Tom Snyder facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tom Snyder
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Snyder as host of the TV program Tomorrow in 1977
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| Born |
Thomas James Snyder
May 12, 1936 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
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| Died | July 29, 2007 (aged 71) |
| Alma mater | Marquette University |
| Years active | 1955–2005 |
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Notable credit(s)
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The Late Late Show, Tomorrow with Tom Snyder, NBC Nightly News |
| Spouse(s) |
Mary Ann Bendel
(m. 1958; div. 1975) |
| Children | Anne Marie Snyder |
Thomas James Snyder (born May 12, 1936 – died July 29, 2007) was a well-known American television and radio host. He was famous for his late-night talk shows. These included Tomorrow on NBC in the 1970s and 1980s. Later, he hosted The Late Late Show on CBS in the 1990s. Snyder also helped start the NBC News Update, which gave quick news summaries in the evenings.
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Tom Snyder's Early Life
Tom Snyder was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His parents, Frank and Marie Snyder, had German, Cornish, and Irish backgrounds. He grew up in a Catholic family. He went to St. Agnes Elementary School and then Marquette University High School. After high school, he attended Marquette University. At first, he planned to study medicine and become a doctor.
Starting His News Career
Snyder loved radio from a young age. He decided to change his studies from medicine to journalism. He once told a reporter that broadcasting became more important to him than going to classes. He started his career as a radio reporter in Milwaukee at WRIT-AM. He also worked at WKZO in Kalamazoo and WSAV in Savannah, Georgia.
In the 1960s, Snyder moved into television. He worked as a news anchor for KYW-TV in Cleveland in 1964. When the station moved to Philadelphia, Snyder went with it. He stayed in Philadelphia for five years.
In 1970, Snyder joined NBC News in Los Angeles. He anchored the evening news on KNBC. He continued this job even after starting his famous Tomorrow show in 1973. Later, he moved to New York City in 1974. He continued hosting Tomorrow and also anchored news broadcasts for WNBC-TV. He also hosted Sunday broadcasts of NBC Nightly News.
After Tomorrow ended in 1982, Snyder returned to local news. He became an anchor at WABC-TV in New York City. In 1985, he moved back to Los Angeles. He continued to work as an anchor for ABC at KABC-TV.
Tomorrow with Tom Snyder
Snyder became nationally famous as the host of Tomorrow with Tom Snyder. This show was on NBC from 1973 to 1982. It aired late at night after The Tonight Show. It was a unique talk show. Snyder would often hold a cigarette and ask tough questions. He also shared his own thoughts, making interviews feel more like conversations.
The show was known for its special one-on-one interviews. Some famous guests included John Lennon in 1975. He also interviewed John Lydon from PiL and The Sex Pistols. Other notable guests were actor Sterling Hayden and authors Harlan Ellison and Ayn Rand.
One famous episode on October 31, 1979, featured the rock band KISS. During the show, Ace Frehley (the lead guitarist) joked a lot. Snyder and Peter Criss (the drummer) seemed to enjoy it. This made Gene Simmons (the bassist) and Paul Stanley (the guitarist) a bit annoyed. Some parts of this show were later included in a KISS DVD collection.
Snyder also interviewed Disney animator Ward Kimball. Kimball had a large collection of toy trains. Snyder seemed very excited, like a "kid in a candy store." He loved toy trains, starting with his first Lionel locomotive. He later gave his collection to a toy train club.
When he wasn't interviewing guests, Snyder often joked with his crew. He had a distinctive, hearty laugh. This laugh was famously copied by Dan Aykroyd on Saturday Night Live.
Towards the end, Tomorrow tried a new format. It was renamed Tomorrow Coast to Coast. It added a live audience and a co-host, Rona Barrett. Snyder didn't like these changes. The show was canceled in 1981. This made way for David Letterman's new show. Snyder turned down an offer to move to a later time slot.
After Tomorrow
In 1982, Snyder joined WABC-TV in New York. He co-anchored the 5 PM news program with Kaity Tong. He stayed there for two years. In 1985, he returned to talk shows at KABC-TV in Los Angeles. He had his own local afternoon show. He hoped to have his show broadcast nationally. However, Oprah Winfrey's show became very popular. Her show took over Snyder's time slot on KABC-TV.
In 1988, Snyder started a similar three-hour show on ABC Radio. The first hour was for chatting with a celebrity. The second hour was for talking with someone in the news. The last hour was for talking with his fans who called in. Sometimes, famous fans like David Letterman or Ted Koppel would call. One of Snyder's favorite callers was Sherman Hemsley. He played George Jefferson on the TV show The Jeffersons. The Tom Snyder Show on ABC Radio ended in late 1992.
Snyder returned to television on CNBC in 1993. This new show allowed viewers to call in with questions for his guests. Snyder called his show the "Colorcast." He often talked to his off-screen crew. He also mentioned the studio's location in Fort Lee, New Jersey. His final CNBC show aired in December 1994.
The Late Late Show with Tom Snyder
Meanwhile, David Letterman had moved to CBS. Letterman, who admired Snyder, chose him to host a new show. This show would air after Letterman's at 12:35 AM. The announcement was made in August 1994. The Late Late Show with Tom Snyder began on January 9, 1995. The idea started as a joke on Letterman's show. It was a funny thought that Snyder would follow him, just like he followed Johnny Carson years before.
The Late Late Show with Tom Snyder was broadcast live in some time zones. It was also played on radio stations at the same time. This allowed everyone to call in. Snyder's CNBC show was taken over by Charles Grodin.
Snyder conducted many interviews on The Late Late Show. He had a long interview with Gloria Vanderbilt about her son's death. He also interviewed actor Robert Blake shortly before Blake faced serious charges. When Snyder was sick, comedians Martin Mull and Jon Stewart filled in as hosts. Snyder's last Late Late Show aired on March 26, 1999. The show then changed its format for the next host, Craig Kilborn. It became a more typical late-night show with an audience and comedy.
In February 2000, Snyder hosted two episodes of The Late Show Backstage. These aired when Letterman was recovering from heart surgery.
Snyder also hosted a video series called A Century of Lionel Electric Trains. This series celebrated 100 years of Lionel Trains. He also hosted another program called Celebrity Train Layouts 2: Tom Snyder. This show featured his own train collection.
His Later Years
In April 2005, Snyder shared that he had been diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. This is a type of cancer. In June 2006, he sold his home in Los Angeles. He had lived there for almost 30 years. He moved to Belvedere, in the San Francisco Bay Area. He had a second home there.
Tom Snyder passed away from complications of leukemia on July 29, 2007. He was 71 years old.
Legacy
In 2008, Tom Snyder was honored after his death. He was added to the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame.
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Television Appearances
| Year(s) | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1966–1970 | Contact | Himself (host) |
| 1973–1982 | The Tomorrow Show | Himself (host) |
| 1979–1980 | Prime Time Sunday / Saturday | Himself (host) |
| 1980 | Tom Snyder's Celebrity Spotlight | Himself (host) |
| 1986 | Tom Snyder | Himself (host) |
| 1993–1994 | Tom Snyder | Himself (host) |
| 1995–1999 | The Late Late Show with Tom Snyder | Himself (host) |
| 2000 | Late Show with David Letterman | Himself (guest host) |
Radio Appearances
| Year(s) | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1988–1992 | Tom Snyder Radio Show | Himself (host) |
| 1995–1999 | The Late Late Radio Show | Himself (host) |
