Speech Differences And Stutter Series-Disabled Legend Bill Walton

William Theodore "Bill" Walton III was born on 5 November, 1952 in La Mesa, California, USA. Bill Walton is a retired American basketball player and current television sportscaster. The “Big Red-Head”, as he was called, achieved superstardom playing for John Wooden's powerhouse UCLA Bruins in the early '70s and winning 3 straight College Player of the Year Awards and went on to have a prominent career in the NBA. Bill Walton was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame on 10 May, 1993 and the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame that same year. Bill Walton is the father of current Los Angeles Lakers forward Luke Walton.

Bill Walton is the son of Gloria Anne (née Hickey) and William Theodore "Ted" Walton. At the age of 17, he played for the United States men's national basketball team at the 1970 FIBA World Championship.

Bill Walton played college basketball for John Wooden at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) from 1971 to 1974, winning the national title in 1972 over Florida State and again in 1973 with an 87-66 win over Memphis State in which the big redhead from San Diego made an impressive 21 of 22 field goal attempts and scored 44 points. Some regard this as the greatest ever offensive performance in American college basketball. The Walton-led 1971-72 UCLA basketball team had a record of 30-0, in the process winning its games by an average margin of more than 30points. Bill Walton was the backbone of 2 consecutive 30-0 seasons and was also part of UCLA's NCAA record 88 game winning streak. The UCLA streak contributed to a personal winning streak that lasted almost 5 years, in which Bill Walton's high school, UCLA freshman (freshmen were ineligible for the varsity at that time), and UCLA varsity teams did not lose a game from the middle of his junior year of high school to the middle of his senior year in college.

Bill Walton was the 1973 recipient of the James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States. Bill Walton also received the USBWA College Player of the Year and Naismith College Player of the Year as the top college basketball player in the country 3 years in a row while attending UCLA, at the same time earning Academic All-American honours 3 times. Some college basketball historians rate Bill Walton as the greatest who ever played the game at the college level. In Bill Walton's senior year during the 1973-74 season, the school's 88 game winning streak ended with a 71-70 loss to Notre Dame. Coincidentally, the Bruins' last loss was to Notre Dame and Austin Carr in 1971 (89-81). Bill Walton admits the loss to Notre Dame (coached by Digger Phelps) to end the 88-game streak still bothers him more than any other loss in his career. During the same season, UCLA's record 7 consecutive national titles was broken when North Carolina State defeated the Bruins 80-77 in double overtime in the NCAA semi-finals. With Bill Walton's graduation in 1974 and legendary Bruin coach John Wooden's retirement after UCLA's 1975 national title, the unprecedented UCLA dynasty came to an end.

Bill Walton was drafted number 1 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers and was hailed as the saviour of the franchise. Bill Walton's 1st 2 seasons were marred by injury (at different times he broke his nose, foot, wrist and leg) and the Blazers missed the playoffs both years. It was not until the 1976-77 season that he was healthy enough to play 65 games and, spurred by new head coach Jack Ramsay, the Trail Blazers became the Cinderella team of the NBA. Bill Walton led the NBA in both rebounds per game and blocked shots per game that season and he was selected to the NBA All-Star Game but did not participate due to an injury. Bill Walton was named to the NBA's 1st All-Defensive Team and the All-NBA 2nd Team for his regular season accomplishments. In the postseason, Bill Walton led Portland to a sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers in the conference finals (famously outplaying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during the series) and went on to help the Trail Blazers to the NBA title over the favoured Philadelphia 76ers despite losing the 1st 2 games of the series. Bill Walton was named the Finals MVP.

The following year, the Blazers won 50 of their 1st 60 games before Bill Walton suffered a broken foot in what turned out to be the 1st in a string of foot and ankle injuries that cut short his career. Bill Walton nonetheless won the league MVP that season (1978) and the Sporting News NBA MVP, as well. Bill Walton played in his only All-Star Game in 1978 and was named to both the NBA's 1st All-Defensive Team and the All-NBA 1st Team. Bill Walton returned to action for the playoffs but was reinjured in the 2nd game of a series against the Seattle SuperSonics. Without Bill Walton to lead them, Portland lost the series to Seattle in 6 games. As it turned out, Bill Walton would never play for the Trail Blazers again. During the offseason, Bill Walton demanded to be traded, citing unethical and incompetent treatment of his and other players' injuries by the Blazers' front office. Bill Walton did not get his wish and sat out the 1978-79 season in protest, signing with the San Diego Clippers when he became a free agent in 1979.

Bill Walton spent several seasons alternating between the court and the disabled list with his hometown San Diego Clippers. After the 1984-85 campaign, Bill Walton called on 2 of the league's premier teams, the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. After several players on the Celtics said they liked the idea of having Bill Walton as a teammate backing up Robert Parish and Kevin McHale, Red Auerbach made the deal happen. One anecdote that particularly illustrates Bill Walton's decision to choose the Boston Celtics over the Los Angeles Lakers is about Larry Bird, who happened to be in Auerbach's office when Bill Walton called and said that if Bill Walton felt healthy enough to play that it was good enough for him, as opposed to Los Angeles Lakers GM Jerry West, who was hedging his interest in Bill Walton pending a doctor's report. Boston Celtics acquired Bill Walton by sending popular forward Cedric Maxwell to the San Diego Clippers along with a 1st-round draft pick. Providing a reliable backup to Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, Bill Walton received the NBA 6th Man Award that season en route to the NBA Championship, becoming the only player to have ever won an NBA Finals MVP, 6th Man Award, and regular season MVP. Bill Walton is the last player to win a 6th Man Award the same year he played on an NBA Champion-winning team.

Bill Walton injured himself again the following season, but returned for the 1987 playoffs. Bill Walton spent the 1987-88 season on the injured list. Bill Walton attempted a comeback in February 1990, but injury intervened and he retired from the game. Bill Walton's ankle problems became so severe years later that he had both his ankles surgically fused. Bill Walton's saga of injury and failed rehabs was connected to the use of pain killers by the doctor who was assigned to his case. Bill Walton has said repeatedly in his broadcasts that he is just as much to blame for taking the medication as the doctor was for giving it to him. Yet his experience with injuries and the circumstances surrounding them have come to serve as a warning for professional athletes who undergo major injury as well as being an interesting case study for medical ethics. Bill Walton's injuries, along with his 1978-1979 year-long protest, gave him an unpleasant, if not odd, record. Bill Walton holds the record for the most games missed during an NBA playing career, when taking into account the number of years he was officially listed as a player on a team roster.

Bill Walton was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1993, and had his number 32 retired by the Blazers in 1989. In 1996, he was named as one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players of all time.

Since his retirement as a player, Bill Walton has overcome a severe stuttering problem to become a successful and controversial NBA colour commentator for NBC(1990-2002), Los Angeles Clippers (1990-2002) and ABC/ESPN (since 2002).

Bill Walton's trademark catchphrases include, "That's a terrible call! Terrible," "Where in the world is [x]?" (for a player who has disappeared from a game), "What is a foul?", "Dial a violation," "He couldn't even inbound the ball!", "Throw it down, big man! Throw it down!", and "Basketball is a game played by men competing for the ultimate prize". In addition after a predominantly one-handed player makes a basket going to his strong hand Bill Walton will summarize the action and then say, "He's left-handed by the way Marv" or "Someone should tell player x that player y is left-handed and promises to be so for the remainder of the game," intimating that perhaps the defender should defend that side of the player. Bill Walton typically is paired up with Steve "Snapper" Jones for NBA games due to him and Steve Jones having a point-counterpoint banter during games. Despite their frequent on-air argumentative banter they are actually good friends as was evidenced in Bill Walton's short lived 2003 TV series Bill Walton's Long Strange Trip.

