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 |  | Gene Klavan | 1952 - 1977
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Gene Klavan Remembered
New York Times, April 12, 2004
Gene Klavan
Gene Klavan, one-half of the 1960s morning radio show "Klavan and Finch," died on April 8, 2005 from complications of multiple myeloma. He was 79.
The Baltimore native was studying at Johns Hopkins University when World War II started. Klavan quit school and enlisted in the Army Air Corps. He served in the Pacific campaign and later entertained the troops.
When the war ended, Klavan launched his radio career in Baltimore and Washington. He moved to New York in 1952 and joined straight man Dee Finch on the WNEW-AM morning show. For the next 14 years, the duo improvised the popular four-hour program, which featured wacky characters like Mrs. Wes Chester, Sy Kology, Trevor Traffic and Victor Verse.
Finch retired in 1968, but Klavan continued to entertain listeners on "Klavan in the Morning." He moved to WOR-AM in 1977 and remained on the air for three more years as the voice of the afternoon drive time. Finch died in 1983.
After he retired from radio, Klavan hosted for American Movie Classics and worked as a columnist for Newsday. He also published two books: "We Die at Dawn" and "Turn That Damn Thing Off." Klavan fathered four sons: Ross, Scott, Laurence and best-selling author Andrew Klavan.
Posted on April 12, 2004 11:43 PM |
Gene Klavan
Online Staff
Apr 13, 2004
Gene Klavan, who for 25 years was one of the top names in New York radio, died Thursday April 8 in New York City after a brief illness. He was 79.
From 1952 to 1968, Klavan was the comic half of WNEW's highly rated "Klavan and Finch," a show that became a model for morning radio. The show was done entirely without writers -- Klavan and Dee Finch were able to improvise and ad lib every day through four hours of irreverence.
When Finch retired in 1968, Klavan became his own straight man and continued the show alone as "Klavan in the Morning." In 1977 he moved to WOR and left radio in 1980.
In his later years, Klavan was host for TV's American Movie Classics, a columnist for Newsday and a comic commentator for WCBS-TV.
He was the author of two books: "We Die at Dawn," an account of his years on WNEW, and "Turn That Damn Thing Off," a book about media.
Baltimore native attended Johns Hopkins U. but quit to join the Army during World War II, serving in the Pacific. He began his radio career in Baltimore.
Survivors include his wife of 57 years, Phyllis; four sons; three grandchildren; and a brother.
Copyright © 2004 Reed Business Information
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