Wow, this was his very early days.. Ray Austin was his birth name, later taking the stage name, Buddy McBride.. As a comedian and ventriloquist, touring the country in Vaudeville and later the world on cruise ships; entertaining people the world over until his death January 8, 2000. As a master ventriloquist, he is most famous for bringing 2 members of the audience on stage, and conducting a four way simultaneous conversation, one with him and one with the dummy. A true comedian, he wrote jokes for many of the famous in his day, including an entire act for red buttons. For his partner in the act, he had several dummies over the years. Skinny Dugan was his first, and his most famous was Sydney, the very last handmade wooden Frank Marshall figure created before his death in October 1969. For his partner in life, he married Jane Woodside, daughter of Mahoning county probate judge Clifford M. Woodside of Youngstown Ohio. A singer, broadcast on ABC radio and recorded by RCA Victor “X” Records as the Woodside Sisters. She later took the name Jane Austin and currently resides in San Antonio TX. Upon his death, Jane donated Sydney and Skinny to Jimmy Nelson, a lifelong friend and vent known for Danny O’Day and Farfel the dog..
This is very interesting. I don't know the connection here, but Edgar Bergen often had Charlie McCarthy refer to his friend Skinny Dugan, as he did on an appearance on a Jack Benny program recently shown on AntennaTV.
That was the incredible thing about Bergen, obviously what he said was what made him a star, not remarkable ventriloquist skills. I mean just imagine a ventriloquist becoming a star on radio. It defies logic. Bergen was in reality a comedian, and one of the best, who also served as his own straight man.
