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Beau Weaver Remembers Jerry Houston I first met Jerry Houston during my mercifully brief time as a program director, when I was brought in to try to modernize the format at KFJZ in 1974. Most of the staff there dug in their heels in steadfast resistance to my innovations. Except Jerry. He was always, positive, and willing to do whatever it took. We worked together again at KILT in Houston in '76, where he was production director. Again, always the super dedicated professional, making the lamest waterbed sale commercial sound major market.
Because I had been
trained in voice acting in Los Angeles, I decided to start a
voice actors workshop in Houston. Jerry was one of the
first to sign up. As wonderfully talented as he was, Jerry
was, in those days, beset with a humilty that was, both
charming, and a road block. He did not have the confidence
to put himself out there and "own" his performances.
Sometimes he would read a piece of copy and "accidentally"
start doing a read that was absolutely superb. But then he
would laugh it off, saying he was just "fooling around."
"Well, fool around some more!' But as much as I would
encourage him, he would fall out of the read, and revert to
his, "Aw shucks" persona, coming in just short of the
performance that was obviously in him. I was never able to
coax him out of it.
But something happened
inside Jerry after he moved back to Dallas. Somehow, he
found the confidence to "bring it" and fully commit to those
great reads, I knew he was capable of. I remember hearing a
national televsion campaign on the air in the early
eighties, for a client I knew to be repped by a Dallas
agency, and it sounded strangely familiar to me. I could
not place the voice. It was not until I had heard it on the
air a few times that it dawned on me........"Oh my
god.....it's Jerry!"
I always wondered what it
was that happened such that Jerry gave himself permission to
finally just go ahead and "be that guy," but I am so glad he
did. I was so proud to observe from afar as he became one
of the two or three voice actors outside the LA-NY-Chicago
axis to consistently book big time national campaigns.
He told a mutual friend
that he learned it all in that Houston voice acting
workshop. That was not even remotely true. He found it in
himself.
And, like my friend Don
LaFontaine, the king of LA voice over who passed away a year
ago, Jerry was constantly helping other folks who needed
some help getting into the business. And not just the cute
chicks!
Jerry was a good, decent,
kind man, with a heart of gold........and like my friend
Don, is a great example for us all of a life well lived.
Well done, friend. I'm proud to have known you.
Beau
Weaver |