Smilin' Ed McConnell (born James McConnell; 1882 â€" July 23, 1954)
was a radio personality, best known as the host of the children's
radio and television series, Smilin' Ed's Gang, closely identified
with its sponsor, Buster Brown shoes, and also known as The Buster
Brown Program. For his work in radio, McConnell was honored with a
star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.Born James McConnell in Atlanta,
Georgia, the son of a minister, McConnell began to sing at age three
and soon learned how to play drums and the piano. He was athletic as a
teenager, and after attending William Jewell College, he became a
professional boxer. He enlisted in the United States Army during World
War I.According to an NBC press release, "A troop train on which he
was traveling was wrecked in Arkansas by a German sympathizer and Ed
wound up in a river. When he was pulled out, an Army surgeon
pronounced him dead, but a buddy finally revived Ed with artificial
respiration."After his discharge from the Army, McConnell was a gospel
vocalist with several evangelists. He entered radio in Atlanta in 1922
as a substitute when a scheduled performer failed to arrive. He
married in 1928, and four years later joined the CBS network. Smilin' Ed McConnell Biography, NetWorth, Height, Age, Weight, Family, Married, Son, Daughter