Jerry G. Bishop facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jerry G. Bishop
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| Born |
Jairus Samuel Ghan
August 3, 1936 |
| Died | September 15, 2013 (aged 77) San Diego, California, U.S.
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| Occupation | Radio and television personality |
| Years active | 1961–2006 |
| Spouse(s) | Liz |
| Children | 2 |
Jerry G. Bishop (born August 3, 1936 – died September 15, 2013) was a well-known radio and television star. He was famous for being the first "Svengoolie" in Chicago. He also won awards for his twelve years on the TV show Sun-Up San Diego.
Contents
Jerry's Early Life and School
Jerry G. Bishop was born Jairus Samuel Ghan in Chicago. His parents were from Russia. He went to Wright Junior College, the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, and Columbia College Chicago.
Jerry's Career
Starting in Radio
Jerry began his radio career in 1961 at WNMP in Evanston. He hosted the morning show there. He also worked part-time in Rockford and Springfield.
In 1962, he moved to Washington, D.C., to work at WPGC-AM-FM. He stayed there for a year. After that, he was hired by a big radio station in Cleveland, KYW, as a night DJ. At his first jobs, he used his real name, Jerry Ghan. But at WPGC, he started using "Jerry G." The program director at KYW asked him to keep using that name.
Touring with The Beatles
While working at KYW, Jerry G. got to tour with the famous band The Beatles. He was a reporter for Group W and NBC Radio stations during their tours in 1964 and 1965. He also hosted a weekly dance show called "Jerry G & Co." on KYW's TV channel. He even recorded a song called "She's Gone," which became a local hit in 1966.
Later, in 1967, Jerry was hired by WCFL in Chicago. The program director asked him to choose a last name to go with "Jerry G." He and his wife looked through a phone book and picked "Bishop."
Becoming a TV Star
In 1969, Jerry G. started working at WFLD-TV in Chicago. He became an announcer and hosted a local game show called Dialing For Dollars. This job led him to create his most famous character, Svengoolie, in 1971.
Jerry was the announcer for a scary movie show called Screaming Yellow Theater. He had an idea to create a live host for the show. This character became Svengoolie. At first, it was just a voice. Then, Jerry appeared on screen as Svengoolie. He had green hair, a green beard, and played a guitar. He slept in a painted coffin and told funny, spooky jokes.
The show and the Svengoolie character became very popular. The show ran from 1970 to 1973. After that, the TV station was sold. The new owners replaced Screaming Yellow Theater with a different show. However, the Svengoolie character was brought back in 1979 by Rich Koz. Rich Koz had been a writer for the original show. He still plays Svengoolie today!
Back to Radio and San Diego
After leaving WFLD, Jerry Bishop worked at WMAQ radio as a morning host. He also hosted a TV show called Chicago Camera on WMAQ's TV channel. He even anchored a part of NBC's Today show. He worked for WMAQ until 1975.
In 1978, Jerry moved to San Diego. He became a co-host of the long-running morning talk show Sun-Up San Diego on KFMB-TV. He co-hosted the show for twelve years until 1990. During this time, he won three local Emmy Awards and a National Press Club Award for his work.
Later in his career, he hosted a show on WRLL, an oldies radio station aimed at the Chicago area. He did this from San Diego, starting in 2003.
Running Restaurants
Besides his work in radio and TV, Jerry Bishop and his family also owned two Chicago-themed restaurants in San Diego. They were called the Greek Islands Cafe and Asaggio Pizza Pasta Plus. The pizza place was open for 31 years before closing in 2018.
Jerry's Passing
Jerry Bishop passed away at age 77 on September 15, 2013. He died from a heart attack at the University of California - San Diego Medical Center. He was survived by his wife, Liz, whom he had been married to for 49 years, and his two children.
