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Last Update: 12-09-2014

Lois Nettleton

aka: Lois Nettleton

Wife

Lois Nettleton was born August 6, 1927 in Oak Park, Illinois and passed away on January 18, 2008 at age 80 in Woodland Hills, CA. An actress, she was Jean Shepherd's 3rd Wife. They 'met' on the air during one of Sheps overnight shows. She frequently would call into the show and talk with Shep. She became known as the "Listener" to the radio audience. They were married on December 3, 1960 at the Union Church of Pocantico Hills in Tarrytown NY. They divorced sometime around 1967. -------------------------------------------------------------- Lois Nettleton appeared on many television series over the years in cameo roles and one of them was an episode of Seinfeld in the sixth season called "The Gymnast" During a commentary for the DVD release of the series Seinfeld made the following remark: "She was married to Jean Shepherd. He's the guy who invented talk radio and really formed my entire comedic sensibility. Yes. I learned how to do comedy from Jean Shepherd."

Fan Comments

[ Courtesy: Gene Bergmann - 11-22-2005 ]
           
In a 2000 interview with Doug McIntyre, she remembered that one night Shepherd asked listeners to call if they had ever made up a joke, and as she had composed a riddle she called him, speaking to him during a commercial or news break, and told him the riddle. He responded, "That is the worst joke.  That is so terrible!"  She said that the question became a running joke of his on the air: "What kind of cereal do ghosts eat?" Many people guessed that it was Ghost Toasties, but no one ever guessed the right answer: Shrouded Wheat.

A little later he called her back for more talk, and over a period of weeks he began to refer to her as "the listener."  Shepherd would say on the air, "Let's see what the listener thinks," and he would call her and they'd talk by phone during his program.

She commented: "I think what he was doing was so - it was unique and it was profound and it was real genius!"   She muses: "He was a storyteller in the true sense.  It just came from inside.  It came out differently - a little differently each time."  Nettleton says emphatically, "I really want him to be recognized for what he was - a brilliant genius. The wonderful, wonderful unique - the wonderful thing that he was."

Associated Documents

Type	File Name	Description
•	1957-07-14_093_Nettleton-Shep_Bridgeport_Post.pdf	files/Lois is crowned 'Queen of the Bal Caprice at Silvermine guild's annual ball
•	1957-07-16_093_Nettleton_Bridgeport_Post.pdf	files/Shep is one of the judges for Queen
•	1962-03-02_093_Nettleton_Eureka_Humboldt_Standard.pdf	Rumor of recent wedding to a 'well known tv commentator
•	1967-11-24_093_Cumberland_Eve_Times_Lois Nettleton.pdf	Being a Star Keeps Pair Miles Apart

Where Shep Made Reference To This Subject:

Time	Date	Category	Title
		General Topics	The Listener / Caller
	June 26, 1960	Radio	Grandmother on porch

Photos:

Lois and Shep

Courtesy: Lois Nettleton (Estate)

August 13,1948
Miss Chicago - Lois Nettleton

Courtesy: Steve Glazer

September 09,1948
Heading for the Miss America Pageant

Courtesy: Steve Glazer

July 20,1957
Lois is crowned 'Queen of the Bal Caprice at Silvermine guild's annual ball

Courtesy: Steve Glazer

The Marriage License

Courtesy: Lois Nettleton (Estate)

July 02,1967
Binghamton Press

Courtesy: Steve Glazer

1967
Daily News

Courtesy: Pete Delaney

1967
TV Guide

Courtesy: Pete Delaney

November 1972
After Dark

Courtesy: Pete Delaney

1973
Daily News

Courtesy: Pete Delaney

1977
Newsday

Courtesy: Pete Delaney

"Can you imagine 4,000 years passing, and you're not even a memory?
Think about it, friends. It's not just a possibility. It is a certainty." - Jean Shepherd - 1975