Who was Tex Antoine?, Tex Antoine Biography and Wiki
Tex Antoine was born as Herbert Jon Antoine Jr. He was known professionally as Tex Antoine, was an American weatherman on New York City television for almost three decades.
Antoine also entertained viewers during each report by writing the temperature in large numerals on his big blank pad, then embellishing with the marker as his weather narrative proceeded until the numeral had finally become part of a whimsical cartoon illustrating some facet of the day’s weather or forecast.
Tex Antoine Age and Cause Of Death
Tex died at the age of 59 years, and he was born on April 21, 1923. The police declined to give the specific cause of death but said that Mr. Antoine had apparently died of natural causes on January 12, 1983, in Manhattan, New York, NY
Tex Antoine Family, Parents and Siblings
Antoine was a son to Herbert Jon Antoine Sr. 1894–1972, an auto supply salesman, and mother was Bertha Campbell, and by 1930 the family was living in Los Angeles.
Tex Antoine Wife- Children
Antoine was married to Suzannah C. Glidden she married her in summer of 1965. The couple was parents to one child by the name Nancy Antoine Shaffin.
Tex Antoine Early Life and Career
Tex was born in Illinois and was raised in California and Texas. First entered NBC in New York as a page in 1943, and a year later became a network personnel advertiser. He was the first announcer for the long-running religious drama The Eternal Light, beginning in 1944.
His run on the program finished in 1945. His other credits for radio announcements include Archie Andrews’ Adventures and Frank Merriwell’s Adventures. Antoine started his weather career on WNBT in 1949 (later WRCA-TV, now WNBC), working with a cartoon sidekick known as “Uncle Wethbee” (sometimes misspelled “Uncle Weatherbee”).
His theme music was “Fine and Dandy.” Originally, Antoine used several records to represent the day’s weather.
(“Stormy Weather,” “Let it snow,” etc.) However, all documents but one were harmed or broken and left with “Fine and Dandy” For years, the theme served him.
According to reminiscence Bob Tilden, Antoine’s weekly weather report “was a fantastic blend of weather, cartoon art, and storytelling.
He would begin his weather section standing next to a stable covered with blank documents, and continue to draw the weather schemes that were relevant to the country and the region. As his fingers drew in the lows, highs, and fronts, his voice would tell the story.
Antoine also entertained spectators during each study by writing the temperature in large numerals on his large blank pad, then embellishing with the marker as his weather narrative proceeded until the numeral had lastly become part of a whimsical cartoon representing some facet of the day’s weather or forecast.
Tex Antoine WABC-TV
Antoine shifted from WNBC to WABC-TV in 1966 to report the weather during newscasts anchored by Scott Vincent. Antoine was not permitted to plug his new home into his final Channel 4 broadcasts.
So, with Uncle Wethbee’s Magic Marker in hand, he said and wrote something to the impact of: “Remember that 4 plus 3 is 7, and that’s as simple as ABC.” WABC-TV revamped all its newscasts under the banner of Eyewitness News in 1968.
The news director, Al Primo, decreed all the on-camera staff for the newscast who would wear blue matching jackets with a “circle 7” logo on their jacket pockets.
When Antoine, wore smocks on the air, protested that the impact of his picture, that replied (as sportswriter Frank Deford recounted in 1974), “Either everyone wears jackets or everyone wears smocks.” Antoine would then wear a blazer on the air.
Tex Antoine WNBT / WRCA-TV / WNBC years (1949–1966)
Antoine began his weather career in 1949 at WNBT (later WRCA-TV, now WNBC), working with a cartoon sidekick known as “Uncle Wethbee” (sometimes misspelled “Uncle Weatherbee”).
His theme music was “Fine and Dandy.” Originally, Antoine used several records to reflect the weather of the day. (“Stormy Weather,” “Let it Snow”, etc.) However, all of the records but one became damaged or broken, and he was left with “Fine and Dandy”.
