It’s a sad day in Arizona. One of the true greats of Phoenix television has died. Bill Thomson, better known as Wallace of The Wallace & Ladmo show has passed the age of 82. He had been in the hospital for the last several days and died Wednesday.

For kids that grew up in Arizona, The Wallace & Ladmo Show was as important as eating. The show was aired live out of KPHO TV 5 every afternoon at 4pm, For a kid, there was nothing more urgent then getting home from school in time to catch the show. The Wallace character first debuted on The Gold Dust Charlie Show in April of 1954. When Gold Dust Charlie retired, Bill Thompson was offered his own show as the TV station had just bought a cartoon package and needed somebody to host the cartoons. In January 1955  “It’s Wallace?” premiered on Phoenix television and aired continuously to December 29th, 1989.

Throughout the years, The Wallace & Ladmo Show remained an important icon for all the kids that grew up with it, and they too continued to watch the show with their own children.

There were the live stage shows at Legend City and all over Arizona and Saturday morning stage shows with a movie at the Bethany, Fox and Christown theaters in Phoenix. There was The Wallace & Ladmo Drive-in’s, the music of Hub Capp & the Wheels, The Ladmo Trio & Commodore Condello’s Salt River Navy Band, and of course all the great characters and comedy the show provided with Wallace, Ladmo & Pat McMahon.

I  think the best part for Wallace, was that even though the show ended in 1989, his fans never let him forget how much of a difference he made in their lives!

Join Radio Free Phoenix today at 3am & 10am today (July 24th) for a musical tribute to Wallace by Andy Olson. Also later today, Liz Boyle will have her own tribute to the man who inspired generations of kids!

Photo courtesy of David Culling

So Long Wall-Boy!

 For more on The Wallace & Ladmo Show – see below

Wallace Watchers

Wallace & Ladmo.com

The Wallace & Ladmo Fan Club

Wallace Snead Memorial Page

For more images, go HERE