In addition, his commentary during games is notable for his frequent use of hyperbole. In one instance where Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs had a pass deflected out of bounds by a defender, Bill Walton stated, "Tony Parker just made the worst pass in the history of Western civilization!" Often this is done to intentional or perhaps unintentional comedic effect. Bill Walton also is rumoured to have challenged Marv Albert to a wrestling cage match and was considered "out of line" for the provocation. During one game he announced, Bill Walton stated, "I am the hero, I am No. 1, I can go in there and shake and bake all those youngins and teach them some real basketball so they can stop their complaining".

Bill Walton currently resides in his hometown of San Diego with his wife Lori. Bill Walton and his 1st wife, Susie, have 4 sons: Adam, Nathan, Luke, and Chris. Luke, although not as tall as his father, played collegiately for the University of Arizona and now plays for the Los Angeles Lakers as a forward. Another of Bill Walton's sons, Chris, played for San Diego State University. Nate, his middle son, played basketball at Princeton University but then entered the corporate world and earned his MBA from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business. (Bill Walton himself attended Stanford Law School for 2 years but never graduated.) Nate was also on the ballot for the 2003 California Recall Election, receiving 1,697 votes. Bill Walton's other son, Adam, also played NCAA basketball at LSU.

Bill Walton is also a well-known fan of the Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers Band, Neil Young, Phish, and Bob Dylan. Bill Walton attended more than 650 Grateful Dead concerts, including traveling with the band to Egypt for its famous 1978 performance before the Pyramids (joining the band on drums), quotes Dead lyrics in TV and radio interviews. To fellow Deadheads, Bill Walton is fondly known as "Grateful Red" and the "Big Red Deadhead" and "World's Tallest Deadhead". In the video for "Touch of Grey", Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart is wearing a Celtics jacket that was given to him by Bill Walton. In 2001, Bill Walton was officially inducted into The Grateful Dead Hall of Honour.

Bill Walton expounds upon his music interests on his own satellite radio show, One More Saturday Night (named after the Dead song "One More Saturday Night"), heard during late prime time on Sirius Radio's Jam On channel. Bill Walton has stated in his online introduction to his radio show column that he enjoys going to concerts alone because then he has fewer things in between him and reaching the omega point that all concert goers seek at shows.

Bill Walton still has a committed relationship with the Boston Celtics, if not professionally, as a fan. Despite the area where he grew up, and the team his son Luke plays for, Bill Walton is careful to point out, "Even though I grew up in the heart of Laker country, the Boston Celtics were always MY team". Bill Walton also keeps a picture of the floor of the old Boston Garden in his kitchen.

In June 2008, he was asked by ESPN to predict the outcome of the NBA finals matchup between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers, their 1st meeting in the finals since 1987, his 2nd and final as player for Boston Celtics. Bill Walton predicted the Boston Celtics would take the series in 6 games, a prediction that came true on 17th of that month.

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Speech Differences And Stutter Series-Disabled Legend Austin Pendleton

Austin Pendleton was born on 27 March, 1940 in Warren, Ohio, USA. Austin Pendleton is an American film, television, and stage actor, a playwright, and a theatre director and instructor.

Austin Pendleton is a graduate of Yale University, where he was a member of Scroll and Key Society. As a stage actor, he has appeared in The Last Sweet Days of Isaac (for which he won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Performance), The Diary of Anne Frank, Grand Hotel, Goodtime Charley, The Little Foxes, Fiddler on the Roof, and Up from Paradise.

Austin Pendleton penned the plays Uncle Bob, Booth, and Orson's Shadow, all of which were staged off-Broadway. Austin Pendleton's direction of Elizabeth Taylor and Maureen Stapleton in Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes garnered him a Tony Award nomination. Additional directing credits include Spoils of War by Michael Weller, The Runner Stumbles by Milan Stitt, and The Size of the World by Charles Evered.

Austin Pendleton served as Artistic Director for Circle Repertory Company with associate artistic director Lynne Thigpen.

Austin Pendleton is an ensemble member of the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago. began his artistic relationship there by directing Ralph Pape's Say Goodnight, Gracie for the 1979-80 season. In addition to directing at Steppenwolf, Austin Pendleton has appeared as an actor in such Steppenwolf productions as Uncle Vanya, Valparaiso and Educating Rita.

Austin Pendleton has had several television roles as well including a recurring role on HBO's Oz as the mentally unstable murderer William Giles. Austin Pendleton did his voice-over work as Gurgle in Finding Nemo.

In August 2006, Austin Pendleton appeared as the Chaplain in Bertholt Brecht's Mother Courage and Her Children with Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline in the New York Shakespeare Festival/Public Theater production directed by George C. Wolfe at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, New York City.

In 2007, he appeared as Friar Lawrence in the New York Shakespeare Festival/Public Theater's production of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.

Austin Pendleton Pendleton currently teaches acting at the HB Studio and directing at The New School for Drama, both in Greenwich Village.

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Speech Differences And Stutter Series-Disabled Legend Sam Neil

Sam Neill, DCNZM, OBE was born Nigel John Dermot Neill on 14 September 1947 in Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Sam Neil is a New Zealand film and television actor.

Sam Neil has had a number of high-profile roles including: the lead in Reilly, Ace of Spies, the adult Damien in Omen III: The Final Conflict, Merlin in the miniseries Merlin, the executive officer, Capt 2nd Class Vasily Borodin in The Hunt for Red October and paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III.

Most recently he played Cardinal Wolsey in the Peace Arch Entertainment production for Showtime, The Tudors.

Sam Neil is the 2nd son of Dermot Neill, a Harrow and Sandhurst-educated army officer and 3rd generation New Zealander, and his English wife, Priscilla. At the time of Sam Neill's birth, his father was stationed in Northern Ireland, serving with the Irish Guards. The family were the owners of Neill and Co., the largest liquor retailers in New Zealand.

Sam Neill returned with his family to New Zealand in 1954, where he attended the Anglican boys' boarding school Christ's College, in Christchurch. Sam Neil then went on to study English literature at the University of Canterbury, where he got his first exposure to acting. While at Canterbury University he resided at College House, where he held the position of Chief Castigator and Crime Crusher (CCACC). Sam Neil then moved to Wellington to continue his tertiary education at the Victoria University, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature.

Sam Neil first took to calling himself "Sam", in school in New Zealand where there were other Nigels, and the phrases "a real Nigel" and "Nigel No-mates" were commonly used to refer to a sad loner.

After working at the New Zealand National Film Unit as a director and actor, Sam Neil was cast as the lead in the New Zealand film Sleeping Dogs. Following this he appeared in the Australian classic, My Brilliant Career (1979), opposite Judy Davis. This appearance led to his being selected to play Damien Thorn in Omen III: The Final Conflict in 1981, one of the sequels to The Omen. In the late-1970s his mentor was the notable British actor James Mason.

