Good Bye To A Local Legend
One of my greatest childhood goals was being on the Cousin Cliff show for my birthday. You see, everyone loved “Cuz”… I mean come on. He showed Three Stooges movies and Popeye cartoons; he had Droodles, talked about Jack’s Hamburgers for 15 cents (that were so good, good, good), and gave away cakes from Marsh Bakery. But, it seemed like every June 6 he was totally booked up. My mom did her best, but I had to settle for Benny Carle on the other channel. Cliff went off the air in 1969 (when I was 13, and getting a little too old anyway), so I figured it just wasn’t meant to be.
Funny… just 10 years later I would go to work for Cliff’s channel (Channel 13) as the primary weather anchor. Who would have thunk it?
Fast forward to the early 1990s… I was the weather guy at Channel 6, and management hired Cliff for a weekly Saturday morning kids show. He taped the show on a weeknight, and I happened to be in the studio one of those nights when he noticed me, and as kind enough to ask me to come through the “secret door” and be on his show. Yep, I was in my 30s, but I finally made it to the Cousin Cliff show. It was magical, and Cliff also invited our son (only son at the time!) J.P. to be on the show the next week. He was the same kind and funny man I used to watch on TV as a small child, with such a tender heart for children.
Cliff Holman is a true television pioneer in Birmingham. He came to Channel 13 in the 1950s, and was part of the first generation of TV talent here that included people like Wendell Harris, Everett Holle, Joe Langston, Country Boy Eddie, Tom York, and Bill Bolen. These men came through this business in the early days, when there was much local, live programming that connected so well with the audience. These guys were like heroes to me; true mentors. They opened the door for people like me in the next generation. Cousin Cliff died Monday after a bout with Alzheimer’s Disease. Perhaps now he really knows how many children and adults he impacted in a positive way. Thanks for the memories, Cuz… you are missed.
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About the Author (Author Profile)
James Spann is one of the most recognized and trusted television meteorologists in the industry. He holds the AMS CCM designation and television seals from the AMS and NWA. He is a past winner of the Broadcast Meteorologist of the Year from both professional organizations.Subscribe
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