An Appreciation of Jess Cain

[chuckigo@maine.rr.com]

the nice Birthday Lady (!whoo hoo! Happy Birthday, Donna!) noted...

> I wonder if the lack of comments is because many people on this 
> list 
> weren't in his demographic. 
> 

I'm sure that many, like myself, have been working to cull just one of 
many fantastic memories of Jess that they'd like to share.

My most favorite Jess memory is the day in 1983 when he allowed me, 
the barely-in-the-demo weekend fill-in kid to lurk in the studio to 
watch he and Pudge do their thing.  As has been noted, the 
communication betwixt the two was telepathic.  Jess knew what he 
needed at any given moment, and Pudge knew it, too.  And what I 
learned most that morning was that Jess not only knew his craft, he 
knew his audience.  Interactions with listeners on and off the air 
were identical.  Each visitor to his little time on WHDH was made 
to feel like he or she was the only thing that mattered.  And he spoke 
on the air in the same manner - as if to only one person with the same 
level of respect.  The one instance of "taking the kid under his wing" 
was when Pudge was rolling tape after 10 while Jess laid down tracks 
for a few spots.  He breezed through each flawlessly, but read a 2nd 
take just for good measure.  He alluded to the importance of 
pronounciation, especially in a spot he was reading for a restaurant.  
The variety of international entrees required a seemless shift in 
accents 
from Italian to German to French... He did it with the ease that 
showed his versatile actor's background.  

Thanks, Jess, for sharing your life and craft with us for all those 
years. 

- -Chuck Igo