After Roger Moore made his last James Bond movie in 1985, Sam Neil was seriously considered for the role in The Living Daylights. Sam Neil impressed people with his screen test and was the preferred choice of director John Glen. However, Cubby Broccoli was not as impressed by Sam Neil, and the role eventually went to Timothy Dalton instead. Since then, Sam Neil has played heroes and villains in a succession of film and television dramas and comedies. In the UK, he became well-known in the early-1980s, starring in dramas such as Ivanhoe and notably in the title role of Reilly, Ace of Spies.

Sam Neil is known for his leading and co-starring roles in major films including Dead Calm (1989), La révolution française (1989) playing the famous Lafayette, The Hunt for Red October (1990), Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992), The Piano (1993), Jurassic Park (1993), Sirens (1994), Event Horizon (1997), The Dish (2000), and Jurassic Park 3 (2001). In Hunt for Red October, Neill uttered the film's most memorable line: "I would like to have seen Montana," as the dying Vasily Borodin.

The film Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey by Sam Neil(1995)was written and directed by Sam Neill and Judy Rymer. In it Neil narrated his personal recollection of New Zealand film history. Sam Neil was asked to play the role of Elrond in The Lord of the Rings by Peter Jackson, but turned it down because of his contractual obligations to another film, namely, Jurassic Park III (2001). Sam Neil hosted and narrated a series of 2002 documentaries for BBC entitled Space (Hyperspace in the United States).

In 2006, Sam Neil also lent his voice to a series of radio ads for 5th 3rd Bank in the midwestern U.S.

Sam Neil also appeared in Merlin (1998), a film based on the legend of King Arthur and the Lady of the Lake, portraying the legendary wizard. Sam Neil also reprised his role as Merlin in the film's not-so-well received sequel, Merlin's Apprentice
(2006), in which Merlin learns he fathered a son with the Lady of the Lake.

Sm Neil is currently starring in the historical drama The Tudors, playing Cardinal Wolsey, on the Showtime Network. "I have to say I really enjoyed making The Tudors", Neil said. “It was 6 months with a character that I found immensely intriguing, with a cast that I liked very much and with a story I found very compelling. It has elements that are hard to beat — revenge and betrayal, lust and treason, all the things that make for good stories."

Sam Neil has said that he has not yet been asked to reprise his role as Dr. Alan Grant in the possible 2009 movie, Jurassic Park IV.

Sam Neil resides in Sydney, Australia and has 1 son, Tim (born in 1983), by New Zealand actress Lisa Harrow, and 1 daughter, Elena (born in 1990), by makeup artist Noriko Watanabe, whom he married in 1989. Sam Neil also has a stepdaughter, Maiko Spencer, (born 1981) who is from Noriko Watanabe's 1st marriage. Sam Neil is a supporter of the Australian Speak Easy Association and the British Stammering Association (BSA). Sam Neill also supports the Australian Labour Party, Greenpeace, Oxfam, and the World Wildlife Fund. Sam Neil is a patron of the National Performance Conference. Sam Neil also donated a pair of jeans to the Jeans for Genes auction; they were painted by artist Merv Moriarty and auctioned off in August 1998.

Sam Neil's hobby is running a vineyard, the 2 Paddocks winery in Central Otago on New Zealand's South Island. "I’d like the vineyard to support me but I’m afraid it is the other way round. It is not a very economic business", says Sam Neil. "It is a ridiculously time and money-consuming business. I would not do it if it was not so satisfying and fun — and it gets me pissed once in awhile."

Sam Neill is friends with New Zealand musicians Neil Finn and Tim Finn (of Crowded House and Split Enz) and with Australian musician Jimmy Barnes.

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Speech Differences And Stutter Series-Disabled Legend John Melendez

John Edward Melendez was born on 4 October, 1965 in Massapequa, Long Island commonly known as "Stuttering John". John Melendez is an American television/radio personality. Before his present job as announcer for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, John Melendez was a regular on-air personality on The Howard Stern Show.

John Melendez attended Plainedge High School. John Melendez began to stutter when he was in the 2nd grade. According to John Melendez, his problem came about because of the psychological mistreatment from his alcoholic father, who also stutters. Both he and his father suffer from a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder. During his youth he was often picked on by other children for being Puerto Rican and was called "Stutterface," "Skip" and "M-C Stammer" (even though MC Hammer was not even around at the time of John Melendez's youth).

In 1988, John Melendez attended New York University's film school, and belonged to a band called "Rock Slide". John Melendez's college roommate, comedian Mitch Fatel, was on the verge of quitting his internship with The Howard Stern Show, when John Melendez asked him for a recommendation for an internship there. The show's producer, Gary Dell'Abate, mentioned John Melendez's stuttering to Howard Stern who, without seeing him and even before he was interviewed, told the producer to hire him.

On Howard Stern's show, John Melendez conducted outrageous street interviews, premised on the idea that celebrities would not want to look bad by refusing an interview from a stutterer. John Melendez sported long hair and metal t-shirts and would often confront celebrities with puerile questions about their private lives. John Melendez's interviews were characterised by punchline-free "joke" questions, such as asking Melanie Griffith "how her father, Andy, was."

The absurdity of the questions John Melendez asked were often amplified by the fact that John Melendez himself lacked common pop-culture knowledge and often did not even know who the subjects of his interview were or what they were famous for. John Melendez notably interviewed Gennifer Flowers, Ringo Starr, and the Dalai Lama. John Melendez asked the Dalai Lama, if anyone ever greeted him with "Hello Dolly!", in a joking reference to the play and movie; the Dalai Lama's translator whispered the translation to the Dalai Lama and a delayed chuckle came from the Dalai Lama. It seemed like he got the joke. John Melendez also provided comic interest with his misadventures, poor grammar and sloppy pronunciation.

According to the New York Post, John Melendez says Howard Stern didn't pay him fairly and "resented me doing any outside work"; Howard Stern replied saying that John Melendez is a "no-talent ingrate" and he should stick to holding up the mug on "The Tonight Show".

John Melendez received national exposure when Howard Stern's show began airing on national television. During his 15-year run as Howard Stern's sidekick/whipping boy, John Melendez also starred in the Off-Broadway show Tony n' Tina's Wedding where he met his wife, Suzanna. John Melendez had bit parts in the movies Airheads, Meet Wally Sparks, Dude, Where's My Car?, and Howard Stern's movie Private Parts. John Melendez has also appeared on television on episodes of Wings, Baywatch Nights, and the U.S. version of the reality series I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!.

John Melendez worked with a speech coach to overcome his stuttering and was offered the position of announcer for The Tonight Show. John Melendez accepted the offer, debuting The Tonight Show on 29 March, 2004. On this show, he is identified as "John Melendez" (as opposed to "Stuttering John Melendez," a name he avoids).

On 30 November, 2007 NBC announced The Tonight Show crew including John Melendez were being laid off as a result of the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike and that when the strike ended NBC could not guarantee that John Melendez and other staffers would be rehired.

John Melendez plays guitar and sings. John Melendez has released at least 2 hard rock CDs with humorous lyrics, 1 on Atlantic Records and 1 on Razor & Tie Records. In 2004, John Melendez provided the voice of Bob the computer on Tripping the Rift. John Melendez currently lives in the city of Calabasas, California with his wife, Suzanna Keller, and 3 children.

