Xd_brklyn Member Username: Xd_brklyn
Post Number: 277 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Friday, August 10, 2007 - 9:08 am: | |
Woodward, thanks for the link. Found this--The Sonny Eliot Podcast. Glad to see he's still around here in the 21st Century. |
Karl_jr Member Username: Karl_jr
Post Number: 60 Registered: 06-2007
| Posted on Friday, August 10, 2007 - 9:15 am: | |
Sonny = Prince of Detroit |
Newport1128 Member Username: Newport1128
Post Number: 100 Registered: 05-2007
| Posted on Friday, August 10, 2007 - 9:49 am: | |
I just hope when I'm his age, I can still remember all those one-liners, and still be able to go out and work a few hours a day. He must love what he does, because he probably doesn't need the money. Funny how comedians like Bob Hope, George Burns, Groucho Marx and Sonny live to such ripe old ages. Must be something about laughter that keeps them going. |
Professorscott Member Username: Professorscott
Post Number: 622 Registered: 12-2006
| Posted on Friday, August 10, 2007 - 11:05 am: | |
Also the last person on Earth who still refers to the morning of the following day as "on the morrow", as in "sun sets tonight exac-tically 8:13, rises on the morrow at 7:45. Current official temperature in our town is 81 degrees." I noticed just in the past several months he is saying "tomorrow" instead of "on the morrow" so the latter phrase is now officially extinct and can be removed from dictionaries. He follows the current temperature with a plug for afternoon co-anchor Jayne Bower, usually describing her with two adjectives that you'd have to look up to know what they mean (and which she hopes are complimentary, which they usually are). I enjoy the heck out of it. |
Ewo Member Username: Ewo
Post Number: 36 Registered: 05-2006
| Posted on Friday, August 10, 2007 - 12:53 pm: | |
One of my favorites, "Tonight it's going to be as cold as a metal chair in a nudist colony" |
Smogboy Member Username: Smogboy
Post Number: 5679 Registered: 11-2004
| Posted on Friday, August 10, 2007 - 1:39 pm: | |
"Today's so hot the people stealing hubcaps are using oven mitts" -if you want to know how dated that was people actually had metal hubcaps back in the day! |
Hawthorne Member Username: Hawthorne
Post Number: 34 Registered: 12-2006
| Posted on Friday, August 10, 2007 - 1:53 pm: | |
Xd_brklyn: On television, Sonny did the weather for WDIV (previously WWJ-TV) and not WJBK. He also hosted a daytime movie on WKBD for several years. |
Gistok Member Username: Gistok
Post Number: 5065 Registered: 08-2004
| Posted on Friday, August 10, 2007 - 1:55 pm: | |
I even heard him say (unbelievable!) on his WWJ 950 radio slot.... "the temperature in Athens Greece is..... "You know in Greece how they separate the men from the boys? With a crowbar!" |
Ed_golick Member Username: Ed_golick
Post Number: 749 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Friday, August 10, 2007 - 2:10 pm: | |
In the 1950s Sonny was the voice of Willy for the puppet show Let's See Willy Dooit, and was on the kids show Glen and Mickey. Sonny also emceed two game shows called Shadow Stumpers and Hit a Homer. |
Waz Member Username: Waz
Post Number: 151 Registered: 11-2006
| Posted on Friday, August 10, 2007 - 2:18 pm: | |
As I recall, Sonny's wife used to assist with the Thanksgiving Parade broadcasts. Does anyone know how she's doing? |
Gibran Member Username: Gibran
Post Number: 875 Registered: 02-2007
| Posted on Friday, August 10, 2007 - 3:06 pm: | |
My gosh...I really can't believe and I guess I am very thankful for this thread...these guys are still around...very cool....All the icons of the 60's and some still around 40 years later...thanks to all that posted on these iconic threads...It made memory cells fire up... |
Ed_golick Member Username: Ed_golick
Post Number: 750 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Friday, August 10, 2007 - 3:41 pm: | |
Sonny's wife, the lovely Annette, isn't in the greatest health, but she is doing well. In the 50s Mrs. Eliot used to write for the WWJ-TV preschool show "Playschool." She later taught school in East Detroit. http://detroitkidshow.com/Sonn y_Eliot_Thanksgiving_TV_Topper .htm |
Rickinatlanta Member Username: Rickinatlanta
Post Number: 97 Registered: 07-2006
| Posted on Friday, August 10, 2007 - 3:47 pm: | |
Just listened to the podcast - PRICELESS! I've saved it to my favorites. First I've heard him since 1970! |
