Curt Gowdy

In his three-hour interview, Curt Gowdy (1919-2006) reflects on his early experiences as a sportscaster on Oklahoma City radio, detailing the then-common practice of recreating away games with sound effects to mimic stadium noises. He discusses working alongside famed Yankee broadcaster Mel Allen and becoming the official "Voice of the Red Sox," staying with the Boston team for fifteen years. He reminisces fondly about the many legendary players he covered during those years, including Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams, and describes the close friendships he developed with both. Gowdy also discusses his tenure at ABC, working under the now-legendary Roone Arledge in what was then the fledgling sports department. He speaks of his experiences covering Super Bowls, Olympics, Rose Bowls, and World Series and recounts working on two of his favorite shows, American Sportsman and The Way it Was. He also outlines broadcasting the Goodwill Games, producing and hosting the special America the Beautiful, and lending his sports expertise to cable shows such as ESPN's 20th Century Sports and HBO's Play-by-Play: A History of Sports and Inside the NFL. Marvin Wolf conducted the interview on May 19, 2000 in Boston, MA.