Ben Polcover Akron, Ohio |
Joined: April 24, 2006 |
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Shep fan since: 1962 Discovered Shep: On the Radio
Guest No: 1659
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Comments: In bed with the light out I loved to listen to Shep spin his fabulous tales and recollections and his so accurate view of life and people.
I got the opportunity to get my copy of "In God We Trust ...." autographed in The Limelight. There was a long line and people kept cutting in line ahead of me. Eventually I was one of the last on line. So when we got up to Shep (about 3or4 of us) he unwound from the hours of book signing and spent about 30 minutes rapping with us. This was quite a reward for ending up in the back of the line.
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Jordan Rothkopf Beachwood, Ohio |
Joined: October 16, 2003 |
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Shep fan since: 1962 Discovered Shep: On the Radio
Guest No: 1072
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Comments: I am not exactly sure of the year. It was around 1962. Used to listen on WOR every night. Couple of days ago my brother who lives in Florida called up and said you have got to listen to something. He then played the theme song. Flashback city. I have just begun to look at this site and another, www.flicklives.com. The Christmas story was shot in Cleveland, I believe since I moved here in 1979. I am sure I will write gain.
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Ron Inscho Bucyrus, Ohio |
Joined: April 12, 2001 |
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Shep fan since: 1965 Discovered Shep:
Guest No: 535
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Jimmy Thompson Centerville, Ohio |
Joined: January 08, 2001 |
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Shep fan since: 1963 Discovered Shep:
Guest No: 396
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Brian Ciesko Cincinnait, Ohio |
Joined: August 13, 2003 |
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Shep fan since: 1969 Discovered Shep: Read his Playboy short stories
Guest No: 1038
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Comments: While home sick from school one day, I became a typically bored 12-year old boy and found myself disrespectfully bumbling around in my father's closet. I didn't know what I expected to find because I knew what all his clothes looked like; I mean, he wore them every day so. . . But then, oh treasure of near-teenagehood, I found his stack of old Playboys from the 60's. Wow! Naked ladies!
While that particular thrill has never really ebbed, I remember seeing a very curiously titled story, "Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories". Up until that point I hadn't realized that there was anything funny about the printed word that existed outside of comic books and Mad magazine. And this guy, Jean Shepherd, his writing was so hilarious, I laughed out loud while reading.
Along with J.R.R. Tolkien and John Lennon, Shep is probably one of the reasons I slipped through the streams and swam to the writer's shore, finding myself in a home I didn't know I had.
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Grant Smyrlakis Cincinnati, Ohio |
Joined: September 13, 2000 |
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Shep fan since: 1990 Discovered Shep:
Guest No: 224
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John Harper Cincinnati, Ohio |
Joined: December 24, 2000 |
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Shep fan since: 1990 Discovered Shep:
Guest No: 363
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Gary S. Cincinnati, Ohio |
Joined: December 25, 2000 |
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Shep fan since: 1975 Discovered Shep:
Guest No: 365
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Dan Dougherty Cincinnati, Ohio |
Joined: October 18, 2001 |
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Shep fan since: 1949 Discovered Shep:
Guest No: 715
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george smed cincinnati, Ohio |
Joined: March 31, 2003 |
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Shep fan since: 1976 Discovered Shep: On the Radio
Guest No: 931
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Comments: I would catch his show in Cincinnati on radio, saw Christmas Story, read the books, researched my old Playboy's, found some of his readings on cassette, then here I am. Can't put him down. Then out of the blue went to Jean Shepherd dot com.
Tanks,Spot.
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Brent Reider Cincinnati, Ohio |
Joined: December 27, 2003 |
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Shep fan since: 1970 Discovered Shep: On the Radio
Guest No: 1171
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Comments: I have been involved in broadcast engineering for 33 years. My ham call is WA8SLJ. What fun to come across this site. I had an "NPR Driveway Moment" recently when All Things Considered ran a tape of Shep's experience at a march in Washington DC.
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George Roden Cincinnati, Ohio |
Joined: April 15, 2005 |
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Shep fan since: 1956 Discovered Shep: On the Radio
Guest No: 1462
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Comments: Shep lives - thanks to the internet. It's the new home of the "night people".
When I was about seven my father thought that I should have a crystal set - a simple receiving device without electrical power that was always "on". I soon learned to set the dail for WOR's signal and would fall asleep wearing the headphones.
From some time in 1956 until I left Jersey for college in 1967 I seldom missed a show. He spoke at my high school where I got his signature on my copy of "In God We Trust". And, I was at Union College on "King Levinsky Day" when Shep received a pair of boxing gloves (for those of you who remember that show).
I have lived in Cincinnati for years and now recall the stories he told about his life here - like the fish out and his walking across the Ohio River to go to work. I even went to the University of Cincinnati (where he met his first wife).
I still miss Shep reading "Casey at the Bat" on opening day. There's nothing like Shep.
Remember to keep your knees loose and your first baseman's mitt well oiled.
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Robert Stout Cincinnati, Ohio |
Joined: August 08, 2005 |
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Shep fan since: 1963 Discovered Shep: On the Radio
Guest No: 1506
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Comments: Yep, my friends, I,too, discovered Shep via a transistor radio given to me as a Christmas present in '63. Yep, it was a late night of "tuning" in surreptiously and I caught this story being told about a "string collector" in a unique and memorable way. I was forever "hooked". 90% of my best pals through high school and college were fans of Shep and even my wife had to "sign on" that this would be a part of my life...even ahead of her!
