Song of the Day: Señor Wences with Johnny and Pedro

Song of the Day 1 Minute

Not a song today, but I wanted to recognize the 125th birthday of Wenceslao Moreno, better known as ventriloquist Señor Wences. His most-familiar characters are Johnny, who is drawn on Wences’s hand and speaks with a falsetto, and Pedro, who is a disembodied head in a box who mostly just says "S’awright!" Not sure where or when this television appearance is from, though it could be from The Ed Sullivan Show.

Published by John Holton

Internet disc jockey, lover of old TV (especially the commercials), inveterate wise guy.

Published

18 thoughts on “Song of the Day: Señor Wences with Johnny and Pedro”

  1. I love that man! He was so funny and to keep everything going from the voices to the juggling is not an easy feat. I have a hard time circling my tummy with one hand and patting my head with the other. I wish more kids could learn about him.

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    1. Thanks, BB!

      The Elvira lookalike we hired was a well endowed female customer of the restaurant owned by the rock & roll promoter who staged the show. He gave me the task, the responsibility, the duty of sitting next to her in the back of the concert venue waiting for the right moment to send her up the aisle and onto the stage to smooch Jay Black. The young woman’s black, low cut Mistress of the Dark dress and heaving bosom were a distraction to me and I almost felt the need to file a complaint. Yessum, it was a tough job, but somebody had to do it. :) You’re right. After inhaling all that smoke produced by the boys in the band, The Americans, I was babbling “s’awright” for days afterward! :)

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  2. Hi, John!

    I thought I’d comment on this post because I met and worked with Señor Wences. It happened in late 1984 when the elderly ventriloquist was booked as the opening act for Jay And The Americans at a concert in the greater Tampa Bay area. I worked with a promoter in the capacity of stage manager of the live show which also included as a special surprise guest a busty Elvira impersonator who walked up on stage and kissed Jay in the middle of his performance of “Cara Mia.” I had the honor of riding in a stretch limousine to pick up Señor Wences and his wife at their hotel and accompany them to the venue. He let me carry the suitcase containing the Johnny dummy and Pedro’s head and place them in the vehicle. I’m not worthy! I also had lunch with Jay Black the day of the concert and after the show drove his Americans band back to their hotel. Those guys filled my van with smoke from funny cigarettes! I could hardly see to drive! :)

    Thanks for remembering the great old school entertainer Señor Wences on the 125th anniversary of his birth, good buddy John!

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    1. That is so cool Tom. I bet he was very cordial and nice and I bet you head Pedro after breathing in all that smokey, smoke.

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      1. Thanks, BB!

        The Elvira lookalike we hired was a well endowed female customer of the restaurant owned by the rock & roll promoter who staged the show. He gave me the task, the responsibility, the duty of sitting next to her in the back of the concert venue waiting for the right moment to send her up the aisle and onto the stage to smooch Jay Black. The young woman’s black, low cut Mistress of the Dark dress and heaving bosom were a distraction to me and I almost felt the need to file a complaint. Yessum, it was a tough job, but somebody had to do it. :) You’re right. After inhaling all that smoke produced by the boys in the band, The Americans, I was babbling “s’awright” for days afterward! :)

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    1. He got the most exposure on The Ed Sullivan Show, but he pops up in a few places. He was a special guest star on The Muppet Show, and did a lot of late-night TV. He was just as good in his later years, if you can believe that.

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