Shel Game

Sheldon Smith is his name.  Voiceover is his game - for 36 years. Veteran voiceover legend Shel Smith was awarded the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Howard Keel Award Saturday May 22 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Keel was the first SAG president.  SAG press release. Front row from left, AFTRA Washington/Baltimore Executive Director Pat O'Donnell; SAG National Secretary-Treasurer Amy Aquino; AFTRA National President Roberta Reardon; AFTRA Washington/Baltimore's Assistant Executive Director for Freelance Jane Love;   Back row from left, David White, SAG National Executive Director; Stephen Schmidt Washington/Baltimore  SAG National Board Member; AFTRA National First Vice President andXM/Sirius host Bob Edwards; SAG National President Ken Howard; Sheldon Smith; David Hartley-Margolin SAG National Third VP; and SAG Washington/Baltimore President Kirk Pembethy.

National SAG president Ken Howard (left)was there from L.A.  You remember Ken as basketball coach Ken Reeves in the 1978-1981 CBS TV series "The White Shadow."  The Emmy award-winning 6'6" 66-year-old actor's IMDb is as meaty as his huge hands.

AFTRA national president Roberta Reardon, Howard, AFTRA Washington/Baltimore President Kirk Pembethy and beloved Executive Director Pat O'Donnell joined family, friends, colleagues, and clients in honoring Shel's valuable contributions to the voiceover industry, and to the growth and influence of AFTRA/SAG. I sat with veteran (30 years) NBC News producer Debra Pettit (right, daughter of former NBC News correspondent Tom Pettit who died in 1995), and Jim Bohannon.  At the next table was AFTRA/SAG Washington/Baltimore Lifetime Achievement award winner- the esteemed veteran voiceover artist and teacher Lary Lewman - voice of Jimmy Carter's 1980 presidential campaign spots.

National AFTRA First Vice President and XM/Sirius host Bob Edwards sat at the head table with Shel's wife of 12 years, Sue - a DOE lawyer - and stunning red-haired daughter, Jennifer. (Right, Radio Hall of Famer and nationally syndicated host of "The Jim Bohannon Show," Jim Bohannon and Bob Edwards.)

Jim's quip is an instant classic:  "if a bomb had gone off in the National Press Club Saturday evening, the Gross National Vocal Chord would have gone up half an octave."

Emcee was fellow veteran voiceover legend Paul Anthony.  Anthony kicked off the tribute without Shel. Shel was in the men's room and got a standing O when he entered the packed press club room.

Paul and Shel both did voiceovers for Republican political candidates as well as corporate clients.  Paul realized he had formidable competition when rival Shel landed on the former swamp now known as Capitol Hill in the mid-1970s.

Paul informed the crowd the Shel logo "swag" coffee cups were on the tables and pointing to the bar, "in that room after the show, all the drinkis are on him [Shel]."  Shel was still in the men's room at that point, and the only thing that could've made it funnier is if Shel had been miked like Police Squad Lt. Frank (Leslie Nielsen) Drebin in  the 1988 movie "The Naked Gun." Bumbling Drebin didn't realize he still had on his press conference microphone as he engaged in a variety of bodily functions.

Watch Shel in a nutshell.  Chanteuse is Sara Bennett, AFTRA Baltimore/Washington membership director:



Part of Shel's acceptance speech where he wrapped up by looking at his daughter, Jennifer with a heart string-pulling "my greatest achievement is having you as my daughter."

As for me, neither blinding rain nor mountainous Stephen King fog on a 12-hour short turnaround round trip could keep me away from basking in three hours of Shel's tribute. I've had the privilege of knowing Shel 32 years.  I first met him in 1978 when I was a TV news anchor moonlighting producing political commercials for husband number two's congressional race number one.

Congratulations, Shel!  Your body of life's work exemplifies service above self.