Editing Chick Hearn (section)

==Life and career==

===Early life and nickname===
Hearn was born in [[Buda, Illinois]] and raised in [[Aurora, Illinois]], in west suburban [[Chicago]], and attended high school at [[Marmion Academy]] and college at [[Bradley University]]. He earned the nickname "Chick" while an [[Amateur Athletic Union]] basketball player at Bradley, when teammates played a prank on him: giving him a shoebox to see his surprised reaction when he opened it and found not sneakers inside, but instead a dead chicken.<ref name="ESPNOBIT" />

He and his wife Marge were married August 13, 1938. They had two children, a son, Gary, and a daughter, Samantha aka Janice, both of whom predeceased Hearn.<ref name="ESPNOBIT" /> His granddaughter is Shannon. Marge Hearn died January 30, 2016, at the age of 98.<ref name="Los Angeles Times">[http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-marge-hearn-obit-20160131-story.html Marge Hearn dies at 98; widow of former Lakers announcer Chick Hearn] ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' January 31, 2016.</ref>

===Broadcasting streak===
Hearn's broadcasting streak began on November 21, 1965. Hearn missed the Lakers' game the previous night after having been stranded in [[Fayetteville, Arkansas]], by inclement weather after having announced a game between Arkansas and Texas Tech. Even that was only Hearn's second missed assignment for the Lakers since he had become the team's broadcaster in March 1961. He would not miss another until December 16, 2001. Over the course of the streak, Hearn was paired with several different color commentators, including [[Hot Rod Hundley|”Hot” Rod Hundley]], [[Pat Riley]], [[Keith Erickson]], Dick Schad, [[Lynn Shackelford]] and [[Stu Lantz]].

Hearn's streak of 3,338 consecutive Lakers games came to an end on December 16, 2001, in order to undergo scheduled cardiac bypass surgery. Hearn recovered from his surgery, but in February 2002, he suffered a broken hip after falling at a gas station,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/CHICK-HEARN-1916-2002-Distinguished-voice-of-2814051.php|title=CHICK HEARN 1916–2002 / Distinguished voice of Lakers silenced|first1=Mike|last1=Penner|first2=Larry|last2=Stewart|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=6 August 2002}}</ref> which further delayed his expected return to the Lakers broadcast booth. Hearn recovered from both issues and resumed broadcasting on April 9, 2002, receiving a standing ovation from the [[Staples Center]] crowd upon his return.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/Or3UimGgLEo Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20190929161009/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Or3UimGgLEo&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Or3UimGgLEo|title=Jazz @ Lakers, 2002 (Chick's return, Kobe hi-lites)|last=nonplayerzealot4|date=14 May 2011 |via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> His final broadcast was for the Lakers' radio feed of Game 4 of the [[2002 NBA Finals]] where the Lakers defeated the [[New Jersey Nets]] to win their third consecutive [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] championship. His final Lakers-affiliated appearance was as the emcee of the team's 2002 championship parade in June.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/CTRuCPddhbU Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20120117153116/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTRuCPddhbU&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTRuCPddhbU|title=Mark Madsen's Speech At 2002 Lakers Championship Parade|last=BryantDunkGiant|date=24 July 2008 |via=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

===Assistant general manager===
Hearn became assistant general manager of the Lakers in 1972, hired by [[Jack Kent Cooke]], the team's owner at the time. Hearn advised management on personnel and trades, and helped negotiate player contracts as part of the role which he held for seven years.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Newman |first=Bruce |url=https://www.si.com/nba/2015/08/04/chick-hearn-los-angeles-lakers-magic-johnson-pat-riley |title=SI Vault: Remembering Chick Hearn, the Michelangelo of broadcasters |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |date=2015-08-04 |accessdate=2023-11-01 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=McFadden |first=Robert D. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/07/sports/chick-hearn-85-the-voice-of-the-los-angeles-lakers.html |title=Chick Hearn, 85, the Voice Of the Los Angeles Lakers |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=2002-08-07 |accessdate=2023-11-01 }}</ref> Hearn advised team owner Cooke to draft future hall of fame player [[Magic Johnson]] in 1979.<ref>{{cite news |last=MATSUMOTO |first=JON |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-12-30-ca-14705-story.html |title=Q&A; with CHICK HEARNS : Basketball's Fast-Talking Master Poet |newspaper=The Los Angeles Times |date=1994-12-30 |accessdate=2023-11-01 }}</ref>

