Sonny Elliott bon mot just now

[lpg]

Wife and I saw him at a air show many years ago. There was a B-24 on display. The owner asked people around the plane to please step back for a few minutes. Sonny got into the plane and sat in the pilots seat for a few minutes. Must have brought back many memories, as it looked like tears in his eyes sitting there. Always enjoyed hearing his take on the weather.

[jjaba]

Marvin Sonny Elliot. Born 1926, now about 83.
Graduated from Central HS when it was THE Jewish Detroit HS.
BA/MA Wayne State Univ.
Flew B-24s over Germany during WWII. Was shot down.
18 months in POW camps in Germany.
Still flies private plane today.

jjaba, Sonny Sez. Reporting in from Enga dinga dine, Michigan.

[Vic_doucette]

Fifteen or more years ago, when I was still in radio, I spent a weekday afternoon at the auto show doing traffic reports for WWJ.

The booth was out in the front hallway, not inside with the cars on exhibit. There was a steady stream of foot traffic in front of us, and some folks would occasionally stop and watch/listen for a moment or two, but we weren’t really drawing much attention from the crowd.

Until Sonny came on the air.

All of a sudden there were throngs of people, at least a half-dozen deep, along the whole length of the broadcast booth. They sure weren’t there to see me.

Sonny did his thing, and then went out into the crowd after the weather segment was finished.
Everybody who wanted a handshake got one. Autographs? No problem – and how would you like me to make that out?

Several people wanted pictures with him, and he obliged all the requests. One woman who posed with him didn’t realize that her friend’s camera had a malfunctioning flash. The bulb didn’t go off. Sonny then suggested that the first take probably wasn’t a good one and that they should take a second picture.

He was as gracious and as accommodating as anyone could have been under the circumstances. And when he left, the crowd disappeared.

I was really impressed by both the crowd’s reaction to him and by his reaction to it. I’ve worked with some [[self) important broadcasters who wouldn’t have lowered themselves to mingle with the rabble that had made them a success in the first place.

But Sonny clearly understood that the key to success in broadcasting is likeability. If the listener thinks of you as a friend – a welcome guest in their car or at their breakfast table – you’ll be a success.

That’s why he’s been around for so long. And I hope he stays around for as long as he wants to be here.

[ct_alum]

Anybody remember the shabby way WDIV treated him by literally forcing him to quit? Remember when they had him do his forecast from the roof of the building in the dead of winter? Way to go, WDIV!

[Gingellgirl]

I've told the story here before, but when I was an intern at WDIV back in the early 1980's, Sonny would stop in and visit with the late great Seymour Kapetansky. Soon, our office would clear out and it would just be the three of us. I would listen in rapt attention to the stories of the golden days of Detroit television. Once they knew that I didn't mind a blue joke or two, they let loose. My ears are still burning, but I've never laughed so hard in my life.

[Fury13]

Sonny is a Michigan treasure, no two ways about it. When he's gone, there will never be another like him.

[EMG]

Sonny is a Michigan treasure, no two ways about it. When he's gone, there will never be another like him.

That's for sure!

[FlyingJ]

"Maybe this is an urban legend, but my dad told me that Sonny is Jewish and he got shot down and captured by the Nazis. If this is true, my guess is that he doesn't take sh*t from anyone. God bless him."

as i recall from the Freep magazine article he made a point to ditch his dogtags...

[dharma4313]

"Maybe this is an urban legend, but my dad told me that Sonny is Jewish and he got shot down and captured by the Nazis. If this is true, my guess is that he doesn't take sh*t from anyone. God bless him."

as i recall from the Freep magazine article he made a point to ditch his dogtags...

My dogtags said "PROTESTANT". So I would have kept them. Maybe I'd be taken to some church, ate doughnuts, drank coffee, and perhaps later nailed some dizzy fraulein Heidi. Sonny pitched his. Good move dude, no p*ssy, but no gas either. Keen sense of compromise, I say.

[Maxine1958]

Yes, it was in the Detroit City Airport terminal.

A relative of mine was co-owner with him and ran the daily operations.

I used to hang out there too. My best friend at the time was a waitress there. This was back in the late 70's.

Oh, the stories I could tell . . .

[East Detroit]

I used to hang out there too. My best friend at the time was a waitress there. This was back in the late 70's.

Oh, the stories I could tell . . .

Do tell. My relative was Jim I. Also knew his best friend Dave who worked as manager.

[eriedearie]

Kville, East Detroit, and Maxine1958 - thank you for verifying my recollection of Sonny's Weather Station Restaurant. Sometimes things get a little bit fuzzy in my head when I need to go into my way-back-recall-mode!

I love these stories about Sonny. I believe that he would be the type of person to sign autographs and have his picture taken with his followers. He seems like such a kind and gentle man. An all around nice guy.

We love you Sonny!

[Hornwrecker]

One of the regular entertainers during the mid 70s on, was Bill Long playing guitar.

http://www.billlongband.com/index.asp

Also was a semi-regular at that place.