Big Wilson
{{Infobox person
| name = Big Wilson
| image =
| caption =
| image_size =
| landscape =
| birth_name = Malcolm John Wilson Jr.
| alias = Big John Wilson
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1924|10|03|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Mariaville Lake, New York, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1989|10|05|1924|10|03}}
| death_place = Selma, North Carolina, U.S.
| occupation = Disc jockey, announcer, late-night movie host
| awards =
| known_for = Announcer for {{nowrap|Jack Horkheimer: Star Hustler}}
| yearsactive =
| alma_mater = Ithaca College
| spouse = Jody
| children = 1
| parents =
| website =
| signature =
}}
Big Wilson (born Malcolm John Wilson Jr.; October 3, 1924 – October 5, 1989) was an American radio personality. He worked as a disc jockey at WNBC AM in New York City from the early 1960s until 1974 and moved to Miami in 1975 where he worked for WIOD and WCIX-TV.
Prior to moving to NYC, Wilson and his wife Jody lived in a riverfront home in Rocky River, Ohio. He commuted to KYW (AM) Radio Cleveland where he was the leading radio personality for some years, interviewing Tim Conway and other well-known persons at their homes.
Wilson was one of the last two hosts of the NBC network radio program Monitor.
Big Wilson also served as the announcer for the weekly television program, Jack Horkheimer: Star Hustler. Wilson's voice was heard reading the following poem during the program's opening sequence:
{{cquote|
Some people hustle pool,
Some people hustle cars,
But have you ever heard about
The man who hustles stars?
}}
After Big Wilson's death in 1989, Star Hustler continued to use Wilson's pre-recorded voice in the television program's introduction as a "living memorial" to the man. This ended in 1997 when the show was renamed Jack Horkheimer: Star Gazer.
Wilson, who was {{Convert|6|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}} tall, and weighed more than {{Convert|300|lb|kg}}, died from a heart attack, two days after his 65th birthday at a hotel in Selma, North Carolina. He was sometimes referred to in advertisements as "Mrs. Wilson's little boy 'Big'".
References
{{Reflist |refs=
{{Cite web
| url = http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1989-10-07/news/8902030095_1_disc-jockey-motor-home-big-john
| title = Big Wilson, 65, Disc Jockey, Late-night Television Host
| date = 1989-10-07
| publisher = Sun Sentinel
| location = Fort Lauderdale, Florida
| url-status = dead
| access-date = 2015-03-01
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130611091128/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com:80/1989-10-07/news/8902030095_1_disc-jockey-motor-home-big-john
| archive-date = 2013-06-11}}
{{Cite web
| url = https://www.nytimes.com/1989/10/07/obituaries/big-wilson-dies-at-65-ex-nbc-disk-jockey.html
| title = Big Wilson Dies at 65; Ex-NBC Disk Jockey
| date = 1989-10-07
| work = The New York Times
| location = New York, New York
| url-status = live
| accessdate = 2015-02-28
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090911044255/http://www.nytimes.com:80/1989/10/07/obituaries/big-wilson-dies-at-65-ex-nbc-disk-jockey.html
| archive-date = 2009-09-11}}
{{Cite web
| url = https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1992/07/19/jack-horkheimer-the-star-hustler/
| title = ONLY IN FLORIDA - What ever happened to... Jack Horkheimer, The Star Hustler
| date = 1992-07-19
| publisher = Orlando Sentinel
| location = Orlando, Florida
| url-status = live
| access-date = 2015-02-28
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402144213/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1992-07-19/news/9207210835_1_horkheimer-star-hustler-comet
| archive-date = 2015-04-02}}
}}
External links
- [https://www.nytimes.com/1989/10/07/obituaries/big-wilson-dies-at-65-ex-nbc-disk-jockey.html The New York Times obituary, October 7, 1989]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20130611091128/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1989-10-07/news/8902030095_1_disc-jockey-motor-home-big-john Sun Sentinel obituary, October 7, 1989]
- [http://www.reelradio.com/rf/bwwnbc031574.html Big Wilson's last show on WNBC, March 15, 1974]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Big}}
Category:American radio personalities
Category:Ithaca College alumni
Category:Radio personalities from Miami
Category:People from Schenectady County, New York
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