Today on the Rarified Heir Podcast we are talking to Brad James, son of legendary television personality Dennis James. We talk to Brad about his dad’s career that began in New Jersey radio in the 1940s (where he became friends with a young Frank Sinatra) and moved to television in New York shortly after. A man of firsts, Dennis James (aka The Dean of Game Show Hosts) was the first person to: appear in a television commercial, host a wrestling event on television, emcee a variety show, appear on video tape, appear in an infomercial and on and on and on. The man started in television when there were likely only 300 in the entire New York area. He went on to have a 6 decade career as a host of the United Cerebral Palsy telethon which raised a billion dollars over the years, hosted a variety of game shows like Name That Tune and The New Price Is Right as well as play himself in films like Rocky III and The One and Only. Somehow we get through all of this and find time to discuss meeting Elvis Presley, believing comedian Foster Brooks was Santa Claus, parking cars at The Playboy Mansion, befriending local LA legend Mad Man Muntz over a thoroughly inappropriate videotape and much more. If you love game shows, stories about the birth of television, watching Jeopardy with Bob Hope and golfing with Kevin Costner, take a listen to this episode of the Rarified Heir Podcast.
© Josh Mills. All Rights Reserved.
Brad James, just the man next door.