Around Noon: February 2000

Dee Perry Talks with Comedian and Ventriloquist, Jeff Dunham
Originally aired Tuesday, February 1
Comedy can take many forms, shapes and sizes. There's the raunchy humor of Richard Pryor, the self-deprecating comedy of Woody Allen, and the slapstick silliness of Jim Carey. But one of the styles that we don't see as much these days is "dummy" humor, better known as ventriloquism. In the old days, Edgar Bergen had them rollin' in the aisles with his sidekicks - Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd. Today however, ventriloquism seems to have become a lost art. But there is one man who's become a success talking to puppets - 1997's Comedian of the Year, Jeff Dunham. Dunham and his pals, "Walter the Old Curmudgeon," "Peanut the Woozle," and "Jose the Jalapeno" entertained Clevelanders at the Improv in the Powerhouse in January. Dee had a chance to talk with Jeff and his old buddy Walter by phone. Here's a selection from their interview.

A Legend Still Looking for a Hopeful Story
Originally aired Friday, February 11
This Sunday night, folk legend Pete Seeger will take the stage for a sold-out event at the Cleveland Rock Hall, the real culmination of the 12th Annual Folk Music Alliance world conference held here this weekend. Pete doesn't perform as often as he used to, his voice isn't as strong as it once was, he readily, yet sadly, admits his memory is fading (even to the point of occassionally not remembering lyrics to songs he's sung for over forty years), but his passion for humanity, and the rights of all has never wavered. Last week, 90.3's Jim Goldurs had an opportunity to talk by phone with Pete Seeger from his New York home.

Catching Dreams: An Interview with Paul Bauer and Winnie Robinson
Originally aired Monday, February 21
While baseball is certainly our national past time, it's also a mirror of American society. Back in the 19-30's and 40's, baseball was still segregated and much of America never got to see some of the game's greatest players, because they simply weren't allowed in the major leagues. When Jackie Robinson finally broke the color line in 1947, baseball was changed forever for a new generation of African Americans. But unfortunately the stories of the men who came before Jackie Robinson were lost, as the Negro Leagues disappeared. One of those men is a catcher named Frazier "Slow" Robinson, who toured the country playing with the barnstorming team - The Satchel Paige All-Stars. He's the subject of a new book entitled "Catching Dreams: My Life in the Negro Baseball Leagues." Around Noon's Dee Perry recently spoke with Frazier "Slow" Robinson's biographer, Paul Bauer and his widow, Winnie Robinson about "Slow's" life and career in baseball.