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02-27-2007, 04:29 AM
Hazard's Hoot Combs Dies
"Hoot" Combs, 87, formerly of Hazard, has died. A star football and basketball player at both Hazard and later at UK, Combs was a well known sports personality on radio and TV and was part of the East Kentucky Sports Network on WKIC and WSGS.
Combs was a member of Hazard's Basketball team that won the 14th region in 1937, a team that advanced to the semi-finals of the Boy's State Tournament. He played for Coach Adolph Rupp at Kentucky and was a member of the 1940 SEC Champion Wildcats. He also played football at Kentucky. After college, he went back to work for Adolph Rupp and Bear Bryant as Sports Information Director at U.K. A year later he decided to go to law school. "I worked some radio then and just gradually moved into announcing," Combs said.
During the 1950's, Hoot Combs broadcast State Tournament games with **** Goodlette and Ernest Sparkman on WKIC and WSGS. He also broadcast UK games on the radio with Cawood Ledford in Lexington and eventually became the lead Sports Anchor on WTVQ-TV in Lexington (then known as WBLG).
Combs also served as the public address announcer during UK and State High School games for 20 years. He often pulled double duty, serving as the P.A. announcer at the Sweet 16, and conducting interviews on WSGS and WKIC during half time.
Hoot's real name was Carl however he picked up the name, "Hoot" when he was a young boy in Perry County. He recalled walking into People's Bank in Vicco when he was about five years old, dressed in full cowboy attire. When Finley Cisco, the bank president, saw Combs he said, "There's Hoot," referring to actor Hoot Gibson, a popular western movie star at the time. The name stuck with Combs for the rest of his life.
Combs died Saturday in Lexington on Saturday. Combs was the son of "Ma Combs" who many will remember selling tickets at the Family Theater in Hazard for several years. Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at W.R. Milward
Mortuary-Broadway in Lexington. Burial will be in Camp Nelson National Cemetery in Jessamine County. Visitation will be from 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.
Combs was a member of Hazard's Basketball team that won the 14th region in 1937, a team that advanced to the semi-finals of the Boy's State Tournament. He played for Coach Adolph Rupp at Kentucky and was a member of the 1940 SEC Champion Wildcats. He also played football at Kentucky. After college, he went back to work for Adolph Rupp and Bear Bryant as Sports Information Director at U.K. A year later he decided to go to law school. "I worked some radio then and just gradually moved into announcing," Combs said.
During the 1950's, Hoot Combs broadcast State Tournament games with **** Goodlette and Ernest Sparkman on WKIC and WSGS. He also broadcast UK games on the radio with Cawood Ledford in Lexington and eventually became the lead Sports Anchor on WTVQ-TV in Lexington (then known as WBLG).
Combs also served as the public address announcer during UK and State High School games for 20 years. He often pulled double duty, serving as the P.A. announcer at the Sweet 16, and conducting interviews on WSGS and WKIC during half time.
Hoot's real name was Carl however he picked up the name, "Hoot" when he was a young boy in Perry County. He recalled walking into People's Bank in Vicco when he was about five years old, dressed in full cowboy attire. When Finley Cisco, the bank president, saw Combs he said, "There's Hoot," referring to actor Hoot Gibson, a popular western movie star at the time. The name stuck with Combs for the rest of his life.
Combs died Saturday in Lexington on Saturday. Combs was the son of "Ma Combs" who many will remember selling tickets at the Family Theater in Hazard for several years. Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at W.R. Milward
Mortuary-Broadway in Lexington. Burial will be in Camp Nelson National Cemetery in Jessamine County. Visitation will be from 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.
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