Buffalo Celebrity Smackdown

Interesting results and comments from a weekend ‘Buffalo News’ article that attempted to define, classify, and define what celebrity status means in Western New York.


“Star power: What it means to be a WNY celebrity” included an “A” List and “B” List along with list of celebs that have lived in the Buffalo area and famous and pseudo-famous people on to the “Celebs who have passed on” list.

 

After reviewing the multiple lists, I decided that even from my jaded perspective of someone who has not lived in the region for years, that the “Buffalo News” staff missed some obvious WNY celebrities of local and even national significance.

 

I was moved enough to write in (along with many others) omissions to the lists, in fact the accumulated omission list from the reader’s comments section has star power compared to the roster put together by the seemingly young “News” staff. If one is under the ago 40 Tim Horton may be more associated with the doughnut franchise than his Hall of Fame hockey career. Horton made the list, whoch begs the question: Do people know what the people listed actually acomplished?

 

Here are the names the “Buffalo News” missed, compiled into one list. See how many you many you recognized or would have missed:

 

• Jack Kemp: former Bills quarterback. U.S. Congressman, Vice Presidential candidate
• Grover Washington, Jr.: soul-jazz saxiphonist, pioneer of the smooth jazz music genre
• Rick Azar: longtime WKBW sports anchor
• Bob McAdoo: Buffalo Brave, NBA Hall of Fame member, NBA scoring leader and MVP
• Randy Smith: Three sport All-American at Buffalo State, NBA All-Star MVP, still Braves/Clippers franchise leader is every major category
• Foster Brooks: entertainer, actor
• Van Miller: longtime voice of the Bills and Braves, sport anchor WBEN for decades
• Danny Neaverth: morning radio host, public address announcer during glory days of Bills and Braves
• Ed Kilgore: local sports anchor since the early 70’s
• Freddie Smerlas: former Bills great and radio personality
• Sal Maglie: major league all-star pitcher
• Stephanie Miller: sundicated radio talk-show host
• Seth Godin: nationally acclaimed business writer, marketing expert, entrepreneur
• Kim Alexis; super model in the 70’s and 80’s, television host and fitness expert
• William Fichtner: character actor
• Rick Jeanneret: voice of the Buffalo Sabres

Please feel free to add to the list.