Clay Cole

Clay Cole is a former host and disk jockey, best known for his eponymous television dance program, The Clay Cole Show, which aired in New York City on WNTA and WPIX-TV from 1959 to 1968. The Clay Cole Show was unique among early television rock 'n' roll studio dance shows; it was witty and stylish with a sophisticated New York point-of-view. It was Clay's youth (21), his dancing ability and his fully-integrated studio audience that set him apart

Origins

Clay Cole was a New Year's baby, born January 1, 1938 in Youngstown, Ohio as Albert Rucker, Jr. He became a juvenile stage and radio actor, then in 1953, at age 15, became the television host/producer of his own Saturday night teen music show "Rucker's Rumpus Room" first on WKBN-TV, then, until 1957 on WFMJ. Arriving in Manhattan in 1957, he worked first as an NBC Page, then as a production assistant on the troubled quiz show Twenty-One,(events recreated in the 1994 film, "Quiz Show", directed by Robert Redford.

Early television and film career

In 1958, he continued his Saturday night television legacy, launching "Al Rucker and the Seven Teens" program on WJAR-TV, Providence, Rhode Island. In New York City in 1959, when asked to change his name, he chose Clay Cole, a distant cousin. Clay's 1960 all-star ten-day Christmas show at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater broke the all-time house box office record. Clay was among the few white performers invited to appear at Harlem's legendary Apollo Theater; he headlined three week-long revues, starring Fats Domino, Gladys Knight & the Pips and Chubby Checker. In 1961, he appeared as himself in the film Twist Around the Clock.

Writing/ producing/ directing career

Following his departure from the Clay Cole Show, Clay became a television writer - producer, involved in the production of over 3500 broadcast television shows. He is twice winner of the Emmy Award (NATAS) as "producer of outstanding television programming" in 1981 and 1982 for the Joel Siegel Academy Awards special. He produced "The Discovery of Marilyn Monroe," "Play Bridge with Omar Sharif" and 365 "This Day In Hollywood" segments. Along with David Susskind and Raysa Bonow, he created and produced the first primetime entertainment magazine "People" for CBS in 1979. He returned briefly in 1974 as the star of the very first HBO-produced music special "Clay Cole's 20 Years of Rock and Roll," a two-hour event taped at Rockland Community College, and as co-host of the WABC-TV weekday program, "AM New York." His final professional assignment was as writer/producer/director of the television special, the 2002 Sanremo Music Festival in Italy, featuring Britney Spears, Destiny's Child, Alicia Keys, Shakira, Kylie Minogue and other international pop divas.

Retirement

Clay Cole is retired and lives on an island off the Cape Fear River on the Atlantic Ocean on the North Carolina coast. Clay Cole's pop culture memoirs, "Sh-Boom! The Explosion of Rock 'n' Roll (1953-1968)" published by Morgan James, was released in 2009.

In 2007 Clay Cole became a member of the nominating committee of the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.

External links

• Clay Cole Show