NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Jean Shepherd

Jean Parker Shepherd (July 26, 1921 - October 16, 1999) was an American raconteur, radio and TV personality, writer and actor who was often referred to by the nickname Shep. Image File history File links Jshepherd. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Libertineback. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Libertineback. ... July 26 is the 207th day (208th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 158 days remaining. ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for full calendar). ... October 16 is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years). ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... A raconteur is a person known for telling amusing stories and anecdotes. ... See TV (disambiguation) for other uses and Television (band) for the rock band European networks National In much of Europe television broadcasting has historically been state dominated, rather than commercially organised, although commercial stations have grown in number recently. ...

With a career that spanned decades, Shepherd is perhaps best-known to modern audiences for narrating the film A Christmas Story (1983), which he co-wrote, based on his own semi-autobiographical stories. For the Christian Christmas story, see Nativity of Jesus A Christmas Story is a 1983 film based on the short stories and semi-fictional anecdotes of author and raconteur Jean Shepherd, including material from his books In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash and Wanda Hickeys Night of...

Biography

Early life

Born in the south side of Chicago, Illinois, Shepherd was raised in Hammond, Indiana, where he graduated from Hammond High School in 1939. As a youth he worked briefly as a mail carrier in a steel mill. He attended several universities. The neighborhoods of Chicago lay within Chicagos seventy-seven community areas. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area City 606. ... Location in the state of Indiana Coordinates: County Lake Mayor Thomas McDermott, Jr. ... Hammond High School is a secondary school located in Columbia, Maryland, that was established in 1976. ...

During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Shepherd had an extensive career in a variety of media: Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000,000 Total dead: 50,000,000 Military dead: 8,000,000 Civilian dead: 4,000,000 Total dead 12,000,000 World War II (abbreviated WWII), or the Second World War, was a worldwide conflict... The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... The Signal Corps is a military branch, usually subordinate to a countrys army. ...

Radio career

Shepherd began his broadcast radio career on WSAI-AM in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1948. From 1951 to 1953 he had a late-night broadcast on KYW-AM in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after which he returned to Cincinnati for a show on WLW. After a stint on television (see below), he returned to radio. "Shep," as he was known, settled in at WOR radio New York City, New York on an overnight slot in 1956, where he delighted his fans by telling stories, reading poetry (especially the works of Robert W. Service), and organizing comedic listener stunts. The most famous of the latter involved creating a hoax about a non-existent book, I, Libertine, by the equally non-existent author "Frederick R. Ewing", in 1956. Later co-written by Shepherd, Theodore Sturgeon and Betty Ballantine, this Ballantine Book is now a collector's item. Among his close friends in the late 1950s were Shel Silverstein and Herb Gardner. With them and actress Lois Nettleton, Shepherd performed in the revue he created, Look, Charlie. Later he was married to Nettleton for about six years. WSAI is an AM radio station broadcasting out of Cincinnati, Ohio. ... Nickname: The Queen City Location in Hamilton County, Ohio, USA Coordinates: Country United States State Ohio County Hamilton Founded 1788 Incorporated 1802 (village) - 1819 (city) Government type Strong mayor - Mayor Mark L. Mallory (D) Area - City 79. ... KYW is a class A AM radio station on 1060 kHz licensed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Quaker City Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor John F. Street (D) Area - City 369. ... WLW is a radio station located in Cincinnati, Ohio, run by Clear Channel Communications and is located at 700 AM. The station runs under the talk format and is the flagship station for Americas Trucking Network (formerly The Truckin Bozo), a popular nationwide, overnight program especially for truckers. ... WOR is the callsign currently used by one broadcaster in New York, New York, and formerly used by two others: WOR AM WOR-FM is now WRKS-FM WOR-TV is now WWOR-TV This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise... Nickname: Big Apple, Gotham, NYC, City That Never Sleeps, The Concrete Jungle, The City So Nice They Named It Twice Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island Settled 1613 - Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area - City... Robert William Service (January 16, 1874 - September 11, 1958) was a poet born into a Scottish family while they were living in Preston, England. ... I, Libertine was the result of a practical joke by late-night radio raconteur Jean Shepherd. ... Theodore Sturgeon (February 26, 1918 Staten Island, New York â€“ May 8, 1985) was an American science fiction author. ... Ballantine Books, founded in 1952 by Ian Ballantine, is a major book publisher and is currently owned by Random House. ... // Recovering from World War II and its aftermath, the economic miracle emerged in West Germany and Italy. ... Sheldon Alan Shel Silverstein (September 25, 1930 â€“ May 10, 1999) was an American poet, songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter and author of childrens books. ... Herb Gardner (December 28, 1934 - September 25, 2003) was a commercial artist, cartoonist, playwright, and screenwriter. ... Lois Nettleton in Twilight Zone:The Midnight Sun Lois Nettleton (born August 6, 1929 in Oak Park, Illinois) is an actress and voice artist mostly known for her work in television. ...

When he was about to be released by WOR in 1956 for not being commercial, he did a commercial for Sweetheart Soap, not a sponsor, and was immediately fired. His listeners besieged WOR with complaints, and when Sweetheart offered to sponsor him he was reinstated. Eventually, he attracted more sponsors than he wanted—the commercials interrupted the flow of his monologues. He broadcast until he left WOR in 1977. His subsequent radio work consisted of only short segments on several other stations. In later life he publicly dismissed his days as a radio raconteur as unimportant, focusing more on his writing and movie work. This distressed his legions of fans who fondly remembered nights with Shep on WOR. He once made such comments during an appearance on the Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder. This contrasts with his frequent criticisms of television during his radio programs. Tom Snyder, host of CBS The Late Late Show A news presenter for WNBC-TV of New York City and KNBC of Los Angeles in the 1970s, Tom Snyder (born May 12, 1936 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) was raised Roman Catholic, graduated from Marquette University High School, and gained national fame...

Aside from his stories, other shows were devoted to observations about life in New York, accounts of vacations in Maine and travels throughout the world. Among the most striking of his programs were his account of his participation in the March on Washington in August 1963, during which Dr. Martin Luther King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech, and the program that aired on November 25, 1963—the day of President Kennedy's burial. Another memorable program was his discussion of Lyndon Johnson upon his death. Official language(s) None (English de facto; French is also an administrative language) Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Area Ranked 39th - Total 33,414 sq mi (86,542 kmÂ²) - Width 210 miles (338 km) - Length 320 miles (515 km) - % water 13. ... Demonstrator at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was a political rally that took place on August 28, 1963. ... Martin Luther King, Jr. ... Martin Luther King, Jr. ... November 25 is the 329th (in leap years the 330th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... Lyndon Baines Johnson (August 27, 1908–January 22, 1973), often referred to as LBJ, was an American politician. ...

Throughout his radio career, he performed entirely without scripts. His friend and WOR colleague Barry Farber marveled at how he could talk so long with very little written down. Yet during a radio interview, Sheppard once claimed that some shows took several weeks to prepare. On most Fourths of July, however, he would read one of his most enduring and popular short stories, "Ludlow Kissel and the Dago Bomb that Struck Back," about a neighborhood drunk and his disasterous fireworks escapades. In the 1960s and 1970s, his WOR show ran from 11:15pm to midnight, later changed to 10:15pm to 11pm, so his "Ludlow Kissel" reading was coincidentally timed to many New Jersey and New York local town fireworks displays, which would traditionally reach their climax at 10pm. It was possible, on one of those July 4 nights, to park one's car on a hilltop and watch several different pyrotechnic displays, accompanied by Shepherd's masterful storytelling. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (998x242, 84 KB) Template:Fair use in Jean Shepherd Source: Bill Griffith Web source: http://www. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (998x242, 84 KB) Template:Fair use in Jean Shepherd Source: Bill Griffith Web source: http://www. ... Zippy the Pinhead is the main character in the comic strip of the same name, created by Bill Griffith. ... Barry Farber is a conservative radio talk show host and author. ... For the Bon Jovi album, see New Jersey (album) Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Area Ranked 47th - Total 8,729 sq mi (22,608 kmÂ²) - Width 70 miles (110 km) - Length 150 miles (240 km) - % water 14. ... The Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House illuminated under New Years Eve Fireworks 2005 A fireworks event (also called a fireworks show) is a spectacular display of the effects produced by firework devices on various occasions. ... For the United States holiday, the Fourth of July, see Independence Day (United States). ... The word pyrotechnic (literally meaning fire technology) refers to any chemical explosive device, but especially fireworks. ...

