Say the name "Buckskin" to longtime residents of Baton Rouge and immediately, their eyes light up, smiles appear on their faces, and the trips down memory lane begin.
What was it about this young entertainer and salesman that captured the hearts of children and their parents in the Capital City?
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In 1955 William P. Black was working at a television station in Tulsa, Oklahoma when he was contacted by a former boss, who had signed WAFB Channel 28 on the air. He offered the tall, youthful radio personality a job as an entertainer and salesman. Black packed his bags and made his way to Baton Rouge.
Bill Black began his television career as a cameraman and floorman. During that time, he wanted to create a television character children could relate to. Black had worked his way through college as a rodeo clown and was a comic and emcee in Army shows during his stint in the Korean War. He knew how to command an audience.