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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 Mar 04, 2025
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
Grab your best duds, we're hopping in the Time Machine for Las Vegas in the 1950s to catch up with The Rat Pack -- or at least the comic relief -- in the form of Joey Bishop who was a presence in Vegas showrooms, in movies, and on television well into the 1980s. A product of the New York nightclub scene, where Frank Sinatra caught and liked his act, Joey was Frank's opener for years and when Sinatra took the helm of the Rat Pack, he brought Joey along for the ride. That association would end in the early 1960s, but Joey remained a celebrity and hosted his own ABC late night talk show in the mid-60s. A deadpan comic, Joey later became a frequent game show panelist, as well as a talk show guest host. Frank Sinatra's death in 1998 left Joey as the Rat Pack's "last man standing" -- as we always say, comedy keeps you young! Find extra clips below and thanks for sharing our shows!
Want more Bishop?
In the late 1990s snarky record fans started discovering records with celebrities not known for their singing having at it nonetheless. Joey weighs in here with Your Cheatin' Heart from his 1968 album Joey Bishop Sings Country and Western. It even won an award from the Academy of Country Music. https://youtu.be/_ghzOy3X1uE?si=fDIdIQWd-E07JjX8
Here's a nice sample of Joey's standup comedy from an appearance on the Dinah Shore Show back in 1960, when the Rat Pack still ruled. https://youtu.be/VR2j8nDwNbs?si=PW8wboAyjoLHz55o
Joey's 1967 late night ABC talk show didn't last long, but it's a great period piece and a chance to see his co-host -- a very young Regis Philbin. The "Nehru jacket" bit we excerpted is in the first few minutes, but this whole clip is great including a visit from Sammy Davis Jr. https://youtu.be/sM7Fzz0qjuM?si=svjee052G_5QHU4A
As with so many 50s/60s starts, in the 1970s Joey found his footing as a reliable game show panelist -- here Joey plays a bit of the Match Game. His bit is about 12:15 in, but the whole thing is a blast of 1976 nostalgia. https://youtu.be/Ad7IENuxZZw?si=rn6_XdQ-2UWprQd8
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