SIG SAKOWICZ (80) February 7, 2004

 Sig hosted a daily entertainment program on KLAV in the 70s from 11 to 12 noon.  His obituary below was included in “Obituaries in the World of Comedy 2004″

Jimmy Durante had “Mrs. Calabash,” and Rodney Dangerfield had “Dr. Vinnie Boombots,” and whenever he needed a funny name, Jackie Vernon would use “Sig Sakowicz.” Sig actually existed (up until February 7, 2004. Sigmund Stanislaus Sakowicz began his career in his home town of Chicago, winning succes on WGN in 1954. He was a fixture on Chicago radio and there’s even a local street, Sig Sakowicz Drive named after him. In 1971 he moved to Las Vegas hosting a TV show on KLAS and later KTNV. He wrote a gossip column for a local paper and the big guy (275 pounds) became a crony of many of the show biz stars he interviewed. Back in Chicago in 1985, he was on WVVX radio and later syndicated a TV show, “Sig’s Celebrity Cooking,” twice nominated for daytime Emmy awards. Sig was known to mount some comedy of his own, from novelty singles ( “Polish Baseball Power,” which featured the names of every fair and foul Pole in the sport) to a 1972 presidential run: “Vote for Sig Sakowicz for President. What have you got to lose?” He was buried in Chicago, with a funeral mass supervised by his minister son, Greg Sakowicz.

Source: Obituaries in the World of Comedy 2004