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Speech Differences And Stutter Series-Disabled Legend Bill Walton

William Theodore "Bill" Walton III was born on 5 November, 1952 in La Mesa, California, USA. Bill Walton is a retired American basketball player and current television sportscaster. The “Big Red-Head”, as he was called, achieved superstardom playing for John Wooden's powerhouse UCLA Bruins in the early '70s and winning three straight College Player of the Year Awards and went on to have a prominent career in the NBA. Bill Walton was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame on 10 May, 1993 and the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame that same year. Bill Walton is the father of current Los Angeles Lakers forward Luke Walton.

Bill Walton, is the son of Gloria Anne (née Hickey) and William Theodore "Ted" Walton. At the age of 17, he played for the United States men's national basketball team at the 1970 FIBA World Championship.

Bill Walton played college basketball for John Wooden at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) from 1971 to 1974, winning the national title in 1972 over Florida State and again in 1973 with an 87-66 win over Memphis State in which the big redhead from San Diego made an impressive 21 of 22 field goal attempts and scored 44 points. Some regard this as the greatest ever offensive performance in American college basketball. The Walton-led 1971-72 UCLA basketball team had a record of 30-0, in the process winning its games by an average margin of more than 30points. Bill Walton was the backbone of 2 consecutive 30-0 seasons and was also part of UCLA's NCAA record 88 game winning streak. Coincidentally, Bruins last loss was to Notre Dame and Austin Carr. Bill Walton admits the loss to Notre Dame (coached by Digger Phelps) to end the 88-game streak still bothers him more than any other loss in his career.

Bill Walton was the 1973 recipient of the James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States. Bill Walton also received the USBWA College Player of the Year and Naismith College Player of the Year as the top college basketball player in the country 3 years in a row while attending UCLA, at the same time earning Academic All-American honours 3 times. Some college basketball historians rate Bill Walton as the greatest who ever played the game at the college level. In Bill Walton's senior year of 1973-74 the school's streak 88-consecutive wins was snapped by Notre Dame, and its record 7 consecutive national titles was broken when North Carolina State defeated the Bruins 80-77 in double overtime in the NCAA semi-finals. With Bill Walton's graduation in 1974 and legendary Bruin coach John Wooden's retirement after UCLA's 1975 national title, the unprecedented UCLA dynasty came to an end.

Bill Walton was drafted number 1 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers and was hailed as the savior of the franchise. Bill Walton's 1st 2 seasons were marred by injury (at different times he broke his nose, foot, wrist and leg) and the Blazers missed the playoffs both years. It was not until the 1976-77 season that he was healthy enough to play 65 games and, spurred by new head coach Jack Ramsay, the Trail Blazers became the Cinderella team of the NBA. Bill Walton led the NBA in both rebounds per game and blocked shots per game that season and he was selected to the NBA All-Star Game but did not participate due to an injury. Bill Walton was named to the NBA's 1st All-Defensive Team and the All-NBA 2nd Team for his regular season accomplishments. In the postseason, Bill Walton led Portland to a sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers in the conference finals (famously outplaying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during the series)and went on to help the Trail Blazers to the NBA title over the favoured Philadelphia 76ers despite losing the 1st 2 games of the series. Bill Walton was named the Finals MVP.

The following year, the Blazers won 50 of their 1st 60 games before Bill Walton suffered a broken foot in what turned out to be the 1st in a string of foot and ankle injuries that cut short his career. Bill Walton nonetheless won the league MVP that season (1978) and the Sporting News NBA MVP, as well. Bill Walton played in his only All-Star Game in 1978 and was named to both the NBA's 1st All-Defensive Team and the All-NBA 1st Team. Bill Walton returned to action for the playoffs but was reinjured in the 2nd game of a series against the Seattle SuperSonics. Without Bill Walton to lead them, Portland lost the series to Seattle in 6 games. As it turned out, Bill Walton would never play for the Trail Blazers again. During the offseason, Bill Walton demanded to be traded, citing unethical and incompetent treatment of his and other players' injuries by the Blazers' front office. Bill Walton did not get his wish and sat out the 1978-79 season in protest, signing with the San Diego Clippers when he became a free agent in 1979.

Bill Walton spent several seasons alternating between the court and the disabled list with his hometown San Diego Clippers. After the 1984-85 campaign, Bill Walton called on 2 of the league's premier teams, the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. After several players on the Celtics said they liked the idea of having Bill Walton as a teammate backing up Robert Parish and Kevin McHale, Red Auerbach made the deal happen. One anecdote that particularly illustrates Bill Walton's decision to choose the Celtics over the Lakers is about Larry Bird, who happened to be in Red Auerbach's office when Bill Walton called and said that if Bill Walton felt healthy enough to play that it was good enough for him, as opposed to Lakers GM Jerry West, who was hedging his interest in Bill Walton pending a doctor's report. Boston acquired Bill Walton by sending popular forward Cedric Maxwell to the Clippers along with a 1st-round draft pick. Providing a reliable backup to Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, Bill Walton received the NBA 6th Man Award that season en route to the NBA Championship, becoming the only player to have ever won an NBA Finals MVP, 6th Man Award, and regular season MVP.

Bill Walton injured himself again the following season, but returned for the 1987 playoffs. Bill Walton spent the 1987-88 season on the injured list. Bill Walton attempted a comeback in February 1990, but injury intervened and he retired from the game. Bill Walton's ankle problems became so severe years later that he had both his ankles surgically fused. Bill Walton's saga of injury and failed rehabs was connected to the use of pain killers by the doctor who was assigned to his case. Bill Walton has said repeatedly in his broadcasts that he is just as much to blame for taking the medication as the doctor was for giving it to him. Yet his experience with injuries and the circumstances surrounding them have come to serve as a warning for professional athletes who undergo major injury as well as being an interesting case study for medical ethics. Bill Walton's injuries, along with his 1978-1979 year-long protest, gave him an unpleasant, if not odd, record. Bill Walton holds the record for the most games missed during an NBA playing career, when taking into account the number of years he was officially listed as a player on a team roster.

Bill Walton was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1993, and had his number 32 retired by the Blazers in 1989. In 1996, he was named as one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players of all time.

Since his retirement as a player, Bill Walton has overcome a severe stuttering problem to become a successful and controversial NBA colour commentator for NBC
(1990-2002), Los Angeles Clippers (1990-2002) and ABC/ESPN (since 2002).

Bill Walton's trademark catchphrases include, "That's a terrible call! Terrible," "Where in the world is [x]?" (for a player who has disappeared from a game), "What is a foul?", "Dial a violation," "He couldn't even inbound the ball!", "Throw it down, big man! Throw it down!", and "Basketball is a game played by men competing for the ultimate prize". In addition after a predominantly one-handed player makes a basket going to his strong hand Walton will summarize the action and then say, "He's left-handed by the way Marv" or "Someone should tell player x that player y is left-handed and promises to be so for the remainder of the game," intimating that perhaps the defender should defend that side of the player. Walton typically is paired up with Steve "Snapper" Jones for NBA games due to him and Jones having a point-counterpoint banter during games. Despite their frequent on-air argumentative banter they are actually good friends as was evidenced in Bill Walton's short lived 2003 TV series Bill Walton's Long Strange Trip.

