Rich Landrum
Encyclopedia
Richard E. Landrum is best known as a radio and TV broadcaster. He started his broadcasting career at the age of 16.
) radio station under the mentorship of Vice-president & General Manager Harvey Hudson. At that time WLEE was the # 1 Top 40 station in Richmond
. During interviews, Landrum has stated, “It was quite unusual for anyone to start at a number one station. If it hadn’t been for Harvey Hudson and his faith and me, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity” .
Landrum stayed with WLEE for 4 years and made a jump to WTVR-AM, another Richmond radio station. That stint lasted about a year and he returned to WLEE.
During his time with WLEE, Landrum worked with a number of well-known Richmond broadcasters, including Harvey Hudson, Lud Sterling, Jess Duboy, Jim Granger,
George Prescott, and Bill Adams (former producer of the Dick Clark Radio Show).
), Kuvin convinced Landrum to make the jump to WXEX-TV. At first, Landrum wasn’t sure he wanted to move to TV, as he really enjoyed the anonymity of radio . Kuvin finally convinced him and Landrum started his TV career as a field reporter and news photographer. Shortly thereafter, in addition to being a field reporter, he hosted the afternoon version of Dialing for Dollars
and filled in as a sports anchor on the 6:00 & 11:00 news, when needed.
It was during this time, at the behest of one of his friends, that he attended a local professional wrestling match at the State Fair Grounds of Virginia
at Strawberry Hill (now Richmond International Raceway
). Shortly before the matches were to start, Joe Murnick, the local promoter, approached him. Murnick explained that the announcer from Channel 6, who usually did the ring announcing didn’t show up, and asked if Lundrum would be interested in filling in for a small payment. Landrum agreed, and after the show was over he was hired as their regular weekly Richmond Ring Announcer.
In 1972, Landrum left WXEX-TV8, as he was uncertain that he wanted to continue his broadcast career. He entered the automobile business, but still maintained his ties with wrestling as a Ring Announcer. It was in 1977, after local wrestling had moved permanently to the Richmond Coliseum, that he was approached by George Scott
, who was then the booker for Jim Crockett Promotions
(JCP) out of Charlotte, North Carolina
. JCP promoted wrestling throughout the Mid-Atlantic States and produced two syndicated professional wrestling TV shows (Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
& World Wide Wrestling
). Scott said that they wanted Landrum to audition as a promo announcer for their two TV shows and asked him to come to Raleigh, NC
, the following week, when they taped the promos and shows at WRAL-TV
. Landrum showed up and later said, "It was the longest and hardest afternoon" he had ever had in broadcasting.. Nevertheless, he got the job and his broadcasting career in professional wrestling started in earnest.
In 1978, Landrum took over the commentary for the revamped World Wide Wrestling (formerly Wide World Wrestling). Johnny Weaver
who provided the color commentary, later joined him. Weaver was a well-known wrestler in the JCP stable. Landrum dubbed him “The Dean of Professional Wrestling” on the opening of their show one night, and that moniker stuck for the rest of Weaver’s career. Not to be outdone, Weaver started calling Landrum “The Voice”.
It has often been reported, that of all the announcer teams of that era, Weaver and Landrum are the most remembered for their smooth approach, their interaction with one another and their respect for their contemporaries.
in Charlotte, NC, Landrum was let go in a cost-cutting measure. In 1983 he was approached by George Scott
, who was now booking for the WWF (World Wrestling Federation
). Scott explained that they were looking for a third announcer. It didn't take much convincing, and Landrum headed to Baltimore, Maryland
for an audition. Landrum stayed with the WWF for about a year. After the WWF there was a short stint with the ICW
hosting their TV shows out of Boston
.
Landrum is a member of Colonial Heights Baptist Church, where he serves as the Assistant Coordinator for their Emergency Medical Response Team.
1960s
Landrum started his broadcasting career at the age of 16 while still in high school, working part-time as a news reporter for the original WLEE-AM (now WTOXWTOX
WTOX is a Regional Mexican formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Glen Allen, Virginia, serving Metro Richmond. WTOX is owned and operated by Davidson Media Group....
) radio station under the mentorship of Vice-president & General Manager Harvey Hudson. At that time WLEE was the # 1 Top 40 station in Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. During interviews, Landrum has stated, “It was quite unusual for anyone to start at a number one station. If it hadn’t been for Harvey Hudson and his faith and me, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity” .
Landrum stayed with WLEE for 4 years and made a jump to WTVR-AM, another Richmond radio station. That stint lasted about a year and he returned to WLEE.
During his time with WLEE, Landrum worked with a number of well-known Richmond broadcasters, including Harvey Hudson, Lud Sterling, Jess Duboy, Jim Granger,
George Prescott, and Bill Adams (former producer of the Dick Clark Radio Show).
1970s
While handling the Assistant Manager duties for a Little League Baseball team with Neil Kuvin, the Station Manager for WXEX-TV8 (now WRIC-TVWRIC-TV
WRIC-TV, virtual channel 8 , is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Richmond, Virginia market. It is owned by Young Broadcasting. The station is licensed to nearby Petersburg, while its studios are just off the Powhite Parkway extension in the Arboretum office park in western...
), Kuvin convinced Landrum to make the jump to WXEX-TV. At first, Landrum wasn’t sure he wanted to move to TV, as he really enjoyed the anonymity of radio . Kuvin finally convinced him and Landrum started his TV career as a field reporter and news photographer. Shortly thereafter, in addition to being a field reporter, he hosted the afternoon version of Dialing for Dollars
Dialing for Dollars
Dialing for Dollars was a franchised format local television program in the United States and Canada, popular in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.-Format:...
and filled in as a sports anchor on the 6:00 & 11:00 news, when needed.
