Bob Newhart at the “Red”; Robert O. Smith passes

I first met Bob Newhart four years ago when he  played the River Rock Show Theatre prior to the opening of the Red Robinson Show Theatre. He is one of the most beloved television personalities in history. Bob’s TV shows were always in the Top Ten and his final episode of the Newhart show was memorable. He wakes up and tells his wife from the last series that he had a horrible dream about running an inn in New England.  When the “wife” turns on the light it is the late Suzanne Pleshette, the wife from the first series. A classic ending to a classic sitcom.

Bob’s benchmark comedy album The Button Down Mind of Bob Newhart has been voted one of the top selling albums in history.  He is a genuine human being who was accompanied this trip by two of his daughters who live in Seattle. He is a gem and we hope the 80 year old will return.

This week I learned of the death of Robert O. Smith. “Rubber Dough” worked for KJR, KOL and other Seattle stations, then moved north in the Seventies and worked at CFMI, then at CISL and where I met him, KVOS-TV.  He worked with me on a three day show titled KVOS Classic Weekend where we talked about and showed classic movies and television shows which eventually morphed into Red’s Classic Theatre. Robert O. was clever with voices and a great deejay although he was almost a hermit outside of the broadcast world. Over the years he won numerous weightlifting awards and always appeared in the picture of health. It was sad to hear that he had died at 68 of pancreatic and liver cancer. He will be missed.

More on Robert O. at bcradiohistory.com, and let’s not forget Robert O’s 1966 novelty hit The Ballad of Walter Wart – credited to the Thorndike Pickledish Choir.

Riggit!

I first met Bob Newhart four years ago when he  played the River Rock show theatre prior to the opening of the Red Robinson Show Theatre. He is one of the most beloved television personalities in history. Bob’s TV shows were always in the Top Ten and his final episode of the Newhart show was memorable. He wakes up and tells his wife from the last series that he had a horrible dream about running an Inn in New England.  When the “wife” turns on the light it is the late Suzanne Pleshette, the wife from the first series. A classic ending to a classic sitcom. Bob’s benchmark comedy album “The Button Down Mind of Bob Newhart” has been voted one of the top selling albums in history.  He is a genuine human being who was accompanied this trip by two of his daughters who live in Seattle. He is a gem and we hope the 80 year old will return.

This week I learned of the death of Robert O. Smith who worked for KJR and KOL in Seattle and KOL plus  few more in his career. He moved north in the seventies and worked at CFMI, later CISL and where I met him KVOS-TV.  He worked with me on a three day show titled KVOS Classic Weekend where we talked about and showed classic movies and television shows which eventually morphed into Red’s Classic Theatre. Robert O. was clever with voices and a great deejay although he was almost a hermit outside of the broadcast world. Over the years he won numerous weight lifting awards and always appeared in the picture of health. It was sad to hear that he had died at 68 of Pancreatic and Liver Cancer. He will be missed.