▁home ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁listening ▁to ▁the ▁show , ▁describing ▁how ▁Guy ▁Lomb ardo , ▁who ▁was ▁to ▁appear ▁on ▁Make ▁Bel ieve ▁Ball room , ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁eng agement ▁and ▁sent ▁a ▁tele gram , ▁which ▁was ▁read ▁on ▁the ▁air . ▁His ▁story ▁was ▁verified ▁and ▁all ▁charges ▁were ▁dropped . ▁ ▁Two ▁years ▁later , ▁current ▁events ▁unw itting ly ▁entered ▁the ▁" Make ▁Bel ieve " ▁world ▁with ▁Louis ▁Arm strong ▁singer ▁M idge ▁Williams ' ▁rend itions ▁of ▁two ▁American ▁popular ▁songs ▁in ▁Japanese . ▁ ▁N BC ▁received ▁many ▁tele phone ▁calls ▁and ▁tele gram s ▁protest ing ▁her ▁performance ▁from ▁listen ers ▁who ▁were ▁ir ate ▁over ▁the ▁recent ▁Japanese ▁invasion ▁of ▁China . ▁ ▁Make ▁Bel ieve ▁Ball room ▁was ▁nation ally ▁synd ic ated ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 0 . ▁That ▁same ▁year , ▁Block ▁hosted ▁what ▁was ▁bil led ▁as ▁a ▁"$ 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Jam ▁Session " ▁on ▁the ▁show , ▁featuring ▁artists ▁including ▁both ▁Dor sey ▁brothers , ▁Count ▁Bas ie , ▁Harry ▁James , ▁and ▁Gene ▁Kru pa . ▁The ▁mus icians ▁impro vised ▁live ▁for ▁a ▁half - hour . ▁One ▁segment ▁of ▁Ball room ▁was ▁entitled ▁" S aturday ▁Night ▁in ▁Har lem ". ▁During ▁this , ▁Cab ▁Call ow ay , ▁Louis ▁Arm strong , ▁Duke ▁Ell ington ▁and ▁other ▁jazz ▁mus icians ' ▁music ▁was ▁featured . ▁Block ▁and ▁Make ▁Bel ieve ▁Ball room ▁made ▁the ▁cover ▁of