Brace Beemer[8] (December 9, 1902 – March 1, 1965) was an American radio actor and announcer at radio station WXYZ (AM), Detroit, Michigan.
Brace Beemer | |
|---|---|
| Born | Brace Beemer December 9, 1902 Mount Carmel, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | March 1, 1965 (age 62) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Known for | The voice of the Lone Ranger on radio |
| Spouse(s) | Evelyn (Couvert) Beemer,[1] Leta (Wales) Beemer[2][3][4][5] |
| Children | Robert Beemer, J.D. Beemer, Richard Beemer, Barbara B. Daniel[1][6][7] |
He is best known as the radio voice of the Lone Ranger.
The Lone Ranger
editBrace Beemer became the third radio voice of the Lone Ranger on April 18, 1941, after the death of Earle Graser[9][10] and remained so until the series's last new episode on September 3, 1954. During the 13 years that Beemer played the title character, he was required by contract to restrict his radio acting to that one role until the program left the air.[11]
The experienced and popular Western film actor, Clayton Moore, was chosen to take over the role for the television series. Although Beemer had the right voice and had made many public appearances as the Ranger, he had no experience as a film actor, as he preferred radio and live performing to television. However, Beemer's voice as the character was so familiar that Moore imitated his sound in the earliest TV episodes.
Other roles
editBeemer also portrayed Sergeant William Preston of the Yukon on Challenge of the Yukon, for a brief time after the Lone Ranger series ended.
Beemer's last TV appearance was an interview with former film actor Bill Kennedy on his Bill Kennedy Showtime program on CKLW TV9 from Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Beemer died the next day.[citation needed]
Early years
editBrace Bell Beemer was born at his home on Cherry Street in Mount Carmel, Illinois on December 9, 1902, the son of Joseph D. Beemer and Bertina (Bell) Beemer.[12]
He attended high school in Vincennes, Indiana, leaving school to enlist in the military.[13]
When Beemer was 14,[14] he misrepresented his age to participate in World War I. He served with "Battery E, 150th field artillery, and was wounded in action in France May 27," 1918.[13] He was said to be the youngest sergeant in that war.[15]
Later years
editBeemer resided in Oxford Township, Michigan. He raised thoroughbred horses on his 300-acre ranch, Paint Creek Acres.[16] The barn where the great white stallion Silver used to stay still stands, and it’s rumored that the horse was buried in the woods on the property.[4]
Death
editBrace Beemer died of a heart attack March 1, 1965.[15] He is buried in White Chapel Cemetery in Troy, Michigan.[17] At the time of his death, he was using his famous "Lone Ranger" voice in automobile commercials running on radio stations.
References
edit- ^ a b "Barbara B. Daniel's Obituary on The Leaf Chronicle". The Leaf Chronicle.
- ^ "Leta Beemer in the 1940 Census - Ancestry". www.ancestry.com.
- ^ "Leta Beemer on horseback - DPL DAMS". digitalcollections.detroitpubliclibrary.org.
- ^ a b "Oxford Middle School students re-enact Lone Ranger". Archived from the original on 2016-04-25. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
- ^ "The Macomb Daily: Breaking News, Sports, Business, Entertainment & Macomb County News". www.sourcenewspapers.com. 14 September 2023.
- ^ "Beemer personified The Lone Ranger". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
- ^ "Justice Colt". detroitkidshow.com.
- ^ Harmon, Jim (2015). The Great Radio Heroes, rev. ed. McFarland. p. 169. ISBN 9780786483655. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
- ^ "Old Time Radio Westerns » The Lone Ranger". www.otrwesterns.com.
- ^ ""Lone Ranger" Crash Victim". The Vidette-Messenger. Indiana, Valparaiso. April 8, 1941. p. 1. Retrieved November 15, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Michigan History Magazine. Vol. 92. Michigan Department of State. 1991. p. 4.
- ^ "birthplace". bracebeemer.homestead.com.
- ^ a b "Three Vincennes Men In List". The Indianapolis News. Indiana, Indianapolis. June 3, 1918. p. 8. Retrieved November 15, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Mother Overcome With Joy When She Sees Returning Soldier Son". The Indianapolis News. Indiana, Indianapolis. May 7, 1919. p. 1. Retrieved November 15, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Brace Beemer, Lone Ranger, Died Today". Santa Cruz Sentinel. March 1, 1964. p. 4. Retrieved April 25, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Radio's Lone Ranger Dies". Standard-Speaker. March 2, 1965. p. 2. Retrieved April 25, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Last Rites". The Ogden Standard-Examiner. March 4, 1965. p. 1. Retrieved April 25, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
