LOCAL DEATH ~ Broadcast legend Randy Atcher dead at 83
The Kentucky Wizard
brother of Foster Brooks, another Louisvillian who was famous for his "drunk
man" satire, who appeared on most of the Dean Martin Roasts.*
*Randy Atcher was a long time favorite in the area, and brought smiles to
anyone who came in contact with him. He will be sorely missed.*
--
The Wiz.....
Kentuckiana got to know Randy Atcher by sitting in front of their TV sets or
sitting on Randy's lap.
T-Bar-V ranch is part of our heritage in Kentuckiana. Part of growing up,
Randy Atcher provided the guiding hand.
T-Bar-V went on the air March 27, 1950. Randy and Cactus Tom Brooks began
entertaining children in Kentuckiana from the first day WHAS-TV went on the
air. Helping them celebrate their birthdays in the studio with a song
written by randy. That other birthday song would cost too much in royalties.
T-Bar-V was an instant hit with children and for 21 years, children would
line up to be part of the show. Randy said in an interview, "I think in the
end we saw 153,000 children."
Children, who as adults, would write Randy letters. A letter like the one we
read to him nearly three years ago. It says, "I waited too long to say thank
you to Cactus Tom Brooks. I don't want to make that same mistake with you.
Thank you for everything you did."
Randy explained, "I got the biggest grin you ever saw."
So Kentuckiana says goodbye to the man who grew up in West Point, Ky. and
wanted to do nothing but sing and make us smile.
As one of eight children, Randy grew up singing with his brothers. They
would travel by day and play at night.
Randy landed a gig at WHAS radio. His singing would take him to St. Louis
and Chicago. He was hoping Hollywood would come knocking on his door needing
another singing cowboy. World war II called instead.
He came back home to radio, and then something called television! He became
Kentuckiana's singing cowboy and we made him part of our family. And for
Kentuckiana, losing Randy, is like losing family-losing a childhood friend.
During an interview WHAS11 asked Randy, "How do you want people to remember
you?" He said, "I was always hoping there would be a street named after me.
And I hope people always associate me with T-Bar-V and the positive
influence it had."
So for old times sake Kentuckiana, for Randy, gather round the TV set and be
a kid one more time. Pass the story of Randy, Cactus and T-Bar-V on to your
children. He was truly a Kentucky legend.
Heinz W. Wiggeshoff
>
...
> sitting on Randy's lap.
>
> T-Bar-V went on the air March 27, 1950. Randy and Cactus Tom Brooks began
> entertaining children in Kentuckiana from the first day WHAS-TV went on the
> air. Helping them celebrate their birthdays in the studio with a song
> written by randy.
Would any TV station or program host even _dare_ to put on a show
like that these days? Sounds riskier than teaching.
The Kentucky Wizard
"Heinz W. Wiggeshoff" <ab...@FreeNet.Carleton.CA> wrote in message
news:ao1opn$n94$1...@freenet9.carleton.ca...
No station would dare carry this type of children's entertainment nowadays,
it's too wholesome for them. I sure loved watching it as a kid, especially
the day my cousin was on there and she said hello to various family members
including me and my brother, I thought I was an instant celebrity at that
point.
--
The Wiz.....
Kathy
> --The Kentucky Wizard <kentuckywizardNOS...@hotmail.com>
wrote in message news:V5Wo9.23067$hb4.5965@sccrnsc02...
> *A tidbit not mentioned here, Atcher's sidekick, Cactus Tom Brooks, was
the
> brother of Foster Brooks, another Louisvillian who was famous for his
"drunk
> man" satire, who appeared on most of the Dean Martin Roasts.*
>
> *Randy Atcher was a long time favorite in the area, and brought smiles to
> anyone who came in contact with him. He will be sorely missed.*
>
> The Wiz.....
I was on that show when I was a little girl, but Cactus wasn't there that
week so it was just Randy. He really seemed to like all of us children,
unlike some other personalities I've run into over the years.
He will be missed.
Didn't he have another show for adults? Hayloft Hodown? Or something like
that.
Kathy Wajerski
The Kentucky Wizard
"Kathy" <kaw...@charter.net> wrote in message
news:uq8ub1l...@corp.supernews.com...
>
>
> I was on that show when I was a little girl, but Cactus wasn't there that
> week so it was just Randy. He really seemed to like all of us children,
> unlike some other personalities I've run into over the years.
>
> He will be missed.
>
> Didn't he have another show for adults? Hayloft Hodown? Or something
like
> that.
>
> Kathy Wajerski
>
>
There was indeed a "Hayloft Hoedown" produced locally here in Louisville,
and Atcher was the host. Hayloft Hoedown was a show that many major cities
produced with it's individual variety of home-grown celebrities, so it was
not unique to Louisville. Here is a article and bio on Atcher that was in
the Courier-Journal back in May, which details his life and his television
and radio career.
--
The Wiz.....
POP CULTURE
'It's T-Bar-V Ranch Time'
For Randy Atcher, kids'-show reunion is a chance to savor the past
The singing cowboy lives in a condominium. He greets a visitor dressed in
his summer uniform of golf shorts, polo shirt and a farmer's tan. His time
belongs mainly to him now -- the reward, one supposes, of outliving almost
everyone else in your generation.
His manner could best be described as a practiced twinkliness, a kind of
patience that show-biz people from a certain era exhibit reflexively. Even
though he's been asked the same questions since before many of us were born,
he'll answer them again, because this has been a good life and it's a small
price to pay.
"I'm at the age where I could easily not be able to do anything," he pointed
out. "I'm a very lucky man."
It doesn't take any coaxing to get him to start rolling out the stories.
When he gets going, you could practically turn on a tape recorder and go out
for a drive, although that would be rude. Besides, it's not every day that
you're invited in for conversation and a cup of coffee with a bona fide
cultural icon.
And at age 82, that's what Randy Atcher is to a lot of people around here.
If you were a tot in this town between 1951 and 1970, Randy Atcher was your
Elvis and your Madonna. He was all four Teletubbies in one, and much more
coherent. He didn't invent television, but he sure made it seem like
something worth owning.
In the nearly 20 years that Atcher and his sidekick, "Cactus" Tom Brooks,
held court on "T-Bar-V Ranch," they seared themselves like a branding iron
into the collective consciousness of the baby boom generation.
Airing on WHAS-TV from a mythical ranch in the station's downtown studios,
"T-Bar-V" was pure hokum, a pre-beatnik primer in minding authority, eating
your vegetables and brushing your teeth. People ate it up.
It is a love affair that knows no expiration date. Tonight, Atcher will
stoke the memories again when he appears at a "T-Bar-V" reunion at Jim
Porter's Good Time Emporium, 2345 Lexington Road, from 6 to 8. Tickets are
$10, with the net proceeds going to the WHAS Crusade for Children.
"I just hope people will come and talk to me," Atcher said. It's a
touchingly wistful statement considering that people still interrupt him in
restaurants to talk about the show. "Every day we watched it on our ugly
little 10-inch TV," recalled Jackie Carlsen, whose home on Garrett Street in
the South End was a gathering place for neighborhood kids who didn't have
TVs yet. "They taught us to save our money, to mind our mommy and daddy;
they told us to be good. We trusted Randy and Cactus."
Carlsen, now 57, appeared on "T-Bar-V" several times in the early 1950s,
always on her birthday, as was the practice. Years later, she made sure her
daughter, Donna, made the scene at "T-Bar-V" as well.
"In 1970, we had just moved back to Louisville (from New York) when I heard
that 'T-Bar-V' was still on," said Carlsen, who now lives in Fern Creek. "I
had to get her on."
They made it just in time. Little Donna (now 35-year-old Donna Nitishin)
showed up on "T-Bar-V" for her 5th birthday on June 12, 1970, just 18 days
before WHAS management unceremoniously pulled the plug on Randy and Cactus.
Three decades later, Atcher flashes only a trace of bitterness at the way it
ended. He clearly does not believe that WHAS, then owned by the powerful
Bingham family, treated the show very respectfully, but he refuses to bash
his former bosses.
Instead he talks about the way strangers still look at him with a glow of
recognition, or of the 20-plus appearances he is still asked to do every
year.
"It is wonderful how they remember," he said. ATCHER'S STORY as an
entertainer goes much further back than the debut of "T-Bar-V" on March 27,
1950, and is in many ways more compelling. One of eight children in a
musical family, Atcher started playing guitar and singing as a child in West
Point, Ky.
The family formed a singing group, The Atcher Family, that appeared on WHAS
Radio in the early 1930s.
