Sonny Melendrez
Encyclopedia
Sonny Melendrez is an American actor, radio-TV personality, and keynote speaker based in San Antonio, Texas
, USA, and is the host of SonnyRadio.com.
Twice named Billboard Magazine's "Radio Personality of the Year", he has is included in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as one of the Top 100 Radio Personalities of All Time. In 2004 he was inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame.
Melendrez has hosted drive time shows at KMPC
, KFI
, KMGG, KIIS
, and KRLA
Radio in Los Angeles and has been a spokesperson for companies such as Disney, Pepsi, McDonald's, Sears and Sprint. In the 1970s
, he guest hosted American Top 40
on several occasions.
He hosted the award winning children's series, You And Me, Kid, on the Disney Channel, and has hosted or been a featured keynote speaker at The White House Hispanic Heritage Awards, the National "Just Say No To Drugs" Rally at the Washington Monument, the USO 50th Anniversary Gala at the Ambassador's Palace in Paris, France, and over 5,000 events worldwide.
President Ronald Reagan
commended Sonny for his efforts in the war on drugs. In 1990, in recognition for raising tens of thousands of dollars for youth scholarships, he was named "El Rey Feo" (The Ugly King) and reigned over San Antonio's annual week-long Fiesta celebration. Later, in 1997, the City of San Antonio named the Melendrez Community Center located on the city's West Side in his honor for his support of Parks and Recreation youth programs.
He was named Inc. Magazine's "Socially Responsible Entrepreneur of the Year" and awarded the "2000 Marketing Philanthropist Lifetime Achievement Award" by the Sales and Marketing Executives of San Antonio.
In 1985 he created the children's version of "We Are The World" in Los Angeles where over 1500 children participated in the recording and video, and proceeds from record sales benefited USA For Africa. Sonny received a Grammy nomination for "Best Children's Recording."
The Sonny Melendrez Children's Foundation was created in 1998 to help disabled and disadvantaged youth in San Antonio and has helped to raise millions of dollars in cash, goods and services for local and national charities.
He appeared in Rocky II starring Sylvester Stallone, has provided the voices of several characters in Hanna-Barbera's The Jetsons
cartoon series, created many of the sounds heard in the Gremlins
movie, was the bug who yelled "Oh, no! It's RAAAAAID!" in the popular TV commercial, played opposite Walter Matthau
as the voice of Bob Cratchet in the animated TV classic, "The Stingiest Man in Town", and was even the voice of the infamous Fred the Cockatoo in the 70s TV series starring Robert Blake
. Recently he was chosen from a field of over 140,000 as the new voice of the Parkay Margarine Talking Tub and provided the voice of Jerry Seinfeld for ActiVision.
Melendrez graduated from Central Catholic
in San Antonio, Texas and attended San Antonio College and the University of Texas At El Paso.
Based in San Antonio, Texas, he travels across the country and around the world as a motivational and keynote speaker. He is the author of "The Art of Enthusiasm" - 17 Stories of Encouragement, Comfort, & Joy.
In April 2001 Melendrez joined Hispanic speakers on the global speaking circuit.
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, USA, and is the host of SonnyRadio.com.
Twice named Billboard Magazine's "Radio Personality of the Year", he has is included in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as one of the Top 100 Radio Personalities of All Time. In 2004 he was inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame.
Melendrez has hosted drive time shows at KMPC
KMPC
KMPC is a radio station based in Los Angeles, California and is owned by P&Y Broadcasting Licensee, LLC. Radio Korea is a division of the Radio Korea Media Group. The station airs Korean-language programming...
, KFI
KFI
KFI is an AM radio station in Los Angeles, California. It received its license to operate on March 31, 1922 and began operating on April 16, 1922 as one of the United States' first high-powered, "clear-channel" stations...
, KMGG, KIIS
KIIS-FM
KIIS-FM is a Los Angeles, California, USA-based radio station with a partial Top 40 musical format. It is owned by Clear Channel Communications. KIIS is also simulcasted on KVVS in Rosamond, at 105.5 MHz...
