Big Wilson
Big Wilson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Malcolm John Wilson Jr. October 3, 1924 |
| Died | October 5, 1989 (aged 65) Selma, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Other names | Big John Wilson |
| Alma mater | Ithaca College |
| Occupation(s) | Disc jockey, announcer, late-night movie host |
| Known for | Announcer for Jack Horkheimer: Star Hustler |
| Spouse | Jody |
| Children | 1 |
Big Wilson (born Malcolm John Wilson Jr.; October 3, 1924 – October 5, 1989) was an American radio personality.[1] He worked as a disc jockey at WNBC AM in New York City from the early 1960s until 1974 and moved to Miami in 1975 where he worked for WIOD and WCIX-TV.[2]
Prior to moving to NYC, Wilson and his wife Jody lived in a riverfront home in Rocky River, Ohio. He commuted to KYW (AM) Radio Cleveland where he was the leading radio personality for some years, interviewing Tim Conway and other well-known persons at their homes.
Wilson was one of the last two hosts of the NBC network radio program Monitor.
Big Wilson also served as the announcer for the weekly television program, Jack Horkheimer: Star Hustler. Wilson's voice was heard reading the following poem during the program's opening sequence:
Some people hustle pool,
Some people hustle cars, But have you ever heard about
The man who hustles stars?
After Big Wilson's death in 1989, Star Hustler continued to use Wilson's pre-recorded voice in the television program's introduction as a "living memorial" to the man.[3] This ended in 1997 when the show was renamed Jack Horkheimer: Star Gazer.
Wilson, who was 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) tall, and weighed more than 300 pounds (140 kg), died from a heart attack, two days after his 65th birthday at a hotel in Selma, North Carolina. He was sometimes referred to in advertisements as "Mrs. Wilson's little boy 'Big'".
References
[edit]- ^ "Big Wilson, 65, Disc Jockey, Late-night Television Host". Fort Lauderdale, Florida: Sun Sentinel. 1989-10-07. Archived from the original on 2013-06-11. Retrieved 2015-03-01.
- ^ "Big Wilson Dies at 65; Ex-NBC Disk Jockey". The New York Times. New York, New York. 1989-10-07. Archived from the original on 2009-09-11. Retrieved 2015-02-28.
- ^ "ONLY IN FLORIDA - What ever happened to... Jack Horkheimer, The Star Hustler". Orlando, Florida: Orlando Sentinel. 1992-07-19. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-02-28.
External links
[edit]- The New York Times obituary, October 7, 1989
- Sun Sentinel obituary, October 7, 1989
- Big Wilson's last show on WNBC, March 15, 1974
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