Eventually Atcher and his older brother, Bob, made their way to Chicago,
where they indulged the nation's craze for "cowboy" songs. But Atcher saw it
as more of a fling than anything else, and he returned home to study at
Western Kentucky State Teachers College (now Western Kentucky University).
The 1937 flood changed everyone's plans, and Atcher left school to help
rebuild the family home. He drifted back into radio. After working at WHAS
for a couple of years, he hooked up with Bob again in Chicago, where they
landed a steady spot singing Western songs on WBBM, the powerful NBC
station.
In late 1941, Atcher was preparing to take the next big step. A friend said
he had potential to become the next Gene Autry, and plans were being made
for a move to Hollywood. Instead, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, and Atcher's
next move was to join the Army Air Corps.
He figured that would be the end of the singing career. He left his guitar
behind when he shipped off for Australia.
"We stopped in Hawaii on the way over, and the first thing I did was buy a
guitar," Atcher said. "I just had to have it with me. I kept that guitar
with me the entire time I was in the South Pacific."
WITH THE WAR a safe distance away, Atcher indulged a bachelor's life of
singing for wounded soldiers and learning golf. On a date with a young
"Sheila" named Daphne, who cleaned his clock on the golf course -- she was
the lady's club champ -- he lost his heart.
When Atcher returned to the states in 1946, he brought with him a wife and a
son, Mark, born in 1945 in Australia. The family spent a year in Savannah,
Ga., where Atcher helped a friend get a new radio station going, before WHAS
offered him a steady gig leading a cowboy band. He parleyed that into solo
work on other stations, including the easiest job he (or anyone else, maybe)
ever had, a 15-minute daily show on WGRC Radio.
"I'd leave home at five of 6, do the show from 6:15 (p.m.) to 6:30 and would
be home 10 or 15 minutes after that," he said. "For that, I got $85 a week."
He was at WKLO, another long-lost station, in 1950 when WHAS officials
approached him to do a TV show for kids. His bosses at WKLO were skeptical.
When he asked them for a raise -- at the time, they were paying Foster
Brooks a salary and covering his alimony -- they balked. He was free to go.
"It was probably the best thing that ever happened to me," Atcher said.
"T-Bar-V" struck a chord like few programs before or since. Initially the
plan was to invite kids to come visit on their birthday. They'd say hello to
their family and friends, everyone would have cake and then Randy and Cactus
would lead them in a birthday song.
Eventually Atcher started incorporating compositions like the "Brush Your
Teeth Song," goofy skits, short films and cartoons, and guests speaking on
important issues such as fire safety and the perils of communism. (OK, we
made that up, but it was the 1950s.)
It was always live TV, and a certain lore has developed around the many
things that went wrong. Like the famous "Herbie Incident," in which a lad
offered greetings to his mom and dad and an extended middle finger for
Herbie, a child who remains a mystery to this day.
"I've always felt that an older brother or somebody put him up to that,"
Atcher said. "I wonder if either of them will show up Friday night."
Let's hope so.
By 1971, Atcher was off TV more or less for good. His other popular program,
"Hayloft Hoedown," ran on WHAS from 1951 until 1969, then was revived
briefly on WLKY in 1971.
He got into real estate and was host of the local inserts for the Jerry
Lewis Telethon on WLKY and WAVE. Although the Crusade had been one of his
favorite causes, he did not return to the telethon until 1991. He now makes
an annual appearance with the Western trio High, Wide and Handsome, which
consists of Atcher, son Mark and Shorty Chesser, a pal from way back.
"I remember the last time we did 'T-Bar-V.' It was a Friday, and the station
manager came to us and said, 'That's your last program,' " Atcher said
dryly. "And that's how it ended."
On Monday, WHAS started airing reruns of "My Favorite Martian" in the show's
9 a.m. time slot, a more profitable alternative to a local show. In a few
years, shows such as "Sesame Street," "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" and
"Captain Kangaroo" effectively filled the void.
After selling off his real-estate concern in the late 1980s, Atcher took his
talents to a new venue, something he seems more proud of than anything else
he has done. Each morning, he drives to the Printing House for the Blind and
reads books onto tape. He specializes in hefty non-fiction tomes that end up
in reference libraries around the country. The service, overseen by the
Library of Congress, has demanding specifications on pronunciation and
clarity that would drive most people mad.
"The toughest book I ever read was a history of Brazil," he said, rolling
his eyes a bit. "I'd have full pages of Portuguese to read. Well, I don't
speak Portuguese. I worked hard on that one."
