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Good Evening, Friends: A Broadcaster Shares His Life
Houston’s beloved broadcaster Dave Ward first joined ABC’s KTRK-Channel 13 in 1966 and today hosts “Dave Ward’s Houston,” a series that explores the people, places, and events that make this city so special. Ward, known for being “the most trusted voice in Houston,” held the 2016 Guinness Book of World Records title as longest-running local TV-news anchor at the same TV station in a major market.
Good Evening, Friends covers his legendary 60-year career as radio and TV newsman in Houston. It takes readers on the news set and behind the scenes of America’s most successful local news team, including his personal history with Marvin Zindler; shares his escapes from death, including 1974 motorcycle crash, 2003 car crash, and 2016 heart attack; chronicles the growth and development of the U.S. space program; invites readers to experience life on the road with the Houston Oilers during the “Luv Ya Blue” era; and provides candid revelations of his personal struggles.
Good Evening, Friends covers his legendary 60-year career as radio and TV newsman in Houston. It takes readers on the news set and behind the scenes of America’s most successful local news team, including his personal history with Marvin Zindler; shares his escapes from death, including 1974 motorcycle crash, 2003 car crash, and 2016 heart attack; chronicles the growth and development of the U.S. space program; invites readers to experience life on the road with the Houston Oilers during the “Luv Ya Blue” era; and provides candid revelations of his personal struggles.
400 pages, Hardcover
Published July 1, 2019
3 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 13, 2022
An Average Guy Shares His Exceptional Life Story.
As a genre, autobiographies are among my least favorite works of "non-fiction." Too many of them seem to stem from the premise that "my life is so significant and of such importance that it requires these painstaking degrees of self-serving documentation." Details abound on every detail. For posterity, nonetheless. Somehow, the act of having lived and breathed for awhile gets to some peoples' heads. There are exceptions to every rule - Grant's Memoirs come to mind - and fortunately, nice and unexpectedly, this book chronicling the life and times of one of our most tenured, now retired, local news anchors, Dave Ward, falls into the exception side of the ledger.
In telling us the story of his life and career, Dave is actually telling us the behind the scenes story of Houston during that time period. It turns out Houston was a pretty interesting city back then, far different than the sprawling, culturally indifferent place it has since become. While Dave Ward occupied the cockpit controls, the city of Houston witnessed the births and development of the space program, the Astrodome, Astroworld, groundbreaking political events and lots of on-air gaffes and giggles, all of which form the focus of a very entertaining read.
I doubt the book holds much interest for the average non-Houstonian who didn't watch the Channel 13 newscasts for decades. It's pretty much a book about the local news industry. If you remember Marvin Zindler or Ed Brannon or Kitirik the chances are you'll relate to this well-written travelogue through time very deeply. If you don't, you won't. Unless the story of someone who grew up in a strict Baptist preacher's home who later discovers women and cocktails and has a really strong affection for trains is your cup of tea. In that case, you'll enjoy this one no matter where did your own growing up.
Dave wasn't quite the choir boy he was almost pre-destined to be. During his times of difficulty, rather than turning its collective back on him and yelling "Next!" like the heartless trolls we currently are, Houstonians stood behind Dave Ward and kept our noses out of his personal life, which is the way it used to be done. You can feel a sense of that gratitude in the honesty and humanity that guides this book. Many of the stories, rather than serving to elevate the person telling them, are instead simply entertaining. It isn't about him as much as it is about Houston, told from the perspectives of his life experience. Hopefully more autobiographical accounts being written will borrow from the style and intent of this book. It was so good my cat came and sat in front of it whenever it was opened. I think she enjoyed it as much as I did.
As a genre, autobiographies are among my least favorite works of "non-fiction." Too many of them seem to stem from the premise that "my life is so significant and of such importance that it requires these painstaking degrees of self-serving documentation." Details abound on every detail. For posterity, nonetheless. Somehow, the act of having lived and breathed for awhile gets to some peoples' heads. There are exceptions to every rule - Grant's Memoirs come to mind - and fortunately, nice and unexpectedly, this book chronicling the life and times of one of our most tenured, now retired, local news anchors, Dave Ward, falls into the exception side of the ledger.
In telling us the story of his life and career, Dave is actually telling us the behind the scenes story of Houston during that time period. It turns out Houston was a pretty interesting city back then, far different than the sprawling, culturally indifferent place it has since become. While Dave Ward occupied the cockpit controls, the city of Houston witnessed the births and development of the space program, the Astrodome, Astroworld, groundbreaking political events and lots of on-air gaffes and giggles, all of which form the focus of a very entertaining read.
I doubt the book holds much interest for the average non-Houstonian who didn't watch the Channel 13 newscasts for decades. It's pretty much a book about the local news industry. If you remember Marvin Zindler or Ed Brannon or Kitirik the chances are you'll relate to this well-written travelogue through time very deeply. If you don't, you won't. Unless the story of someone who grew up in a strict Baptist preacher's home who later discovers women and cocktails and has a really strong affection for trains is your cup of tea. In that case, you'll enjoy this one no matter where did your own growing up.
Dave wasn't quite the choir boy he was almost pre-destined to be. During his times of difficulty, rather than turning its collective back on him and yelling "Next!" like the heartless trolls we currently are, Houstonians stood behind Dave Ward and kept our noses out of his personal life, which is the way it used to be done. You can feel a sense of that gratitude in the honesty and humanity that guides this book. Many of the stories, rather than serving to elevate the person telling them, are instead simply entertaining. It isn't about him as much as it is about Houston, told from the perspectives of his life experience. Hopefully more autobiographical accounts being written will borrow from the style and intent of this book. It was so good my cat came and sat in front of it whenever it was opened. I think she enjoyed it as much as I did.
July 19, 2022
This native Houstonian who grew up with Dave’s voice talking in the background sure loved this retelling of his life. Just as he is a phenomenal speaker, he was a wonderful writer. I so enjoyed your stories, Dave. Thank you for letting us in.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews