Bob Arbogast

Bob Arbogast
Born	April 1, 1927 Bellingham, Washington,U.S.
Died	March 21, 2009 (aged 81) Fresno, California,U.S.

Robert"Bob"Arbogast(April 1, 1927 – March 21, 2009) was an American radio broadcaster, voice actor, and television host.

Early life and education

Bob was born inBellingham, Washington,the only child of Lewis, a championtennisplayer,stockbroker,World War Oneveteran under an assumed name, andWorld War TwoCoast Guardvolunteer and Christine Arbogast, a champion tennis player. Bob attendedJohn Marshall High Schoolin Los Angeles where he was on the league-champion tennis team and was graduated in 1944.Upon graduation, he enlisted in thenavy.His unit was awarded thePresidential Unit Citationand Bronze Star for bravery for a multi-ship raid intoTokyo Bay.He was demoted from Signalman 3rd class to Seaman 1st class when hiscommanding officertold him to hop to it and Bob proceeded to jump up and down on the deck of theUSS Brush.At the train station inAtwater Village(Glendale), upon his return from the SouthPacific theater,he saw the coffins of many of his classmates from Marshall High who had died, and did not live to see a world without war. When the war ended, he attendedLos Angeles City Collegeand then theUniversity of Arizonaon theGI bill.A radio program director fromWHBinKansas Cityheard Arbogast's nighttime show on the university's radio station and hired him immediately.

Career

Bob went toChicago'sWMAQwhere he worked with Pete Robinson from 1951 to 1953 (using as a theme song a charming version ofSicilianTarantellaplayed on anocarina) before moving to Los Angeles for a time, then returning toIllinoiswhere he worked at WEAW inEvanston, Illinois.Then he went toNew Yorkwhere he wrote for two shows, one featuringTom Postonand anotherPeter Marshall.Then he worked atSan Francisco'sKSFOandKFRC.He later worked at many stations in Los Angeles includingKMPCfrom 1962 to 1967,KLACin 1967,KFIin 1968, and KGBS in 1969.

At KMPC, he wrote forDick WhittinghillandGary Owens,and he wrote with and was the partner ofJack Margolisat KLAC and KGBS. Their radio talk show at KLAC had the highest rating of any radio program in LA history up until that time (and perhaps still), with a 14.5 percent share of the audience. Due to a concentrated letter-writing campaign, they were fired for their objection to the Vietnam war and their pro-choice stance. They may have been among the last fired due to the McCarthy dealings of the 1950s. The pair also hosted a TV show onKTTVfor a while.

Arbogast created the Question Man in Kansas City in 1951 and used it on the Poston Show in NY. It was later a feature onThe Steve Allen Show,to the surprise of Bob and Steve - as Allen acknowledged in his book,The Question Man.The concept lived on inJohnny Carson'sCarnac the MagnificentandJeopardy!.

In 1958, Arbogast teamed withStanley Ralph Rossto write and perform the hit 45 rpm single "Chaos, Parts 1 and 2," which when it came out (onLiberty Records#55197), sold 10,000 copies in three days, and then was banned from radio play on the fourth day - when stations realized that it satirized "Top 40" radio.Dr. Dementohas kept "Chaos" alive. In addition, they co-wrote the album of parody songs titledMy Son, the Copycat(a take onAllan Sherman's albums) and the bookSpeak When You Hear the Beep.

Arbogast had numerous screen credits for cartoons and commercials and had appeared on television shows and in movies. He did frequent uncredited voiceovers forSesame Streetsegments. He was the voice for the original "What would you do for aKlondike Bar?"advertising campaign and of the animated Granny Goose for the Granny Goose potato chip campaign (What is Granny's secret? I won't say..." ) Among hundreds, Arbogast is perhaps most famous for his voicings of General G.I. Brassbottom, Noodles Romanoff, and Ma Ramjet in theRoger Ramjetcartoon, Jack Wheeler in the Hot Wheels cartoon, and Snogs on the Hanna-Barbera animated seriesMonchhichis.He also voiced several characters in the Hanna-Barbera seriesThe Jetsons.Not to be forgotten were Arbo's stylings of Barry Bear and Drummy Drummer, popular seventies pull-string toys - "I'm Barry Bear, like to meet my paw?" "I'm Drummy Drummer. I went to school at the school of hard knocks." - and his renditions of hamburgers in early McDonald's commercials. While in elementary school at Franklin Avenue in Los Angeles, his son John was scolded when asked by his teacher, Mrs. Horowitz, what his father does for a living. John replied, "he is a bear." Refusing to recant, a meeting with the teacher, principal, and Bob resulted in free hot dogs on "Hot Dog Wednesday" for John for a year. John also has many voices still running on Sesame Street. In 1966 he appeared in the campy horror film "Batwoman".

One of his most popular bits was his portrayal of little old lady Emily Norton for KMPC.

Among his many TV and radio commercial partners werePat Harrington,Harry Morgan,Doris Roberts,Joan Gerber,Edie McClurg,Bob Elliott,Albert Brooks,Shelley Berman,Tim Conway,Lorenzo Music,Gene Moss andCasey Kasem.

Arbogast won anEmmyas a writer for Stars of Jazz in 1958 and aClioin the '70's, for theHighland ApplianceCo. of Detroit. He wrote forSesame StreetandThe Pat Paulsen Show.He also has the dubious distinction of writing for the shortest-lived television show ever,Turn-On,which was canceled after one night because it satirized, among others, the Pope. He co-starred (had two lines and 6 minutes on camera) withTimothy HuttonandSean Pennin the motion pictureThe Falcon and the Snowmanand he drove the bus inLinda Lovelace for President.

Arbogast was a jazz aficionado,Chicago CubsandUCLA Bruinsfan, and animal lover. He and his wife, Jan, lived inMariposa, California,tending to their garden, caring for their pets, and the pleasures of theinternet,satellite radioandtelevision.With his previous wife, Joanna, he raised a daughter and three sons. His oldest sonPeteris the radio voice ofUSC Trojan football.His middle son John is aUSChonors grad, a decorated Coast Guard officer, retired Los Angeles city park ranger, history teacher, city champion pole vault coach and assistant track and field coach atJohn Marshall High School.His youngest son Jerry is a UCLA graduate and a retired physical education teacher and tennis coach in the Los Angeles Unified School District. His daughter Paula retired in June 2006 from her position as a teachers' union representative. With his first wife, Tobi, he had a son, Robert Jr. (Ted), an accomplished musical director and band leader, and the technology coordinator for Terlingua High School in Texas. Bob is also survived by six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

External links

• Listen to Chaos (KAOS Radio)
• 1953 Arbogast Show
• Roger Ramjet EpisodesonYouTube
• Bob ArbogastatIMDb