Saturday, March 15, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Don Pardo
Don Pardo is one of the best-known radio and television announcers in history, partially because of his great longevity, which continues to this day. He joined NBC in 1944, where he remains. Though technically he retired in 2004, he still flies to NY from his home in Tucson to announce Saturday Night Live, a show he has been with since it's debut in 1975 (but for one season). For over thirty years, he has been like a father (and later a grandfather!) to the entire cast, who, to a person, has loved this man, widely known as one of the nicest guys in the business. For years, he also announced the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Before SNL he was best known for his announcing chores on "The Price is Right", from 1956 until ABC. He also did the original Jeopardy!, with Art Fleming for about ten years. Fleming's retort to Don's announce, "Thank you, Don Pardo!", quickly became a catch-phrase. Don reprised that role with a cameo voiceover in "Weird Al" Yankovic's 1984 song "I Lost on Jeopardy". He also announced numerous other New York-based NBC game shows such as Three on a Match, Winning Streak, and Jackpot! (all three of which were Bob Stewart productions).
He has also worked for WNBC-TV's Live at Five news program, NBC Nightly News, and Wheel of Fortune. Don was the on-duty live booth announcer for WNBC-TV in New York and the NBC network on November 22, 1963, and it was he who first announced to NBC viewers that President John F. Kennedy had been shot in Dallas, Texas.
In December 1976 on one memorable SNL episode, Pardo participated in a musical performance by Frank Zappa, reciting a verse of the song "I'm The Slime." Pardo subsequently reprised this role on the live-recorded version of the song for the Zappa in New York album.
On February 23, 2008, Pardo was seen at the closing of SNL blowing out the candles of his 90th birthday cake. SNL alum and former writer, Tina Fey, was the host and this episode welcomed the show back from a 12 week writer's strike. Pardo looked many years younger than 90 blowing his candles out and was an amazing inspiration to all onlookers including Governor Mike Huckabee, then Republican preseidential nominee, who made a cameo appearance that evening. Pardo blew... and blew... and blew with gusto eventually getting all 90 candles out!
For 64 years and counting, thank you Don Pardo!
Before SNL he was best known for his announcing chores on "The Price is Right", from 1956 until ABC. He also did the original Jeopardy!, with Art Fleming for about ten years. Fleming's retort to Don's announce, "Thank you, Don Pardo!", quickly became a catch-phrase. Don reprised that role with a cameo voiceover in "Weird Al" Yankovic's 1984 song "I Lost on Jeopardy". He also announced numerous other New York-based NBC game shows such as Three on a Match, Winning Streak, and Jackpot! (all three of which were Bob Stewart productions).
He has also worked for WNBC-TV's Live at Five news program, NBC Nightly News, and Wheel of Fortune. Don was the on-duty live booth announcer for WNBC-TV in New York and the NBC network on November 22, 1963, and it was he who first announced to NBC viewers that President John F. Kennedy had been shot in Dallas, Texas.
In December 1976 on one memorable SNL episode, Pardo participated in a musical performance by Frank Zappa, reciting a verse of the song "I'm The Slime." Pardo subsequently reprised this role on the live-recorded version of the song for the Zappa in New York album.
On February 23, 2008, Pardo was seen at the closing of SNL blowing out the candles of his 90th birthday cake. SNL alum and former writer, Tina Fey, was the host and this episode welcomed the show back from a 12 week writer's strike. Pardo looked many years younger than 90 blowing his candles out and was an amazing inspiration to all onlookers including Governor Mike Huckabee, then Republican preseidential nominee, who made a cameo appearance that evening. Pardo blew... and blew... and blew with gusto eventually getting all 90 candles out!
For 64 years and counting, thank you Don Pardo!
Saturday, February 16, 2008
The Reverend Billy Graham
The legendary evangelist was number seven on the Gallup Poll's list of admired people of the 20th century. He is a recipient of both the Congressional Gold Medal as well as the Presidential Medal of Freedom.........Back in 1978, I was in school and this kid next to me was reading Star Magazine. A substitute teacher came up and asked him what was doing in the paper, and the student replied: "Well, Billy Graham predicts that he will die within 10 years and go up to Heaven and be with God" [True]. To which the sub replied, shocked. "Superstar Billy Graham says he's going to die in 10 years?" Well, 20 years past that deadline, both the good reverend (who has suffered from Parkinson's Disease, fluid on the brain, pneumonia, broken hips, prostate cancer, and intestinal bleeding) and the "Superstar" (now 64, and who's body has been ravaged by years of steroid abuse, has been through two hip replacements, bowel obstruction and a liver transplant) are both still with us.