The theme served him for years. According to a reminiscence by Bob Tilden, Antoine’s nightly weather report “was a wonderful mix of weather, cartoon art, and storytelling.
He would start his weather segment standing next to an easel covered by blank papers, and he would proceed to draw the weather systems that were pertinent to the nation and the area. As his hands drew in the lows, highs, and fronts, his voice would narrate their past and expected movements, and what their effects would be.
As he filled page after page of the easel, building the map as he described each feature, he engaged his audience. He instructed the viewers about their weather, rather than just informing them of a forecast.”
Antoine entertained viewers during each report by writing the temperature in large numerals on his big blank pad, then embellishing with the marker as his weather narrative proceeded until the numeral had finally become part of a whimsical cartoon illustrating some facet of the day’s weather or forecast.
Tex Antoine WABC-TV
In 1966, he moved from WNBC to WABC-TV to report the weather during newscasts anchored by Scott Vincent. Antoine was not allowed to plug his new home on his final Channel 4 broadcast.
So, with Uncle Wethbee’s Magic Marker in hand, he said and wrote something to the effect of: “Remember that 4 plus 3 equals 7, and that’s as easy as ABC.”
In 1968, WABC-TV revamped all its newscasts under the banner of Eyewitness News. Its new news director, Al Primo, decreed that all the newscast’s on-camera talent would wear matching blue blazers with a “circle 7” crest displayed on their jacket pockets.
He returned to air in 1978 on WNEW-TV but was discharged after 10 months. The police declined to give the specific cause of death but said that Mr. Antoine had apparently died of natural causes. Surviving is a daughter, Nancy Shaffin.
Tex Antoine on Rape comments
On November 24, 1976, on the 6 p.m. broadcast, Antoine’s weather report immediately followed a story about the attempted rape of an eight-year-old girl. Antoine thereupon quipped: “With rape so predominant in the news lately, it is well to remember the words of Confucius: ‘If rape is inevitable, lie back and enjoy it’.”
(The same quip would outrage women’s groups when recounted by Indiana University coach Bob Knight during an interview with Connie Chung in 1988 and would help derail Texas gubernatorial candidate Clayton Williams’ 1990 election bid.)
Within 25 minutes of the comment, the station received 665 calls from mostly irate women about Antoine’s insensitive comment. Despite the on-air apology, WABC wasted no time suspending Antoine. Roger Grimsby and Bill Beutel led the 11 p.m. newscast that night with the official apology from WABC-TV.
After the station apology, 450 calls were made, including a quarter in favor of not suspending Antoine after making the on-air apology. The comment was not the first occurrence of controversial remarks by Antoine.
On February 1974, over 100 calls were sent in for the broadcaster using profanity on an open microphone. A day later, network executives hinted that they would probably forgive Antoine for the controversial remark.
With Antoine off-air, weatherman Storm Field took the position as the evening weather forecaster. Grimsby, introducing Storm Field quipped “Lie back, relax and enjoy the weather with Storm Field.”
While the reaction to Grimsby’s statement was not as severe as Antoine’s, the impact of the statement offended women as well. The newspapers noted that Ellen Bradley, a rape victim, and a secretary at the station, wrote Grimsby a stern note about making such a comment on air.
On December 2, 1976, while on a no-pay vacation in the United States Virgin Islands island of St. Thomas, it was reported that ABC executives told Antoine that he would not lose his job.
Despite this report, a week later, WABC told the press that no final decision had been made. Protests were being held in front of the ABC headquarters from the National Organization for Women (NOW), who demanded Antoine be fired.
The decision was announced on December 18 to reinstate Antoine in a non-televised role. Instead of forecasting on television, he would assist Storm Field (who was hired in March 1976) with forecast production.
However, his contract expired in March 1977 and was not renewed by the station. Antoine closed out his career in 1978 with a brief stint as a weatherman for WNEW-TV.