own until his contract with Great States ran out in 1931. In July, 1931 “Singin Sam the Barbasol Man” aired nationwide over the CBS network. In late 1931, he was also signed by Barbasol to do a program over NBC called “The Old Singing Master” Most of his beginning radio success was broadcast out of studios in New York City. He finally convinced his sponsors to let him broadcast from the studios of WKRC in Cincinnati starting in 1933. This way, he could live on his farm in Centerville, Indiana and commute to Cincinnati to do the show.

In 1942, James Petrillo’s ban on making transcription recordings hit Singin’ Sam hard as by then he was working for Coca Cola doing a program he transcribed in New York City while continuing to live in Indiana. When Petrillo’s ban was lifted, Frankel formed the Transcription Sales Company with headquarters in Springfield, Ohio and an office in New York City. Through this he recorded his 15 minute “Reminiscin’ with Singin’ Sam” transcriptions recording 260 of them. On the transcriptions he was backed, as you mention by Charlie Magnante Trio and the Mullen Sisters (note corrected spelling).