In addition, his commentary during games is notable for his frequent use of hyperbole. In one instance where Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs had a pass deflected out of bounds by a defender, Bill Walton stated, "Tony Parker just made the worst pass in the history of Western civilization!" Often this is done to intentional or perhaps unintentional comedic effect. Bill Walton also is rumoured to have challenged Marv Albert to a wrestling cage match and was considered "out of line" for the provocation. During one game he announced, Bill Walton stated, "I am the hero, I am #1, I can go in there and shake and bake all those youngins and teach them some real basketball so they can stop their complaining".

Bill Walton currently resides in his hometown of San Diego with his wife Lori. Bill Walton and his 1st wife, Susie, have 4 sons they are, Adam, Nathan, Luke, and Chris. Luke, although not as tall as his father, played collegiately for the University of Arizona and now plays for the Lakers as a forward. Another of Bill Walton's sons, Chris, played for San Diego State University. Nate, his middle son, played basketball at Princeton University but then entered the corporate world and earned his MBA from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business. (Bill Walton himself attended Stanford Law School for 2 years but never graduated.) Nate was also on the ballot for the 2003 California Recall Election, receiving 1,697 votes. Bill Walton's other son, Adam, also played NCAA basketball at LSU.

Bill Walton is also a well-known fan of the Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers Band, Neil Young, Phish, and Bob Dylan. Bill Walton has attended more than 650 Grateful Dead concerts, including traveling with the band to Egypt for its famous 1978 performance before the Pyramids, quotes Dead lyrics in TV and radio interviews, and was once invited to play on-stage with the group. To fellow Deadheads, Bill Walton is fondly known as "Grateful Red" and the "Big Red Deadhead". In the video for "Touch of Grey", Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart is wearing a Celtics jacket that was given to him by Bill Walton. In 2001, Bill Walton was officially inducted into The Grateful Dead Hall of Honour.

Bill Walton expounds upon his music interests on his own satellite radio show, One More Saturday Night (named after the Dead song "One More Saturday Night"), heard during late prime time on Sirius Radio's Jam On channel. Bill Walton has stated in his online introduction to his radio show column that he enjoys going to concerts alone because then he has fewer things in between him and reaching the omega point that all concert goers seek at shows.

Bill Walton still has a committed relationship with the Celtics, if not professionally, as a fan. Despite the area where he grew up, and the team his son Luke plays for, Bill Walton is careful to point out, "Even though I grew up in the heart of Laker country, the Celtics were always MY team". Bill Walton also keeps a picture of the floor of the old Boston Garden in his kitchen.

In June 2008, he was asked by ESPN to predict the outcome of the NBA finals matchup between the Celtics and the Lakers, their 1st meeting in the finals since 1987, his 2nd and final as player for Boston. Bill Walton predicted the Celtics would take the series in 6 games, a prediction that came true on 17th of that month.

Bill Walton is mentioned in the comedy film Airplane! In one scene, a boy is invited into the cockpit of a jetliner, and claims that the co-pilot (played by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) is in fact Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Abdul-Jabbar, playing in character, denies being the basketball star, insisting instead that he is merely Roger Murdock, the plane's co-pilot. The boy then states that he thinks Kareem is great, but that his father thinks the Lakers "don't work hard on defense" and that Kareem "doesn't try... except during the playoffs". This causes Abdul-Jabbar to snarl "The hell I don't!", followed by "Tell your old man to drag Bill Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes".

Bill Walton has also been impersonated by Frank Caliendo on several occasions. Caliendo (in Bill Walton character) proclaims, "Unbelievable! I remember being in Berkeley. I could smell colours, I could feel sounds! Has there ever been a player better than Detlef Schrempf? I mean, watching a guy 6 foot 10, I don't know where he's from, I don't know what country he's about! But I will tell you what, watching him shoot from the outside is unbelievable! Fred Roberts look out! World B. Free! I don't care who you are! I mean, Howard Eisley, does it matter?! I don't think so! This is what basketball is all about! Luke, come to the dark side, I AM YOUR FATHER!"

Bill Walton also has cameo appearances in the films Celtic Pride, Little Nicky and Semi-Pro.

Bill Walton is a playable character in the 2003 video game NBA Street Volume 2.

Bill Walton has had a life long problem with his speech and communication skills.

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Club Feet or Foot Series-Disabled Legend Pat Summerall

George Allen "Pat" Summerall was born on 10 May, 1930 in Lake City, Florida, USA. Pat Summerall is a former American football player and well-known television sportscaster, having worked at CBS, FOX, and, briefly, ESPN.

Pat Summerall is best known for his work with John Madden on CBS and FOX's NFL telecasts, and in 1999 he was inducted into the American Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame.

Pat Summerall played high school football at Columbia High School in Lake City, Florida, where he was recognised as an All-State selection in football, as well as basketball. Pat Summerall also earned varsity letters in both baseball and tennis.

Pat Summerall played college football from 1949 to 1951 at the University of Arkansas, where he played defensive end, tight end, and placekicker positions. Pat Summerall graduated from UA in 1953.

Pat Summerall spent 10 years as a professional football player in the National Football League, primarily as a placekicker. The Detroit Lions drafted Pat Summerall as a 4th round draft choice in the 1952 NFL Draft. Pat Summerall played the pre-season with the Lions before breaking his arm, which ended the year for him. After that season, he was traded and went on to play for the Chicago Cardinals from 1953 to 1957 and the New York Giants from 1958 to 1961. Pat Summerall's best professional year statistically was 1959, when Pat Summerall scored 90 points on 30-for-30 (100%) extra-point kicking and 20-for-29 (69%) field goal kicking.

After retiring from football, Pat Summerall became a broadcaster for the CBS network. Pat Summerall started in 1962 working part-time on New York Giants' broadcasts. In 1964, CBS hired Pat Summerall full-time to work its NFL telecasts, initially as a colour commentator and then (beginning in 1975) as a play-by-play announcer. Pat Summerall covered other events including ABA basketball. Pat Summerall also did sportscasts for the network's flagship radio station until 1966 when he did a morning drive-time music/talk programme, WCBS-AM. In 1969, Pat Summerall took part in NBC's coverage of Super Bowl III.

During the 1970s, Pat Summerall usually worked with Tom Brookshier as his broadcasting partner for NFL (mostly NFC) games, and the colourful Summerall-Brookshier duo worked three Super Bowls (X, XII, and XIV) together. Pat Summerall, broadcast partner Tom Brookshier, NFL on CBS producer Bob Wussler and Miami Dolphins owner Joe Robbie appeared as themselves during the 1977 film Black Sunday, which was filmed on location at the Orange Bowl in Miami during Super Bowl X.

In 1981, Pat Summerall was teamed with former Oakland Raiders coach John Madden, a pairing that would last for 22 seasons on 2 networks and become one of the most well-known partnerships in TV sportscasting history.

Pat Summerall's stature as the premier TV voice in pro football was a result of 2 things: 1st, his ability to play the straight man alongside John Madden's lively, verbose persona; 2nd, his economic delivery that magnified the drama of a moment while allowing the pictures to tell the story. One of Pat Summerall's most memorable on-air calls was his account of Marcus Allen's electrifying touchdown run in Super Bowl XVIII. The transcript is surprisingly sparse: "Touchdown, 75 yards!" That the quote is memorable is testament to the weight of Pat Summerall's baritone-like voice when he was at the height of his powers as an NFL broadcaster.

