Public Broadcasting
The terrific ventriloquist/ singer & children's TV host Shari Lewis.
When I was nine years old, I was already familiar with Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts radio and television programs – but little did I know that this talented lady (then just barely out of her teens) had won first prize for her puppetry on one of the episodes. By the 1960s Shari was performing on TV shows like the U.S. Steel Hour, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and Love American Style. On PBS, she hosted Lamb Chop's Play-A-Long for five years and was frequently seen on Sesame Street and other programs for children – and adults! Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1984 and battled other forms of cancer for many years thereafter. She passed away in 1998. She was 65 years old. In my opinion, there was no one – save Fred Rogers – better at connecting with kids via television that the remarkable Shari Lewis.
