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Randy Hodgins and Steve McLellan’s lifelong love of comedy was kindled when they met more than 40 years ago in graduate school in Seattle. While managing family and professional work responsibilities, they hosted a one hour comedy radio program on Saturday mornings for 10 years on a small radio station in Olympia, WA and also co-authored two books on northwest popular culture – Seattle on Film (1995) and Wet and Wired (2000). Stuck at home during the early days of the pandemic with hundreds of comedy albums, cassettes and CD’s gathering dust on their shelves, they launched Laugh Tracks Legends of Comedy in May 2020, a weekly mini-program featuring a different comedy icon, with biographical bits and a nice slice of the comedy that made them famous. From standup stars, to stellar sketch teams, to novelty music maestros -- they are all part of our Legends.
Episodes
Tuesday Dec 09, 2025
Tuesday Dec 09, 2025
You may not know his name but you surely know his voice(s), especially if you were a late night watcher of the annual Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon. Fred Travalena turned a fine singing voice and a gift for mimicry into a career that lasted well over 40 years. Fred was encouraged in show business by his father, also an entertainer, and he honed his skills and interest during a stint in the Army Special Services. Rich Little discovered Fred working the Catskills and recommended him as a regular opener for David Frost during his Riviera hotel gigs. Fred soon became a Vegas (and Atlantic City) staple and he soon became a popular guest on television talk and variety shows. In his later years, Fred was a favorite on cruise ships and at casino theaters, as well as a frequent voice actor for animated television shows. As always find extra clips below and thanks for sharing our shows!
Want more Travalena?
During his career prime, Fred was likely to pop up anywhere -- a game show, a talk show, a Celebrity roast, etc. Here is a nice fan-made collection of those moments. https://youtu.be/fVbPIFQeVCM?
A regular on the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethons, Fred often showed off his musical impressions. Here's Fred's appearance on the 1981 edition. https://youtu.be/fVbPIFQeVCM?si=c3uHw7S-CMdvoWhU
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