It is often mistakenly assumed that Pat Summerall and John Madden handled the call on CBS-TV for the 1981 NFC Championship Game, when San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark made "The Catch" to lift the 49ers to a 28–27 victory over the Dallas Cowboys and a berth in Super Bowl XVI. Pat Summerall instead handled the call of the game on CBS Radio with Jack Buck, while Vin Scully and Hank Stram called the game on television. Meanwhile, John Madden was off to Detroit to prepare for his Super Bowl telecast with Pat Summerall. Hank Stram returned to his normal position as the colour analyst on CBS Radio alongside Buck for the Super Bowl, while Pat Summerall and John Madden teamed for the 1st of 8 Super Bowls together.

Pat Summerall also broadcast professional golf and tennis (including the Masters and U.S. Open) during his tenure at CBS, and was the play-by-play announcer for the 1974 NBA Finals, CBS' 1st season broadcasting the NBA.

Pat Summerall continues to do voiceover work on CBS' Masters broadcasts, and also provided commentary for the Golden Tee golf video game.

In 1994, the FOX network surprised NFL fans by outbidding CBS for the NFC broadcast package. One of the network's 1st moves was to hire Pat Summerall and John Madden as its lead announcing team. The 2 men thus continued their on-air partnership through the 2001 season.

Pat Summerall and John Madden's last game together was Super Bowl XXXVI. After that game, Pat Summerall announced his retirement and John Madden was signed by ABC for that network's Monday Night Football telecasts.

Pat Summerall was lured out of retirement and re-signed with FOX for the 2002 season, working with Brian Baldinger on regional telecasts (primarily featuring the Dallas Cowboys, since Pat Summerall was a Dallas resident) before retiring again after 1 year. In 2006, he returned to the broadcast booth, paired once again with Baldinger. In Week 8 (29 October) of that year, he called a game between the eventual NFC champion Chicago Bears and the San Francisco 49ers.

In January 2007, Pat Summerall returned to FOX as one of the play-by-play voices of the network's coverage of the Cotton Bowl between Auburn and Nebraska. Pat Summerall called the January 2008 game, which features his alma mater, Arkansas, taking on Missouri.

Pat Summerall was name-checked on The Simpsons in the 2007 episode "Springfield Up", where his caricature and name appear on the cover of a book held by Homer entitled "Smut Yuks." Pat Summerall and then-partner John Madden also appeared in (and lent their voices to) the 1999 Simpsons episode "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday", which premiered following the duo's broadcast of Super Bowl XXXIII on FOX.

Pat Summerall covered the Sunday 9 December, 2007 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and St. Louis Rams in Cincinnati.

Pat Summerall called several preseason and early regular-season NFL games for the ESPN network in 2004, substituting for regular announcer Mike Patrick while the latter recovered from heart surgery.

Pat Summerall has broadcast 16 Super Bowls on network television with CBS and FOX, more than any other announcer. Pat Summerall also contributed to 10 Super Bowl broadcasts on CBS Radio.

During the 1990 season, Pat Summerall was hospitalised after vomiting on a plane during a flight after a game, and was out for a considerable amount of time. While Verne Lundquist replaced Pat Summerall on games with John Madden, Jack Buck (who was at CBS during the time as the network's lead Major League Baseball announcer) was added as a regular NFL broadcaster to fill-in.

In the spring of 2004, Pat Summerall, a recovering alcoholic who had been sober for many years, underwent a liver transplant.

In 2006, Pat Summerall underwent cataract surgery, and had an intraocular lens implanted.

In January 2008, Pat Summerall had a hip replacement surgery. On 19 June, he was hospitalised for internal bleeding caused by a new medicine he was taking.

Pat Summerall has been the spokesperson for True Value. Ironically, his long-time broadcast partner John Madden was the spokesperson for Ace Hardware, True Value's main competitor in the independent hardware store market (Pat Summerall has continued as the longtime radio spokesman for Dux Beds, a Swedish mattress maker, and their Duxiana stores).

Pat Summerall was also associated with a production company in Dallas, Texas, from about the year 1998 to 2005. It was called Pat Summerall Productions. Pat Summerall was featured and hosted different production shows such as, Summerall Success Stories and Champions of Industry. These qualified production segments would air on the Fox News Channel and later, CNN Headline News. During the mid-1990s, Pat Summerall hosted the "Summerall-Aikman" Cowboys report with quarterback Troy Aikman. Currently, Pat Summerall serves as the host of Sports Stars of Tomorrow and Future Phenoms, 2 nationally syndicated high school sports shows based out of Fort Worth, Texas.

Pat Summerall was the narrator & sponsor crediter for the 2008 Masters Golf Tournament. Pat Summerall makes his home in Southlake, Texas where he has lived for 12 years.

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Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Series-Disabled Legend Dennis Day

Dennis Day was born on 21 May, 1916 in New York City, New York, USA and died on 22June, 1988 of Lou Gehrig's disease at the age of 72 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Dennis Day is interred at Holy Cross Cemetery. Dennis Day's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is at 6646 Hollywood Boulevard.

Born Owen Patrick Eugene McNulty, was an Irish-American singer, radio and television personality.

Dennis Day was born and raised in New York City, the son of Irish immigrants. Dennis Day's father was a stationary engineer. Dennis Day graduated from St. Patrick's Cathedral High School, and attended Manhattan College, where he sang in the glee club.

Dennis Day appeared for the 1st time on Jack Benny's radio show on 8 October, 1939, taking the place of another famed tenor, Kenny Baker. Dennis Day remained associated with Benny's radio and television programs until Benny's death in 1974. Dennis Day was introduced (with actress Verna Felton playing his mother) as a young (19 year old), naive boy singer — a character he kept through his whole career. Dennis Day's
1st song was "Goodnight My Beautiful".

Besides singing, Dennis Day was an excellent mimic. Dennis Day did many imitations on the Benny programme of various noted celebrities of the era, such as Ronald Colman, Jimmy Durante, and Jimmy Stewart.

Sam Berman's caricature of Dennis Day for 1947 NBC promotional bookFrom 1944 through 1946, he served in the US Navy as a Lieutenant. On his return to civilian life, he continued to work with Benny while also starring his own show, A Day in the Life of Dennis Day (1946-1952). Dennis Day's having 2 programmes in comparison to Benny's 1was the subject of numerous jokes and gags on Benny's show, usually revolving around Dennis Day rubbing Benny's, and sometimes other cast members and guest stars' noses in that fact.

Dennis Day's TV series, The Dennis Day Show (aka The RCA Victor Show) was telecast from 1952 to 1954. Between 1952 and 1978, he made numerous TV appearances as a singer, actor and voice for animation (such as the Walt Disney feature Melody Time, voicing multiple characters).

In 1948,Dennis Day married Peggy Almquist; the marriage lasted until his death in 1988. The couple had 10 children. 1 of his brothers was wed to actress/singer Ann Blyth.

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Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Series-Disabled Legend Michael Zaslow

Michael Joel Zaslow was born on 1 November, 1942 and died on 6 December, 1998. Michael was an American actor. Michael is best known for his role as villain Roger Thorpe on CBS's Guiding Light, a role he played from 1971 to 1980 and from 1989 to 1997.

