Famous Louisvillians: Foster Brooks (#7)

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A warm, blessed, and peaceful Thanksgiving to all of you in the U.S. And for those of you not celebrating our national holiday, a warm, blessed, and peaceful day to you! Amid all the turkey, football games, and family gatherings, here's another person who was born right here in Louisville. #7: Foster Brooks Many have probably forgotten Foster Brooks, but that man is positively legendary in Louisville. To the entertainment industry, he was the "Lovable Lush," the boozy comic panelist on the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts. That was just good acting: Brooks was a tea-totaler. He also had a list of impressive acting credits, from comedic (Bewitched, The Monkees, Mork & Mindy) to dramatic (Starsky and Hutch, Bonanza, Gunsmoke). He got his start here, as a reporter, during the 1937 Flood. There is an iconic photo of him, up a telephone pole at the corner of 3rd Street and River Road, with portable broadcasting equipment on his back, while his partner, Pete Monroe, gave a live radio report on the flood damage in Louisville while standing knee-deep in water. Perry Como discovered him and had Brooks as an opening act in 1959. That was the beginning of the "Lovable Lush" era, but there was more to Brooks. He was a gifted singer, releasing an album of mostly country songs. His brother, "Cactus" Tom Brooks, was a member of the local T-Bar-V Ranch show. But Foster made it big, and did his hometown quite proud. Foster Brooks Born May 11, 1912 Died December 20, 2001 (heart failure) Actor and comedian best known as the "Lovable Lush" The serious side of Foster, singing in 1980: