One of my job responsibilities is to host the local end of NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday for 88.5 KPLU. One of the benefits of doing that for the last several years has been the opportunity to hear Dan Schorr speak to Scott Simon every Saturday. Schorr, who covered the news for more than 60 years, from the Cold War to the important issues of today, offered some of the most knowledgeable, well-researched commentary, combined with an incredible memory of past events he covered. While the show kept me busy gathering newscasts, I would always pause when Daniel Schorr came on, always learning something valuable.
Daniel Schorr passed away last Friday at the age of 93, and the news world lost a giant and a mentor. He was described as a “walking history book”, and was reporting the news until virtually his very last breath.
As it was reported last Saturday morning, Schorr also had a friendship, believe it or not, with Frank Zappa. Zappa had recruited Schorr to go on tour with him to help promote voter registration.
The following link will take you to the NPR story and audio where you can hear Schorr perform “It Ain’t Necessarily So” with Zappa, a recording that Schorr had said he wanted played at his funeral. A lighter side to a man who covered so many serious and important topics in 60 years of broadcasting.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128738162