, and KRLA
KRLA
KRLA is a radio station broadcasting a News/Talk format. Licensed to Glendale, California, USA, it serves the Southern California area. The station is currently owned by Salem Communications.- KIEV :...
Radio in Los Angeles and has been a spokesperson for companies such as Disney, Pepsi, McDonald's, Sears and Sprint. In the 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
, he guest hosted American Top 40
American Top 40
American Top 40 is an internationally syndicated, independent radio program created by Casey Kasem, Don Bustany, Tom Rounds and Ron Jacobs. Originally a production of Watermark Inc...
on several occasions.
He hosted the award winning children's series, You And Me, Kid, on the Disney Channel, and has hosted or been a featured keynote speaker at The White House Hispanic Heritage Awards, the National "Just Say No To Drugs" Rally at the Washington Monument, the USO 50th Anniversary Gala at the Ambassador's Palace in Paris, France, and over 5,000 events worldwide.
President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
commended Sonny for his efforts in the war on drugs. In 1990, in recognition for raising tens of thousands of dollars for youth scholarships, he was named "El Rey Feo" (The Ugly King) and reigned over San Antonio's annual week-long Fiesta celebration. Later, in 1997, the City of San Antonio named the Melendrez Community Center located on the city's West Side in his honor for his support of Parks and Recreation youth programs.
He was named Inc. Magazine's "Socially Responsible Entrepreneur of the Year" and awarded the "2000 Marketing Philanthropist Lifetime Achievement Award" by the Sales and Marketing Executives of San Antonio.
In 1985 he created the children's version of "We Are The World" in Los Angeles where over 1500 children participated in the recording and video, and proceeds from record sales benefited USA For Africa. Sonny received a Grammy nomination for "Best Children's Recording."
The Sonny Melendrez Children's Foundation was created in 1998 to help disabled and disadvantaged youth in San Antonio and has helped to raise millions of dollars in cash, goods and services for local and national charities.
He appeared in Rocky II starring Sylvester Stallone, has provided the voices of several characters in Hanna-Barbera's The Jetsons
The Jetsons
The Jetsons is a animated American sitcom that was produced by Hanna-Barbera, originally airing in prime-time from 1962–1963 and again from 1985–1987...
cartoon series, created many of the sounds heard in the Gremlins
Gremlins
Gremlins is a 1984 American horror comedy film directed by Joe Dante, released by Warner Bros. The film is about a young man who receives a strange creature—called a Mogwai—as a pet, which then spawns other creatures who transform into small, destructive, evil monsters. It was followed by a sequel,...
movie, was the bug who yelled "Oh, no! It's RAAAAAID!" in the popular TV commercial, played opposite Walter Matthau
Walter Matthau
Walter Matthau was an American actor best known for his role as Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple and his frequent collaborations with Odd Couple star Jack Lemmon, as well as his role as Coach Buttermaker in the 1976 comedy The Bad News Bears...
as the voice of Bob Cratchet in the animated TV classic, "The Stingiest Man in Town", and was even the voice of the infamous Fred the Cockatoo in the 70s TV series starring Robert Blake
Robert Blake (actor)
Robert Blake is an American actor who starred in the film In Cold Blood and the U.S. television series Baretta. In 2005, he was tried and acquitted for the 2001 murder of his wife, but on November 18, 2005, Blake was found liable in a California civil court for her wrongful death.-Early...
. Recently he was chosen from a field of over 140,000 as the new voice of the Parkay Margarine Talking Tub and provided the voice of Jerry Seinfeld for ActiVision.
Melendrez graduated from Central Catholic
Central Catholic Marianist High School
Central Catholic High School, is a Catholic, all-male, non-boarding college preparatory school located in downtown San Antonio, Texas, in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio.-History:...
in San Antonio, Texas and attended San Antonio College and the University of Texas At El Paso.
Based in San Antonio, Texas, he travels across the country and around the world as a motivational and keynote speaker. He is the author of "The Art of Enthusiasm" - 17 Stories of Encouragement, Comfort, & Joy.
In April 2001 Melendrez joined Hispanic speakers on the global speaking circuit.
External links
- SonnyRadio.com
- Children of the World Project
- SonnyMelendrez.com
- Sonny Melendrez at Best Keynotes