Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

I was extremely fortunate to land a primo job at Kiss 108 FM in 1987. My friends were all very impressed and thrilled that I was actually on the number one morning radio show every day.

My dad, who was born in Somerville in 1920, was happy I landed the job because I was always bringing him free hats, jackets and food!

Besides the bump in pay I got from playing in bands in nightclubs and bars and painting houses, the perks were many. For me, meeting famous actors, singers and sports figures was the thrill of a lifetime. That was the best part for me.

I met people like Bobby Orr, Hank Aaron, Yogi Berra, Johnny Mathis, Alice Cooper, Michael J. Fox, Rod Stewart, Olivia Newton John, Cam Neely, my pal Lyndon Byers, Gene Simmons, Barry Manilow, Buffalo Bob Smith, Richard Simmons, Captain Kangaroo and Chuck Norris, to name a few.

One of my favorite photos is me with Jack Klugman and Tony Randall of The Odd Couple. Another favorite is me and Al Lewis (aka Grandpa Munster), who I did several live shows with. I was always star struck!

Yesterday I got a notice on my Facebook page that it was Larry Storch’s birthday. On February 8 Larry turned 97 years old. He was best known for playing the lovable Corporal  Randolph Agarn in the 60’s sitcom F Troop. He starred on that show with the late Forest Tucker, Ken Berry and, of course, Melody Patterson as the feisty Wrangler Jane.

My dad loved that show and we would watch it together. Corporal  Agarn was his favorite character. When Larry Storch appeared on The Matty Show around 1988 I was psyched. He was friendly and funny and willing to pose for many photos with staff members of Kiss 108.

Back then we relied on actual cameras to capture special moments. Cell phones were still not an item that everyone had like they are today. When someone snapped a photo, we had to wait a few days to see if that picture actually came out. I posed for a photo with Larry and, thankfully, a week later I received that special shot. I now had a great photo of me and one of my favorite childhood TV stars, but the following memory is even more special.

As I said, my dad loved the character of Corporal  Agarn that Larry Storch made so lovable and unforgettable. One of Corporal Agarns’ most popular phrases was, “Who says I’m dumb?” So after Larry was done with the interview and posing for photos I got an idea. Remembering how much my dad liked F Troop I asked Larry if he could do me a quick favor. He said, “sure!” I called up my dad, (on a land line!) and put Larry on the phone. Larry said, “Fred? Who says I’m dumb?” My dad was absolutely blown away! He chatted with Larry for about 5 minutes like they were old friends. It was a memory my dad talked about for years and it remains one of my fondest memories.

Relying on Kodak Instamatic cameras and even Polaroids back in the day had its faults. An intern at Kiss 108 snapped a photo of me and Bobby Orr. He was holding a cassette of a song I wrote for him that had been played on the radio earlier in the morning. It deeply affected Bobby and he even gave me some rare autographed photos. Unfortunately, there was no film in the camera. I wanted to give that intern a good slap shot!

But, thankfully, I have many photos of celebrities that DID come out. Of all the 20 plus years I was on the radio my biggest thrill was meeting famous people. Some were aloof and stand offish, like Barry Manilow and Rod Stewart, but most were friendly and very accommodating.

Larry Storch turned 97 years old last week and my dad would have been 100 in October. For me, it’s a memory I’ll always cherish.

Someday I’ll do a story about a couple of my friends from Somerville who have been very successful in show biz and still are. I know that one of them is reading this story now … hopefully!