Bob Emery (broadcaster) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Big Brother Bob Emery
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Emery at WGI in 1924
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Clair Robert Emery
August 12, 1897 |
| Died | July 18, 1982 (aged 84) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Broadcaster |
| Known for | Small Fry Club |
Clair Robert "Bob" Emery (1897–1982) was a famous radio and television host. He was known as Big Brother Bob Emery. He helped create early TV shows for kids. He is best known for his show Small Fry Club in the late 1940s. He also had a long career in Boston radio and TV.
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Early Life and Radio Start
Bob Emery was born on August 12, 1897, in Abington, Massachusetts. He went to the Farm and Trade School. He later worked at a department store selling shoes.
Emery started performing on radio with a singing group. People liked his voice so much that he got a job at a radio station. This station was WGI in Medford Hillside. It was one of the first radio stations in America.
In 1924, Bob Emery started a children's show. He called it the "Big Brother Club." Many radio stations at the time had hosts who told bedtime stories. Bob Emery became one of the most famous. He worked in radio and TV from the 1920s until the late 1960s.
The Big Brother Club
When the show first started, it was called the "Big Brother Club." The name "Big Brother" meant a kind, older mentor. It was not like the scary meaning from the book Nineteen Eighty-Four.
Emery used the song "The Grass is Always Greener in the Other Fella's Yard" as his theme song. He used this song for many years. It was played on both radio and TV.
Kids who listened to the show could join his club. They got a membership card and a special pin. Club members were asked to do good deeds. The club's motto was: "Be someone's big brother or sister every day." To stay a member, kids wrote a letter each week. They described the good deed they had done. By 1929, 47,000 children were members of the Big Brother Club.
In late 1924, Emery moved to a new Boston station. This was WEEI. He continued his show there until the early 1930s.
Moving to New York and Early TV
In the early 1930s, Emery moved to New York City. He worked for NBC and other local radio stations. He hosted a TV show called "Video Varieties" on WOR.
He then hosted Small Fry Club. This show was also known as Movies for Small Fry. It was one of the first TV shows made for children. It aired on the DuMont Television Network. Emery continued to use "Big Brother Bob Emery" as his name on the show.
Small Fry Club aired from March 11, 1947, to June 15, 1951. It first aired once a week. Soon, it was on five days a week, Monday through Friday. It aired at 7 PM ET. Some TV historians believe it was the first TV show to air five days a week.
This show was very popular for the DuMont network. It aired for more than four years before it ended in 1951.
Bob Emery also hosted another show called Rainbow House. This show was for teenagers. It started on January 18, 1948, on DuMont.
Back in Boston
After Small Fry Club ended, Emery went back to Boston. He continued to host versions of the show on WBZ-TV. It was still called Small Fry Club. He hosted it until he retired in January 1968.
Emery's show was both fun and educational. It had parts about current events, books, travel, music, and good manners. He sang and played the ukulele or banjo. He also had special guests and interesting speakers.
The Big Brother Club still had membership cards and a special button. Emery also wrote a newspaper column about club activities. WEEI would also hold events for club members. These included trips to the zoo or picnics. Emery cared a lot about kids. He was known for not pushing sponsors too much.
Emery had several theme songs. One was "The Grass is Always Greener in the Other Fellow's Yard." This song was about being happy with what you have. He opened his show with this song. He also had a jingle about WEEI. His closing song was "So Long Small Fry."
Bob Emery passed away on July 18, 1982, in Newton, Massachusetts. He was honored in the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2010.
