Hugh Downs is 91. Downs was the host of The Today Show from 1962-1971; before that he was Jack Paar’s sidekick on The Tonight Show from 1957-1962. He also hosted the NBC daytime quiz show Concentration from 1958-1969. That’s right, at one point he was doing all three. And even before all that he was the announcer for Kukla, Fran and Ollie, one of television’s earliest hits beginning on NBC in 1949. And many other shows.
The Bradys’ mom and stepmom, Florence Henderson, is 78.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg is 70.
Carl Bernstein of Woodward and Bernstein is 68.
Magician-comedian Teller is 64. Raymond Joseph Teller was his given name, but Teller is now in fact his legal name. He is one of just a few Americans with one name on his passport (according to Wikipedia).
Michael Doucet of Beausoleil is 61.
Meg Tilly is 52.
Actor Vic Morrow was born February 14, 1929. He and two child-actors were killed when a helicopter crashed on them during the filming of Twilight Zone: The Movie in 1982.
The DJ Murray the ‘K’ (Murray Kaufman) was born 90 years ago today (he died in 1982). While at WINS in New York City Kaufman latched onto The Beatles in their first U.S. tour. Later he help establish the Album Rock format at WOR-FM.
Wayne Woodrow “Woody” Hayes was born on Valentine’s Day in 1913. Hayes coached The Ohio State University football team from 1951–1978. During the 1978 Gator Bowl, Hayes punched Clemson’s Charlie Bauman after Bauman intercepted an Ohio State pass. Hayes then abused an official and had to be physically restrained, attacking even his own player. He was ejected from the game and fired the next day.
Jimmy Hoffa was born on February 14, 1913. Hoffa worked for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from 1932 to 1975; as its president from 1958-1971. In 1964 Hoffa was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment for jury tampering, but pardoned by President Nixon in 1971 after serving 58 months. The Teamsters, who had always endorsed Democratic presidential candidates, endorsed Nixon 1972. Hoffa disappeared in 1975 and was declared legally dead in 1982.
Mel Allen was also born on February 14, 1913, as Melvin Allen Israel.
A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Allen began broadcasting while an undergraduate at the University of Alabama. At the age of 26 he joined the New York Yankees’ broadcasting team, and from 1939 through 1964 was the “Voice of the Yankees.”
Allen gained national acclaim as a broadcaster of numerous World Series and was the longtime voice of baseball’s weekly highlight show This Week in Baseball.
Allen was a dedicated baseball fan whose voice was known to millions. Highly articulate and extremely knowledgeable, he was often more popular than many of the outstanding players he covered. Allen’s broadcasts transcended the drama and excitement of the game in a cultivated, resonant tone that was uniquely his own.
Jack Benny was born as Benjamin Kubelsky on this date in 1894. In The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio, the entry for The Jack Benny Program on radio runs for eight pages. And then he was on television. Truly one of the great stars of the mid-20th century.
NewMexiKen knows how corny the jokes and skits would sound now — how corny they undoubtedly were then — but tucked among my fond memories is being at my Great Grandmother’s house in Rensselaer, New York, about 60 years ago. I was sick, so stayed home with Gram that Sunday evening while the rest of the family socialized. She had to be in her seventies; I no more than five or six. We listened to The Jack Benny Program on radio. And all I can remember is how hard we laughed. I feel pretty certain the radio audience that Sunday consisted of people my parents and grandparents’ age and they were laughing too. If you know, please tell me a television program today that could as easily amuse four generations.
Happy Saint Valentine’s Day.