Richard Beebe

{{short description|American radio personality}}

File:Richard Beebe of The Credibility Gap, 1970.jpg

Richard Paul Beebe (December 5, 1929{{cite web|url=https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VLJ3-B5Z|title=California Birth Index|author=|date=|website=familysearch.org|accessdate=28 March 2019}} – August 29, 1998){{cite web|url=https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JGQD-52S|title=United States Social Security Death Index|author=|date=|website=familysearch.org|accessdate=28 March 2019}} was an American radio personality who was on the air for five decades in Los Angeles and won two Golden Mike Awards. A journalist at KRLA 1110,{{cite book |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Station-Albums/Dream-House-KRLA-Earl.pdf |date=1991 |title=Dream-House: The history of a major West Coast radio station and Southern California's 50 years of "Radio Eleven-Ten"! |first=Bill |last=Earl |publisher=Desert Rose }}{{cite web|url=http://www.playlistresearch.com/la/krla.htm|title=KRLA Los Angeles Radio History|author=|date=|website=www.playlistresearch.com}} he became a founding member of The Credibility Gap.{{cite web|url=https://krlabeat.sakionline.net/img/lewirwin.pdf|title=Lew Irwin Sets Record Straight on Origins of 1110/KRLA Credibility Gap|author=|date=July 15, 2010|website=sakionline.net|accessdate=28 March 2019}} His experience and wit were key to most versions of the group. He became the link between the original and more famous later lineups when we was joined by Harry Shearer, David L. Lander, and Michael McKean, all much younger than he.{{Cite web|url=http://www.laradio.com/q&a3q-98.htm|title = ~Los Angeles Radio People, Q&A 3rd quarter 1998}} He left the Gap in 1975.{{cite web|url=https://michaelmckean.com/2016/06/01/the-reality-building/|title=THE REALITY BUILDING: Some Words on The Credibility Gap|author=|date=1 June 2016|website=michaelmckean.com|accessdate=28 March 2019}} Some of their early work can be heard at The Paley Center for Media in Los Angeles and New York City.{{cite web|url=https://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item/?q=richard&p=51&item=R89:0168|title=The Paley Center for Media|author=|date=|website=The Paley Center for Media|accessdate=28 March 2019}}

Beebe performed the voice of Dewey Phillips on the Pop Chronicles documentary.{{Gilliland|url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19754/m1/ |title=Show 7 - The All American Boy: Enter Elvis and the rock-a-billies. [Part 1] |publisher=Digital.library.unt.edu |date=2013-05-28 |accessdate=2013-06-10}} He returned to KRLA 1110 in 1991.{{cite magazine |page=88 |author= |date=4 November 1991 |title=News and Public Affairs |magazine=Broadcasting |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1991/BC-1991-11-04.pdf |volume=121 |number=19 |access-date=29 June 2024}}

An Air Force veteran, he died of lung cancer in 1998.{{Citation

| title = Obituaries; Richard Beebe; Local Radio Broadcaster

| newspaper = L.A. Times

| pages = B10

| date = September 3, 1998

| url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-sep-03-me-19189-story.html }}