Michael had earlier played Dick Hart on the CBS soap opera Search for Tomorrow and Dr. Peter Chernak on Love is a Many Splendored Thing. Michael also played David Rinaldi on ABC's One Life to Live from 1983 to 1986, and in 1998. Michael Zaslow was also a writer for the NBC soap opera Another World.

Michael Zaslow guest starred on a number of other television shows and soap operas, including Barnaby Jones and Law & Order. In the episode "The Man Trap," the series' 8September,1966 premiere of Star Trek, he played Crewman Darnell, the 1st starship Enterprise crewmember to be killed off. Michael also appeared as "Jordan" in the episode 1, Mudd.

Michael Zaslow's Broadway theatre credits included Fiddler on the Roof, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Onward Victoria.

In 1997, he began to experience difficulty speaking. When it became noticeable on screen, he was placed on leave at Guiding Light. (There are conflicting stories as to whether Michael Zaslow was then fired; there was for some time a legal action against Guiding Light and sponsor Procter & Gamble, which eventually was settled.) It was some time before Michael Zaslow was finally diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease. Michael Zaslow did not return to GL and his role was briefly recast before being written off. (In 2004, Michael Zaslow's character on GL died off-screen.)

In a show of support, Michael Zaslow was hired at One Life to Live in 1998 to play David Rinaldi again; his condition was written into the storyline. Michael Zaslow made several appearances before he was too ill to continue working; his final appearance on One Life to Live was televised on 1 December, 1998, days before his death.

Michael Zaslow's widow, psychologist/writer Susan Hufford, and ZazAngels, a foundation that wishes to raise funds in order to find a cure for Lou Gehrig's disease. Several of his Guiding Light and One Life to Live castmates, along with many Broadway-based theater luminaries, have participated in tributes to Michael Zaslow that were fundraisers for ZazAngels.

In 2004, Michael Zaslow and Susan Hufford's daughter Helena died. Susan Hufford released a book last year about Michael Zaslow and his fight with ALS, titled Not That Man Anymore. Michael Zaslow had begun writing the book several years earlier.

In 2006, Michael Zaslow's widow Susan Hufford lost her battle to cancer.

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Hearing Impairment Series-Disabled Legend Linda Bove

Linda Bove was born on 30 November, 1945 in Garfield, New Jersey, USA. Linda Bove attended Gallaudet University. Linda is a deaf American actress who played the part of Linda the Librarian on the children's television programme Sesame Street from 1971 to 2003. Linda Bove has introduced thousands of children to sign language and issues surrounding the Deaf Community. Linda Bove's role as Linda on Sesame Street is currently the longest recurring role in television history for a deaf person. Linda Bove has been married to Ed Waterstreet since 1970. Like Linda Bove, Ed Waterstreet is also deaf. Ed Waterstreet also performed with the National Theater of the Deaf.

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Dementia Series-Disabled Legend Molly Picon

Molly Picon was born Małka (Margaret) Opiekun on 1 June, 1898 in New York City, New York, USA to Clara and Louis (or Denis) Opiekun (later changed to Picon). Opiekun is a Polish language name meaning, "guardian" or "caretaker". Molly Picon died on 5 April, 1992 aged 93, from Alzheimer's disease in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Molly Picon is buried in the Yiddish Theater section of the Mount Hebron Cemetery.

Molly Picon's husband, from 1919 until his death in 1975 from cancer, was Jacob Kalich. They had no children.

Molly Picon was an American star of stage, screen and television, as well as a lyricist. Molly Picon was first and foremost a star in Yiddish theatre and Film, but as Yiddish theatre faded she began to perform in English-language productions.

Molly Picon's career began at the age of 6 in the Yiddish Theatre. In 1912, she debuted at the Arch Street Theatre in New York and became a star of the Second Avenue Yiddish stage.

Molly Picon was so popular in the 1920s that many shows had the name Molly in their title. In 1931 she opened the Molly Picon Theatre. Molly Picon appeared in many films, starting with silent movies. Molly Picon earliest film still existing is East and West which deals with the clash of new and old Jewish cultures. Molly Picon plays an American-born daughter who travels with her father back to Galicia in East Central Europe. Real-life husband Jacob Kalich plays one of her Galician relatives from Eastern Europe.

Molly Picon's most famous film, Yidl Mit'n Fidl (1936), was made on location in Poland, and has her wearing male clothing through most of the film. In the film, a girl and her father are forced by poverty to set out on the road as traveling musicians. For her safety, she disguises herself as a boy, which becomes inconvenient when she falls in love with one of the other musicians in the troupe.

Molly Picon made her English language debut on stage in 1940. On Broadway, she starred in Neil Simon's Come Blow Your Horn and the Jerry Herman musical Milk and Honey, both in 1961. In 1966 she quit the disastrous Chu Chem during previews in Philadelphia; the show closed before reaching Broadway.

Molly Picon's first English speaking role in the movies was the film version of Come Blow Your Horn (1963), and she portrayed Yente, the Matchmaker in the film adaptation of the Broadway hit Fiddler on the Roof in 1971.

In the 1970s, she was featured as a madame named Mrs. Cherry in For Pete's Sake, a film starring another famous Jewish-American actress, Barbra Streisand. Molly Picon later played a role on television on the soap opera Somerset. An entire room was filled with her memorabilia at the Second Avenue Deli in New York (now closed).

The little "yente" with the big, expressive talent, New York-born Yiddish icon Molly Picon entertained theater, radio, TV and film audiences for over seven decades with her song-and-dance routines while helping to popularize the Yiddish culture into the American mainstream as well as overseas. Raised in Philadelphia, she was performing from age 5 but broke into the big time with a vaudeville act called "The Four Seasons" in 1919, eventually making a comedy name for herself in the Second Avenue Theatres on the Lower East Side back in New York. The indefatigable Molly Picon was a real live wire and played very broad, confident, dominant characters on stage, which ended up making it hard for her to be taken seriously in dramatic pieces.

In film she is best remembered for her Yiddish-language showcases of the 30s, notably in Yidl with His Fiddle (1936), the story of a traveling musician who dresses as a boy to avoid unwarranted male advances. Molly Picon was cast as a Yiddish Cinderella, a dutiful but unappreciated daughter who cares for her father and his large family, in Mamele (1938), the last Jewish film made in Poland. During one musical vignette, Molly Picon portrays her character's grandmother in several stages of life. In the 1940s, Molly Picon started to include English-speaking plays as well and as she grew into matronly roles, became synonymous as the typical well-meaning but overbearing and coddling "Jewish mama." Such amusing, unflappable film roles would be found in Come Blow Your Horn (1963) (as an interfering Italian mother) and Fiddler on the Roof (1972) as Yente the matchmaker. Molly Picon long association with husband and corroborator, Yiddish stage star Jacob Kalich, was a fruitful one. Husband Jacob Kalich became her mentor, the author of many of her popular plays and the manager of her career.

They Married in 1919, Jacob Kalich died in 1975 but she continued performing albeit sporadically.

Vicariously known as the "Jewish Charlie Chaplin" and "Jewish Helen Hayes", she was a patriot and humanitarian at heart, with an energy, creativity and ability to entertain that couldn't help but make her one of entertainment's most beloved citizens.

