Detroit's Classic TV Personalities

date:Saturday, July 4, 2009 time:9:30 AM to 3:30 PM venue:Detroit Historical Museum address:5401 Woodward Avenue  Detroit, MI 48202  View map

A new exhibit opening at the DetroitHistoricalMuseum on Saturday, March 14^th features seven of our city’s most notable television figures of the past and present.  Entitled Detroit’s Classic TV Personalities, the exhibit features artifacts, photos and video from the following:

 

·        Bill Bonds – the longtime WXYZ-TV Channel 7 news anchor drew viewers in massive numbers over four different decades with his dramatic and often opinionated style;

 

·        John Kelly and Marilyn Turner – both first seen in Detroit at WJBK-TV2 in the 1960s, the newscaster – Kelly – and weathercaster – Turner – moved to WXYZ in 1972 and became famous for both their news work as well as their co-hosting of the local talk show “Kelly & Company” for 17 years;

 

·        Bill Kennedy – the movie host was a staple on Detroit television—first on WWJ-TV (now WDIV-TV Local 4), then Windsor’s CKLW-TV Channel 9 during the 1950s and 1960s, and finally on WKBD-TV Channel 50; 

 

·        Emery King – a news anchor at WDIV for 19 years, he left a job at NBC News as White House correspondent during the Reagan administration for a local news job in Detroit to minimize time away from his family;

 

·        Amyre Makupson – best known for her 25-year career at WKBD, the last 17 as anchor of the station’s signature “10 O’Clock News;”

 

·        Soupy Sales -- early Detroit television’s biggest star, this performer born Milton Supman hosted both a lunchtime kids show and an evening sketch comedy/live jazz show for adults on WXYZ before moving on to national household name status.

 

The exhibit continues in the Museum’s Kresge Gallery through Sunday, September 6^th.  The presenting sponsor for the exhibit is Art Van, and the community sponsor is the Japanese Business Society Foundation of Detroit withadditional supportfromthe Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.  WXYZ-TV Channel 7 is a media partner. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

cost:Regular Museum admission category:Arts and Entertainment website:Click to visit the site