We can’t be exactly sure of when Rod Lauren (or Roger Strunk) made his debut on radio or television.
For radio, the closest stations to his Tracy hometown were in nearby Stockton, whose KJOY (1280 on the AM dial) broadcast a daily “Tracy Time” program hosted by Gene Schuppan each afternoon from two to three p.m. from a studio located in the venerable Tracy Inn at the corner of Eleventh and Central downtown.
The program featured “Tracy news … Tracy personalities … [and] Tracy’s favorite music,” and it’s possible that Roger, before being “discovered,” appeared on the show, whose host was part of the team that helped restart and reinvigorate the Tracy Community Players theater troupe around the time Roger was a senior in high school.
Barring that, the first verifiable appearance by Roger Strunk as a singer took place on Fresno’s KJEO-TV (Channel 47) on Sunday, August 17, 1958, when he sang during a local Cerebral Palsy telethon, backed by Patti Markarian’s orchestra. (No recording of the telethon broadcast is believed to exist.)
However, once signed by RCA Victor, the broadcast appearances came in rapid succession beginning in 1959, including – most certainly now – one on Stockton’s KJOY and several on stations in the Fresno area.
From those relatively “minor league” beginnings, he quickly jumped to national television, debuting across the country on a Perry Como special.
Rod Lauren On TV
United Cerebral Palsy Telethon
Sunday, August 17, 1958
KJEO-TV (Channel 47), Fresno, Calif.
This is the first known broadcast appearance by Roger Strunk as a singer before being repackaged as Rod Lauren. He sings as part of what is billed as the Pat Markarian Orchestra, led, remarkably enough for the times, by a local female musician, Patricia Markarian.
American Bandstand
(Text)
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
In 1966, Rod Lauren appeared as Pfc. Larsen in Episode 2 of Season 3 of CBS Television’s “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.”, featured in an episode entitled “Crazy Legs Gomer.” Rod appears about two minutes into the episode’s first segment, selected to help Sgt. Carter (Frank Sutton) finally win a bet against Sgt. Hacker (Allan Melvin).
Using his real-life archery skills, Rod fires a few well-placed arrows into the target, raising Carter’s hopes of finally getting a victory over Hacker – only to learn that his nemesis has found a ringer in a newly-transferred private with even better skills with the bow and arrow.
The episode originally aired nationally on the CBS network on September 21, 1966.
Rod’s opponent in the archery competition is Larry Duran, who plays the ringer, Pfc. Charlie Yellow Bear. Duran was a prolific stuntman on TV and in movies, perhaps best known for being his longtime friend Marlon Brando’s film stand-in and double.
Rod Lauren In The Movies
(Filmography)
Terrified
(Synopsis)
The Gun Hawk
(Synopsis)
The Young Swingers
(Synopsis)
FEATURE PHOTO: At the top of the page, Rod Lauren (left), Janis Paige (center) and Bob Hope (right) in an NBC-TV publicity photo by Paul Bailey, dated December 11, 1959. The photo ran in the Los Angeles Times under the headline “Comedy Stars” with the following blurb:
Bob Hope will have Janis Paige and newcomer Rod Lauren as guest stars when the Bob Hope Show is telecast at 8:30 p.m. Friday on Channel 4. The program was the subject of a controversy regarding a “payola” comedy sketch this week. Ernie Kovacs will also be on hand.
Colorized photo from the collection of the author. View the original photo.
