Paul Dixon
Encyclopedia
Paul Dixon was a daytime television
celebrity
and talk show host in Cincinnati, Ohio
. He originally began his career with radio
shows in New York City
and Chicago
before being enticed to come to then-radio station WCPO in Cincinnati as a news reporter and announcer around 1945. He was chosen best newscaster
in Cincinnati in 1947 after conducting an interview with men trapped in a collapsed building in downtown Cincinnati.
Eventually abandoning radio news in favor of entertainment, he spent his first few years in television as host of Paul Dixon's Song Shop, a three-hour daily show he co-hosted with Dottie Mack and Wanda Lewis pantomiming to records of the day. By 1954 his show was so popular that Dumont Television
enticed Dixon to come to New York to do the show nationally. After a year a homesick Dixon returned to Cincinnati, and hired on at WLWT to host a new daytime TV show geared to housewives.
network from September 29, 1952 to April 8, 1955, premiered on Cincinnati's WLWT
in 1955. The show began as a half-hour program, but later expanded to 90 minutes with co-hosts Bonnie Lou
and Colleen Sharp. Avco Broadcasting Corporation
, who owned WLWT, syndicated Dixon's show in other markets where they owned TV stations, including Columbus
and Dayton
, Ohio and Indianapolis
, Indiana. "Paul Baby", as he came to be known (the nickname was given him by a prop boy) had a breezy style and a sense of humor that appealed to housewives and others alike.
His show reached its peak on Tuesday, March 11, 1969, when he staged a wedding for two rubber chicken
s, that had become longtime props on the show (they were mainly used for in-house commercials for Kroger
). Fellow Cincinnati TV personality Bob Braun
appeared as Best Man, with Colleen Sharp and Bonnie Lou as Matrons of Honor. To this day The Chicken Wedding remains a significant piece of WLWT's (and Cincinnati's) television history. Late Night TV host David Letterman
, who grew up in Indianapolis, cites Dixon's comedic talent as inspiration for his own antics.
Dixon suffered his first heart attack in 1970, shortly after his son Greg was killed in a car accident. On the heels of his son's death, a grieving Dixon had to be helped on stage to do his show one day.
Complications later led to a ruptured aneurysm
, which claimed Dixon's life on December 28, 1974. Avco
executives concluded that Dixon could not be replaced, so following a month of reruns, The Paul Dixon Show quietly ended its near-20 year run by the end of January 1975. Dixon is buried in Gate of Heaven Cemetery.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
celebrity
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
and talk show host in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. He originally began his career with 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...
shows in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and 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...
before being enticed to come to then-radio station WCPO in Cincinnati as a news reporter and announcer around 1945. He was chosen best newscaster
News presenter
A news presenter is a person who presents news during a news program in the format of a television show, on the radio or the Internet.News presenters can work in a radio studio, television studio and from remote broadcasts in the field especially weather...
in Cincinnati in 1947 after conducting an interview with men trapped in a collapsed building in downtown Cincinnati.
Eventually abandoning radio news in favor of entertainment, he spent his first few years in television as host of Paul Dixon's Song Shop, a three-hour daily show he co-hosted with Dottie Mack and Wanda Lewis pantomiming to records of the day. By 1954 his show was so popular that Dumont Television
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
enticed Dixon to come to New York to do the show nationally. After a year a homesick Dixon returned to Cincinnati, and hired on at WLWT to host a new daytime TV show geared to housewives.
Television
The Paul Dixon Show after having aired on the DuMontDuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
network from September 29, 1952 to April 8, 1955, premiered on Cincinnati's WLWT
WLWT
WLWT, virtual channel 5 , is an NBC-affiliated television station in Cincinnati, Ohio, the station is owned by Hearst Television...
in 1955. The show began as a half-hour program, but later expanded to 90 minutes with co-hosts Bonnie Lou
Bonnie Lou
Bonnie Lou is an American rock and roll and country music singer. During the mid-1950s, Bonnie Lou helped pave the way for future female artists as one of rock and roll's first female singers...
and Colleen Sharp. Avco Broadcasting Corporation
Crosley Broadcasting Corporation
The Crosley Broadcasting Corporation was a radio and television broadcaster founded by radio manufacturing pioneer Powel Crosley, Jr.. The company was an early operator of radio stations in the United States. Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, Crosley's flagship station was WLW...
, who owned WLWT, syndicated Dixon's show in other markets where they owned TV stations, including Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
and Dayton
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
, Ohio and Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana. "Paul Baby", as he came to be known (the nickname was given him by a prop boy) had a breezy style and a sense of humor that appealed to housewives and others alike.
His show reached its peak on Tuesday, March 11, 1969, when he staged a wedding for two rubber chicken
Rubber chicken
A rubber chicken is a prop used in comedy. The phrase is also used as a description for food served at speeches, conventions, and other large meetings, and as a metaphor for speechmaking.-Comedy:...
s, that had become longtime props on the show (they were mainly used for in-house commercials for Kroger
Kroger
The Kroger Co. is an American supermarket chain founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It reported US$ 76.7 billion in sales during fiscal year 2009. It is the country's largest grocery store chain and its second-largest grocery retailer by volume and second-place general retailer...
). Fellow Cincinnati TV personality Bob Braun
Bob Braun
Bob Braun was a local television and radio personality in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was born in Ludlow, Kentucky....
appeared as Best Man, with Colleen Sharp and Bonnie Lou as Matrons of Honor. To this day The Chicken Wedding remains a significant piece of WLWT's (and Cincinnati's) television history. Late Night TV host David Letterman
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
, who grew up in Indianapolis, cites Dixon's comedic talent as inspiration for his own antics.
Author
Dixon wrote and published two books; the first in 1968 titled Paul Baby: Confessions of the Mayor of Kneesville. Two years later he published Letters to Paul Baby, a compilation of Dixon's favorite fan mail.Personal life
Dixon and his wife Marge had two children; Pamela and Greg.Dixon suffered his first heart attack in 1970, shortly after his son Greg was killed in a car accident. On the heels of his son's death, a grieving Dixon had to be helped on stage to do his show one day.
Complications later led to a ruptured aneurysm
Aneurysm
An aneurysm or aneurism is a localized, blood-filled balloon-like bulge in the wall of a blood vessel. Aneurysms can commonly occur in arteries at the base of the brain and an aortic aneurysm occurs in the main artery carrying blood from the left ventricle of the heart...
, which claimed Dixon's life on December 28, 1974. Avco
Crosley Broadcasting Corporation
The Crosley Broadcasting Corporation was a radio and television broadcaster founded by radio manufacturing pioneer Powel Crosley, Jr.. The company was an early operator of radio stations in the United States. Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, Crosley's flagship station was WLW...
executives concluded that Dixon could not be replaced, so following a month of reruns, The Paul Dixon Show quietly ended its near-20 year run by the end of January 1975. Dixon is buried in Gate of Heaven Cemetery.