Bob Booker

Bob Booker (August 1, 1931 – July 12, 2024) was an American writer and producer of television shows and record albums. He is best known for producing the 1962 album The First Family with Earle Doud. The album is a parody of President John F. Kennedy and his family, and it both remained at #1 on the Billboard 200 for 12 weeks and won a Grammy for Best Album of the Year in 1963.

Early career Booker was born in Jacksonville, Florida, on August 1, 1931. He graduated from high school at age of 16. He was first employed as a local radio DJ. A new television station began operation and Booker was hired at the age of 18, where he worked as a TV host, news anchor, weatherman, camera operator, set builder, film editor, program producer and director. He was later drafted into the army during the Korean conflict and was stationed at Ft. Bliss in El Paso. Because of his background in radio and television, he was placed on staff for the commanding general, doing PR for the base. Discharged after two years, he moonlighted as a talent manager and became station manager of WIVY in Jacksonville. He ingratiated himself with all the top entertainers who frequented the popular winter vacation spot through one-on-one interviews. Celebrities like Jack Benny, Nat Cole, Martha Ray, Andy Williams, Ray Charles, Mort Sahl, Ava Gardner, Gloria DeHaven, Sinatra - many became lifelong friends. He also did on-air work at two local TV stations, and hosted weekend shows. In 1960, he left Miami and relocated to New York City. They cut a demo record and made their first pitch to Capitol Records. After hearing the demo, an executive and friend of Booker, said: "I wouldn't touch it with a 10-foot pole!" Dejected, the two considered other labels and ended up at ABC Records who referred them to ABC President Leonard Goldenson. He passed because of FCC concerns, but suggested a small record label, Cadence Records, owned by Archie Bleyer. Bleyer liked the concept and signed the two writers to a record deal.

Cadence wanted to release the record in November 1962, in time for the busy holiday season. Booker did not like the stock photos being offered for the album cover, so he borrowed a Speed Graphic camera and flew to Washington, D.C. to photograph the White House. He only had four negatives. His first shot of the North Portico had terrible backlighting. He then took a cab around the entire perimeter and attempted two more pictures, but those shots did not capture the essence of the building. Frustrated, he went back to the front fence where the lighting had improved, held the camera between the slats and without looking through the lens, pulled the trigger. The photograph would become iconic (nominated for Best Album Cover by the Grammys).

The night before the recording, Booker and Dowd went to the Paris Theater on East 58th to catch a movie. Earle carried a copy of their script in a briefcase. As they waited for the film to begin, two women took their seats two rows in front of them. One was Jackie Kennedy. The two men were flabbergasted. Dowd immediately opened the briefcase and wanted to show the First Lady their script. He was dying to meet her. Booker kept him at bay and told him it was a crazy idea and could jeopardize their project. Dowd finally relented and they left the theater.

On October 22, 1962, The First Family was recorded at Fine Studios in New York City, ironically at the same moment that President Kennedy announced the naval blockade of Soviet Union ships traveling to Cuba, prompting the Cuban Missile Crisis. Because social media did not exist, the audience was unaware of the speech. The recording commenced and was a success. Unfortunately, Cadence Records owner Archie Bleyer felt "Kennedy's going to war" and almost tossed the tapes in the trash. Bob and Earle felt the opposite and proceeded to finalize the production. Six days later, the crisis was averted and Blyer gave the green light.

Booker and Doud devised a simple plan to market their record: radio airplay. Booker also worked part-time for 1010 WINS AM and when the first albums were delivered to Cadence, the two immediately drove to Columbus Circle and sought out one of the most popular DJs in the city, Stan Z. Burns at WINS. Burns loved the record and The First Family was the only record he played for his entire three-hour shift. The WINS switchboard lit up with callers — listeners, news outlets and competing radio stations — everyone wanted the new record. Booker and Doud, who came armed with a handful of records, took cabs around the city, dropping off albums to numerous radio stations. Booker remembered it best: "Lightning had struck...we were in the right place at the right time." It would become the fastest selling comedy album in record history.

In December, Booker got a call from White House UPI correspondent, Merriman Smith. The reporter told him about an 'off the record' experience with the President during a recent Cabinet meeting. Booker recalled Smith said, "The President came in, ran down the items on his agenda and then said, 'But, before we begin -- and he opens up a record player, picks up a copy of your album and said 'I'd like for you to hear my album." He told Booker the cabinet sat and listened to the entire record, laughing as the president laughed. Everyone applauded when the album was done. Astonished, Bob remembers Smith added, "I know there's been some negativism from Pierre Salinger and Schlesinger and some of those guys but Jack doesn't listen to them. You've made a human being out of him...he loves it." He produced numerous "outtake" shows and established an extensive comedy videotape library for his shows Foul-Ups, Bleeps & Blunders with Don Rickles and Steve Lawrence, Comedy Break and The Hit Squad. He would continue to market the TV library globally for decades.

Personal life and death Booker donated many of his personal television scripts to the Writers Guild Foundation Archive.

Booker lived in Northern California with his wife of 55 years, Barbara Noonan Booker, who partnered and co-produced programming with her husband on the four major networks and in syndication. During the final years of his life, Booker continued working on a variety of projects, following his grandfather's advice that one should "never retire"; he was working on a prospective project until days before his death from heart failure at his home in Tiburon, California on July 12, 2024, at age 92.

Album work A partial list of his album credits:

You Don't Have to Be Jewish (1964) Scream On Someone You Love Today (1967) The New First Family 1968: A Futuristic Fairy Tale (1968) Beware of Greeks Bearing Gifts (1968) (No. 190 US) Pat McCormick Tells It Like It Is (1968) The Jewish American Princess (1971)

Television work A partial list of his television credits:

The NBC Follies (1973) Cotton Club '75 (1974) Charo (1976) The Paul Lynde Halloween Special (1976) Fifty Years of Country Music (1978) Grease Day USA (1978) Waylon (1980) Christmas Gold (1982) The Best Little Special in Texas (1982) The Funniest Commercial Goofs (1983) Foul-Ups, Bleeps & Blunders (1983–84) The Love Boat Fall Preview Special (1984) Anything for a Laugh (1985) Comedy Break (1985) Rickles on the Loose (1986) The Hit Squad (1987) Out of This World (1987–91)