Where They Are Now: Adam Wade

[Matt Ottinger]

In our world, he's the first African-American game show host.  Right now, in the real world, he's touring with the Broadway version of The Color Purple.  At this specific moment in time, he's in East Lansing, Michigan as the tour is finishing its run at Michigan State University.

The mid-Michigan entertainment critic (a job title just about as ridiculous as the mid-Michigan game show host) cornered me at a completely different show last night to tell me he'd spent some time with Wade.  They chatted about a variety of topics, including Musical Chairs which apparently Wade remembers fondly. For the record, Wade is not aware of the existence of any more episodes than the one collectors already know about with Irene Cara.

[Robair]

A true shame because they had a lot of great musical acts pass through there. Such as some of the first TV appearances of Sister Sledge, the musical and comic brilliance of the Tokens, and a lady named Kelly Garrett who, around that time, was co-helming a CBS revival of "Your Hit Parade" along with some singer named Chuck Woolery.

And some of us who go further back remember Adam's three Top 10 hits in 1961, led by "Take Good Care of Her".

[Bob Zager]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'207798\' date=\'Feb 8 2009, 04:04 PM\']
Wade is not aware of the existence of any more episodes than the one collectors already know about with Irene Cara.
[/quote]

Here's a link to youtube, featuring a young Irene Cara on Ted Mack's Amateur Hour (sponsored by Geritol):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PrOgQe6lfA

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'207798\' date=\'Feb 8 2009, 01:04 PM\']
The mid-Michigan entertainment critic (a job title just about as ridiculous as the mid-Michigan game show host)[/quote]
Patton approves.

[Jay Temple]

[quote name=\'Robair\' post=\'207803\' date=\'Feb 8 2009, 03:29 PM\']
A true shame because they had a lot of great musical acts pass through there. Such as some of the first TV appearances of Sister Sledge, the musical and comic brilliance of the Tokens, and a lady named Kelly Garrett who, around that time, was co-helming a CBS revival of "Your Hit Parade" along with some singer named Chuck Woolery.[/quote]
That was also the first place I saw Dionne Warwicke* or the Spinners.

* That was part of the very brief time in her life when, at her astrologer's advice, she had the "e" at the end of her last name.

[Ian Wallis]

A true shame because they had a lot of great musical acts pass through there. Such as some of the first TV appearances of Sister Sledge, the musical and comic brilliance of the Tokens, and a lady named Kelly Garrett who, around that time, was co-helming a CBS revival of "Your Hit Parade" along with some singer named Chuck Woolery.

What do you think is the main reason for the failure of this show (a quick 20-weeks and out)?  

Was it because it was paired with Match Game and didn't really fit?  Do you think it was the 4 PM time slot that a lot of stations either pre-empted or tape-delayed?  (Although Tattletales survived in that slot for several years around the same time, and was tape-delayed on many stations as well).  Or, was it just a weak format (although I kind of liked it)?

You'd figure with the future and well-known stars they had on there, it should have attacted a bit more of a following for maybe a longer run.

[alfonzos]

I'm guessing it was too expensive to do. You have to pay for the rights to use the songs plus rehearse all the musicians. That all adds up. Plus they never really worked out a good bonus game.

[calliaume]

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' post=\'207811\' date=\'Feb 8 2009, 06:35 PM\']

A true shame because they had a lot of great musical acts pass through there. Such as some of the first TV appearances of Sister Sledge, the musical and comic brilliance of the Tokens, and a lady named Kelly Garrett who, around that time, was co-helming a CBS revival of "Your Hit Parade" along with some singer named Chuck Woolery.

What do you think is the main reason for the failure of this show (a quick 20-weeks and out)?  

Was it because it was paired with Match Game and didn't really fit?  Do you think it was the 4 PM time slot that a lot of stations either pre-empted or tape-delayed?  (Although Tattletales survived in that slot for several years around the same time, and was tape-delayed on many stations as well).  Or, was it just a weak format (although I kind of liked it)?

You'd figure with the future and well-known stars they had on there, it should have attacted a bit more of a following for maybe a longer run.
[/quote]
Audiences didn't know at the time Irene Cara and Sister Sledge would become stars.

Musical Chairs was a game I liked, but it was just, well, weird... and in New York, it aired at 1 PM, not 4.  I can only imagine what the folks who had gotten used to seeing Tattletales in that time slot thought.  And music games have never really worked on a five-a-week basis -- I think the only show that survived longer than a year was Dough Re Mi.

[rugrats1]

[quote name=\'Jay Temple\' post=\'207807\' date=\'Feb 8 2009, 04:58 PM\']
[quote name=\'Robair\' post=\'207803\' date=\'Feb 8 2009, 03:29 PM\']
...Kelly Garrett who, around that time, was co-helming a CBS revival of "Your Hit Parade" along with some singer named Chuck Woolery.[/quote]
That was also the first place I saw Dionne Warwicke* or the Spinners.

* That was part of the very brief time in her life when, at her astrologer's advice, she had the "e" at the end of her last name.
[/quote]

I thought I read somewhere that all her releases in Great Britain had the "e".

[WhirlieBird74]

Another fact you may not have known about Adam Wade:  He was Dr. Jonas Salk's right-hand man in creating the first successful Polio vaccine in 1955.  In 1960, he was the subject on a prime-time episode of 'To Tell The Truth'.