![]() ![]() That’s my act.”Īt his peak popularity, Scott also was a well-paid, in-demand convention speaker and ubiquitous pitchman, promoting sodas and tea, oranges, cars, hotels, jelly, hardware and other products. “People said I was a buffoon to do it,” Scott told the New York Times. Most famously, he went on the air dressed as 1940s dancer Carmen Miranda – including dress, earrings, high heels and fruit-laden hat – to benefit a charity. He dressed as Cupid for one Valentine’s Day, came out of a manhole in a groundhog costume on Groundhog Day, had an on-the-air bar mitzvah (he was a Southern Baptist) and kissed a pig. His act was aided by a high threshold for embarrassment. ![]() He described Scott as a broadcast icon.īelieving television weather forecasters needed to have some sort of shtick, Scott gave viewers a madcap, eager-to-please persona during a 35-year run on NBC’s “Today” that ended with his retirement on Dec. Roker tweeted that Scott died peacefully surrounded by family but released no further details. ![]() Garner.įind BBC News: East of England Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. “He ran a tight ship – there was nothing to be missed – but he had a very gentle way of pointing you in the right direction,” said Mr. In Norwich he worked both in the office and on screen with forecasters Ivor Moores, Andy Cutcher and Phil Garner. The Met Office sent Mr Parker to open a regional office in Norwich where he was soon recruited by BBC Look East to present their first special regional forecasts. “You had to do it individually to those one or two people – I used to think my wife was on the other end and I spoke to her… It’s going to rain this afternoon – don’t take those diapers out!'” “You haven’t spoken to millions - forget that. “You had to remember that there was only one or two people around each small TV in the dining room or kitchen,” he said. Speaking in 2013, Mr Parker said he always thought of his family when he gave presentations. “All the people you speak to always said he was such a nice, kind man – and he wasn’t trying to be that – he was.” “He wasn’t a career person – he was more about ministry and serving the community,” said Mr. However, he said his father’s lack of scripts made him a brilliant improv artist, especially when the pair appeared in gang shows for the Scouts, of which Mr. “Those you were wrong about were never forgiven you,” said Mr. The job-whether presenting without autocue and memorizing up to four minutes of verbatim information or forecasts-wasn’t always easy. Mr Parker Jnr said that in a pre-satellite era, his father predicted conditions based on information from weather balloons and reports from planes, boats and lighthouses. “We always waved at him, but being a total pro, he would never wave back or say hello to the kids.” “Brilliant Actor” “As kids it was ‘Daddy’s on Television!'” said his son Keith Parker, 58, from his home in Cyprus. Mr Parker, who was married to his wife Margaret for almost 64 years and had four children and three grandchildren, became a familiar face while broadcasting on BBC television from 1963 to 1974. He worked for the Meteorological Office in London, Malta and Gibraltar and his young family settled in Banstead, Surrey before eventually moving to Eaton near Norwich. His interest in weather was sparked by a geography teacher and he earned two degrees. He first came to Norfolk while stationed at RAF Coltishall during national service. ![]() The son and grandson of inventors, Mr Parker was born in London’s East End and grew up in nearby Willesden. ![]()
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