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Del Sharbutt

Del Sharbutt (February 16, 1912 - April 26, 2002) was an American radio announcer. The son of "a circuit-riding minister in the Texas Panhandle," he was born in Cleburne, Texas, and died in Palm Desert, California.

Sharbutt attended Texas Christian University, initially planning to study law. After he became involved in drama and music there, however, he changed his career plans. His first appearance on radio was in 1929 as a singer on WBAP in Fort Worth, Texas. He soon became an announcer, and from that point on, he made his career in broadcasting. Sharbutt's obituary in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel noted that he spent "four decades as an announcer, newscaster, and company spokesman."

A 1943 article in Radio Mirror magazine summarized Sharbutt's progress from local station WBAP to his then-role at CBS:

[At WBAP] Del was a one-man radio station, singing, acting, and announcing at $25 per week. After several years of working stations all over the Southwest, he ended up at $19 a week. Not satisfied with this progress in reverse, he went to Chicago and, after starving for two weeks, took a job singing in a Presbyterian church. There, he met a man who steered him into his first break as an announcer on Chicago's station WJJD. Del stuck at that for a year and a half, then came to New York. He arrived without a single contact, and three days later, beat out 50 competitors for an important job at CBS.

Old-time radio shows for which Sharbutt was an announcer included, The Man I Married, Lavender and Old Lace, Guy Lombardo, Jack Pearl, Ray Noble, Bob Hope, The Song Shop, Hobby Lobby, Myrt and Marge, The Hour of Charm, Melody and Madness, Colgate Ask-It-Basket, Lanny Ross,Amos 'n' Andy, Club Fifteen, The Jack Carson Show, Lum and Abner, Your Hit Parade, The Campbell Playhouse, Request Performance, Meet Mr. McNutley, and Meet Corliss Archer.

In 1958, Sharbutt was involved in an effort to revive a semblance of old-time radio on ABC. The Jim Backus Show was described in the Milwaukee Sentinel as "what might be called an old-fashioned radio variety show." Sharbutt was the announcer for the program, which featured singers Betty Ann Grove and Jack Haskell and a quintet, The Honey Dreamers. Also in 1958, Sharbutt became a disc jockey on WABC in New York City. Another old-time radio announcer, Tony Marvin, and he began "hosting afternoon record shows in their distinctively deep voices." His other on-air activities in radio included being a newscaster for the Mutual Broadcasting System and a master of ceremonies for a Ringabuk, a local program in New York City.

Sharbutt was an announcer for television programs, including Who Do You Trust?, The Jerry Colonna Show, Your Hit Parade The Betty White Show (1954 version), All Star Revue, and Kukla, Fran and Ollie. He also appeared as himself on the TV shows Of All Things, The Jerry Fielding Show, and The Saturday Night Revue with Jack Carter. In something of a reprise of one of his regular jobs, Sharbutt played an announcer in the movie Hit Parade of 1947.

After doing commercials for Campbell's Soup on several shows that he announced, Sharbutt became more closely associated with Campbell's as a company spokesman. His obituary in the Los Angeles Times noted, "He voiced the commercials, touting the soups as 'Mmm-mm-good,'" a slogan that he created.

Birth and Death Data: Born February 16, 1912 (Cleburne), Died April 26, 2002

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1940 - 1941

Roles Represented in DAHR: songwriter, composer, lyricist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-044874 10-in. 3/1/1940 I'd love to Freddy Martin Orchestra ; Eddie Stone Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-047741 10-in. 3/4/1940 The kitten with the big green eyes Gray Gordon ; Rita Ray ; Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo composer  
Victor BS-064667 10-in. 8/5/1941 The nickel serenade Art Jarrett Orchestra ; Smoothies Jazz/dance band, with mixed vocal ensemble songwriter  
Victor BS-065216 10-in. 5/1/1941 A romantic guy, I Alvino Rey Orchestra ; Skeets Herfurt Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor BS-066968 10-in. 7/23/1941 The nickel serenade Diane Mitchell ; Sonny Dunham Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo songwriter  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Sharbutt, Del," accessed November 2, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/100742.

Sharbutt, Del. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 2, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/100742.

"Sharbutt, Del." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 2 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/100742

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