Editing Harry Shearer (section)

==Early life and career==
Shearer was born December 23, 1943,<ref name="Current Biography Yearbook">{{cite book|title=Current Biography Yearbook 2001|page=502|publisher=[[H. W. Wilson Company]]|year=2002|isbn=978-9990016994|quote=Shearer, Harry Dec. 23, 1943 – Satirist; nonfiction writer; radio talk-show host; actor; director; musician; playwright}}</ref> in [[Los Angeles]], [[California]],<ref name="thejc"/> the son of Dora, a bookkeeper, and Mack Shearer, a trained [[opera singer]] who ran a gas station.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=<!-- Communications --> |first=<!-- Emmis --> |date=December 2002 |title=Harry Shearer |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7V0EAAAAMBAJ&q=harry%2520shearer%2520parents%2520austria%2520and%2520poland&pg=PA172 |magazine=Los Angeles Magazine |publisher=Emmis Communications |page=172 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="thejc"/> His parents were Jewish immigrants from [[General Government|Poland]] and [[Nazi Austria|Austria]] respectively. His parents escaped [[Nazi]]-occupied Europe and met in [[Havana]], [[Cuba]]. As a child, Shearer and his family often listened to radio programs such as [[Bob and Ray]] and the weekly show for the [[Jewish Theological Seminary of America]]. His father died when he was 12 and he had his [[Bar Mitzvah]] the following year.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/10145493/Harry-Shearer-I-dont-think-Obama-is-the-genius-he-likes-to-think-he-is.html | title=Harry Shearer: 'I don't think Obama is the genius he likes to think he is' | date=8 July 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=8329 |title=Shearer Enjoyment |work=[[The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles]] |access-date=April 30, 2009 |date=March 28, 2002 |author=Pfefferman, Naomi |archive-date=November 11, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031111013340/http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=8329 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/31034/edition_id/581/format/html/displaystory.html |title=j. – 'Hi-diddly-ho, Marin!' Man of many voices Harry Shearer comes to JCC |work=Jewish Weekly |access-date=April 30, 2009 |date=December 1, 2006 |author=Eskenazi, Joe |archive-date=September 30, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930022249/http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/31034/edition_id/581/format/html/displaystory.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Shearer grew up in the neighborhood of [[West Adams]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://americanarchive.org/exhibits/le-show/2-harry-shearer-creative-life | title=Harry Shearer's Creative Life &#124; American Archive of Public Broadcasting }}</ref> Starting when Shearer was four years old, he had a piano teacher whose daughter worked as a child actress. The piano teacher later decided to make a career change and become a children's agent, since she knew people in the business through her daughter's work. The teacher asked Shearer's parents for permission to take him to an audition. Several months later, she called Shearer's parents and told them that she had gotten Shearer an audition for the radio show ''[[The Jack Benny Program]]''. Shearer received the role when he was seven years old.<ref name="ign1">{{cite web |title=Interview with Harry Shearer (Part 1 of 4) |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2000/02/10/interview-with-harry-shearer-part-1-of-4 |author=Plume, Kenneth |website=IGN |date=February 10, 2000 |access-date=April 30, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715064429/http://www.ign.com/articles/2000/02/10/interview-with-harry-shearer-part-1-of-4 |url-status=live |archive-date=July 15, 2018 }}</ref> He described [[Jack Benny]] as "very warm and approachable ... He was a guy who dug the idea of other people on the show getting laughs, which sort of spoiled me for other people in comedy."<ref name="avclub" /> Shearer has stated that one person who took him "under his wing" and was his mentor during his early days in show business was voice actor [[Mel Blanc]], who voiced many animated characters, including [[Bugs Bunny]], [[Daffy Duck]] and [[Barney Rubble]]; Blanc was a regular on ''The Jack Benny Show''.  He also befriended Blanc's son [[Noel Blanc|Noel]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Spera |first=Keith |date=2023-12-08 |title='Let's Talk' with Harry Shearer: 'Spinal Tap' sequel, 'Le Show' at 40, 'Simpsons' secrets |url=https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/movies_tv/harry-shearer-talks-spinal-tap-sequel-the-simpsons-le-show/article_ce56575a-9486-11ee-84f6-9fc1174bfdfa.html |access-date=2024-09-13 |website=[[The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate]] |language=en}}</ref><ref name="sfgate">{{cite news |url=http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=5&entry_id=11888 |title=Chronicle Podcasts : New Orleans economy stillborn, says Harry Shearer |date=August 25, 2007 |access-date=April 30, 2009 |work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |archive-date=April 11, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411015612/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=5&entry_id=11888 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Shearer made his film debut in the film ''[[Abbott and Costello Go to Mars]]'' (1953), in which he had a small part, and appeared in ''[[The Robe (film)|The Robe]]'' (also 1953).<ref name="avclub"/> Throughout his childhood and teenage years, he worked in television, film, and radio.<ref name="avclub">{{cite news |url=https://www.avclub.com/harry-shearer-1798208271 |title=Harry Shearer |last=Rabin |first=Nathan |date=April 23, 2003 |work=The A.V. Club |access-date=March 8, 2009 |archive-date=September 25, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090925182714/http://www.avclub.com/articles/harry-shearer%2C13807/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1957, Shearer played the precursor to the [[Eddie Haskell]] character in the pilot episode of the television series ''[[Leave It to Beaver]]''. After the filming, Shearer's parents said they did not want him to be a regular in a series. Instead they wanted him to just do occasional work so that he could have a normal childhood. Shearer and his parents made the decision not to accept the role in the series if it was picked up by a television network.<ref name="avclub"/>

