Ned Locke
Encyclopedia
Norbert Locke, better known as Ned Locke (December 25, 1919 - February 4, 1992), was an American
television
personality and radio
announcer, best known for the role of "Ringmaster Ned" on WGN-TV's
Bozo's Circus
from 1961 - 1976.
Locke, who was from Red Wing, Minnesota
, got into radio quite young, appearing on a program in Minneapolis-St.Paul when he was only nine years old. Locke performed in various theater companies after his high school graduation and became a radio announcer for WHO (AM)
in Des Moines, Iowa. By 1950, he was appearing on WMAQ (NBC
) radio in Chicago
, on a program called Uncle Ned's Squadron. It was his appearance here that led him to substituting for longtime Chicago children's host Johnny Coons on his Noontime Comics series on WNBQ (now WMAQ-TV)
in 1951. An avid pilot who both operated two Des Moines area airports and trained pilots, Locke initially commuted to Chicago for his weekly radio program. Locke also served as the director of aeronautics for the state of Iowa for seven years. His substitute television appearance led to other children's shows: Sunday Funnies, where Locke read the newspaper comics on television and Captain Hartz and His Pets, sponsored by Hartz Mountain. He worked there and at local ABC
affiliate WENR (now WLS-TV)
appearing in teledramas, musicals, commercials and even writing a teleplay called Jet Pilot. He wrote over 2,500 radio and television shows during the course of his career.
He moved over to WGN-TV in 1956, where he was a weather forecaster; co-starred on the children's series Lunchtime Little Theater; and later wrote, produced and starred in the children's program Paddleboat; Roy Brown
served as the show's puppeteer. He got the role of Ringmaster Ned, for which he is best remembered, on September 11, 1961 when Bozo's Circus made its debut. Locke stayed on until he retired from television in 1976. He temporarily came out of retirement and made appearances as Ringmaster Ned for the 25th and 30th anniversaries of the show.
A survivor of three heart attacks, after retirement he moved to Kimberling City, Missouri
, where he was chief of police, owned a real estate firm, and was later mayor until his death from liver cancer
in 1992. He was survived by his wife, Rose, sons Norbert, Jr. and Robert and his grandchildren. One of Locke's ringmaster costumes is part of the Museum of Broadcast Communications
' Bozo's Circus collection.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
personality and radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
announcer, best known for the role of "Ringmaster Ned" on WGN-TV's
WGN-TV
WGN-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the CW-affiliated television station in Chicago, Illinois built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WGN-TV's studios and offices are located at 2501 W...
Bozo's Circus
The Bozo Show
The Bozo Show is a locally-produced children's television program that aired on WGN-TV in Chicago and nationally on what is now WGN America. Recognized as the most popular and successful locally-produced children's program in the history of television, it only aired under this title for 14 of its...
from 1961 - 1976.
Locke, who was from Red Wing, Minnesota
Red Wing, Minnesota
Red Wing is a city in Goodhue County, Minnesota, United States, on the Mississippi River. The population was 16,459 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Goodhue County....
, got into radio quite young, appearing on a program in Minneapolis-St.Paul when he was only nine years old. Locke performed in various theater companies after his high school graduation and became a radio announcer for WHO (AM)
WHO (AM)
WHO is a clear channel radio station broadcasting 50,000 watts on 1040 AM with a news/talk format. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications and is located in Des Moines, Iowa. The station can be heard over most of the continental United States during nighttime hours...
in Des Moines, Iowa. By 1950, he was appearing on WMAQ (NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
) radio in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, on a program called Uncle Ned's Squadron. It was his appearance here that led him to substituting for longtime Chicago children's host Johnny Coons on his Noontime Comics series on WNBQ (now WMAQ-TV)
WMAQ-TV
WMAQ-TV, channel 5, is an owned-and-operated television station of the NBC Television Network, located in Chicago, Illinois. WMAQ-TV's main studios and offices are located within the NBC Tower in the Streeterville neighborhood, with an auxiliary street-level studio on the Magnificent Mile at 401...
in 1951. An avid pilot who both operated two Des Moines area airports and trained pilots, Locke initially commuted to Chicago for his weekly radio program. Locke also served as the director of aeronautics for the state of Iowa for seven years. His substitute television appearance led to other children's shows: Sunday Funnies, where Locke read the newspaper comics on television and Captain Hartz and His Pets, sponsored by Hartz Mountain. He worked there and at local ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
affiliate WENR (now WLS-TV)
WLS-TV
WLS-TV, virtual channel 7, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, located in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The station operates their full power digital operations on UHF channel 44, with their digital fill-in translator on VHF channel...
appearing in teledramas, musicals, commercials and even writing a teleplay called Jet Pilot. He wrote over 2,500 radio and television shows during the course of his career.
He moved over to WGN-TV in 1956, where he was a weather forecaster; co-starred on the children's series Lunchtime Little Theater; and later wrote, produced and starred in the children's program Paddleboat; Roy Brown
Roy Brown
Roy Brown may refer to:*Roy Brown , English professional footballer who was the first black player to play for Stoke City.*Roy Brown , English footballer...
served as the show's puppeteer. He got the role of Ringmaster Ned, for which he is best remembered, on September 11, 1961 when Bozo's Circus made its debut. Locke stayed on until he retired from television in 1976. He temporarily came out of retirement and made appearances as Ringmaster Ned for the 25th and 30th anniversaries of the show.
A survivor of three heart attacks, after retirement he moved to Kimberling City, Missouri
Kimberling City, Missouri
Kimberling City is a city in Stone County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,253 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Branson, Missouri Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Kimberling City is located at ....
, where he was chief of police, owned a real estate firm, and was later mayor until his death from liver cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in 1992. He was survived by his wife, Rose, sons Norbert, Jr. and Robert and his grandchildren. One of Locke's ringmaster costumes is part of the Museum of Broadcast Communications
Museum of Broadcast Communications
The Museum of Broadcast Communications is an American museum that currently exists exclusively on the Internet and not in any physical capacity. Its stated mission is "to collect, preserve, and present historic and contemporary radio and television content as well as educate, inform and entertain...
' Bozo's Circus collection.
Watch
- [mms://208.100.39.213:80/MGWMS/MBC/TV%20Radio%20News/TV_00241-1/stream0.asf Bozo's Big Top] circa 1960s. Locke as Ringmaster Ned. Museum of Broadcast Communications (Windows Media PlayerWindows Media PlayerWindows Media Player is a media player and media library application developed by Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and viewing images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices...
) - [mms://208.100.39.213:80/MGWMS/MBC/features/chicagotv/ringmasterruth.wmv Baby Ruth Commercial] 1965.Museum of Broadcast Communications (Windows Media PlayerWindows Media PlayerWindows Media Player is a media player and media library application developed by Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and viewing images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices...
) - [mms://208.100.39.213:80/MGWMS/MBC/features/chicagotv/signmaker65.wmv "Bozo the Signpainter"] 1965. Museum of Broadcast Communications (Windows Media PlayerWindows Media PlayerWindows Media Player is a media player and media library application developed by Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and viewing images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices...
) - [mms://208.100.39.213:80/MGWMS/MBC/features/chicagotv/bozo25anv.wmv Bozo 25th Anniversary] 1986. Museum of Broadcast Communications (Windows Media PlayerWindows Media PlayerWindows Media Player is a media player and media library application developed by Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and viewing images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices...
)