Abbott Vaughn Meader's meteoric rise to fame was followed by an equally precipitous downfall, as his career as a comedian and impressionist was cut short by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963.
Born into a life of comedy, Meader's early years were spent honing his craft on the small-club circuit, where his spot-on impersonation of President Kennedy caught the attention of writer/performer/producer Earle Doud.
Doud recognized the potential of Meader's Kennedy impression and decided to build a comedy album around the nation's highly popular Presidential family. The result was "The First Family," a series of satiric audio sketches that Meader recorded with a supporting cast of top New York-based character actors.
Released in 1962, "The First Family" became an unprecedented success, selling millions of copies and occupying several weeks at Number One on the Billboard Album charts. The album was also one of only two comedy albums ever to be awarded the Grammy for Album of the Year.
A follow-up album, "The First Family, Part Two," was released in 1963 and did almost as well as the original. Meader's Kennedy impersonation was so convincing that even the President himself was a fan, although he felt that Meader sounded more like Robert F. Kennedy than himself.
Tragedy struck on November 22, 1963, when President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. Meader's engagements were immediately canceled, and his career came to a grinding halt. Despite his admiration for Kennedy, Meader was left reeling from the sudden loss, and his Kennedy impersonation, which had once been the centerpiece of his act, was no longer in demand.
In the years that followed, Meader made numerous attempts to revive his career, but none were successful. He released a few more albums, including "The Second Coming," which won critical acclaim but failed to sell well. He also appeared in a few films, including "Lepke," which earned him critical praise.
Despite his best efforts, Meader was unable to recapture the magic of his early success. He eventually retired from the spotlight and moved to Gulfport, Florida, where he lived in quiet retirement.
Today, "The First Family" remains a nostalgic reminder of a bygone era, a humorous tribute to the Kennedys and the era in which they lived.
