Jerry Damon

H. Jerome D'Amato (August 24, 1927^[1] – January 24, 1979), known professionally as Jerry Damon, was an American radio and television announcer and actor.

Biography

Damon was a staff announcer for NBC in New York from 1954^[2] until his death. He was part of a core group that, during his years with the network, also included such other noted voice-over artists as Bill Wendell, Don Pardo, Mel Brandt, Wayne Howell, Vic Roby and Howard Reig. As such, his duties included handling network program introductions and closes, bumpers, promos, and teasers. He also handled such duties, as well as occasional sign-offs and live tags, for the network's New York flagship station WNBC-TV and its radio sister stations (WNBC (AM), now WFAN and WNBC-FM/WNWS/WYNY, now WQHT, respectively).

Damon's radio announcing credits include Monitor, the original version of X Minus One, and The Eternal Light. His most notable television credit was the 1964-65 American version of That Was the Week That Was, and other shows for which he announced included G.E. College Bowl, Haggis Baggis and The Jan Murray Show. He also was a spokesman for coverage of political conventions, and from 1975 to 1977, he was food editor for NBC's ill-fated News and Information Service radio network.

Outside of the announcing booth, Damon owned a dairy farm in Milford, New York. In addition, in the early 1960s, he was part of a group that made a bid to purchase Ellis Island.^[3]

Damon died of cancer at Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey at age 51.^[2]

References

• Obituary in Variety, February 7, 1979.

1. ^ Social Security Death Index entry (name entered as Jerome Damato)
2. ^ ^{a b} Fates & Fortunes (PDF file). Broadcasting, February 5, 1979, p. 85. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
3. ^ "$2,100,000 Bid for Ellis Island As Site of Wright 'Dream City' ", by Milton Bracker. The New York Times, May 11, 1962. Retrieved 2010-06-06.

External links

• Jerry Damon at the Internet Movie Database
• Jerry Damon radio credits
• Web page with audio clip of 1958 WRCA-TV (now WNBC) sign-off by Jerry Damon
• 1960 interview with Jerry Damon from The Jean Colbert Program on WTIC (Hartford) (.mp3)
• Video clip of 1965 opening of Karen episode with sponsor bumper announced by Jerry Damon
• Hall of Game Show Fame entry on Jerry Damon

Persondata
Name	Damon, Jerry
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	August 24, 1927
Place of birth
Date of death	January 24, 1979
Place of death