Unlike some ego-driven sho-biz folks of my acquaintance, I abhor talking about myself. 

My career prior to DP was quite good.  While attending radio school on the GI bill, I managed to garner a small but respectable reputation as a vocalist and found myself on call for several name bands "gigging"  in San Francisco hotels.  I Landed a job with Hoffman Hayride TV show and was taken along with the star, Dude Martin, when we were hired to do a prime time hour for Sears (their first attempt at TV advertising) in Hollywood. 

For seven years I was on local TV like the plague. During one three-year period I appeared seven days a week!  These were: PARLOR PARTY (five days), FREEZE ON TWO (five nights), THIS IS YOUR MUSIC (Sunday night NBC network}, THE MOVIE MARSHALL (Saturday afternoon kiddie-cartoons).  There were, of course, a couple of movies and guest appearances on other shows. 

Then---all at once, NOTHING!  I was thrilled...for the first six weeks.  Then, I realized I was OUT OF WORK!  Panic, panic.  Big house, big payment, two kids, etc.  All of a sudden I wasn't going to the studio every day. 

Then, I got this phone call from the program director of KTTV where, years before, I had done the Dude Martin show, Movie Marshall, etc.  He said to me, matter-of-factly,  "Dick, I think they're looking for you in San Francisco." 

They flew me up and we had our first meeting.  Guys from all over the country were auditioning for this. Each candidate did a week.  We're talking a six-day wk @ 2 hours per!  The show had no rating.  I mean no one was watching it!  But what the hell, I could use a week's pay. 

Fortunately for me, I followed a guy who was, I am told, slightly dorky, thus making me look better than I was.  I went home after my week and some time later, the KPIX bosses called and offered me the job. God smiled on me when I got the notion to bring on you kids.  We went from zero ratings to #1 in our time slot -- to #1 in all daytime!  We stayed there right to the end, when we were cancelled because the CBS network expanded its news an hour.  The movie preceding the news was repped by national sales dept. Dance party was repped by the locals.  So we were out. 

We received some national  honors, most notably, TV/RADIO MIRROR'S "BEST MUSIC PROGRAM".   Of all my treasured memories of Dance Party,  the one that most warms me is of a gang of kids who became known as "THE REGULARS." 

Annie joins me in wishing you the merriest of Christmases and all the best for the coming year.  Looking forward to seeing you, I am, as ever, 

Your friend, 

Dick Stewart 

Dick served a tour of duty in the US Marine Corps before returning to continue on with his chosen profession. Sometime during his service in the Marine Corps, he developed an interest in boxing and, for a time, considered becoming a professional boxer. He eventually hung up his boxing gloves, but has always maintained an avid interest in boxing and other sports. He has always enjoyed a good game of tennis, and watching football as a spectator. He is also an avid low-handicap golfer. 

Eventually, Dick's talent started paying off with supporting roles in movies and by becoming a host for some local television shows in Southern California. He also recorded some songs and even had a long play album issued on the Hi Fi label. 

He came to be the Dance Party Master of Ceremonies, in March of 1959, from a successful singing and acting career. He was of ideal age and temperament for the show. He, not only provided a likeable role model for the teens, he took proactive steps to see that the show was fully integrated and representative of the community at large. He was years ahead of his time as a humanitarian. 

Very few people knew that, at the time of Dance Party, he was an accomplished aviator and would often go flying for the sheer enjoyment of it. He owned his own North American SNJ, a World War II trainer for the U.S. Navy's pilots. It was the same version used by The US Army Air Corps to train it's pilots, although they called the plane the AT 6 Texan. The plane was fully aerobatic and could fly at a speed of approximately 180 miles per hour. 

After Dance Party, he returned to Southern California where he returned to singing and acting.  He produced talk shows, two of which starred Jack LaLanne and Melvin Belli in Hollywood. He also hosted "Dream Girl 67," a game show fashioned after The Miss America Pageant. The show was number #1 while Dick was its host. 

Dick was line producer of Bo Derek's first movie where she met and fell in love with John Derek in Mykonos, Greece. He was also a commercial spokesman representing many of the top corporations of America up until his retirement to Sun City, Arizona, in July of 1994. 

In 1967, he married Anne Randall Stewart, former Dance Party Regular, who became Playboy's Miss May 1967 and an actress in television, movies, and commercials until retirement in 1994. She is now a community activist in Sun City protecting the rights of elderly homeowners against oppressive boards of directors of homeowners associations. She is the spokesperson for The Sun City Formula Registry and publishes a web site http://www.annereport.com/

Dick and Anne had no children of their own, but they enjoy Dick's 3 daughters and 2 granddaughters from his first marriage. His first wife is deceased. 

 Today Dick, and his wife Anne, are happily retired, and enjoying life in Sun City. His most ardent fan is still, as always, his wife. 

Photos