MURRAY TUCKER
Author
SCREAMER THE FORGOTTEN VOICE OF THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS
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COMMENTS FROM READERS AND REVIEWS From the Pittsburgh Chronicle, October 31, 2007 "Win or lose, the story of Tucker, who died in 1986, is also the story of broadcasting in its earliest days in Pittsburgh; it's a spotlight on Jewish life here in the mid-20th century as well as the rise of the first Pittsburgh Steelers play-by-play man.... Murray, who adapted his father's notes for the book, got the idea for the title from a trivia question on the Steelers Web site: What team has had only two play-by-play announcers for 40 years? "The answer provided was Jack Flemming and Bill Hargrove (sic) for the Steelers," Murray wrote in the foreword to his book. "But the question should have been: What team has had only three play-by-play announcers for its entire history?" The answer to that question would have included Tucker, the son of Russian Jews who settled in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan at the turn of the 20th century. As a young man, Tucker, anxious to leave the Canadian prairie, made more than one attempt to immigrate to America, where he finally settled with family in Pittsburgh. What followed was a series of career ups and downs that started him on his life in broadcasting. He went on to call baseball games for the Pirates at Forbes Field, hockey games for the old Pittsburgh Hornets at the Duquesne Garden, and boxing bouts. Along the way, he interviewed some of the heroes in American sports, including Heavyweight Champion Joe Lewis. He also became fast friends with giants in Pittsburgh broadcasting such as Bob Prince and Myron Cope." To see the full article click here! REVIEW ON AMAZON.COM by G. Glick (December 22, 2007) "Twenty years after his death, the voice of the Steelers has returned once more to entertain us with tales of old-time Pittsburgh, its teams, its owners and coaches and not least of all, its colorful broadcasters. Its almost uncanny how this book, compiled by his son Murray from the original notes, sounds like Joe Tucker himself--precise and descriptve, but always upbeat with a twist of humor. Here is the story of Pittsburgh football Pirates, the re-christened Steelers, Art Rooney, Bob Prince, and the birth of sports broadcasting in the Steel City. But more than that it is a vivid picture of an era when determined young men like Joe struggled to make their way in the midst of hardship and depression in both the US and Canada. A great read!" FROM READERS "I read your book tonight. Interesting and fun, for sure. Kind of two experiences....the first half about the immigrant Jewish history and then the Pgh broadcasting history. What an extraordinary "What a fascinating human being! High points: "Received your book and read it with great pleasure.... It brought back many memories." Dr. Richard Weiss MD, Elkins Park, PA "I thought the book was fantastic! ....I think you did a great job turning his lifetime of notes into a book for others to enjoy. Gary Levenbach, Connecticut "Thanks for writing a very readable and enjoyable book! I learned so much! You did an fantastic job of writing as another person and making me feel that it was truly your father telling his story. Congratulations on doing such a remarkable job." Thelma Ray Faulkner, Arizona Finished Screamer. What a book! Names. Names. Names. . . . You're so fortunate to live those times through your father's eyes and are blessed for his having so copiously chronicled his life and times. We have a Pittsburgh Room in this house--art, literature, memorabilia; Screamer will reside proudly there with your inscription Thank you for writing this book. NR, Ownings Mills, MD "I finished "Screamer" yesterday! You painted a great picture of your Dad. I laughed, cried at parts where I could relate....I really felt that I got to know him, and his incredible life." RGR, Boca Raton, FL. IF YOU HAVE READ THE BOOK AND WOULD LIKE TO ADD YOUR COMMENT TO THIS PAGE EMAIL MURRAY TUCKER.
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