Nov 27, 2009 11:30 pm US/Eastern
Al Alberts, TV Talent Host In Philly, Dies At 87
PHILADELPHIA (AP) ―
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Philadelphia Broadcast Pioneers
Veteran TV talent-show host Al Alberts, one in a long line of South Philadelphia crooners, died Friday in Florida, a son said. He was 87.
Alberts featured child singers and dancers on his "Al Alberts Showcase," which was produced in Philadelphia for more than three decades.
He also was a founding member of The Four Aces, whose hits included "Three Coins in the Fountain," "On the Way to Cape May" and "Love is a Many Splendored Thing."
Alberts died at his home in Arcadia, Fla., near Port Charlotte, according to his son, Chris Alberts.
He had been hospitalized in recent months and apparently died of complications from kidney failure, the son said.
"In Philadelphia, ... everybody knows somebody who was on that show," Chris Alberts, 48, a theater director in Wilmington, Del., told The Associated Press. "A lot of us hope we can touch people throughout our lives. He touched so many."
Al Alberts, born Al Albertini, is also survived by his wife Stella and son Al Jr.
His weekly show helped start the careers of local performers Andrea McCardle, Sister Sledge and Teddy Pendergrass, according to Alberts' Web site.
The long list of Philadelphia crooners of his era includes Bobby Rydell, Fabian, Frankie Avalon and Eddie Fisher.
(© 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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