Speaking of Superstar Billy Graham, the similarities in name is no coincidence.Born Eldridge Wayne Colman, he entered the wrestling business as the "brother" of Dr. Jerry Graham. So the last name was set. As for the first name, it is indeed an homage to the preacher, who was a hero to the young man. The nickname, following along those same religious tones, was from "Jesus Christ Superstar".
Speaking of Superstar Billy Graham, the similarities in name is no coincidence.Born Eldridge Wayne Colman, he entered the wrestling business as the "brother" of Dr. Jerry Graham. So the last name was set. As for the first name, it is indeed an homage to the preacher, who was a hero to the young man. The nickname, following along those same religious tones, was from "Jesus Christ Superstar".
Oral Roberts
Besides his above-mentioned colleague, the faith healing Oral Roberts may be the best known evangelist in the second half of the 20th century. However, his and Rev. Graham's style and reputation could not be any more different, stemming from the fact that Graham is a Southern Baptist and Roberts Pentecostal.
In 1977 he claimed to have a vision from a 900-foot-tall Jesus who told him to build City of Faith Medical and Research Center and the hospital would be a success. The City of Faith was in operation for only eight years before closing in late 1989.
In 1983 Roberts said Jesus had appeared to him in person and commissioned him to find a cure for cancer.
Like Billy Graham, Rev. Roberts also his impending demise, albeit in a slightly more dramatic fashion. 1987, during a fundraising drive, he announced to a television audience that unless he raised $8 million by that March, God would "call him home". He raised $9.1 million. Vice President George HW Bush announced the formation of a new group called "LORD": Let Oral Roberts Die.
Later that year, he announced that God had raised the dead through his ministry.
Roberts' daughter, Rebecca Nash, died in a plane crash on February 11, 1977, with her husband, businessman Marshall Nash. Roberts' eldest son, Ronald, committed suicide in June 1982 at the age of 37 five months after receiving a court order to get counseling at a drug treatment center.
But here's my favorite Oral Roberts story: From the late 1980's to 1992, he maintained a residence in the exclusive St. Andrews Country Club in Boca Raton, Florida. He would commute via private jet from his base in Oklahoma to Boca Raton airport for weekend visits to his golf club retreat. Most of the other residents of St. Andrews were Jewish, and since Roberts was identified by his first name of Granville when he was visiting Florida his presence went mostly unrecognized.
In 1977 he claimed to have a vision from a 900-foot-tall Jesus who told him to build City of Faith Medical and Research Center and the hospital would be a success. The City of Faith was in operation for only eight years before closing in late 1989.
In 1983 Roberts said Jesus had appeared to him in person and commissioned him to find a cure for cancer.
Like Billy Graham, Rev. Roberts also his impending demise, albeit in a slightly more dramatic fashion. 1987, during a fundraising drive, he announced to a television audience that unless he raised $8 million by that March, God would "call him home". He raised $9.1 million. Vice President George HW Bush announced the formation of a new group called "LORD": Let Oral Roberts Die.
Later that year, he announced that God had raised the dead through his ministry.
Roberts' daughter, Rebecca Nash, died in a plane crash on February 11, 1977, with her husband, businessman Marshall Nash. Roberts' eldest son, Ronald, committed suicide in June 1982 at the age of 37 five months after receiving a court order to get counseling at a drug treatment center.
But here's my favorite Oral Roberts story: From the late 1980's to 1992, he maintained a residence in the exclusive St. Andrews Country Club in Boca Raton, Florida. He would commute via private jet from his base in Oklahoma to Boca Raton airport for weekend visits to his golf club retreat. Most of the other residents of St. Andrews were Jewish, and since Roberts was identified by his first name of Granville when he was visiting Florida his presence went mostly unrecognized.
Friday, February 15, 2008
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