INTRODUCTION

For someone who's not famous or especially accomplished to write his autobiography and expect anyone to read it seems a bit like public masturbation. But since part of my belief system is that 'an orgasm a day keeps the doctor away', this at least gives the project a certain symmetry.

In thinking about my life and career(s), I've begun to realize that others might find it an interesting, even entertaining read. I've known some fascinating, often very famous people. I've been to some interesting places all over the world. And while in my own community I'm fairly well-known, even influential, even my friends and former colleagues are likely to find a few surprises in my story.

But another reason is that my first two children know next to nothing about me. My first wife and I divorced when they were six and four respectively. It was a particularly nasty divorce and the children and I had only the most occasional contact and, in the last few years, none at all.

So, this is my story...

The short-hand version:

I was the original "Broadway brat", the ultimate child of the television age, actor, soldier, network television executive, motion picture and television writer, computer graphics specialist, radio sales administrator, radio deejay and talk show host, and buff, retired senior who it would appear has too much time on his hands.

I've never been very good at self-promotion - this story notwithstanding.

Back-story

On my father's side, it was a sprawling Irish family that had first settled in Philadelphia, including Cunneff (yes, it really is an Irish name), Porter, Quinn, Bailey, Dougherty, Newell, Lake, Loftus, Canton (and some others I've probably forgotten). Then there were the Hartman's. I still don't know exactly how they got into the mix, but I was a teenager before I figured out their name was German.

My mother's side was English, from Boston and Haverhill, Mass. Their name was Likely and the only other early family name on that side that I can recall was Newton. Later, there was Baldwin in Florida and Edwards in North Carolina. My mother was the second of three sisters but it turned out that only the youngest, Priscilla was actually a Likely. My mother, Patricia, and her older sister, Lavinia (I kid you not) were the daughters of someone named Eastman.

It was a family secret until late in my grandmother Eleanor's life. Many years later, my youngest sister, Catherine, became excited at the prospect of attending a Likely family reunion. It came as a shock when she learned that we were not blood relatives.