When Fred Foy became announcer and narrator for “The Lone Ranger” in 1948 (first on radio, then on television), he wasn’t aware that he was helping to build a cultural landmark. Saturday night, the Radio Hall of Fame will honor Foy’s 50-year television career. The ceremonies will be broadcast live from the Chicago Cultural Center beginning at 9 p.m. on WLS-AM.
Q: You said that you and the “Ranger” cast had no idea that the show would “become part of Americana.” When did you realize that what you’d worked on was bigger than a mere radio or TV show?
A: It occured to me . . . years after I had left the show and was working in New York . . . I found out when I was interviewed that they were completely overwhelmed by the fact that I had worked on the “Ranger” show …
Q: For better or worse, we’re never going to see radio the way it was during the 1940s and ’50s. What do you miss the most about those days, and what do you think we as a society miss the most?
A: No. 1, [for me] it was an exciting time, doing radio drama and knowing that you and I as listeners were using our imagination and probably creating more vivid pictures in our mind than the TV tube portrays today. It was a great time because “The Lone Ranger” was live; all of the sound effects were done live. We had no crutch of recording tape. We went on the air [and] if anything happened during that period, you had to keep going. Someone would pick up and move along. …
Q:Very few shows have enjoyed the afterlife of “The Lone Ranger.” Why do you think that is?
A: Oh, I suppose it’s because of the type of show. New generations and young people who hear the show suddenly have a hero, this wonderful masked figure who’s always fighting for justice and helping the underdog. I think as people get acquainted with the show, it goes on and on.
Q: Will they play “The William Tell Overture” at your funeral?
A: [laughs]
I wouldn’t be surprised.
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