Veteran Radio Host and Comedian George Bettinger passes away at 56

George, Charlie & Lizette Bettinger

George Bettinger (June 22, 1962 – August 3, 2018)

Veteran radio host and comedian George Bettinger passed away on Friday, August 3, 2018, at his home in Miramar, Florida, at the age of 56. The cause of death is undetermined.

George Bettinger at the Friars

Years ago, there was a guy named Joe Franklin who had this TV show featuring performers both young and old, acts both good and bad and even the occasional drop-in by such luminaries as Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. Joe loved me I could be found in the studio at least once a week with whatever singer, show, actor I was repping at the time. Close by was this short, cute guy who impersonated lots of stars from Al Jolson to Jackie Mason to George Burns and even Franklin himself. We got to know each other, but lost touch, until I moved to Florida two years ago. That  short, cute guy was George Bettinger.

George Bettinger began producing short comedy films by the age of 12, at a time when Kodachrome Silent 8mm film was the standard.  “I began way before vhs tape. We had to purchase each 3- minute film cartridge individually. It was costly for a kid. Three minutes was 50-feet of film stock and then we would shoot scenes and hope that after waiting a week for the 50-foot roll to be processed, something showed up that was usable!” At the same time, George was appearing regularly in school plays and occasionally showing his 8mm custom made films at school.

At a young age, George developed a great appreciation of classic comedians from the golden age of silent and early sound films. By 16, he was impersonating Groucho Marx, Eddie Cantor and other legends, when he caught the eye of broadcast legend Joe Franklin, who featured George regularly on “The Joe Franklin Show” on WOR-TV. He was also writing and appearing in comedy bits on “The Uncle Floyd Show.”

In 1982, George created an early cable TV series called “Movie Magic,” which ran for 5 years. He simultaneously worked at his father’s world famous little luggage store, Bettinger’s Luggage, on Rivington and Allen Streets in NYC’s historic Lower East Side. There George delighted customers with his impersonations as he sold suitcases. Throughout the late 1980’s and 90’s, George kept busy auditioning and booking numerous radio and television commercials, voicing the animated red M&M on NBC promos for “Frasier” and “Will & Grace,” one of the highlights of his commercial career.

Teaming with his mentor Joe Franklin on Saturday nights on WOR radio as Joe’s “Man of 1000

George & Joe Franklin

Voices,” gave George the opportunity to release his CD, The Mom & Pop Variety Shop on Original Cast Records. When given the enthusiastic green light to bring a 90-minute radio program to the internet George used the CD as his template and “The Mom & Pop Shop” was born.

For the last eight years, George hosted “The Mom & Pop Shop” from a studio in Miramar, Florida. He was featured on NBC and ABC network news as the host of “a show that brought the charm of old school entertainment to the fast pace of the internet.”

You can’t fake what’s real and you can’t fake what’s good & “The Mom & Pop Shop” was real and good.  So was George Bettinger. Fans and friends alike adored him and followed his show religiously.

His devotion and love for his wife of 20 years, Lizette and for their son Charlie, was both his strength and the impetus for everything he did.

May his life be for a blessing.

There will be a graveside ceremony on Thursday, August 9 at 11:30am at Lakeside Memorial Park, 10301 NW 25th Street, Miami, FL 33172. The service will be conducted by Cantor Debbi Ballard.

The family will be sitting shiva at the home of Lizette’s mother, Leonor Schwabe, 4003 NW 88th Terrace, Cooper City, FL 33024, following the service until 8pm, Friday, August 10 from noon-5pm and Sunday, August 12 from 11am-3pm.

In lieu of flowers or gifts of remembrance, the family respectfully requests that donations be made to George’s GoFundMe campaign, for the benefit of his wife and son. Click here.

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