Vaughn Meader

On October 22, 1962, Meader joined writers Bob Booker and Earle Doud and a small cast of entertainers to record The First Family. The album poked fun at Kennedy's PT-109 history; the rocking chairs he used for his back pain; the Kennedy family's well-known athleticism, football games and family togetherness; children in the White House; and Jackie Kennedy's soft-spoken nature and her redecoration of the Executive Mansion. The First Family became the fastest-selling record in the history of the United States. It sold 1.2 million copies during the first two weeks of its release, and ultimately sold 7.5 million copies.[1]

Kennedy himself was said to have given copies of the album as Christmas gifts, and once greeted a Democratic National Committee group by saying, "Vaughn Meader was busy tonight, so I came myself."[3] At one press conference, Kennedy was asked if the album had produced "annoyment or enjoyment." He jokingly responded, "I listened to Mr. Meader's record and, frankly, I thought it sounded more like Teddy than it did me. So, now he's annoyed."[4] Kennedy told Benjamin Bradlee that "parts of it were amusing."[5] Other sources, such as Thomas C. Reeves' A Question of Character: A Life of John F. Kennedy, state that President Kennedy was upset with the parodies, and that First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy was furious, even demanding that the President keep Meader off radio and television. It was the parodies of their children Caroline and John Jr. that Mrs. Kennedy was most upset about.

Still in his 20s, Meader was suddenly famous, rich, and in constant demand. He was profiled in Time and Life magazines, appeared on network television variety shows such as The Ed Sullivan Show, The Jack Paar Program, The Andy Williams Show and Hootenanny. Meader also made a couple of game show appearances, first as a mystery guest on What's My Line on December 30, 1962, The following week, Meader and Naomi Brossart (who played Jackie Kennedy on the "First Family" albums) appeared on To Tell The Truth in which the panel had to guess who the real Naomi Brossart was amongst the three lady contestants.

Though a series of tour dates in early 1963 were notably unsuccessful (Billboard reported that he "bombed" in Pittsburgh, and only 742 people showed up in Philadelphia),[6] he still played to packed houses in Las Vegas. The First Family won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1963. That March, Meader recorded a follow-up album, The First Family Volume Two, a combination of spoken comedy and songs performed by actors and comedians portraying members of the President's family and White House staff. The sequel was released in the spring of 1963, and while not as successful as the first volume, still sold hundreds of thousands of copies.

In July 1963, Meader left Cadence Records and Booker/Dowd to sign with MGM Records. Meader planned to record general satire and abandon his JFK impersonations.[7]

In November 1963, Meader was busy recording a new comedy record, written by a different group of writers and not involving his Kennedy impersonation. On November 22, 1963, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas effectively ending Meader's career. Copies of The First Family were pulled from stores and a JFK-related Christmas single by Meader ("St. Nick Visits The White House" b/w "T'was The Night Before Christmas 1963") that had been released by MGM's Verve Records shortly before the assassination was quickly withdrawn. Appearances that were already booked were cancelled, including one for the Grammy Awards ceremony. An episode of The Joey Bishop Show, which Meader filmed one week before the assassination and was set to air in February 1964, was pulled from the lineup. The episode never aired and was reportedly destroyed.[8][9]

Meader reportedly first learned of President Kennedy's assassination after hailing a taxicab in Milwaukee. The driver, recognizing his celebrity passenger, asked "Did you hear about Kennedy in Dallas?" Meader thought the driver was telling a joke and responded "No, how does it go?" The driver then informed Meader of President Kennedy’s death. Meader then heard the breaking news bulletins over the taxi’s radio.[10]

According to several sources, stand-up comedian Lenny Bruce went on with his November 22 nightclub show as scheduled. Just hours after Kennedy's death, Bruce walked onstage, stood silently for several moments, then said sadly, "Boy, is Vaughn Meader fucked."[11] The joke proved true; Meader discovered that he was so completely typecast as a Kennedy impersonator that he could not find anyone willing to hire him for any of his other talents.

His non-Kennedy album for Verve Records, Have Some Nuts!!!, came out to minimal attention in early 1964. A similar follow-up If The Shoe Fits... was released in late 1964, and included sketches on almost everything except the Kennedys, but sales were meager at best. Meader's income evaporated, new-found friends and associates stopped calling, and by 1965 Meader was virtually broke. Sinking into depression, he became addicted to alcohol and drugs, and was forced to take whatever work he could find.

He reunited with Earle Doud in 1971 for an album called The Second Coming, a comedic look at what life would be like for Jesus if he had returned to Earth around the time of Jesus Christ Superstar, but airplay and sales were virtually nonexistent.