HE WAS REWARDED for his work in 1994 with the Alexander Scourby Award, named
for the famed voice-over artist. "I get really picked up when I hear from
somebody in say, California, or even China, who has heard me on one of the
books," he said. "They always say that they 'read' my book."
Daphne Atcher died in 1977. Two years later, Atcher married the former Betty
Blankenbaker, whose late husband, Allen, was a puppeteer on "T-Bar-V."
Between them, they have six children, six grandchildren and one
great-grandchild.
Although he has had some heart problems, Atcher is otherwise no worse for
wear. He plays golf with men much younger who have artificial hips and
knees, so he counts himself blessed.
He finds few things to get upset about, and laughs when he does.
"I've got to take medicine for my heart, so they won't let me take Viagra,"
he said. "All I've got left is golf."
Some folks might not think it's much, but the singing cowboy knows that
"T-Bar-V" left a mark, and that's all you can really ask.
"Did you know that they do not have a single episode of 'T-Bar-V' on tape?"
he marveled. "I'm just tickled that people still remember."
The T-Bar-V Song
Howdy! Howdy! Boys and girls,
It's T-Bar-V Ranch time!
We're glad to see you all today
and hope you're feeling fine.
We'll sing and dance and have a show
and birthday parties, too!
It's T-Bar-V Ranch time!
K.F. Raizor
WHAS-AM mention, is that Randy Atcher had a brief recording stint in
Nashville with his brother, Bob (who passed away some years ago). The
Atcher Brothers recorded a number of cuts in the mid-30s, before Bob became
the more nationally known of the two.
Brush your teeth at morning, get lots of sleep at night....
"The Kentucky Wizard" <kentuckywizardNOS...@hotmail.com> wrote
in message news:V5Wo9.23067$hb4.5965@sccrnsc02...
M.M. Bell
in message news:V5Wo9.23067$hb4.5965@sccrnsc02...
the
> brother of Foster Brooks, another Louisvillian who was famous for his
"drunk
> man" satire, who appeared on most of the Dean Martin Roasts.*
>
> *Randy Atcher was a long time favorite in the area, and brought smiles to
> anyone who came in contact with him. He will be sorely missed.*
>
> So for old times sake Kentuckiana, for Randy, gather round the TV set and
be
> a kid one more time. Pass the story of Randy, Cactus and T-Bar-V on to
your
> children. He was truly a Kentucky legend.
We will truly miss Randy. I was a faithful viewer and just missed getting
on the show - my older brother and sister were on but I was deemed too young
at the time. Fortunately, I had the chance to meet Randy a few years ago
and hear him sing - he was then 80 years old and still had a good voice. He
was a courtly and kind man. RIP, Randy, Cactus and all the gang.
M.M. Bell
nospam...@insightbb.com
The Kentucky Wizard
"K.F. Raizor" <kfra...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:Mr3p9.18838$lV3.1...@newsread1.prod.itd.earthlink.net...
> What this fails to mention, and what I have not heard either WHAS-11 or
> WHAS-AM mention, is that Randy Atcher had a brief recording stint in
> Nashville with his brother, Bob (who passed away some years ago). The
> Atcher Brothers recorded a number of cuts in the mid-30s, before Bob
became
> the more nationally known of the two.
>
> Brush your teeth at morning, get lots of sleep at night....
>
If you look at the bio of Randy Atcher I posted after I posted this
obit/bio, I believe it does mention his brother being a star of the WLS
National Barn Dance out of Chicago. The first post was cut and posted on the
WHAS website right after the news of his death this morning broke over the
local news outlets, so I didn't expect it would cover his whole career.
--
The Wiz.....
The Kentucky Wizard
"K.F. Raizor" <kfra...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:Mr3p9.18838$lV3.1...@newsread1.prod.itd.earthlink.net...
> WHAS-AM mention, is that Randy Atcher had a brief recording stint in
> Nashville with his brother, Bob (who passed away some years ago). The
> Atcher Brothers recorded a number of cuts in the mid-30s, before Bob
became
> the more nationally known of the two.
>
> Brush your teeth at morning, get lots of sleep at night....
>
Oh rude of me, for those who may want additional info on Randy Atcher, the
WHAS television network has a very detailed story regarding the death of
Randy Atcher:
--
The Wiz.....
The Kentucky Wizard
"M.M. Bell" <leg...@insightbb.com> wrote in message
news:TN3p9.30039$ST4.63605@rwcrnsc53...
