Terry Gross

John is the son of jazz guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli. John's albums include Live At Birdland, The Rare Delights of You and Kisses in the Rain. This interview first aired October 23, 1997.

He's been called the most inventive American tenor player in creative music. His father, Rodd Keith (also known as Rod Rodgers) was killed when he was struck by cars on the Hollywood Freeway after leaping or falling from the Santa Monica Boulevard overpass. Eskelin only knew his father for the first eighteen months of his life. As he grew up he was inspired and intrigued by the continuous stories he heard about him and his musical talent. He has produced a collection of his father's recordings titled I died Today - Music of Rodd Keith.

He died last night at his home at the age of 82. Brinkley was born in 1920 and raised in Wilmington, N.C., and began writing for the local paper in high school. He soon graduated to the United Press and by World War II was working for NBC Radio in Washington, D.C. He moved into television and was paired with Chet Huntley at the 1956 political conventions. Their immediate chemistry led to the top-rated Huntley-Brinkley Report on the NBC Network. He left NBC to join ABC and host This Week With David Brinkley. During his career, Brinkley won 10 Emmy awards and three Peabodys.