Famous Folks from Sebastian County

CHARLIE JONES Submitted by Dusty Helbling Charlie Jones was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas November 9, 1930, passed away June 12, 2008. I would say Charlie lived a kid's average life up to his sophomore year in Fort Smith. He decided to try out for the role of the father in a high school play. He was rejected because they said his voice was too high! Over the summer months that all changed and when he showed up at school that fall, he had developed a deep voice. That was when he first got the idea about being a radio sportscaster. After high school Charlie went to study radio and speech at USC, where he also played on their Tennis Team. After getting his degree at University of California he went to the University of Arkansas and got a Law degree. Charlie Jones started his broadcasting career full time in 1956 as sports director at KNAC-TV in Fort Smith, Arkansas. He held the same position with KFPW radio in Fort Smith from 1957 to 1959. Then the big step up in his career in 1960 he became the announcer for the new AFL's Dallas Texans until 1964 on ABC. Then from 1965 to 1969 he was on NBC sports. Then the broadcaster for the NFL on NBC Sports until 1997. Then in the middle of all this he served as the play-by-play announcer for the Cincinnati Reds and the Colorado Rockies baseball teams. He was the broadcaster for 25 College Bowl games during his career. Then in 1997 the Pro Football Hall of Fame awarded Jones the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award. That's great! But this is the one that really made me stop and think! "Charlie writes, produces, and host a documentary "Is Winning the Name of The Game?" HE WINS AN EMMY AWARD! This is the only one he ever did. He was teamed up with about everyone in sportscasting during all those years, but Charlie said there was one you never knew what would be next. George Ratterman, a Notre Dame quarterback in the 1940's and later in the NFL, they worked together for 7 years. They were having supper in the hotel one night and Ratterman got a phone call, comes back to the table, doesn't say anything. The next morning at breakfast before the football broadcast Charlie said, "what was that call about last night, you were real quite afterwards?" "Oh...that was just the FBI. Said there might be an attempt on my life by a sniper from the hotel across from the stadium!" "WHAT? I am setting right next to you in that booth and you were not going to tell me?" Ratterman said, "I thought about it. Don't think there is anything to it! Since I am running for sheriff back home and strong against gambling, I figure they are trying scare tactics!" During his 38 years with ABC and NBC Charlie covered 28 different sports which required learning a vast amount of information to do it live on TV. Everything from golf, Wimbledon Tennis, World Cup Soccer, Track & Field events to a number of Olympics and on and on the list goes! He was listed in 13 different TV shows as a guest actor or host of several. Charlie later on wrote a number of books. He also worked with celebrities at charity events and that is where I teamed up with Charlie and Golf Pro Lee Trevino for some great fun while raising money! I found an interesting site about famous people that had Charlie Jones listed. People could sign up on a person's site that said, "I Love Charlie Jones", with this number of Fans...1,537,056...over a Million and a half people....Can't think of anyone else from Ft. Smith that can come close! Charlie Jones lived in the same house in La Jolla, California for 67 years where he died in 2008. This seems short when it would take a book to tell the Charlie Jones story.