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Mobituaries with Mo Rocca

JFK Impersonator Vaughn Meader: Death of a Career

Mobituaries with Mo Rocca

iHeartPodcasts and CBS News

History, Society & Culture

4.820.6K Ratings

🗓️ 17 January 2019

⏱️ 50 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

For one brief shining moment in the early 1960s, John F. Kennedy impersonator Vaughn Meader was on top of the world. He was the voice of the hit comedy album "The First Family" which broke sales records and even won the Grammy for Album of the Year. Meader's impression also stirred up controversy, forcing White House advisers to grapple with the impact of political mimicry. In this episode Mo Rocca explores the story of this once-famous comic whose career died the same day President Kennedy was assassinated. Warning: this episode contains language that might be deemed offensive for some listeners.Learn more about the Mobituaries book: http://bit.ly/MobituariesBook

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Transcript

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0:00.0

I think we have time for one final question.

0:08.2

In the late fall of 1962, one of President John F. Kennedy's closest advisors, Arthur Schlesinger

0:15.5

Jr., was driving in his car when all of a sudden he heard the following question come

0:21.0

over the airwaves.

0:22.0

Now that you know of us, what do you think the chance is offered to his president?

0:26.8

A familiar voice answered.

0:28.5

Well, I think they're pretty good.

0:30.1

Now let me say I don't see why a person of the Jewish faith taught me president of the

0:34.5

United States.

0:36.0

I know as a Catholic, I could never vote for him.

0:42.5

His confusion was cleared up when he learned the voice belonged to Kennedy impersonator,

0:48.0

Vaughn-Meter.

0:49.6

But Schlesinger was concerned enough that when he returned to the White House, he drafted

0:54.1

a memorandum to the president.

0:57.4

He wrote the following, this raises the question of what in hell a president of the United States

1:03.2

ought to do about mimicry.

1:07.2

I'm guessing many of you have never heard of Vaughn-Meter, but for one brief shining moment,

1:12.4

okay, a 12 month period between late 1962 and late 1963, he was a really big deal.

1:20.2

He had this parody album called The First Family, A Spoof of the Kennedys.

1:25.0

In old video clips, he looks like a distant Kennedy cousin, young Glingcott with a thick

1:29.9

head of hair, and his JFK impression is uncanny.

1:34.5

Just listen.

...

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