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| Paul Smith 1010 WINS |
He grew up in Boston and had a passion for information and broadcasting. After WW2 military service. his very first on-air position was serendipitous, according to his obit. He drove an acquaintance to an audition at a small radio station in Hartford, CT. While he waited, the station manager said that Saul should audition too since he was there. That’s the first job he got in radio and that was the beginning of Paul Smith, the radio persona.
Working his way up in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s through positions at WCCC, WPOP, and WMEX, Paul Smith joined 1010 WINS in 1965 as the station began a groundbreaking move into an all-news format.
For nearly 30 years, his distinctive, reassuring voice defined morning drivetime in the New York metropolitan area. So iconic and representative of the era was he that Martin Scorsese cast him to be the voice of the newscast in "Goodfellas", when Ray Liotta hears the news of the Lufthansa bank heist.
His newscasts and voice were also heard in The French Connection, Going In Style, Light Sleeper and other feature films.
In "Light Sleeper," he was credited as Paul Stockman Smith, no doubt due to there being so many Paul Smiths in Hollywood. But in "Goodfellas," he was uncredited.
ReplyDeleteHis partners in AM drive changed over the years. When the Lufthansa heist occurred, he was followed at :20 by Lew Fisher and at :40 by Jim McGiffert. By the time the "Goodfellas" film was made and released, it was Smith, Michael O'Neil at :20 and Judy DeAngelis at :40.