===Non-Lakers work===
Hearn was the long-time host of ''[[Bowling for Dollars]]'' on [[KTLA]] (1972–1976); KHJ-TV (now [[KCAL-TV]]) (1978). He called the [[closed-circuit television]] broadcast of the [[Fight of the Century|first Ali-Frazier fight]] in 1971. He also did boxing commentary for Forum boxing fights in Inglewood in the 1980s, usually appearing alongside former featherweight contender [[Ruben Castillo (boxer)|Ruben Castillo]].<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=https://www.nba.com/lakers/history/chickhearnhonorshtml|title=Chick Hearn: Remembering a Legend – Honors|website=Los Angeles Lakers}}</ref> Hearn also contributed to [[KCAL-TV|KCAL-TV's]] coverage of the [[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]] golf tournament from 1957 to 1964. At the time, Hearn handled the sports desk of the local news program on Los Angeles' NBC affiliate, KRCA (now KNBC). Hearn announced [[USC Trojans football|USC football]] and [[USC Trojans men's basketball|basketball]] games from 1956 to 1961,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://usctrojans.cstv.com/genrel/080702aaa.html|title=USC Annenberg Establishes Chick Hearn Scholarship Fund|work=cstv.com|access-date=2008-05-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213141933/http://usctrojans.cstv.com/genrel/080702aaa.html|archive-date=2009-02-13|url-status=dead}}</ref> and also served as the play-by-play broadcaster for USC football games on tape-delayed, syndicated telecasts during the 1973 season. Hearn called [[UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball]] games on [[KCAL-TV|KHJ/KCAL]] with [[Ross Porter (American broadcaster)|Ross Porter]] from 1986 to 1990.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/60168921.html?dids=60168921:60168921&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Oct+18%2C+1990&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=NEWSWIRE&pqatl=google | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213132845/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/60168921.html?dids=60168921:60168921&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Oct+18%2C+1990&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=NEWSWIRE&pqatl=google | url-status=dead | archive-date=February 13, 2009 | title=Newswire | date=October 18, 1990}}</ref> During the [[1992 Summer Olympics]] in [[Barcelona]], [[Spain]], Hearn called the play-by-play for [[1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team|USA Men's Basketball]] games on the pay per view [[Olympics Triplecast]] "Red" channel.<ref name="autogenerated1"/>

====Television and movie work====
*''[[The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh]]'': Played a basketball announcer in a basketball version of [[The Bad News Bears]] though the players in the story were adults. The movie provided an acting turn for [[Julius Erving]].
* ''[[Fletch (film)|Fletch]]'': Plays himself interviewing [[Kareem Abdul-Jabbar]] and while describing Fletch ([[Chevy Chase]]) in a dream points out "(Fletch) is actually 6'5" but with the afro 6'9", pretty good dribbler......this gritty kid from the streets of Harlem really creates excitement. $4 million a year, that's true, but he earns every nickel of it. Look how he shakes off four, five players with ease!"
*''[[Garfield and Friends]]'': Voiced an announcer in the episode Basket Brawl (season 2 episode 14). The episode involved Jon, Nermal, and Odie trying to get picnic food past Garfield. Hearn voiced a mouse announcer named "Chick Mouse" while the game's audience was mice.
*''[[Gilligan's Island]]''
**''"Splashdown"'': The episode involved Hearn as a news commentator as an American manned spacecraft was scheduled to splashdown near the island.
**''"It's a Bird, It's a Plane"'': Hearn's voice is heard on the radio in this episode.
*''[[The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island]]'': He was the play-by-play for the game between the Globetrotters and the robot team they were playing.
*''[[The Love Bug]]'': Played a reporter during and following a race.
*''[[Matlock (1986 TV series)|Matlock]]'': Played a professional wrestling announcer in the second-season episode ''"The Annihilator"''.
*''[[Rugrats]]'': Hearn voiced himself in the episode "Touchdown Tommy" while the [[Dallas Cowboys]] and [[Houston Oilers]] contest the Ultra Bowl.
*''[[Homer Defined|The Simpsons]]'': Voiced himself in the episode "[[Homer Defined]]" while calling a Lakers game. In the game, [[Magic Johnson]] pulls a "Homer" when he slips on the basketball court yet the ball ends up going into the basket.
*''[[My Three Sons]]'': Appeared as the announcer of a model airplane flight competition in the 1962 episode ''"Air Derby"''.
*''[[The Fugitive (1963 TV series)|The Fugitive]]'': Season one, episode 30 Appeared as TV Newscaster
*''[[Heaven Can Wait (1978 film)|Heaven Can Wait]]'': Uncredited role as a radio announcer for the Rams-Steelers game.
*''[[Sport Goofy in Soccermania]]'': Voiced the announcer of the soccer game.

====Music====
Hearn can be heard on the [[Pink Floyd]] album ''[[The Wall]]'' (at the 4:07 mark of the song "[[Don't Leave Me Now (Pink Floyd song)|Don't Leave Me Now]]" as "Pink" flips through television channels just before destroying his television set leading into the song "[[Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 3]]"). This clip of Hearn appears to have been taken from an actual game between the Lakers and [[Chicago Bulls|Bulls]] which was probably recorded during the 1978–79 season. 
Before the playoffs in the 1986 season, Hearn released a 12-inch rap single "Rap-Around".<ref name="articles.latimes.com">{{cite news| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-04-17-sp-14-story.html |newspaper=Los Angeles Times | first=Scott | last=Ostler | title=Chick's Laker 'Rap' Will Surely Tweak Ears of Celtic Fans | date=April 17, 1986}}</ref> The song features Hearn in the studio re-creating many of his most famous 'Chickisms' and was distributed by Macola Records (who distributed an early Dr. Dre/Ice Cube group "World Class Wreckin' Cru").<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/label/13363-Macola-Record-Co |title=Macola Record Co. |website=Discogs |access-date=June 1, 2022 }}</ref> The song was played on Los Angeles television and radio stations, including the Lakers' televised games.<ref name="articles.latimes.com"/>

===Death===
During the summer of 2002, Hearn suffered a fall at his home in [[Encino, California]], and struck his head causing serious injury. Three days later, on August 5, 2002, he died of his injury. He was 85. He was interred in the [[Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City|Holy Cross Cemetery]] in [[Culver City, California]], next to his son Gary and his daughter Shannon.<ref name="ESPNOBIT" /> Chick and Marge would have celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary on August 13, 2002.<ref name="ESPNOBIT"/>