I was fortunate to grow up in New Jersey, got his autograph twice ('cause I lost the first). The second was in a copy of "Wanda Hickey...". I went with my best Shep buddy (2 guys, one book. Go figure!). Me being Rob and my freind Bob, Shep, in typical fashion, signed it, "To Chet and Don, Excelsior! 1902, Jean Shepherd".
I attended college close to Princeton (Unfortunately for me, not PU) and caught his annual show several times. I am still a tolerably good jew's harp player and have led a Boy Scout "Kazoo Brigade" (as an adult!) at a couple functions in Cincinnati, playing "The Bear Missed the Train" (with vocal refrain!) among others (sorry, not "Boodle Am Shake". Not yet!).
Plenty more memories but for now, 'nuff said. Excelisor and keep yer knees loose, gang!
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Sue Lumb Cincinnati, Ohio |
Joined: November 27, 2005 |
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Shep fan since: 1948 Discovered Shep: On the Radio
Guest No: 1517
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Peter Steele Cincinnati, Ohio |
Joined: February 13, 2006 |
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Shep fan since: 1956 Discovered Shep: On the Radio
Guest No: 1633
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Comments: I first discovered Shep at 14 in Connecticut while trolling with a floor model multiband radio. Cattching Long John and Shep was a thrill. Later I followwd him from Massachuisetts and New Jersey as I moved and married He was the Mark Twain and Sholom Aleichem, and of my life. At 63, I still miss him
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Dave Spickard Cincinnati, Ohio |
Joined: August 19, 2007 |
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Shep fan since: 1970 Discovered Shep: Read his Playboy short stories
Guest No: 2402
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Comments: Need 1/2" VHS Copy of Phantom of the open hearth to borrow, copy, and return. Thanks
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Jan Feuerstein Cleveland, Ohio |
Joined: October 09, 2000 |
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Shep fan since: 1976 Discovered Shep:
Guest No: 253
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Don Blesse Cleveland, Ohio |
Joined: September 23, 2003 |
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Shep fan since: 1968 Discovered Shep: On the Radio
Guest No: 827
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Comments: Back in 8th grade I heard a couple of friends talking about this guy on the radio named Jean Shepherd. Just figured he was another DJ. Then a couple of weeks later, I happened by WOR and was instantly hooked by a story about a guy that made the electric meter run backwards.
I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Shepherd... once at a book signing around 1970 and again in the mid-90's when he was a guest at the radio station I work at.
Thanks for all the great things we all saw on the radio.
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Jonathan Jay Gibian Cleveland, Ohio |
Joined: April 26, 2003 |
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Shep fan since: 1959 Discovered Shep: On the Radio
Guest No: 955
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Comments: I was a very young radio announcer when I "discovered" Shepherd one night on my car radio. I was instantly hooked. I was a morning man, meaning it was my chore to begin the day's programming by opening the station at 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. Nevertheless, I would either remain up late at night or set an alarm to awaken me in time to get into my car and drive around, searching for a good signal to hear his broadcasts (about 10p or 11p if I remember correctly).
WOR was sort of hard to get, especially when I was working at central Ohio radio stations, so I usually found a spot on the top of rather steep hills where I could park and receive a good signal from WOR.
The man often created a sort of "natural high" for me with the laughter he prompted. To this day, I have never heard another radio personality do anything that even comes close to what Shepherd routinely managed. I miss very much his genius and I miss very much the laughter he brought into my life.
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Greg Douglas Cleveland, Ohio |
Joined: August 16, 2004 |
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Shep fan since: 1984 Discovered Shep: Saw One of His Movies
Guest No: 1290
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Comments: The Movie - ACS - introduced us to Shep. My wife worked for and at the now defunct Higbees Dept. Store back in the '80s and we had the privlege of watching them shoot alll the dept. in-store scenes as well as the parade shots. In fact, if you watch the opening pan-down of Higbee's at the beginning of the movie, you'll see a us standing at her office window.
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Joe Mosbrook Cleveland Heights, Ohio |
Joined: December 03, 2005 |
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Shep fan since: 1952 Discovered Shep: On the Radio
Guest No: 1548
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Comments: About the time I was graduating from high school, we discovered this unusual late-night program on KYW in Philadelphia. As I started college, we went to the Town Room of the Penn Sheraton Hotel in Philadelphia to watch Shepherd do his show. When he moved to WLW, we went through all sorts of gyrations trying to pull in the distant signal. But, after he went to WOR, we got his program loud and clear and even made pilgrimages to the WOR transmitter in Carteret, New Jersey, to visit with him and watch and listen as he was doing the all-night show. He was one of America's great humorists. The closest thing we have today is Garrison Keelor.
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David H. Socolov Columbus, Ohio |
Joined: June 01, 2001 |
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Shep fan since: 1973 Discovered Shep:
Guest No: 591
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Veronica Jefferson Columbus, Ohio |
Joined: September 20, 2001 |
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Shep fan since: 2001 Discovered Shep:
Guest No: 679
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Sue Wilgus Columbus, Ohio |
Joined: October 04, 2004 |
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Shep fan since: 1959 Discovered Shep: On the Radio
Guest No: 1327
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Comments: There is so much I had forgotten that this site has brought back. Thanks.
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Shirley Holdren Columbus, Ohio |
Joined: May 19, 2007 |
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Shep fan since: 2003 Discovered Shep: Read his Playboy short stories
Guest No: 2044
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Comments: me my sister like bb guns
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