George DeWitt

 George DeWitt (December 30, 1922 – July 14, 1979)

He was a singer and comedian, best known was the host of the 1950s musical quiz television program, Name That Tune, which featured contestants guessing the name of popular tunes from a limited number of notes. As a boy during the Great Depression, DeWitt would sing on the street corners in Atlantic City for tips. Later, as a young man during high school, he would work as a singing waiter in clubs around Atlantic City. DeWitt had two great passions: entertainment and learning to be a pilot, which he later did with the US Army Air Corps. He entertained in USO tours during WWII. His nightclub and theater stints afterward led to becoming one of the first comedians to open for Frank Sinatra.One evening during the 1950s at the 500 Club in Atlantic City, DeWitt entertained with the Rat Pack (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr.). While Davis was on stage impersonating Jack Benny, DeWitt walked out from the wings and ad-libbed an impersonation of Jack Benny's radio and TV valet Eddie "Rochester" Anderson. In September 1953, DeWitt appeared with Sinatra and Bud and CeCe Robinson at Bill Miller's Riviera. DeWitt was known best as the emcee of the TV show Name That Tune. Originally produced by Harry Salter, Name That Tune ran from 1953 to 1959 on NBC and CBS in prime time. The first hosts were Red Benson and Bill Cullen, but DeWitt became most identified with the show. DeWitt recorded two record albums during the show's run. The first, Name That Tune with George Dewitt was recorded in 1956. The second was titled George DeWitt Sings That Tune, recorded in 1957.

CBS dropped the series in the wake of the quiz scandals, even though Name That Tune was not implicated as much as Twenty One or The $64,000 Question. During the 1970s DeWitt retired from actively performing, choosing to "ghost write" for other comedians. DeWitt came out of retirement in 1974, appearing with Dustin Hoffman in the film Lenny, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress. DeWitt died from a heart attack on July 14, 1979, he was 56 years old.