For 31 years, there was a series on Channel 7 in Boston. It was my favorite show. I watched it any day I could get home from work in time. It was on several times a day, five days a week. The first performance often aired during the pre-dawn hours, while the final day’s episode might air long after most people had finished dinner and many had gone to bed.
It was “good stuff.” Garry Armstrong was a smart, thorough reporter who cared about Boston and its people. He knew everyone and they knew him. He makes jokes about being trusted … but he was trusted because he had proved he could be. He had sources. He checked with them. He knew when the a story wasn’t “right” and he was cynical about politicians and big money.
Watching Garry kept me informed about events taking place in my neighborhood, the city, and the region. I also got follow-up and background information over dinner — sometimes quite different than what had been aired. There was stuff you could broadcast, and there was stuff that he and other reporters “knew,” but couldn’t prove.
It was sometimes difficult to reconcile the star of the TV show with the tired, crabby guy who came home expecting dinner, a newspaper, and when we were lucky, a baseball game. I always knew how the star’s day had gone. I taped his pieces so he could see them when he got home. Although he covered stories, wrote them, and performed, he didn’t see them as finished pieces unless I taped them.
I watched the news as I also watched him deal with violence and the calamities that are a constant in every reporter’s life. He never got used to it. Garry was, in a regional way — a celebrity. I was the celebrity’s wife — a very different role. My job was often to be there and smile. Television “people” don’t pay much attention to anyone who isn’t part of their habitat. At a good event, I got fed too. I even got to wear ball gowns occasionally and I met some people I would never have normally encountered in my life.
Garry covered, or was involved with, virtually every major event in New England for his run of 31 years. From the great to the tragic, he was there.
We have one of Garry’s three Emmy awards on a shelf behind the TV, but virtually no tape of anything that happened. I don’t remember who found the piece below, but it’s a rare viewing of him doing normal work on a normal day in the news biz. Garry’s segment appears at about 1 minute and 30 seconds into the noon news. You can fast forward and skip the intro or choose to watch from the top of the show.
That was a “live shot.”
Time passes. It’s good to have something tangible to remember. Lucky me, I still have the star himself.
On September 12, 2013, Garry Armstrong was inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasting Hall of Fame.
We keep the plaque on the mantel. His one remaining Emmy (Channel 7 lost the other two) is on a shelf that Owen built, along with his Kauff award and one other big one, the name of which I have forgotten. Amazing the things you forget even though at some point in your life, you couldn’t imagine ever forgetting something that important. His “Silver Circle” Lifetime Emmy hangs on the wall, too and there are other awards here and there in the house.
What is important changes over time. As time marches along, life and day-to-day events become more important than whatever career you had — except on days when the guys get together to remember.
That more or less wraps it up. I think it’s going to rain today.
Categories: #News, #Photography, Celebrities, Culture, Garry Armstrong, Humor, Technology, Television
What a wonderful way to commemorate a “life time” achievement, because really, that is what Garry’s work amounts to. I feel honoured to have witnessed him on tv, first hand. Didn’t happen often, but it did happen.
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He “got around” it would appear. We were surprised at how often he popped up in far away places. Glad you got a chance to see him 🙂
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CBC was a first rate News outlet. Sadly, under the last Prime Minister’s reign, they were threatened with budget cuts (which did happen) when they told the truth instead of what he wanted broadcast. It’s been a rough ride for the CBC the last few years, fortunately we managed to oust the bugger! Sorry but it infuriates me when a demi god tries to control the nation.
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WOW…what a pleasure to have met you and Garry on Jordan’s show. I grew up in So. Calif from the 1950’s-1993 and always watched the TV news instead of reading the daily paper. Film news always says so much more to the viewers…THANK YOU Garry for a great job…WELL DONE…Pard…!!!
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Reblogged this on KCJones.
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Marvelous tribute honoring Garry and his melodious voice! Sending you and Garry beautiful thoughts on which to float.
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Loved the (very brief) clip of the Master at work 🙂
You guys sure did get a pretty close-up view of a lot of history!
love.
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Yes. And some even more interesting looks behind it. Garry knows a lot of things, some of which to this day he will not tell me. When he says he isn’t going to say anything, he isn’t kidding.
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I ain’t talkin’.
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Bob — and that’s the way it happened, give or take a lie or two.
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😉
I’ll never spill!
love
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The true award, which doesn’t exist is the fact that Gary lasted over 40 years at one station. In the TV world, as an on air personality, very very very very few people can claim to belong to that club. Quite frankly, he’s the only one.
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I think he had the longest run at a single station, but there was on other guy, but he was on two stations. Garry always calls his “lifetime achievement” award as his “dodging the bullets” award. If you keep you head down for long enough, they give you a prize.
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Pancho, many tried to take down the legendary Samoan. He outlasted **32** suits who thought they were tougher and smarter. Most are now in the News Directors/General Managers Potters Field. Stray dogs water their graves, overgrown with weeds.
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Hey! They cut off the rest of Garry’s report! Let the man finish before going back to the newsroom!
This is also the first time I got to see Garry in action. If you find any more clips, please share them!
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I have stuff on DVD. I simply have NO idea how to move it to the computer. We have friends. Hopefully at least one of them can help. It is annoying, to say the least.
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Squirrel, they probably cut me off because I always exceeded the time alloted to my on air reports. When I went “over”, someone else lost time. Tough!! A producer once threatened to give me the “hook”. Didn’t stop me.
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Oh, I’m really looking forward to Garry’s book!
Leslie
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Garry’s looking forward to it, too!
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He’s got a sale here, already.
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That was so interesting, at last a voice to a person
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I have to figure out how to get his video up. I just don’t know HOW. But I’m sure someone i know can tell me how. I’ll work on it. Garry has a nice, pleasant voice, doesn’t he?
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Thanks for blogging Garry’s video..I enjoyed both watching it and seeing your photos!!
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Sometimes, someone in the group of old colleagues sends a collection of old photos. The one of Garry in college was a favorite. I think I met Garry the following year. We were such babies. The nerdy looking guy with the glasses was my first husband. I married him two years after this.
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I loved the one of you two with Bill Clinton.
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I have another one of us with him, but I can’t find it at the moment. I’ll post it when I do, though.
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If you have any more of his broadcasts, I’d love to see them.
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We do have some stuff, but it’s on DVD and i have NO idea how to post it. But the friend who is coming may know how to do that. We don’t have a lot, but we have some fun stuff of him with Billy Crystal and Robin Williams circa 1987.
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If you have a DVD player attachment for your computer, just copy it to the computer and then Teamviewer it or condense and send via email or Skype. Or put on One Drive.
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No DVD in THIS computer, but I have a separate attachable one, so maybe I can work it out. I am not great with video.
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Great post with remembrances of Garry’s great work, PLUS shots of Charlie Austin, Susan Wornick, Richard Chase, Steve Manning and Edye Tarbox, a/k/a E.D. Donahey a/k/a E.D. Hill. An all-star contingent!
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Those of us on the other coast never got to see them so fun to see those clips now after “knowing” Garry and Marilyn through blogging for 4 years.
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