EDDY KING

KING, EDDY
March 8, 1912 - August 29, 2011
Eddy King

March 8, 1912 - August 29, 2011

56 Year Career as a Radio and Television Announcer

Eddy began his career as a pianist, announcer, and an actor in comedy and dramatic shows first at KXL Portland in 1930, and then with NBC affiliate, KGW, and KEX.

Eddy's radio career began as a result of being at the right place at the right time. In 1937 when the Russian aviator Valery Chkalov made the first non-stop flight over the North Pole he was expected to land in San Francisco, but had to make an emergency landing at Pearson Field in Vancouver, missing the officials waiting to greet him. While waiting for the delayed plane, Eddy got a tip that they might land in Vancouver and drove like mad to Pearson Field, only to find that he was the only reporter there! Though no one spoke Russian, Eddy nevertheless kept the "interview" live on air, scooping all the media. As a result, he was picked up by KPO-San Francisco in 1937.

For a short period during the war, Eddy joined NBC News as a news writer. In 1943, while stationed overseas as a Staff Sergeant with AFRS, he started with the famous Mosquito Network on Guadalcanal and announced a special event from Henderson Field on the Army Hour, the only spot ever to come out of Guadalcanal during the war. He then went with the AFRS to Manila in the Philippines. He finished his tour of duty in 1945 during the initial occupation of Hokkaido, Japan. He then went to help set up the AFRS in Hachinohe, Japan and then in Tokyo before returning to NBC in San Francisco in 1946. He moved to NBC Hollywood in 1948.

Resuming his career, Eddy went on to announce for news, sports, special events, and radio shows such as, The $64 Question, The Bob Hope Show, Richard Diamond with Dick Powell, The Judy Canova Show, An Evening With Jimmy Durante, Dragnet and others.

As television became more popular he began announcing for shows including: The Milton Berle Show, The Jack Paar Show, The Harry James Show and Lights, Camera, Action. Eddy also appeared on special assignments for such shows as: Milton Berle, March of Medicine, NBC Monday Night at the Movies, and he appeared on several Greyhound Bus commercials. He continued as a staff announcer for NBC until his retirement in 1977. Eddy continued working for the next two years as a relief announcer at NBC, until, under protest, he was forced to retire for good. Within a few years of his retirement, the National Television channels began to eliminate live staff announcers, replacing with computers the work that he had done consummately for so many decades. Eddy worked off-and-on well into his 90's, when in 1996 with producer Bob Cawley, he did My Little Corner of the World and in 1998, a documentary called Glory Road.

During his illustrious career, Eddy became infamous for announcing what became known as The Heidi Bowl game incident. In this incident, he was ordered to cut away from the game to announce the start the movie Heidi, despite his vehement protests that it was not right to disrupt the broadcasting of the football game.

A 40-year-resident of Woodland Hills, Eddy golfed, watched baseball games, was an active member of Member Pacific Pioneers Broadcasters (PPB) and the Society to Preserve and Encourage Radio Drama, Variety and Comedy (SPERDVAC).

He regularly attended PPB and SPERDVAC events and had coffee with the "Erwin Street Gang" at a Woodland Hills McDonald's.

The last year of his life Eddy moved to Simi Valley to live with his daughter and son-in-law. Surrounded by dogs, cats, and birds, he watched Dodger games and his favorite TV shows.

It was agreed that Eddy King lived a "charmed life" and was loved by many. He was a consummate professional, a "ladies" man, a charming and kind person, a beloved father. He will be greatly missed!

Eddy is survived by his daughter, Julie Meyer and son-in-law, Rick Meyer.