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Robert D. Raiford (December 27, 1927 – November 17, 2017) was an American radio broadcaster and actor, best known for his political/social commentaries delivered during The John Boy and Billy Big Show, a morning radio program heard on stations throughout the American South. He was from Concord, North Carolina, and majored in communication at the University of South Carolina. Raiford got his start in broadcasting in 1944 by calling play by play at baseball games. His first real radio job was at WEGO (AM) in Concord, North Carolina. Raiford has appeared in 28 movies, often portraying judge characters. He frequently closed his commentaries with the line "Who says that? I say that!", which also served as the title of a book containing excerpts from these segments. Early in his career, Raiford worked for WTOP radio and WTOP-TV, both CBS News affiliates in Washington, D.C. His best-known work was a live radio broadcast on WTOP, a CBS Radio affiliate, covering the state funeral of President John F. Kennedy.[1] He also worked at Charlotte radio station WBT, and hosted a show on WIST, which aired Charlotte's first telephone talk radio format. Raiford later taught Communications at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. From 1978 to 1986, Raiford was a news anchor and talk show host for Charlotte's NBC television affiliate, known as WRET-TV and later WPCQ-TV during his tenure there (it is now WCNC-TV).[2]
Robert D. Raiford | |
|---|---|
| Born | 27 December 1927 |
| Died | 17 November 2017 (aged 89) |
| Alma mater | University of South Carolina |
| Career | |
| Show | The John Boy and Billy Big Show |
| Country | United States |
On the June 9, 2016, episode of The John Boy and Billy Big Show, John Isley ("John Boy") announced that Raiford had retired from the show, due to suffering a stroke the previous August that greatly affected his speech and mobility. Raiford had not delivered any commentaries during the intervening months, choosing to focus on his recovery instead.[3]
Raiford died on November 17, 2017, at age 89.[2]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | The Handmaid's Tale | Dick | |
| 1991 | Billy Bathgate | Judge | |
| 1992 | In the Line of Duty: Street War | Judge | TV movie |
| 1993 | Super Mario Bros. | TV Announcer | |
| 1993 | The Program | Chancellor Wilson | |
| 1993-1995 | Matlock | Judge Michael Stern / Warden / Mr. McEvoy | 5 episodes |
| 1994 | Radioland Murders | Ben Butter | |
| 1994 | A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story | Harlee Branch | TV movie |
| 1994 | Bionic Ever After? | Minister | TV movie |
| 1995 | Death in Small Doses | Dr. Butler | TV movie |
| 1997 | Paradise Falls | Rich Man on Train | |
| 1999 | The Rage: Carrie 2 | Senior D.A. | |
| 2005 | A Tale About Bootlegging | Judge Bob Landis | (final film role) |
References
edit- ^ Knox, Michael (November 22, 2013). "At JFK funeral procession, Raiford was witness to history". Independent Tribune.
- ^ a b Washburn, Mark (November 18, 2017). "Charlotte radio curmudgeon Robert Raiford dies at 89". The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte, North Carolina. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
- ^ Washburn, Mark (10 June 2016). "Stroke mutes radio's curmudgeonly Robert D. Raiford". The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte, North Carolina. Retrieved June 19, 2016.