Gene Taylor (TV and radio personality)
| Gene Taylor | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Eugene Lee Herships June 26, 1947 Detroit, Michigan |
| Died | January 6, 2001 (aged 53) |
| Cause of death | Asthma attack |
| Resting place | Franklin, Michigan |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Frank Cody High School |
| Occupation | TV and radio host, writer, comedian |
| Years active | 1969–2001 |
Gene Taylor (born Eugene Lee Herships, June 26, 1947 – January 6, 2001) was an American comedian, TV and radio host and writer, best known for his on-air work in Toronto and Detroit.
Taylor was born in Detroit, where he attended Frank Cody High School. He became a stand-up comedian after high school, working nightclubs at age 20. He briefly joined the army and then returned to comedy, working primarily in strip clubs starting in 1969, including the Victory Burlesque theatre in Toronto. He also wrote jokes for Bob Hope and other comedians. In 1971 he auditioned for the Detroit Playboy Club and spent the next two years working the Playboy circuit across the U.S.
In September 1973, Taylor—who had married a woman from Toronto the previous year—joined Toronto TV station CITY-TV, giving away prizes during the station's afternoon movie on a program called Prizewinner's Playhouse. Taylor said CITY initially paid him $14,300 and a car. One of his popular early characters was Victor Voice, a newscaster parody. The afternoon show evolved into an interview and comedy show called Speak Easy, which ran weekdays at 1 pm with Taylor as host. He also hosted a series of Saturday monster movies on CITY called Monsters We Know And Love. In September 1974, he became the first host of CITY's Boogie dance program, before turning the reins over to Paul Godfrey. Also in 1974, Taylor was host of a comedy club in the Drawing Room at Friar's Tavern in Toronto.
Taylor created the satirical Idi Amin Fan Club in July 1975, which generated negative publicity in Canada and internationally. A Toronto Star editorial called it "the most tasteless caper of the month." While continuing to host Speak Easy, Taylor also briefly worked as a weatherman at CITY in September 1975. Early the next year, while still working with CITY, he hosted Bingo on Global on the Global Television Network, calling bingo numbers on a show that ran every weekday at 3:30 with a weekend edition on Saturdays at 7:30.
In September 1976, Taylor started a new show on CITY, Bazaar, which ran 90 minutes every weekday at noon. He wrestled Sweet Daddy Siki in an appearance on the CBLT special The Cocktail Zone in April 1977. Three months later, and only 10 months after starting Bazaar, Taylor announced that he would be leaving CITY to join CBLT, a rival Toronto station. The Gene Taylor Show, a 30-minute talk and variety show, also featuring the Russ Little band, premiered on October 3, 1977 and aired Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7:30 pm. The show got off to a slow start, but by February 1978 was averaging 60-75,000 viewers a night. In an interview that year, Taylor said he expected to earn a six-figure annual income for the first time in his career.
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