![]() As the heady promise of the sixties sagged under the weight of widespread violence, rioting, and racial unrest, two young men - one black and one white - took to stages across the nation to help Americans confront their racial divide by laughing at it.Tim and Tom tells the story of that pioneering duo, the only interracial comedy team in the history of show business. Think of a mellow, Salvador Dali-type of character with a warm smile, neatly wrapped scarf, signature red shoes - with a large blunt in hand.The story of the first and last interracial comedy team in show business is chronicled in a firsthand volume that unearths a largely forgotten chapter in the history of comedy. In his later years, Howard was an erudite, peaceful, funny man who loved to split his time living with his wife Caroline in the south of France and in Southern California. I learned the news of Howard’s death from Loni Anderson, who spoke with him a few days before he passed. It’s truly the only real TV family I have ever been part of. There’s a connection between many members of the “WKRP” cast that went a lot deeper than the usual professional relationships. I believe Howard would say that “WKRP” was the most freedom he ever had as an actor. That was what helped make “WKRP” so special. But he didn’t suffer fools well, especially when it came to bad material. Howard was the first DJ to break Blondie’s “Heart of Glass,” on our show. Soon after, radio stations in America start to give Bob Marley and reggae more respect. I still remember getting a call from Rita Marley telling me that Bob Marley wanted to thank me for helping to break his music in the U.S. ![]() ![]() He even let us pick our own music used in the scenes, just like realworld DJs. Hugh pushed us to to keep exploring the layers of our characters. There was a little friction at the beginning of “WKRP” between Howard and Hugh, but once Howard saw Hugh was serious about giving us freedom, mutual respect was established and the joyful complexities of Johnny Fever emerged. He encouraged us to bring a measure of our personal feelings and style to characters. Not the words they said, but the ability to shape the characters. Howard and I were given control of the characters of Johnny Fever and Venus Flytrap. Series creator Hugh Wilson gave us a level of creative freedom that was unheard of in television production. Johnny Fever was a perfect fit for Howard. He was like a chameleon - whatever the scene called for in terms of believability of the situation, he brought with his unique style. He could play drama, he could play comedy, and he could improvise with the best of them. I can’t remember ever hearing him express himself in a really loud, aggressive way.Īs an actor, Howard was so talented. We met up on vacations with our wives in Paris and Italy. Howard and I traveled the world together. He was wearing red shoes before any guys, outside of Elton John, were wearing red shoes. He always had his signature style with his hats and scarfs. He was a wonderful person to sit down with for a couple of drinks to discuss life. Off screen, he was smooth and cool in the older definition of cool - very relaxed, very well-educated. He was a real hippie, long after tie-dye and beads had lost their appeal for many. Howard was a unique person and a gentle soul. At our first meeting, I walked up to Howard and said, “I’m the thief who lifted your routine.” Rather than get angry at me, Howard laughed and said, “You did a good job with it.” And that started a beautiful friendship.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |