In Remembrance Of Jack Klugman

I loved Jack Klugman. He came to me - a fellow South Philadelphian - in the early 1990s to help him get his voice back; it had been ravaged by throat cancer and radiation treatments. His doctors told him that the chances of his voice returning were not good. Jack was despondent, but certainly not without some sense of humor. I can still hear his horribly raspy and barely audible voice saying to me, "Gary, without my voice, I have no life. Talking is all I have!! With no voice my career is gone, but so is my reason to live. Look, you're Italian, and I am a Jew, together we can beat this!"

When his voice - with all its distinctive colors and textures - began to return, his joy, energy, and his enthusiam for living soon followed. I encouraged Jack to say "yes" to Tony Randall's request for them to relaunch their classic, The Odd Couple. And so in 1993, I flew to New York for their debut at the Belasco Theatre. I was so proud of Jack on opening night. When he opened his mouth and the audience first heard his gruff, yet clearly recognizable voice, we all roared with excitement and gratitude. It was wonderful witnessing and celebrating Jack's getting his world back.

Over the years, we continued to see each other - sometimes for voice building sessions, other times at his yearly Christmas parties - and each time we saw each other, he never failed to mention how much he loved me and how grateful he was for our work together. With Jack's death, the world has lost a remarkable spirit, and Show Biz one of its most beloved talents. I feel so fortunate that I was a small part of his story and a friend of his until the end.