Waz Member Username: Waz
Post Number: 154 Registered: 11-2006
| Posted on Friday, August 10, 2007 - 3:57 pm: | |
Bless you, Ed. Your knowledge of local baby-boomer trivia knows no bounds! |
Margaret Member Username: Margaret
Post Number: 51 Registered: 06-2007
| Posted on Friday, August 10, 2007 - 4:19 pm: | |
what wonderful posts! thanks, everyone! |
Ed_golick Member Username: Ed_golick
Post Number: 751 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Friday, August 10, 2007 - 5:28 pm: | |
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Pythonmaster Member Username: Pythonmaster
Post Number: 84 Registered: 12-2006
| Posted on Friday, August 10, 2007 - 5:44 pm: | |
" All the animals in the zoo are jumping up and down for you, Hoping you will have fun today by buying a zoo key right away." |
Ed_golick Member Username: Ed_golick
Post Number: 753 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Friday, August 10, 2007 - 5:49 pm: | |
All the animals in the zoo Are jumping up and down for you. Asking you to be sure to plan To visit the zoo as soon as you can. Storybooks that really talk You turn on with a key. Tell fascinating things about The animals you see. Story books and zoo keys Together guide you through. A world of new excitement Awaits you at the zoo. |
Mikeg Member Username: Mikeg
Post Number: 1062 Registered: 12-2005
| Posted on Friday, August 10, 2007 - 8:24 pm: | |
Sonny Eliot wrote the foreword to Tim Kiska's excellent book, "From Soupy to Nuts", which should be on the bookshelves of every member of this forum. Sonny also provided Tim with valuable "obscure information" for the book, as did our fellow forumer, Ed_Golick.
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Miss_cleo Member Username: Miss_cleo
Post Number: 782 Registered: 05-2005
| Posted on Friday, August 10, 2007 - 8:48 pm: | |
Sonny is truly a Detroit Gem! |
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba
Post Number: 5504 Registered: 11-2003
| Posted on Saturday, August 11, 2007 - 1:58 pm: | |
Let's not forget the great Karl Haas, WJR musicman for decades, until he up and moved to Cleveland. Soupy Sales was mentioned. "So jjaba took his girlfriend to Briggs Stadium for a day game in April. We sat high up in Section 24. jjaba kissed her on the strikes. She kissed him on the balls!" (With a wink and a nod to Soupy Sales.) Groucho Max had a couple on his tv show who had 19 children. "Why so many children? We just love children. Ya, I love a cigar, but tell you what, I take it out of my mouth once in a while!!!" Sonny, Soupy, Groucho, wonderful Yiddische humorists. jjaba, Westside Bar Mitzvah Bukkor. |
Jrvass Member Username: Jrvass
Post Number: 164 Registered: 01-2007
| Posted on Sunday, August 12, 2007 - 7:40 am: | |
I just went looking for my zoo key. A red elephant with a blue tag that you turned on the speaker thing with it's trunk. Right? What did I find in my old desk? An old Disney World plastic license plate with my name on it and 2 decks of "Femlin Playboy" playing cards! If I was looking for bullshit, I would find gold! James |
Jyogi Member Username: Jyogi
Post Number: 15 Registered: 05-2007
| Posted on Sunday, August 12, 2007 - 2:14 pm: | |
I have two of the Zoo Keys with the tags on them I just found as my mom was a docent there when I was younger. I was just at the zoo a couple weeks ago and they have a new version of those, kinda one of the credit card things... You must buy the card at a stand somewhere and then put them in the boxes. The zoo looked really nice! |
Gistok Member Username: Gistok
Post Number: 5067 Registered: 08-2004
| Posted on Sunday, August 12, 2007 - 3:05 pm: | |
Another 1960's icon was Carol Duvall. She had a 15 minute craft show on WWJ Channel 4 in the 1960's. She is still alive and kicking. After decades of not hearing about her, she now does a 1 hour craft show for HGTV (Home & Garden Television cable channel). She must be in her upper 70's by now, and lives in Leland Michigan (near Grand Traverse Bay), and tapes her show from Traverse City for HGTV. Her show often features Michigan artists and crafters (her son and daugher-in-law own their own Pottery business nearby). |
Ed_golick Member Username: Ed_golick
Post Number: 762 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Sunday, August 12, 2007 - 3:22 pm: | |
Carol Duvall retired from TV in 2004. |
Gistok Member Username: Gistok
Post Number: 5069 Registered: 08-2004
