Bert Parks(1914-1992)

Bert Parks, born Bertram Jacobson. Parks was an actor, singer, and radio and television announcer, best known for hosting the annual Miss America telecast from 1955 to 1979. Parks entered radio broadcasting at age 16, for Atlanta's WGST. Three years later, he moved to New York City and was hired as a singer and straight man on The Eddie Cantor Show, then becoming a CBS Radio staff announcer. Parks was the host of Break the Bank, which premiered on radio in 1945 and was telecast from 1948 to 1957, as well as Stop the Music on radio in 1948 and television from 1949 to 1952. The success of Stop the Music took a toll on the ratings of the popular radio show hosted by satirist Fred Allen, who began spoofing Parks' program with skits mocking the premise of the show, one called Cease The Melody. He also helmed a daytime variety show in 1950, simply called The Bert Parks Show, as well as appearing in an episode of the comedy WKRP in Cincinnati. Parks' last known TV appearance, a Pepsi commercial, first aired in June 1991.