The theme song used on his long-running radio show was "The Bahn Frei Polka" by Edouard Strauss. The particular version he used was recorded by Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops. Arthur Fiedler (December 17, 1894 â€“ July 10, 1979) was the long-time conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra, a symphony orchestra that specialized in popular music. ... The Boston Pops Orchestra was founded in 1885 as a subsection of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. ...

Shepherd wrote a series of humorous short stories about growing up in northwest Indiana and its steel towns, many of which were first published in Playboy. The stories were later assembled into books titled In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash, Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories, and A Fistful of Fig Newtons. Some of those situations were incorporated into his movies. He also wrote a column for the early Village Voice, a column for Car and Driver and numerous individual articles for diverse publications, including Mad Magazine. Official language(s) English Capital Indianapolis Largest city Indianapolis Area Ranked 38th - Total 36,418 sq mi (94,321 kmÂ²) - Width 140 miles (225 km) - Length 270 miles (435 km) - % water 1. ... The first issue of Playboy. ... In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash (1966, ISBN 0385021747) is the title of a book by Jean Shepherd. ... The Village Voice is a New York City-based weekly newspaper featuring investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts reviews and events listings for New York City. ... Cover of Car and Driver from age of psychedelic lettering Car and Driver is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. ... Mad (or MAD) is an American humor magazine founded by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines in 1952. ...

When Eugene B. Bergmann's Excelsior, You Fathead! The Art and Enigma of Jean Shepherd was published in 2005, Publishers Weekly reviewed: Publishers Weekly is a weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. ...

Television and films

Early in his career, Shepherd had a television program in Cincinnati called "Rear Bumper". Reportedly he was eventually recommended to replace the resigning Steve Allen on NBC's The Tonight Show. NBC executives sent Shepherd to New York City to prepare for the position, but they were contractually bound to first offer it to Jack Paar. The network was certain Paar would hold out for a role in prime time, but he accepted the late-night assignment. Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen (December 26, 1921 â€“ October 30, 2000) was an American musician, comedian and writer instrumental in innovating the concept of the television talk show. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... NBC (an abbreviation for National Broadcasting Company, its former corporate name) is an American television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... Nickname: Big Apple, Gotham, NYC, City That Never Sleeps, The Concrete Jungle, The City So Nice They Named It Twice Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island Settled 1613 - Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area - City... Jack Parr redirects here. ... Prime time is the block of programming on television during the middle of the evening. ...

In the early 1960s he did a weekly television show on WOR in New York. Between 1971 and 1994, Shepherd became a screenwriter of note, writing and producing numerous works for both television and cinema. He was the writer and narrator for the show "Jean Shepherd's America", produced by Boston Public Television station WGBH in which he told his famous narratives, visited unusual locales, and interviewed local people of interest. He used a similar format for the New Jersey Network TV show "Shepherd's Pie". Screenwriters, scenarists or script writers, are authors who write the screenplays from which movies and television programs are made. ... Public broadcasting (also known as public service broadcasting or PSB) is the dominant form of broadcasting around the world, where radio, television, and potentially other electronic media outlets receive funding from the public. ... WGBH is an established public television and public radio broadcast service located in Boston, Massachusetts. ... The New Jersey Network or NJN is a state-wide public television and radio network in New Jersey. ...

He also wrote and narrated many works, the most famous being the feature film A Christmas Story, which is now considered a holiday classic. In the film, Shepherd provides the voice of the adult Ralph Parker. (This narrative style was later appropriated, without acknowledgement, in the popular television sitcom The Wonder Years.) He also has a cameo role playing a man in the line at the department store waiting for Santa Claus. Much to Ralphie's chagrin, he points out to him that the end of the line is much further away. For the Christian Christmas story, see Nativity of Jesus A Christmas Story is a 1983 film based on the short stories and semi-fictional anecdotes of author and raconteur Jean Shepherd, including material from his books In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash and Wanda Hickeys Night of... The Wonder Years is an Emmy Award winning television dramedy created by Carol Black and Neal Marlens. ... Since its first use in 1851, a cameo role or cameo appearance has been a brief appearance in a play (or later, a movie) that stands out against the general context for its éclat or dramatic punch. ... The interior of a typical Macys department store. ... A typical depiction of Santa Claus. ...

A 1994 movie sequel, My Summer Story, was narrated by Shepherd but featured an almost entirely different cast from the previous film. The PBS series American Playhouse aired a series of television movies based on Shepherd stories, also featuring the Parker family. These included "Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss", "The Great American Fourth of July and Other Disasters", and "The Phantom of the Open Hearth". My Summer Story is a film that follows the further adventures of Ralphie and his family from A Christmas Story. ... American Playhouse is a dramatic anthology television series presenting original movies on PBS. External links American Playhouse at The Internet Movie Database Categories: | | | | ... Ollie Hopnoodles Haven of Bliss was a 1988 film following the family from A Christmas Story on their annual vacation to Ollie Hopnoodles Haven of Bliss, a set of cabins by a lake in Michigan. ...

Live performances and recordings

Shepherd also performed for several years at the Limelight Cafe in New York City's Greenwich Village, and at many colleges nationwide. His live shows were a perennial favorite at Rutgers and Fairleigh Dickinson Universities. He performed at Princeton University annually for 30 years, until 1996. The Limelight shows were broadcast live on WOR radio. The Washington Square Arch Greenwich Village (pronounced Grennich Village; also called simply the Village) is a largely residential area on the west side of downtown (southern) Manhattan in New York City. ... Rutgers University Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is located in New Brunswick, Piscataway, Camden and Newark, New Jersey. ... Fairleigh Dickinson University is a private university founded in 1942, the largest private university in New Jersey. ... Princeton University is a coeducational private university located in Princeton, New Jersey, in the United States of America. ... WOR is the callsign currently used by one broadcaster in New York, New York, and formerly used by two others: WOR AM WOR-FM is now WRKS-FM WOR-TV is now WWOR-TV This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise...

He also performed before sold-out audiences at Carnegie Hall and Town Hall. He was also emcee for several important jazz concerts in the late 1950s. Shepherd improvised spoken word lyrics for the title track on jazz great Charles Mingus's 1957 album The Clown. Eight record albums of live and studio performances of Shepherd were released between 1955 and 1975. Shepherd also recorded the opening narration and the voice of the Audio-Animatronics "Father" character for the updated Carousel of Progress attraction at Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom. Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street. ... Improvisation is the act of making something up as you go along. ... Lyrics are the words in songs. ... Jazz is a musical art form that originated in New Orleans at around the start of the 20th century. ... Charles Mingus (April 22, 1922 â€“ January 5, 1979), also known as Charlie Mingus, was an American jazz bassist, composer, bandleader, and occasional pianist. ... Audio-Animatronics is the registered trademark for a form of robotics created by Walt Disney Imagineering for shows and attractions at Disney theme parks, and subsequently expanded on and used by other companies. ... The Carousel of Progress is an attraction located in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom Park at the Walt Disney World Resort, currently operating under the name, Walt Disneys Carousel of Progress. ... Cinderella Castle, at the center of the Magic Kingdom, is Walt Disney World Resorts most recognizable icon Introduction Owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company, the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, USA is home to four theme parks, two water parks, several resort hotels and golf courses... The Magic Kingdom is a theme park covering 107 acres (433,000 mÂ²) at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. ...

Music

Many of his narratives were accompanied by novelty songs such as "The Bear Missed the Train" (a parody of the Yiddish ballad "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen") and "The Sheik of Araby", or by Shepherd himself, playing the Jew's harp, nose flute and kazoo. Parody of Back to the Future In contemporary usage, a parody is a work that imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke some affectionate fun at the work itself, the subject of the work, the author or fictional voice of the parody, or another subject. ... Yiddish (ייִדיש, Jiddisch) is a Germanic language spoken by about four million Jews throughout the world. ... 68. ... Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen is a popular song, the title meaning to me you are beautiful. ... Jews harp, from an American Civil War camp near Winchester, Virginia A modern jews harp The Jews harp, jaw harp, or mouth harp is thought to be one of the oldest musical instruments in the world; a musician apparently playing it can be seen in a Chinese... Two examples of the kazoo A metal kazoo The kazoo is a simple musical instrument (membranophone) that adds a buzzing timbral quality to a players voice when one hums into it. ...

On radio as well as on his WOR-TV show, he frequently used his own head as a musical instrument, knocking the top of his skull with his knuckles while changing the size of his open mouth to produce different notes. Shep's "Head Thumping" (as he called it) spanned about an octave.

Fact and fiction

What is still unknown is to what extent Shepherd radio and published stories were fiction, fact, or a combination of the two.