>
> We will truly miss Randy. I was a faithful viewer and just missed getting
> on the show - my older brother and sister were on but I was deemed too
young
> at the time. Fortunately, I had the chance to meet Randy a few years ago
> and hear him sing - he was then 80 years old and still had a good voice.
He
> was a courtly and kind man. RIP, Randy, Cactus and all the gang.
>
> M.M. Bell
> nospam...@insightbb.com
>
>
You are so correct M.M. for his voice had the same smooth tone when he was
80 just as it was when he first started out on radio. His toupee on the
other hand took several color changes during his career, and I believe he
was the first person I remember ever seeing that actually wore a toupee on
TV. Even when I was a kid I knew his hair looked "unnatural", I just wasn't
sure what was wrong with however.
--
The Wiz.....
Dr. Rev Chuck, MD., PA
>
> "M.M. Bell" <leg...@insightbb.com> wrote in message
> news:TN3p9.30039$ST4.63605@rwcrnsc53..
> >
Two things I remember most about Lousiville, circa 1965: T-Bar-V and
Sterling Beer. Damn.
MadCow57
it's too wholesome for them. I sure loved watching it as a kid, especially
the day my cousin was on there and she said hello to various family members
including me and my brother, I thought I was an instant celebrity at that
point.<< -- The Wiz.....
Apparently you still haven't outgrown that misconception.
The Kentucky Wizard
"MadCow57" <madc...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20021010033141...@mb-mg.aol.com...
Apparently you thought that was funny, a usual misconception on your part.
Now go patch the holes in your dingy.
--
The Wiz.....
The Kentucky Wizard
"Dr. Rev Chuck, MD., PA" <cdub@_REMOVETHIS_erols.com> wrote in message
news:3DA554B9.128C@_REMOVETHIS_erols.com...
Ouch, Sterling Beer; 100% pure Ohio River Mud Slurpee's from what I hear. I
never drank any alcohol, so that could be one of the reasons that I never
did.
--
The Wiz.....
Dr. Rev Chuck, MD., PA
>
> "Dr. Rev Chuck, MD., PA" <cdub@_REMOVETHIS_erols.com> wrote in message
> news:3DA554B9.128C@_REMOVETHIS_erols.com..
> > >
> > > "M.M. Bell" <leg...@insightbb.com> wrote in message
> > > news:TN3p9.30039$ST4.63605@rwcrnsc53.
> > > >
I was four. Friend of mine snuck a six pack. The hell difference did I know
from quality?
Can't seem to recall much after the second sip, though.
The Kentucky Wizard
"Dr. Rev Chuck, MD., PA" <cdub@_REMOVETHIS_erols.com> wrote in message
*LOL* I hear ya there Chuck, from what I heard about Sterling Beer, most
adults don't remember much after the second sip either, or it could be they
just don't want to think about it.
--
The Wiz.....
Kathi
wrote:
> I was on that show when I was a little girl, but Cactus wasn't there that
>week so it was just Randy. He really seemed to like all of us children,
>unlike some other personalities I've run into over the years.
>
>He will be missed.
>
>Didn't he have another show for adults? Hayloft Hoedown? Or something like
>that.
>
>Kathy Wajerski
There she is.... and how are you feeling, Kathy?
And where's writer Katy Munger been hiding, too?
Kathi
Kathy
news:0e8iqukviqbmcus02...@4ax.com...
Here I am! I'm doing very well. I finished chemo in April and radiation in
June. My energy level is back up and my hair is a little over an inch long.
And curly. yuck.
I'm glad to be alive.
Thanks for asking.
Kathy Wajerski
MadCow57
June. My energy level is back up and my hair is a little over an inch long.
And curly. yuck.
I'm glad to be alive.<< -- Kathy
Congrats! Mine also grew back in much more curly than before, and that was
after only two radioactive pills to kill my thyroid. I hate it.
Kathy
A woman at church told me it's only temporary and that my straight hair will
return in time. I'm just happy to have hair right now after being bald for
most of the past year. LOL
Kathy
Kathi
And those of us with the stick-straight, baby-fine hair are sooooo
envious - but we sure don't want to have to go the same route you did
to get your curls! I'm glad you're both on the mend.
Kathy
Thanks, Kathi. My hair pre-chemo was stick-straight and baby-fine. It's
coming in much thicker now.
Kathy