In the summer of 1960, Shearer volunteered as a driver for the [[Democratic National Convention]] during the [[United States presidential election|1960 U.S. presidential election]] where he was regularly assigned trips to [[Disneyland]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Saroyan |first=Strawberry |date=2005-04-29 |title=Harry Shearer |url=https://variety.com/2005/scene/people-news/harry-shearer-1117921805/ |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=Variety |archive-date=May 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515030701/https://variety.com/2005/scene/people-news/harry-shearer-1117921805/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Shearer graduated from [[Los Angeles High School]] and attended [[UCLA]] as a political science major in the early 1960s. He decided to quit show business to become a "serious person".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.myneworleans.com/harry-shearer/ | title=Harry Shearer | date=October 25, 2006 | access-date=December 23, 2022 | archive-date=December 23, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221223140914/https://www.myneworleans.com/harry-shearer/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="ign1"/> However, he says this lasted approximately a month, and he joined the staff of the ''[[Daily Bruin]]'', UCLA's school newspaper, during his first year.<ref name="ign1"/> He was editor of the college humor magazine (''Satyr''), including the June 1964 parody ''Preyboy''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mindsnackbooks.com/bookreviews/preyboy%20ucla.html |title=Preyboy UCLA |website=Mindsnackbooks.com |date=February 4, 2016 |access-date=January 15, 2019 |archive-date=November 10, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191110125228/http://mindsnackbooks.com/bookreviews/preyboy%20ucla.html |url-status=live }}</ref> He also worked as a newscaster at [[KWVE (AM)#KRLA (1959–2000)|KRLA]], a top 40 radio station in Pasadena, during this period. According to Shearer, after graduating, he had "a very serious agenda going on, and it was 'Stay Out of the Draft'."<ref name="ign1"/> He attended graduate school at [[Harvard University]] for one year and worked at the state legislature in [[Sacramento]]. From 1967 to 1968, he was a high school teacher, teaching English and social studies. He left teaching following "disagreements with the administration".<ref name="ign1"/>

From 1969 to 1976, Shearer was a member of [[The Credibility Gap]], a radio comedy group that included [[David Lander]], [[Richard Beebe]], and [[Michael McKean]].<ref>{{AllMusic |class=artist |id=p149 |title=The Credibility Gap |access-date=January 2, 2008 |author=Deming, Mark }}</ref> The group consisted of "a bunch of newsmen" at [[KWVE (AM)#KRLA (1959–2000)|KRLA 1110]], "the number two station" in Los Angeles.<ref name="avclub"/> They wanted to do more than just straight news, so they hired comedians who were talented vocalists. Shearer heard about the group from a friend, so he brought over a tape to the station and nervously gave it to the receptionist. He found out he was hired that same day. The group's radio show was canceled in 1970 by KRLA and in 1971 by [[KPPC-FM]], so they started performing in various clubs and concert venues.<ref name="ign1"/> While at KRLA, Shearer also interviewed [[Creedence Clearwater Revival]] for the ''[[Pop Chronicles]]'' music documentary.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1692086/m1/|title=Pop Chronicles Interviews #41 – John Fogerty and Creedence Clearwater Revival|first1=John|last1=Gilliland|first2=Harry|last2=Shearer|date=October 11, 1969|website=UNT Digital Library|access-date=June 25, 2020|archive-date=February 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224183000/https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1692086/m1/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Gilliland">{{Gilliland |title=Index to Interviews |access-date=January 2, 2008 |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120131065845/http://www.library.unt.edu/music/special-collections/john-gilliland/e-l}}</ref>

In 1973, Shearer appeared as Jim Houseafire on ''[[How Time Flys]]'', an album by [[The Firesign Theatre]]'s [[David Ossman]]. The Credibility Gap broke up in 1976 when Lander and McKean left to perform in the sitcom ''[[Laverne & Shirley]]''.<ref name="ign1"/> Shearer started working with [[Albert Brooks]], producing one of Brooks' albums and co-writing the film ''[[Real Life (1979 film)|Real Life]]'' (1979). Shearer also started writing for [[Martin Mull]]'s television series ''[[Fernwood 2 Night]]''.<ref name="ign1"/> In the mid-1970s, he started working with [[Rob Reiner]] on a pilot for [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]. The show, which starred [[Christopher Guest]], [[Tom Leopold]] and McKean, was not picked up.<ref name="ign1"/>