The childhood friends included in many of his stories were people he claimed to have invented, yet high school yearbooks confirm that many of them did exist. His father was always referred to as "my old man" who worked in the Borden Milk Company offices. During an interview on the Long John Nebel Show -- an all-night radio program that ran on WOR starting at midnight -- Shepherd once claimed that his real father was a cartoonist along the lines of Herblock, and that he inherited his skills at line drawings. This may well not have been true, but Shepherd's ink drawings do adorn some of his published writings. Borden may refer to Places: Borden County, Texas Borden, Indiana Borden, Ontario Borden, England Canadian Forces Base Borden (also CFB Borden or 16 Wing Borden) People: Robert Borden (1854-1937): Eighth Prime Minister of Canada 1911-1920. ... Long John Nebel (born John Zimmerman) (June 11, 1911 â€“ April 10, 1978) was an influential New York City talk radio show host. ... Herbert Lawrence Block, commonly known as Herblock (October 13, 1909 â€“ October 7, 2001), was a U.S. editorial cartoonist. ...

The 1930 Federal Census Record for Hammond, Indiana indicates that Jean's father did work for a dairy company. His actual occupation is illegible, but may read "cashier." The 1930 census record lists the following family members: Jean Shepherd, age 30, head; Anna Shepherd, age 30, wife; Jean Shepherd, Jr, age 8, son; and Randall Shepherd, age 6, son. According to this record, Jean Sr, Anna, Jean Jr, and Randall were all born in Illinois. Jean, Sr's parents were born in Kansas. Anna's parents were born in Germany.

Influence

Shepherd oral narrative style was a precursor to that used by Spalding Gray and Garrison Keillor. Marshall McLuhan in Understanding Media wrote that Shepherd "regards radio as a new medium for a new kind of novel that he writes nightly." In the "Seinfeld Season 6" DVD set, commenting on the episode titled "The Gymnast" Jerry Seinfeld says "He really formed my entire comedic sensibility—I learned how to do comedy from Jean Shepherd." This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A precursor is something that existed before and was incorporated into something that came later. ... Gray in Grays Anatomy (1996). ... Garrison Keillor (born Gary Edward Keillor on August 7, 1942) is an American author, humorist, columnist, musician, satirist, and radio personality. ... McLuhan redirects here. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Shepherd was an amateur radio operator, with call sign K2ORS. When operating as an amateur, he was known to use his middle name, Parker. He was listed in the Directory of Amateur Radio Operators and for a number of years his address was on 57^th Street in New York City. Ham radio station with modern solid-state transceiver featuring LCD display and DSP capabilities Ham radio station with vintage vacuum tube gear featuring separate transmitter, receiver and power supply Amateur radio, often called Ham radio, is a hobby and public service enjoyed by about 6 million people throughout the world. ... Call sign can refer to different types of call signs: Airline call sign Aviator call sign Cosmonaut call sign Radio and television call signs Tactical call sign, also known as a tactical designator See also: International Callsign Allocations, Maritime Mobile Service Identity This is a disambiguation page — a navigational...

Shepherd spent his final years in relative seclusion on Sanibel Island, Florida, with his wife Leigh Brown. She was also his producer at WOR, and played many roles in his varied career. He died on Sanibel Island in 1999 of "natural causes". In 2005, Shep was posthumously inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame. J. N. Ding Darling reserve Sanibel Island is an island located on the Gulf coast of Florida USA, just offshore of Fort Myers. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami Area Ranked 22nd - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] kmÂ²) - Width 162 miles (260 km) - Length 497 miles (800 km) - % water 17. ... Dope Hiphop crew out of Sydney Australia. ...

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Bibliography

I, Libertine was the result of a practical joke by late-night radio raconteur Jean Shepherd. ... In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash (1966, ISBN 0385021747) is the title of a book by Jean Shepherd. ...

Filmography

For the Christian Christmas story, see Nativity of Jesus A Christmas Story is a 1983 film based on the short stories and semi-fictional anecdotes of author and raconteur Jean Shepherd, including material from his books In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash and Wanda Hickeys Night of... Ollie Hopnoodles Haven of Bliss was a 1988 film following the family from A Christmas Story on their annual vacation to Ollie Hopnoodles Haven of Bliss, a set of cabins by a lake in Michigan. ... My Summer Story is a film that follows the further adventures of Ralphie and his family from A Christmas Story. ...

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