Jerry G. Bishop: Difference between revisions
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=== Television === |
=== Television === |
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As Jerry G. Bishop, he helped to make "Big 10 WCFL" a [[Contemporary hit radio|Top-40]] powerhouse in his hometown of Chicago, and a viable competitor to the dominant [[WLS (AM)|WLS-AM]]. But in 1969, there came a shakeup in management. and he left the station for the local television market, landing at [[WFLD|WFLD-TV]], one of Chicago's first [[Ultra high frequency|UHF]] stations. At various times he anchored the newscast, hosted a [[Dialing for Dollars|"Dialing for Dollars"]] segment on the afternoon-movie program and supplied off-camera promos and announcements. It was in the latter capacity, as [[announcer]] of the station's Friday-night scary-movie anthology "Screaming Yellow Theater," that he created the character that would become known as Svengoolie - at first a [[Bela Lugosi]]-type voice under a [[Title sequence|title-card]] (and over [[Link Wray & His Ray Men|Link Wray]]'s 1958 hit [[Rumble (instrumental)|"Rumble"]]), then on-screen, in the guise of a green-haired, green-bearded, guitar-strumming [[hippie]] who slept in a [[Psychedelia|psychedelic]]-painted coffin and told corny, [[vaudeville]]-era jokes given a horror-movie skew. The show's title was derived from |
As Jerry G. Bishop, he helped to make "Big 10 WCFL" a [[Contemporary hit radio|Top-40]] powerhouse in his hometown of Chicago, and a viable competitor to the dominant [[WLS (AM)|WLS-AM]]. But in 1969, there came a shakeup in management. and he left the station for the local television market, landing at [[WFLD|WFLD-TV]], one of Chicago's first [[Ultra high frequency|UHF]] stations. At various times he anchored the newscast, hosted a [[Dialing for Dollars|"Dialing for Dollars"]] segment on the afternoon-movie program and supplied off-camera promos and announcements. It was in the latter capacity, as [[announcer]] of the station's Friday-night scary-movie anthology "Screaming Yellow Theater," that he created the character that would become known as Svengoolie - at first a [[Bela Lugosi]]-type voice under a [[Title sequence|title-card]] (and over [[Link Wray & His Ray Men|Link Wray]]'s 1958 hit [[Rumble (instrumental)|"Rumble"]]), then on-screen, in the guise of a green-haired, green-bearded, guitar-strumming [[hippie]] who slept in a [[Psychedelia|psychedelic]]-painted coffin and told corny, [[vaudeville]]-era jokes given a horror-movie skew. The show's title was derived from |
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[[Screaming Yellow Zonkers]], a yellow, sugary glazed popcorn snack in the 1960s. The show, and character, proved to be wildly successful; the show lasted from 1970 until 1973, when parent company [[Field Communications]] sold WFLD-TV to [[Kaiser Broadcasting]], which chose to replace "Theater" with a similar show popular in Cleveland, "[[The Ghoul Show]]." (The Svengoolie persona would be resurrected, with Bishop's permission, in 1979 by [[Rich Koz]], who had been a writer for the original series; Koz continues in the role today.)<ref name="chicagoradioandmedia1"/> |
[[Screaming Yellow Zonkers]], a yellow, sugary glazed popcorn snack in the 1960s. Svengoolie was a pun on the name [[Svengali]] + [[ghoul]]. The show, and character, proved to be wildly successful; the show lasted from 1970 until 1973, when parent company [[Field Communications]] sold WFLD-TV to [[Kaiser Broadcasting]], which chose to replace "Theater" with a similar show popular in Cleveland, "[[The Ghoul Show]]." (The Svengoolie persona would be resurrected, with Bishop's permission, in 1979 by [[Rich Koz]], who had been a writer for the original series; Koz continues in the role today.)<ref name="chicagoradioandmedia1"/> |
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=== Return to radio === |
=== Return to radio === |
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Revision as of 22:55, 13 January 2014
Jerry G. Bishop | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jairus Samuel Ghan August 3, 1936 |
| Died | September 15, 2013 (aged 77) |
| Years active | 1961-2006 |
| Spouse | Liz (2 children) |
Jerry G. Bishop (August 3, 1936 – September 15, 2013) was a radio and television personality who is known for being Chicago's original "Svengoolie", and for his award-winning twelve-year stint on "Sun-Up San Diego."
Education
Born Jairus Samuel Ghan[1] in Chicago to Russian Jewish parents,[2] he graduated from Wright Junior College, the University of Illinois and Columbia College Chicago.[3]
Career
Radio
In 1961, he got his start in radio at WNMP-AM (now WCGO-AM) in Evanston, hosting the morning-drive program. He also worked part-time on stations in Rockford and Springfield. In 1962, he was hired at WPGC-AM in Washington, D.C., where he stayed for a year, before being hired on at Cleveland giant KYW-AM as a night-time DJ. He had used his real name of Jerry Ghan at his previous jobs, but program director Ken Draper requested he change his on-air name to simply "Jerry G."[4]
During his three-year stint at KYW, Jerry G. toured with the Beatles as a reporter for Group W and NBC Radio stations on their 1964 and 1965 tours,[4] hosted a weekly dance-party program, "Jerry G & Co.," on KYW's television outlet,[5] and recorded a song, "She's Gone," backed by local group the Statesmen. Released as a single on the Clevetown label as by "Jerry G & Co.," it became a local hit in 1966.[6]
When Ken Draper was hired on as program director at Chicago's WCFL-AM in 1967, one of his first moves was to hire Jerry G. away from KYW to take over as the new morning-show host. Draper then asked him to pick a last name to go with the "Jerry G." name he had been using. He and his wife flipped through the Cleveland phone book, and together settled on the name "Bishop."[4]
Television
As Jerry G. Bishop, he helped to make "Big 10 WCFL" a Top-40 powerhouse in his hometown of Chicago, and a viable competitor to the dominant WLS-AM. But in 1969, there came a shakeup in management. and he left the station for the local television market, landing at WFLD-TV, one of Chicago's first UHF stations. At various times he anchored the newscast, hosted a "Dialing for Dollars" segment on the afternoon-movie program and supplied off-camera promos and announcements. It was in the latter capacity, as announcer of the station's Friday-night scary-movie anthology "Screaming Yellow Theater," that he created the character that would become known as Svengoolie - at first a Bela Lugosi-type voice under a title-card (and over Link Wray's 1958 hit "Rumble"), then on-screen, in the guise of a green-haired, green-bearded, guitar-strumming hippie who slept in a psychedelic-painted coffin and told corny, vaudeville-era jokes given a horror-movie skew. The show's title was derived from Screaming Yellow Zonkers, a yellow, sugary glazed popcorn snack in the 1960s. Svengoolie was a pun on the name Svengali + ghoul. The show, and character, proved to be wildly successful; the show lasted from 1970 until 1973, when parent company Field Communications sold WFLD-TV to Kaiser Broadcasting, which chose to replace "Theater" with a similar show popular in Cleveland, "The Ghoul Show." (The Svengoolie persona would be resurrected, with Bishop's permission, in 1979 by Rich Koz, who had been a writer for the original series; Koz continues in the role today.)[4]
Return to radio
After leaving WFLD, Bishop would be hired by WMAQ-AM as their morning-drive personality. He also worked on the station's television outlet (channel 5), hosting "Chicago Camera," a Sunday-afternoon variety program. He also anchored the "Today in Chicago" segment of NBC's "Today" show.[5] He would work for WMAQ until 1975, when WMAQ-AM changed formats from MOR/talk to country and replaced their entire announcing staff. Bishop remained in the Windy City for a short time afterwards, acting as Director of Corporate Affairs for The National Easter Seal Society of Chicago.[5]
In August 1978, he headed West, to San Diego and KFMB-TV, where he assumed the co-host chair of the long-running morning-talk program "Sun-Up San Diego." He collected three local Emmy Awards and a National Press Club Award for his work on the show,[5] which he co-hosted for twelve years until its cancellation in 1990.[7] In 1980, he served as local moderator of the discussion segment of the innovative Norman Lear project "The Baxters"; the segment was titled "The Baxters with Bishop."[5] In 1992, He worked at adult-contemporary KPOP-AM (now KLSD-AM),[1] and wound up his broadcasting career with a three-year stint hosting a show (via voice-tracking from San Diego) on WRLL ("Real Oldies 1690"), a Regional Mexican extended-AM station aimed at the Chicago area, beginning in 2003.[4]
Restaurateur
Away from his radio/television pursuits, Bishop and his family operated two Chicago-themed restaurants in San Diego's Seaport Village for 33 years: the Greek Islands Cafe (based on a similarly-named restaurant in Chicago) and Asaggio Pizza and Pasta (featuring deep-dish pizza and Chicago Cubs decor.)[4]
Death
Bishop died on September 15, 2013, at the University of California - San Diego Medical Center, of a heart attack.[3] He was survived by his wife of 49 years, Liz, and his children Melissa and Christopher.[1]
References
- ^ a b c "Jairus Ghan Obituary - SAN DIEGO, California". Obitsforlife.com. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
- ^ "Person Details for Jairus Ghan in household of Hyman Leibow, "United States Census, 1940" —". Familysearch.org. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
- ^ a b "Jerry G. Bishop, 1936-2013". chicagotribune.com. 1936-08-03. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
- ^ a b c d e f "Chicago Radio/TV Veteran Jerry G. Bishop Passes Away". Chicagoradioandmedia.com. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
- ^ a b c d e "Jerry G. Bishop Obituary: View Jerry Bishop's Obituary by U-T San Diego". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
- ^ "Jerry G. Bishop 'She's Gone' - 1966". Chicagoradioandmedia.com. 2011-10-24. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
- ^ KEVIN BRASS (1986-07-05). "After 30 Years, Sun Sets on 'Sun-Up San Diego' - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
External links
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| National | |