It was during this time, at the behest of one of his friends, that he attended a local professional wrestling match at the State Fair Grounds of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
at Strawberry Hill (now Richmond International Raceway
Richmond International Raceway
Richmond International Raceway is a 3/4-mile , D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series...
). Shortly before the matches were to start, Joe Murnick, the local promoter, approached him. Murnick explained that the announcer from Channel 6, who usually did the ring announcing didn’t show up, and asked if Lundrum would be interested in filling in for a small payment. Landrum agreed, and after the show was over he was hired as their regular weekly Richmond Ring Announcer.
In 1972, Landrum left WXEX-TV8, as he was uncertain that he wanted to continue his broadcast career. He entered the automobile business, but still maintained his ties with wrestling as a Ring Announcer. It was in 1977, after local wrestling had moved permanently to the Richmond Coliseum, that he was approached by George Scott
George Scott (wrestler)
George Scott was a Canadian professional wrestler, booker and promoter. From the 1950s until the 1970s, he and his younger brother Sandy competed as The Flying Scotts in North American regional promotions including the National Wrestling Alliance, particularly the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic...
, who was then the booker for Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...
(JCP) out of Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
. JCP promoted wrestling throughout the Mid-Atlantic States and produced two syndicated professional wrestling TV shows (Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...
& World Wide Wrestling
WCW WorldWide
WCW WorldWide was a syndicated TV show produced by World Championship Wrestling.-Wide World Wrestling:The show began in 1975 , a syndicated one-hour program produced by Charlotte, North Carolina-based Jim Crockett Promotions...
). Scott said that they wanted Landrum to audition as a promo announcer for their two TV shows and asked him to come to Raleigh, NC
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, the following week, when they taped the promos and shows at WRAL-TV
WRAL-TV
WRAL-TV, virtual channel 5 , is a television station in Raleigh, North Carolina. WRAL-TV has been the flagship station of Capitol Broadcasting Company since its inception, and is currently the CBS affiliate for the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill/Fayetteville area, known collectively as the Triangle...
. Landrum showed up and later said, "It was the longest and hardest afternoon" he had ever had in broadcasting.. Nevertheless, he got the job and his broadcasting career in professional wrestling started in earnest.
In 1978, Landrum took over the commentary for the revamped World Wide Wrestling (formerly Wide World Wrestling). Johnny Weaver
Johnny Weaver
Kenneth Eugene Weaver was a professional wrestler and wrestling commentator in the National Wrestling Alliance, better known by his ring name, Johnny Weaver...
who provided the color commentary, later joined him. Weaver was a well-known wrestler in the JCP stable. Landrum dubbed him “The Dean of Professional Wrestling” on the opening of their show one night, and that moniker stuck for the rest of Weaver’s career. Not to be outdone, Weaver started calling Landrum “The Voice”.
It has often been reported, that of all the announcer teams of that era, Weaver and Landrum are the most remembered for their smooth approach, their interaction with one another and their respect for their contemporaries.
1980s
In 1982, after Crockett moved their TV taping operation to WPCQWCNC-TV
WCNC-TV is the NBC affiliate in Charlotte, North Carolina. It broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 22 and is carried on cable channel 6 on most area cable systems. It is owned by the Belo Corporation...
in Charlotte, NC, Landrum was let go in a cost-cutting measure. In 1983 he was approached by George Scott
George Scott (wrestler)
George Scott was a Canadian professional wrestler, booker and promoter. From the 1950s until the 1970s, he and his younger brother Sandy competed as The Flying Scotts in North American regional promotions including the National Wrestling Alliance, particularly the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic...
, who was now booking for the WWF (World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
). Scott explained that they were looking for a third announcer. It didn't take much convincing, and Landrum headed to Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
for an audition. Landrum stayed with the WWF for about a year. After the WWF there was a short stint with the ICW
International Championship Wrestling
International Championship Wrestling was an independent professional wrestling promotion based in Lexington, Kentucky that operated from 1978 until 1984. It was run by WCW Hall of Famer Angelo Poffo, the father of Randy Savage and "The Genius" Lanny Poffo...
hosting their TV shows out of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
.
1990s
In 1998, Landrum switched gears entirely and entered the retail hardware business working for a local True Value Hardware in the Tri-Cities area. It was here that he started the hearth business (gas logs, fireplaces, gas log stoves, etc.) for the owner. According to Landrum, the owner was reluctant to do it. But, after months of persistence, the owner agreed with one condition: The first year the store set record winter sales and it grew each year, until the owner retired in 2000 and turned the hearth business over to Landrum.2000s
In May 2000, Landrum founded American Hearth and Home and has been the owner ever since. However, he has never lost touch with professional wrestling, as he makes personal appearances at wrestling shows and fanfests throughout Virginia and the Carolinas. “I love meeting and seeing the fans. They call me a ‘legend’, but I’m not sure I qualify for that”, Landrum said. He also maintains close ties with many of the wrestlers he worked with throughout his career and relishes in the opportunity to get together with them as often as possible . “It’s like turning back the clock to the most exciting and enjoyable career of my life. But, sadly, my partner Johnny Weaver is no longer with us”.Personal life
Landrum has been married 3 times and has a grown son (Corey) and a grandson (Stone) from his first wife. He had no children with his second wife. He has currently been married to his third wife for eighteen years and has two stepchildren.Landrum is a member of Colonial Heights Baptist Church, where he serves as the Assistant Coordinator for their Emergency Medical Response Team.
External links
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDbJYY1nu5k
- http://www.greensborosports.com/2009/03/10/rich-landrum-legendary-mid-atlantic-wrestling-announcerthe-voice-visits-gspn-site/
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKDRhCXSAW0
- http://www.virginiabusiness.com/edit/magazine/yr2003/jun03/lifestyles.shtml