| Posted on Sunday, August 12, 2007 - 3:40 pm: | |
Thanks Ed.... cable reruns... |
Ccbatson Member Username: Ccbatson
Post Number: 2008 Registered: 11-2006
| Posted on Sunday, August 12, 2007 - 8:48 pm: | |
In his heyday he was not very nice in person. I think he has mellowed in his later years and now seems very nice. |
Rb336 Member Username: Rb336
Post Number: 1171 Registered: 02-2007
| Posted on Monday, August 13, 2007 - 9:16 am: | |
Are you talking about Sonny, Bats? I met him several times out at the drayton plains nature center and other places. He always treated everyone in a friendly manner |
Gingellgirl Member Username: Gingellgirl
Post Number: 28 Registered: 04-2007
| Posted on Monday, August 13, 2007 - 12:34 pm: | |
Sonny is like your favorite uncle in person. He's terrific with kids, sweet to ladies, and a buddy to men. I was an intern at WDIV in 1982, and Sonny used to come in our office to visit his old friend Seymour Kapetansky (another Detroit legend). They used to rip on some of the smuttiest jokes, and I dug every minute of it. I attended his "roast" at the Roostertail a few years back, and rubbed elbows with Detroit's media legends. The place was packed. He's made, and kept, a few Boblo boatloads of friends. Whenever I run into him, I always say, "Didn't you used to be Sonny Eliot?" And he always answers, "I hope I still am." P.S. I was recently in Engadine and visited the Enga Diner, in Sonny's honor. |
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba
Post Number: 5505 Registered: 11-2003
| Posted on Monday, August 13, 2007 - 2:09 pm: | |
Gingelgirl, great line. "A Bo-lo Boatload of friends." That's Pure Detroit, Pure Forum. Welcome to Forum. Your #28 was a hit. jjaba, Westsider. |
Gingellgirl Member Username: Gingellgirl
Post Number: 29 Registered: 04-2007
| Posted on Monday, August 13, 2007 - 2:52 pm: | |
That's high praise, jjaba. Thank you. You made my day. |
Vic_doucette Member Username: Vic_doucette
Post Number: 345 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Monday, August 13, 2007 - 5:13 pm: | |
Some years ago, WWJ was doing a remote at the North American International Auto Show and I happened to be there doing traffic reports. Remotes aren't the draw they once were. Even back then, crowds were a lot thinner than they had been at similar remotes a few years before. Until Sonny showed up. Where once only a handful of people stood, the crowd was suddenly 6-8 deep, all across the length of the WWJ "fishbowl" remote set. I'm pretty sure they weren't there to see me. Sonny did his thing, then waded out into the crowd. He signed every autograph he was asked for and shook every hand that was offered. And his posed for a potful of pictures. One woman who posed with him smiled sweetly just as her friend pressed the shutter -- but the flash misfired and the picture would surely have been a dud. "Wait a minute," Sonny said, "that one didn't work out too well. Let's take another try." He held the pose, and this time the camera flashed as it was supposed to. I've known broadcasters with not a tenth of his skill -- let alone name recognition -- who wouldn't have done any of that. Swelled-head types who were too cool to actually mingle with their fans -- you know, those same fans who were responsible for whatever success the broadcaster had to begin with. Sonny obviously knew who put him where he was. |
Gistok Member Username: Gistok
Post Number: 5082 Registered: 08-2004
| Posted on Monday, August 13, 2007 - 5:28 pm: | |
Thanks Vic, nice anecdote about a true Detroit treasure, and class act!! |
Whithorn11446 Member Username: Whithorn11446
Post Number: 133 Registered: 03-2007
| Posted on Monday, August 13, 2007 - 7:33 pm: | |
"In his heyday he was not very nice in person. I think he has mellowed in his later years and now seems very nice." That seems like the case. Maybe age and not being in the pressure cooker of Channel 4 helped with that. Did you encounter him in the Lindell when he was in one of his not so great moods during the early 70's ? He would have half of the bar to himself. I'm sure having Billy and Sonny in a pissed off mood simultaneously made a "fun" night for Jimmy. I have heard some things about the way he was at the Detroit Zoo at times, but then again it could have been bratty kids so don't know for sure on that one what the real story was. |
Kathleen Member Username: Kathleen
Post Number: 2429 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2007 - 7:06 am: | |
Wayne State University Press is publishing Sonny Sez!: Legends, Yarns & Downright Truths this fall. From the press release I received: Sonny Sez! Sonny Eliot, everyone's favorite Detroit weatherman, is back with a new book of wit and wisdom! Sonny Sez! Legends, Yarns & Downright Truths contains 100 one-minute stories out of hundreds broadcast on Sonny's syndicated radio show over the years. Sonny's stories concern "the strange, the humorous, and the useless," tackling questions like, why do empty rooms get dusty? What is the meaning and origin of the phrase "the whole nine yards"? And why is a dog's nose moist? The responses are often fascinating, and Sonny promises that they are also mostly true! Over 70 illustrations from renowned Detroit political cartoonist Draper Hill bring Sonny's stories to life. Sonny Sez! will make a delightful keepsake for Sonny's many fans and a great introduction to his humor for anyone else! For more info: http://wsupress.wayne.edu/turt le/williamsss/williamsb.html |
Cdent Member Username: Cdent
Post Number: 23 Registered: 05-2007
| Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2007 - 8:52 am: | |
It would be grrr-riffic to see a list of all the one liners that sonny has used in his time on the Detroit airwaves, As a boy I always loved waiting for the weather just to hear if it was going to be "" SOME WORD MIXED WITH SOME WORD "" Outside now that was real weather forecasting. |
Jyogi Member Username: Jyogi
Post Number: 22 Registered: 05-2007
| Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2007 - 10:50 am: | |
Sonny looks great! I was just looking through last weeks Jewish News and there was a pic of him at some recent charity event... I must say for his age he looked damn good! They also list him as living in Farmington Hills.... Also, for those of you who remember Al Ackerman the sportscaster he lives down in FL, my dad was just down there visiting him for a week... Still doing well but has VERY bad knees! |
Ditman Member Username: Ditman
Post Number: 19 Registered: 05-2007
| Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2007 - 3:43 pm: | |
OK, everyone knows Sonny was on WWJ-TV forever. Anyone remember the weathercasters for WJBK or WXYZ? I can tell you that Troy Dungan was was at WXYZ just retired from WFAA-TV(ABC affiliate)last wk after 30 yrs. |
Ed_golick Member Username: Ed_golick
Post Number: 771 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2007 - 4:05 pm: | |
If you're talking old school, Dr. Everett Phelps was at WJBK from 1951 to 1958. After Phelps left the station, JBK went with the Fair Weather Girls, a group of fabulous weatherbabes. |
Xd_brklyn Member Username: Xd_brklyn
Post Number: 279 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2007 - 6:17 pm: | |
Ok, little confused here on the station call letters as I always referred to them as just channel 2, channel 4, and channel 7 from the days when you had to get up and turn the dial. But now when visiting back home I go with the cable remote and just hit the down and up buttons until I get something/anything. Channels aren't what they used to be, so here's my take on the situation: Detroit's CBS affiliate had been WJBK on channel 2 but changed to WWJ-TV in 1995 and moved to channel 50. The ABC affiliate has always been WXYZ on channel 7 and still is. Detroit's NBC affiliate on channel 4 was WWJ-TV but changed in 1978 to WDIV. So Sonny Eliot was on NBC's WWJ-TV for years but now is on CBS's WWJ-AM radio, correct? |
Whithorn11446 Member Username: Whithorn11446
Post Number: 135 Registered: 03-2007
| Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2007 - 6:31 pm: | |
"So Sonny Eliot was on NBC's WWJ-TV for years but now is on CBS's WWJ-AM radio, correct?" That is correct I believe although media ownership changes all the time it seems. Back when Sonny was at Channel 4 WWJ-TV they were owned by the Detroit News. The Detroit News had to divest themselves of Channel 4 and WWJ-950 A.M. In the mid 1970's the federal government believed a monopoly of media outlet ownership in certain cities was taking place. |
Waz Member Username: Waz
Post Number: 158 Registered: 11-2006
| Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2007 - 7:21 pm: | |
Jerry Hodak has been a mainstay at WXYZ since I would venture the late 60's. Jerry is as reserved as Sonny is silly. I love 'em both, though. |
