Jerry Lewis out as host of MDA" Labor Day Telethon after 44 years

[Shortline Bus]

Jerry Lewis out as host of Muscular Dystrophy Telethon after 44 years

 

BY Larry Mcshane

NY DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

 

Thursday, August 4th 2011

 

 

"After 44 years and $1 billion in fund-raising, Jerry Lewis was abruptly ousted from this year's Muscular Dystrophy Telethon.

 

The typically blunt comic kept his mouth shut Thursday on his split with the event that he launched in 1966. He had earlier said this would be his last year.

 

The 85-year-old Lewis is also finished as the national chairman of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, a position he's held for more than a half-century. Viewers hoping to hear Lewis' trademark version of "You'll Never Walk Alone" on Labor Day weekend will instead be disappointed.

 

It was unclear who might take the manic Lewis' place on the Sept. 4 telethon. The nonprofit MDA said no one will assume his job as national chairman, but declined to offer any explanation for the moves.

 

Lewis, at a meeting last week with reporters, declined to say anything about his role in this year's telethon.

 

"It's none of your business," he snapped."

 

 

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2011/08/04/2011-08-04_jerry_lewis_steps_down_as_host_of_muscular_dystrophy_telethon_after_44_years.html

 

 

So guys has anyone here watched or even pledged money to this telethon? It a bit of TV history fading away though.

[B35 via Church]

Do you go searching for this stuff....

 

I havent heard the words Jerry Lewis Telethon since I was in elementary school... I didn't know he still did the thing, to be honest....

 

Anyway, I would watch it back then, to try to figure out just what the hell a telethon was..... With the way it was all setup (the stage, I mean), I thought it was a game show or somethin......

[R68 Subway Car]

Wow. Good luck to him.

[Shortline Bus]

Jerry Lewis is a TV legend that helped to invent the modern tv telethon for charirty. Every telethon from the United Negro College Fund hosted for years by music star Lou Rawls to music mega concerts like "Live Aid" and the more recent ones for '9/11' "Katrina' and "Haiti" were influenced by Lewis.

 

B35 and others I created this since this is a man who changed tv forever. Lewis was already a world famous movie star when he started this on Ch.5(Pre Fox days) in 1966 from NYC(it went nationally just a couple of years later)and how big it became as a labor day traidition as much as the end of summer BBQ's and parties.

Although some critics have wondered what happened to the nearly $1 Billion this telethon has raised for MDA. Being fair, there been some huge progress on spinal cord/muscular dieases like ALS.

 

 

 

So in sense the father of charitable tv telethons who i suspect is very sick is leaving in a way without a chance to say goodbye to America. Thus put in the tv history concept that changed the media biz forever.

[QM1to6Ave]

Ever since he's been sick, he was on the telethon less and less each year.

[Shortline Bus]

Ever since he's been sick, he was on the telethon less and less each year.

 

I do have a soft heart for the Jerry Lewis telethon as i worked as a 'volunteer' answering phone calls for a couple of years in the late '90's. Even a few people who called (i suspect couple of them were children lol:p )'requested' to speak to Jerry Lewis. Kind of hard to do as he was 'busy' doing a show which was in either in Las Vegas or LA and i was at hotel penn in midtown manhattan lol.

 

 

Still i won't be shocked he makes a cameo apperence say in the first and or last hours on Monday to say 'goodbye.' So in sense if you an old school tv buff like me got to have the DVR's ready for taping in what could be Jerry Lewis last major show ever.:eek:

[Dan05979]

I do have a soft heart for the Jerry Lewis telethon as i worked as a 'volunteer' answering phone calls for a couple of years in the late '90's. Even a few people who called (i suspect couple of them were children lol:p )'requested' to speak to Jerry Lewis. Kind of hard to do as he was 'busy' doing a show which was in either in Las Vegas or LA and i was at hotel penn in midtown manhattan lol.

 

 

Still i won't be shocked he makes a cameo apperence say in the first and or last hours on Monday to say 'goodbye.' So in sense if you an old school tv buff like me got to have the DVR's ready for taping in what could be Jerry Lewis last major show ever.:eek:

 

Man you need a life.

[Shortline Bus]

Dan being Dan. If you have nothing nice to say to me or the thread don't reply. No one said for you to be a truck driver.

 

Don't worry about me i be fine. Have you not heard of summer vaction danboy? Start back work/grad school again in fall.