Army Archerd's column in Variety, Monday, September 24, 2007:
The Hills Are Alive With The Sounds of Giving
During the day, all day Monday, it was the Beverly Hilton Grand Ballroom packed with families and their 169 children in need -- children unable to hear.
When they left, they heard, many for the first time, the sounds of joy and laughter. They ranged in age from infants to teens. The Starkey Hearing Foundation's Bill Austin, his family and staff who had flown in from Minneapolis, fitted each of the children as they paraded up to the stage for examinations and then received their hearing aids.
Among the celebs working with Austin and company was Nicolette Sheridan, who had been on another mission with Austin. Her fiance Michael Bolton, along with Paul Williams, had written the Foundation's theme, "No Greater Gift Than Giving."
Also on hand, Leslie Nielsen who portrays Bill Austin in the upcoming (Oct.26) feature, "Music Within" directed by Steven Sawalich and staring Ron Livingston, Melissa George and Michael Sheen.
Also in attendence: Marion Ross, who plays Nielsen's wife in "Super Hero" for the Zucker brothers (She's also Sally Field's mother in "Brothers & Sisters," and will costar with Paul Michael on the San Diego's Globe stage in Joe Di Pietro's "The Last Romance"). Also there, Robert Culp, who had been present at another Starkey mission for needy children.
Thanks, Becca, our roving reporter, for a new update on our man Culp ....
See the link below for some photos of the event from the PR Photo Site.
"The Starkey Hearing Foundation Brings the Gift of Hearing to L.A. Area Children in Need 09/24/2007 - The Beverly Hilton - Beverly Hills, CA."
This is a well-known charity that provides hearing aids for children all around the world,
and an organization Bob has been involved with for some time.
Here's a long link - to more photos .... (check out the bottom of the page)
Well Becca, believe it or not, Bob's association with the charity initially began because they got him free hearing aids - I kid you not. But he has always had a deep humanitarian streak and I think he stayed involved because he genuinely felt it was a good cause.
Bob quit smoking (and drinking) thirty years ago. He used to smoke Rothmans, which he got duty free from Canada and kept in cartons in a small fridge in his office. Jason and I used to go down there and take packs, smoking up the joint in high school.
Well I am so glad to hear he is no longer smoking! At his age, he would no doubt be having all kinds of respiratory problems by now if he hadn't quit. So tell me, did he ever catch on to you guys stealing his smokes - and was he mad?
I wonder if any part of his hearing loss can be traced to explosions or other Hollywood special effects? I think both William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy suffered for years from tinnitis that they blamed on such things from Star Trek.
As I recall, he'd get vaguely annoyed if he found us smoking his cigarettes, but not too bad. Both Jason and Joe Culp smoked most of their teenage years and well into early adulthood, so it was no big secret. After all, this is the man who, after every episode of "Trackdown" exorted us to "Get the genuine article. Get the great taste, of a Lucky Strike."
Regarding Bob's hearing, I have no idea if his work contributed, but I imagined it had something ot do with it.
