'Growing up Weird'

Fred Newman has made a living off his mouth, not his MBA, for the past 30 years.

The LaGrange native and University of Georgia graduate walked out of a straight-edged career to go make funny noises with his voice and body. Since then, the path he blazed has led him through gigs as a TV show host, radio personality and author.

The 57-year-old will return to UGA on Thursday to share his unique story at a free lecture.

"You know, I haven't really been back to Athens since I got my undergrad there," said Newman, who now lives in New York. "I'm really excited about coming back. I've noticed that the farther I get away from Georgia, the more I want to get back there."

Newman started picking up manmade sound effects while growing up in LaGrange. Informal storytelling outside the Kash n' Karry was his favorite pastime - there wasn't too much to do in LaGrange back then, he said.

"The people down there who would tell stories, they'd always make a lot of sounds when they were telling them," Newman said. "Really, the guy I emulated was a guy who swallowed lit cigars for a dollar.

"That was Fred the Yard Man. Boy, could he tell a story."

Even after graduating from UGA and getting his master's degree at Harvard, Newman kept working on sound effects of his own, incorporating them into his stand-up act at small comedy clubs.

In 1980, he wrote a book about his unique talent, "Mouthsounds," which showed readers how to sputter like an airplane, rumble like a car or mimic a shredding guitar solo.

His big break came later that year in New York while he was working at Newsweek. He left work for a few minutes to audition on a whim for a spot in David Letterman's short-lived morning show on NBC.

"I told my boss at Newsweek I was going

Rate This Article: - Excellent Good Average Poor Terrible

Comment on "'Growing up Weird'"

Your Name

Your Comments

Verification Code: D5GZAD
Enter Code:

Related News: