JFK Satirist Vaughn Meader Dies

[Bossy Monkey]

Oct 29, 3:29 PM EDT

JFK Satirist Vaughn Meader Dies

AUBURN, Maine (AP) -- Vaughn Meader, who gained instant fame satirizing the presidency of John F. Kennedy in the multimillion-selling album "The First Family," only to have his star plummet when the president was assassinated, died Friday. He was 68.

Meader, who had battled by chronic emphysema and other ailments, died at his home in this central Maine city after refusing to be taken to the hospital, his wife, Sheila, said.

When it came out in late 1962, poking gentle fun at JFK's wealth, large family and "vigah," "The First Family" became the fastest-selling record of its time, racking up 7.5 million copies and winning the Grammy for album of the year.

Compared with today's bare-knuckled political humor, the satire was tame, but it tickled the funnybone of the Kennedy-obsessed public.

(more)

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OBIT_MEADER?SITE=SCCOL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

RIP, Vaughn. This is actually breaking news; if somebody wants to post it at LBN, go ahead.

[Fenris]

1. Nothing like a presidential assasination to ruin your career.

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

2. Not as much as it ruined Kennedy's.

[Fenris]

7. Ouch!

You Canucks are witty.;)

[utopian]

3. My parents had that record

as well as Welcome to the LBJ Ranch. They were pretty funny.

[Lavender Brown]

4. I have that record.

It was in my Dad's collection.

[SoCalDem]

5. I have that album..

I am OLD :)

[BurtWorm]

6. Then I'll hov ze Eastern portion of khiz Vestern sondvich!

:cry:

[BurtWorm]

8. More about Vaughn Meader

http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/Stage/1985/talent.html

Vaughn Meader's Talents



Abbott Vaughn Meader, born March 20, 1936, in Waterville, Me., said he is not an impressionist, noting that he did only President Kennedy (and bits of JFK's brothers) during his heyday. Further, Meader said the voices were only slight augmentations of his own.
Meader launched his trademark act by accident. The regular comedy act he performed in New York clubs featured caricatures of political archtypes -- i.e., a southern senator. But one night in November 1960, while Meader was trying to support himself and his German-born wife he met while in the military in West Germany, he casually added some remarks about the president-elect and jumped into a brief "Let me say this about that" as Kennedy.

The audience loved it and Meader expanded the routine the next night. A manager soon signed him and 18 months later booked him on "Celebrity Talent Scouts," a summer replacement where celebrities introduced rising performers they had ostensibly found. Jim Baccus was Meader's sponsor.

Record producer Earle Doud, who had been wanting to do a Kennedy album, called the next day and after struggling to find a company willing to try the concept, lined up Cadence Records, a company with a reputation for boldness.