I just found out today that Al Alberts, a person who had an influence on my love of show business, died back in November. I believe that my desire to work in the variety production business, at least in part, came from watching him host his weekly show, Al Alberts’ Showcase.

Mr. Alberts was a co-founder of the Four Aces, a group who would earn several awards including Academy Awards for Three Coins in a Fountain and Love is a Many Splendored Thing. He also made the song On the Way to Cape May popular.

Later in his Career he hosted his talent show on Channel 6 in Philadelphia. It lasted for over 30 years. I would faithfully watch the show every weekend, wanting to do the same job. I even had a couple of favorites among the talented kids on the show: Andrea McArdle, who would later become the first Annie on Broadway, and Liza Moran (no relation), who seems to have given up on show business and has fallen out of the public eye.

I met Al Alberts during one of his production company’s shows at a mall in the 1980′s. I even shook his hand and asked him if there was a way I could become involve with his company and help out. He told me to talk to his wife, Stella. Unfortunately, my shyness kept me from taking it any further. Who knows where I would be now.

Because he did the things that I would like to do and because I looked up to him, I suppose I would have to say that Al Alberts was one of my heros. I’m sorry to hear that he passed away. I hope someday to have a group of talented young people singing and dancing on stage, and I’ll know that it’s partly due to the influence of “Uncle Al”.