Mikeg Member Username: Mikeg
Post Number: 1072 Registered: 12-2005
| Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2007 - 7:28 pm: | |
Jerry Hodak started out at Channel 2 in 1965. He went to Channel 7 in 1977 and then back to Channel 2 in 1992. He has been back at Channel 7 since 1996. (source) (Message edited by Mikeg on August 14, 2007) |
D2dyeah Member Username: D2dyeah
Post Number: 68 Registered: 09-2005
| Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2007 - 8:58 pm: | |
During Hudson's Thanksgiving Day Parade, nobody was excited as Sonny Eliott when Santa Claus arrived. He launched my brothers and I right into the Christmas spirit. |
Gingellgirl Member Username: Gingellgirl
Post Number: 32 Registered: 04-2007
| Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2007 - 10:41 am: | |
Jerry hasn't changed much since the 1960's . . . except for his hair. Here he is with wife Peggy way back then, thanks to WSU's Virtual Motor City project.
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Gingellgirl Member Username: Gingellgirl
Post Number: 33 Registered: 04-2007
| Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2007 - 10:48 am: | |
My favorite weather girl . . . Marilyn Turner.
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Rb336 Member Username: Rb336
Post Number: 1255 Registered: 02-2007
| Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2007 - 10:56 am: | |
Just a pet peeves here for a second: weather reporters who call themselves "meteorologists" when they have no such degree. which of our weather people have a degree in meteorology? anyone know? pet peeve addendum: these same alleged meteorologists are often handed any science reporting duties, and most of the ones i've seen have no more understanding of scientific method than the average first grader |
Gingellgirl Member Username: Gingellgirl
Post Number: 36 Registered: 04-2007
| Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2007 - 11:25 am: | |
Rb336, as for the TV meteorologists/weathercasters . . . Channel 7: Shay Ryan has a Master's degree from Mississippi State University in Geosciences (Broadcast Meteorology). Not sure of Dave Rexroth's background. Jerry Hodak has the Seal of Approval from the American Meteorological Society, and that's good enough for me! Channel 4: Kim Adams studied atmospheric science at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Graduate School in Washington, D.C., and at Ohio State University and is working on her PhD. According to the station bio, she is the first female meteorologist in the Detroit market. Paul Gross graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor's degree in meteorology. Andrew Humphrey has a BSE in Meteorology from the University of Michigan and an MS in Meteorology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Eric Wilson has a diploma as a broadcast meteorologist from Mississippi University. Channel 2: Rich Luterman graduated from Penn State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in meteorology. Kam Carman and Ben Bailey have experience, but not sure about the degree. And Wyatt Everhart has moved on to become a political reporter. |
Hawthorne Member Username: Hawthorne
Post Number: 35 Registered: 12-2006
| Posted on Saturday, August 18, 2007 - 12:48 pm: | |
Xd_brklyn: May I make one small correction to your post? WWJ-TV broadcasts on (analog) channel 62 (and digital channel 44, BTW), not 50. You are probably thinking of sister station WKBD, which does broadcast on (analog) channel 50 (and digital channel 14). Sonny had a weekend movie show on WKBD back in the sixties. When he was on TV doing the weather report for channel 4, the station call letters were WWJ-TV, but channel 4 is now WDIV, so that's where the confusion may come from. Both WKBD and WWJ-TV are now owned and operated by CBS Television Stations Group. |
Bagman Member Username: Bagman
Post Number: 88 Registered: 06-2004
| Posted on Friday, August 24, 2007 - 3:22 am: | |
My girlfriend just ran into him a few weeks ago while she was dropping in on WWJ. he was walking in and she introduced herself and mentioned that her Grandmother was a elementary school classmate of his. He took her to his office and got out a head shot and personalized it to her grandmother. Nice touch for an old guy. I am amazed that he is able to keep his job with some of the things he says on air, but you'll never hear me complain. |