Art Rust Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Art Rust Jr.
|
|
|---|---|
Art Rust Jr. (WABC photo)
|
|
| Born |
Arthur George Rust Jr.
October 13, 1927 |
| Died | January 12, 2010 (aged 82) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Long Island University |
| Occupation | Broadcaster, author, and sports historian |
| Spouse(s) | Edna (d. 1986) Patty |
| Children | Suzanne |
Arthur George Rust Jr. (born October 13, 1927 – died January 12, 2010) was a famous sports broadcaster. He worked in sports radio and television for 50 years. Art Rust Jr. was also a sports historian and wrote several books. Many people called him the "godfather of sports talk radio." This means he was one of the first and most important people in sports radio.
Contents
Art Rust Jr.'s Career
Becoming a Broadcaster
After finishing college at Long Island University, Art Rust Jr. started working at WWRL Radio in September 1954. He began in the sales department. But in just two months, he was on the air, talking about sports!
At WWRL, Rust hosted a show called Schaefer Circle of Sports for 14 years. He became one of the first African American sportscasters. On his show, Rust interviewed many sports legends. These included baseball star Hank Aaron and boxing champion Sonny Liston. Art Rust Jr. also loved music. So, he would sometimes interview famous musicians like James Brown and his close friend, Miles Davis.
In 1967, Rust got a job as a sports announcer for NBC-TV. After about six years at NBC, he decided to go back to radio. He became the sports director for WMCA. He also worked as a sportscaster and commentator for WINS radio.
In 1981, he joined WABC for his popular "Sportstalk" show. On this show, he talked to many famous athletes. Some of them were Joe DiMaggio, Muhammad Ali, and Sugar Ray Robinson. He also interviewed one of his heroes, sportscaster Red Barber.
Writing Books and Columns
Art Rust Jr. was not just a broadcaster. He also wrote columns for newspapers like The New York Amsterdam News and the Daily News. He was also a successful author.
He wrote several books about sports. One book was Joe Louis, My Life (1978), which he wrote with the famous boxer Joe Louis. He also wrote Recollections of a Baseball Junkie (1985). In this book, he shared his thoughts and memories about his life in sports. Another important book was Art Rust's Illustrated History of the Black Athlete. This book celebrated great athletes like Jesse Owens and Althea Gibson. He also wrote a book called Darryl (1992) with baseball player Darryl Strawberry.
Art Rust Jr. worked with his first wife, Edna, on some of these books. Edna passed away in 1986. He was very sad after her death. For many years, he would end his "Sportstalk" broadcast by saying, "Goodnight Edna baby." Later, he found a new partner, Patty Murphy, and they married in 1991. Art Rust Jr. had a daughter named Suzanne Rust, who is a writer. He also had two grandchildren.
Later Years
From 1991 to 1994, Rust worked with New York's WBLS Radio. In his last few years, he worked less often. He wrote for Black Issues Book Review. He also kept up with sports by reading books and newspapers. He stayed in touch with his friends in the sports world. His favorite things to do were spending time with his two grandchildren and listening to his large collection of jazz music.
Art Rust Jr. passed away on January 12, 2010.
Books by Art Rust Jr.
- Rust, Art Jr., "Get That ... Off the Field!": A Sparkling, Informal History of the Black Man in baseball, 1976
- Rust, Art Jr; Rust, Edna; Louis, Joe, Joe Louis: My Life, 1978
- Rust, Art Jr., Baseball Quiz Book, 1985
- Rust, Art Jr.; Rust, Edna, Art Rust's Illustrated History of the Black athlete, 1985
- Rust, Art Jr.; Rust, Edna, Recollections of a Baseball Junkie, 1985
- Rust, Art Jr., Legends: Conversations with Baseball Greats, 1989
- Rust, Art Jr.; Strawberry, Darryl, Darryl 1992