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Dementia Series-Disabled Legend Arlene Francis

Arlene Francis, the witty actress and popular television personality, was born Arlene Francis Kazanjian on 20 October, 1907 in Boston, Massachusetts. Arlene's father was an Armenian immigrant, later painter and portrait photographer; her mother was the daughter of actor Alfred Davis. Even at an early age, Arlene said, "I started out with one goal: I wanted to be a serious actress." Arlene studied at the Theatre Guild and then went to Hollywood. Arlene's movie debut was in Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932), in which Bela Lugosi (often cast as a villain or mad scientist in many of his over 40 movies) tied her to an X-cross to extract her blood (trivia: Arlene and Bela were both born on Oct. 20). The live theater, however, was her first love, and she appeared in many plays. In 1935, she married movie executive Neil Agnew; they'd stay together for 10 years. Arlene made her Broadway debut in 1936 and had her first major role in "All That Glitters" two years later. Arlene appeared with Orson Welles in the Mercury Theatre production of "Danton's Death" in 1938, and in "Journey to Jerusalem" in 1940. Arlene's big hit was "The Doughgirls" in 1942; it ran for 1-1/2 years. Arlene had auditioned for her first radio part at the same time she was getting started in the theater; she later recalled, "Radio came easily." In the 1940s, she played in as many as five radio serials a day.

Arlene married actor Martin Gabel in 1946 (he died in 1986), and they had a son, Peter. Arlene also was host of a radio dating show called "Blind Date," which was adapted to a TV series in 1949 ("Blind Date" (1949)), and she was the host (1949-1952). It was television that brought Arlene fame, and she became one of the highest-paid women in TV. Arlene was a permanent panelist on CBS' "What's My Line?" (1950) (a 'Mark Goodson (I)' -Bill Todman production) from 1950 through 1967 and continued as a panelist in a syndicated version that ran until 1975, thus being with the show for its entire 25-year run. Arlene was warm, witty and had a cute laugh and was always fashionably dressed. Arlene wore a diamond heart-shaped necklace, which started a fad. Arlene was still doing radio while on TV, and in 1960, she was the star of "The Arlene Francis Show," a daily interview show in New York, on WOR; it ran for 23 years. Arlene retired from show business after that and lived comfortably. Arlene was still giving interviews in 1991.

Arlene spent her last years living in San Francisco. Arlene died of cancer on Thursday 31 May 2001, in a Francisco hospital, at the age of 93. Arlene's many fans will miss her, Arlene was truly one of the greats.

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Dementia Series-Disabled Legend Perry Como

Perry Como was born on 18 May, 1912 and died on 12 May, 2001. Perry Como was an Italian-American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with it in 1943. "Mr. C", as he was nicknamed, sold millions of records for RCA and also pioneered a weekly musical variety television show, which set the standards for the genre and proved to be one of the most successful in television history. Perry Como combined success on television and popular recordings was not matched by any other artist of the time.

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Dementia Series-Disabled Legend Jack Lord

Jack Lord was born on 30 December, 1920 and died on 21 January, 1998. Jack O'Brien was an American television, film, and Broadway actor. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Jack Lord was the son of Irish-American parents. Jack's father, William Lawrence Ryan was a steamship company executive. Jack's first work on Broadway was in Traveling Lady with Kim Stanley. Jack was then cast as a replacement for Ben Gazarra in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Jack Lord died of congestive heart failure at his home on January 21, 1998 in Honolulu, Hawaii, at the age of 77. Jack left an estate of $40 million, and being a philanthropist in his lifetime, the entire estate went to various Hawaiian charities upon his wife Marie's death in 2005. Portions of their estate were auctioned on eBay in March 2007.

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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Series-Disabled Legend John Melendez

John Melendez was born on 4 October, 1965. Commonly known as "Stuttering John" and "Hero of the Stupid", a Puerto Rican - American television/radio personality. On Stern's show, Melendez conducted outrageous street interviews, premised on the idea that celebrities would not want to look bad by refusing an interview from a stutterer. John sported long hair and metal t-shirts and would often confront celebrities with puerile questions about their private lives. John's interviews were characterized by punchline-free "joke" questions, such as asking Melanie Griffith "how her father, Andy, was." John also appeared at press conferences and asked off-the-wall questions to Gennifer Flowers, Ringo Starr, and the Dalai Lama. He asked the Dalai Lama, if anyone ever greeted him with "Hello Dolly!", in a joking reference to the play and movie; the Dalai Lama's translator whispered the translation to the Dalai Lama and a delayed chuckle came from the Dalai Lama. It seemed like he got the joke. John also provided comic interest with his misadventures, poor grammar and sloppy pronunciation. John also suffers from OCD.

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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Series-Disabled Legend Penelope Cruz

Penélope Cruz was born on 28 April, 1974 in Madrid, Spain. Penelope is a Spanish actress who has known much success in many of her movies. Penelope was originally a dancer but slowly started to get involved in Spanish television. With time she has now appeared in several movies in English, Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese. This beautiful and talented actress has been said to suffer from OCD.

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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Series-Disabled Legend Howie Mandel

Howie Michael Mandel II was born on 29 November, 1955. Howie is a Canadian comedian and actor, known for his roles on sitcoms and television. Being one of the best stand up comedians of all times, Howie Mandel suffers from OCD and can't shake hands with anyone due to mysophobia. Basically being the fear of dirt and germs, for this reason Howie shaves his head because it helps him feel cleaner. All these symptoms pass unnoticed when seeing him animating the popular show Deal or no Deal.

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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Series-Disabled Legend Donald Trump

Donald John Trump was born on 14 June, 1946 in Queens, New York. Donald is an American business executive, entrepreneur, television and radio personality and author. Donald is also known for his catchphrase "You're Fired" and his distinctive hair style. Donald Trump, host of the TV show "The Apprentice," has a germ phobia that makes him afraid to shake hands. Property tycoon Donald Trump confesses he has borderline obsessive compulsive disorder and is terrified of germs. The star refuses to touch the ground floor button of a lift and avoids shaking hands with people - especially teachers.

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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Series-Disabled Legend Marc Summers

Marc Summers was born Marc Berkowitz on 11 November, 1951 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Marc is an American television personality, popular game show host, producer, and a two-time talk show host, perhaps best known for hosting the children's game show Double Dare on Nickelodeon. During an interview with Dr. Eric Hollander on Biggers & Summers, Summers revealed that he has obsessive compulsive disorder. Summers went public about his condition on various television shows, including The Oprah Winfrey Show and The Today Show. In 1999, Summers co-wrote a book with Hollander about his experience called Everything In Its Place: My Trials and Triumphs with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

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Dyslexia Series-Disabled Legend Harry Anderson

Harry Anderson was born on 14 October, 1952. Harry is an Emmy Award-nominated American actor and magician. Harry was a street magician before becoming an actor. Harry is famous for the role of Judge Harry Stone on the 1984-1992 television series Night Court. In addition to 8 appearances on Saturday Night Live.

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Dyslexia Series-Disabled Legend Stephen Joseph Cannell

Stephen Joseph Cannell was born on 5 February, 1941. Stephen is an American television producer, writer, novelist, and occasional actor. Stephen struggled with dyslexia in school, but did graduate from the University of Oregon in 1964 with a Bachelor of Science in journalism. At UO, he joined the Sigma Chi fraternity. Stephen has also acted occasionally, including a regular supporting role as "Dutch" Dixon on his series, Renegade. Stephen also took a turn in an episode of Silk Stalkings.

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