John Hambrick facts for kids

John James Hambrick (June 21, 1940 – September 10, 2013) was a famous American journalist. He was known for being a TV news anchor and reporter. John also worked as an actor, a voice-over announcer, and even produced TV documentaries. He had a long and interesting career in television.

John Hambrick's Career in TV News

Starting Out as a Broadcast Journalist

John Hambrick began his TV journey in 1963. His first job was at KRBC-TV in Abilene, Texas. Over the next two years, he worked as a reporter and anchor. He spent time at KFDX-TV in Wichita Falls and KHOU-TV in Houston.

In 1966, John moved to WCPO-TV in Cincinnati. After less than two years, he was asked to join its sister station, WEWS, in Cleveland. On Christmas Day, 1967, 27-year-old John Hambrick made his Cleveland TV debut. He became the main news anchor for the 7:00 and 11:00 P.M. newscasts. These shows also featured comments from Dorothy Fuldheim. Newspapers like The Plain Dealer and the Cleveland Press printed big ads about his arrival.

Becoming a Top News Anchor

In 1970, Dave Patterson joined John Hambrick as a co-anchor. Dorothy Fuldheim continued to share her thoughts. Together, they helped their news show become Cleveland's most-watched program. It was the top show in the local Nielsen ratings. John left Cleveland in September 1975 to work at KABC-TV in Los Angeles. After he left, Ted Henry became Dave Patterson's new co-anchor.

After two years at KABC-TV, John moved to KRON-TV in San Francisco. He anchored there for three years. In January 1980, he joined WNBC-TV in New York City. He started as a reporter and weekend anchor. Later, he became a weeknight co-anchor with Chuck Scarborough for five years.

In 1985, John moved to WTVJ in Miami. He replaced Ralph Renick, who was the station's first news anchor. John joined WTVJ in July 1985. He spent four years as the 6:00 and 11:00 P.M. co-anchor. Then, in 1990, John moved to a different station, WCIX (now WFOR-TV). He stayed there until September 1993. His last TV job was a short time at KBMT in Beaumont, Texas, around 1999.

John Hambrick's Other Talents

Producing The Florida Highwaymen Documentary

In 2002, John Hambrick and his son Jack worked together. They produced a one-hour PBS-TV documentary. It was about the Florida Highwaymen. This was a group of amazing African-American artists from Florida.

The film was called The Highwaymen: Florida's Outsider Artist. It included interviews with some of the artists. It also featured their mentor, the famous landscape painter A.E. Backus. The documentary showed more than 100 original Highwaymen paintings. Their company, Everglades Productions, produced the film. John also narrated the project, telling the story with his voice.

A Musical Side

In 1972, John Hambrick wrote and recorded a rock/country-western album. It was called Windmill in a Jet Filled Sky. He did this while working at WEWS in Cleveland. The album didn't sell many copies, but critics gave it good reviews. John never stopped his full-time TV career. He also didn't record any more music albums.

Acting Roles

John Hambrick was a member of the Screen Actors Guild. This means he was a professional actor. He had small roles in several movies and TV shows. He appeared in the movie Telefon. He was also in the old 1950s TV series Playhouse 90. More recently, he was in the popular NBC-TV series Friday Night Lights. In 1960, John was in one episode of the CBS-TV series General Electric Theater. After 2003, John appeared in four more movies: Mia's Father, Wonderful World, Kings of the Evening, and Guilty.

John was the older brother of two other newscasters. They are Judd Hambrick and Mike Hambrick. Judd worked with John at KABC-TV for a short time. John was also the father of TV producer Jack Hambrick.

John Hambrick's Later Life and Passing

On July 23, 2013, it was announced that John Hambrick had lung cancer. He passed away at a hospital on September 10, 2013. He was 73 years old.

Awards and Achievements

John Hambrick received many awards for his journalism work. Here are some of his accomplishments:

• Emmy - Best Newscast - WNBC-TV, NY, 1983–1984
• Emmy - Cardinal Cooke Funeral - WNBC-TV, NY, 1983–1984
• Emmy - Florida's Obscenity Showdown - WCIX, Miami, 1991
• Silver Circle Award by Academy of Television Arts & Sciences - Miami, 1990
• Long Island Press Club Award - 1981-1982