Josie Carey
Josie Carey | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Josephine Marie Vicari August 20, 1930 |
| Died | May 28, 2004(aged 73) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S |
| Citizenship | American |
| Employer(s) | WQED-TV,Pittsburgh |
| Known for | Work withFred Rogers |
| Spouse(s) | Henry Massucci, Joseph Franz |
| Children | Kathy Massucci |
Josephine Vicari Massucci Franz(August 20, 1930 – May 28, 2004), known by the stage nameJosie Carey,was a lyricist and a host of several children's television shows.
Biography
[edit]Carey was born in Pittsburgh and raised inButler,Pennsylvaniaas Josephine Vicari and would later change her name at the suggestion of her television station's general manager. Carey was the host ofPittsburgh's children show,The Children's CorneronWQEDfrom 1953 to 1961. Carey was one of the station's original employees, beginning work there in October 1953 — six months before WQED actually started broadcasting. She went door-to-door, raising money for the station selling $2 educational program guides.
Carey was partnered withFred Rogerswho would act as puppeteer of various puppets who would dance along to 68 songs which he wrote and for which Carey wrote the lyrics. Carey joinedASCAPin 1955 and she and Rogers produced such songs as "Goodnight God," "It's Morning," and "Why Hi, Don't I Know You?" — the theme song for her program. Carey once remarked on their collaboration, "He would make me very angry because I'd labor over my lyrics and he would sit at the piano and what took me four hours, he would do in four minutes." Carey wrote the lyrics to "Tomorrow," which Rogers sang at the end of eachMister Rogers' Neighborhoodepisode until 1972.[1]The puppet characters included Daniel S. Tiger, Grandpère Tiger, King Friday XIII of Calendarland, his wife Queen Sara Saturday, X the owl, and Henrietta the cat.[2]
The Children's Cornerwas syndicated onNBCfor 39 weeks and won aSylvania Awardin 1955 for the best locally produced children's program in the country.The Children's Cornerdebuted puppet characters who would go on to future fame onMister Rogers' Neighborhood;characters likeKing Friday XIII(who would dub four children "Prince" or "Princess" during the birthday greetings segment of the Children's Corner) and Daniel Striped Tiger, who was named after WQED's first general manager, Dorothy Daniel. The program also featured a wide range of human guests, includingJohnny Carson,Shirley Jones,Van Cliburn,andCharles Schulz.
After her show was cancelled, Carey went on to host other children's programming, includingJosie's StorylandandFunsville,which were aired onKDKA-TVin Pittsburgh;Wheee!inSouth Carolinain the 1970s; and most recently,Josie's Atticduring the 1990s onWQEXin Pittsburgh.
On July 23, 1999,[3]Carey was interviewed by theAcademy of Television Arts & Sciencesforits archivesinNorth Hollywood.She continued to perform, act, and direct in Pittsburghcommunity theateruntil her death, which resulted from complications from a fall, at the age of 73.
Awards
[edit]- 1965—Pittsburgh Post Gazette named Josie Carey "Woman of the Year."
- 1955—Sylvania Award - best locally produced children's program in the country
- BothDuquesne Universityand the Pittsburgh JuniorChamber of Commercewould honor Carey with awards for her efforts in children's programming.
References
[edit]- ^"Josie Carey - Pittsburgh Music History".
- ^Woolery, George W. (1985).Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981, Part II: Live, Film, and Tape Series.The Scarecrow Press. pp. 115–116.ISBN0-8108-1651-2.
- ^FoundationINTERVIEWS (2014-10-28).Josie Carey Interview Part 1 of 7 - TelevisionAcademy.com/Interviews.Retrieved2024-05-23– via YouTube.
External links
[edit]- Josie CareyatIMDb
- Post-Gazettestory on Carey
- Josie CareyatThe Interviews: An Oral History of Television
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
- 1930 births
- 2004 deaths
- Television personalities from Pittsburgh
- American lyricists
- American women television personalities
- American women songwriters
- Writers from Pittsburgh
- People from Butler, Pennsylvania
- Accidental deaths from falls
- Accidental deaths in Pennsylvania
- 20th-century American women
- 20th-century American musicians
- 21st-century American women