Big Wilson
Big Wilson | |
---|---|
Born |
Malcolm John Wilson, Jr. October 3, 1924 Mariaville Lake, New York, U.S. |
Died |
October 5, 1989 65) Selma, North Carolina, U.S. | (aged
Other names | Big John Wilson |
Alma mater | Ithaca College |
Occupation | Disc jockey, announcer, late-night movie host |
Known for | Announcer for Jack Horkheimer: Star Hustler |
Spouse(s) | Jody |
Children | John Jeffrey Wilson |
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] He was one of the last two hosts of the NBC network program Monitor. Prior to moving to NYC, Wilson and his wife Jody lived in a riverfront home in Rocky River, Ohio. He commuted to Cleveland where he was the leading radio personality for some years. Tim Conway and other well-known persons visited their home.
Big Wilson served as the announcer for the weekly television program, Jack Horkheimer: Star Hustler. During the program's opening sequence, Wilson's voice was the one which was heard reading the following poem:
“ |
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 foot 6 tall, and weighed more than 300 pounds, died from a heart attack, two days after this 65th birthday at a hotel in Selma.
References
- ↑ "Big Wilson, 65, Disc Jockey, Late-night Television Host". Sun Sentinel official site. Fort Lauderdale, Florida: Sun Sentinel. 7 October 1989. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
- ↑ "Big Wilson Dies at 65; Ex-NBC Disk Jockey". New York Times official site. New York, New York: New York Times. 7 October 1989. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
- ↑ "ONLY IN FLORIDA - What ever happened to... Jack Horkheimer, The Star Hustler". Orlando Sentinel official site. Orlando, Florida: Orlando Sentinel. 19 July 1992. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
External links
- New York Times obituary, October 7, 1989
- Sun Sentinel obituary, October 7, 1989
- Big Wilson's last show on WNBC, March 15, 1974