Bert Pearl

Bert Pearl (born Bert Shapira; 2 February 1913 – 17 June 1986) was a Canadian radio entertainer, singer, pianist and writer. He was best known as the founder, pianist and master of ceremonies of the CBC Radio variety program The Happy Gang. The program was broadcast for more than 20 years and Pearl was described by United Press International as one of Canada's major radio stars from the 1930s to the 1950s. He later moved to Hollywood, where he worked as a musical co-ordinator and writer of special material for television programs associated with Jimmy Durante and Gisele MacKenzie.

Although the program projected cheerfulness, Pearl took a serious approach to planning and presenting the show, including programs geared to holidays, seasons and special events.

Pearl later moved to California. In Hollywood, he worked as a musical co-ordinator and writer of special material for The Jimmy Durante Show and The Gisele MacKenzie Show. He also wrote lyrics for guest performers including Bobby Darin, Jimmie Rodgers, Jane Powell, Ray Bolger, The Diamonds and cast members of Bonanza.

Pearl continued to perform as a pianist, including appearances in Hollywood clubs, nightclubs and with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. He also returned to Canada for special appearances, including a 1975 Happy Gang reunion concert at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto, a 1978 tour of Saskatoon, Regina and Lethbridge, and a final performance by the group at the ACTRA Awards in Toronto.

Honours In 1982, Pearl was made a member of the Order of the Buffalo Hunt by the Province of Manitoba. He was also named an honorary citizen of Winnipeg. The Blood Indian Band named him “Chief Happy Voice in the Sky”.

Death Pearl died in Los Angeles, California, on 17 June 1986, at the age of 73, after a long illness with cancer and had lived in Los Angeles for several years before his death. He was survived by his sister, Frances Isaacs Pearl of Hollywood, three nephews and a niece.

Legacy Pearl is remembered as a figure in mid-20th-century Canadian radio entertainment. Through The Happy Gang, he helped create one of CBC Radio’s best-known variety programs, associated especially with Depression-era, wartime and postwar Canadian broadcasting.