Category: Personnel

TV announcer.

Before becoming a booth announcer at WXYZ-TV, Gene sang with a group of men called The Grenadiers a quintet subset of men from the The Don Large Chorus[2].  Then a short gig with the Wayne King Hour on NBC in Chicago.

Gene also sang during some daytime music programs during the early days of television at WXYZ.  Because of his powerful voice, he easily moved into being one of the star announcers at the station.

Gene died from a heart attack at age 54 while still working at WXYZ as a TV announcer.

References:

1. Detroit Memories
2. University of Detroit Chorus Collection

• WXYZ Morning Show with Bob Hynes, 1967

  [ultimate_video_player id=”2″]

  Bob Hynes, Mason Weaver and Gene Avram