During the summer hiatus following the success of the
first season, The Ford Show lost one of it's most integral, behind-the-scenes
members: vocal contractor and mentor behind The Voices...Walter Schumann, who
died within weeks of the last show of the first season.
While Schumann's death was a blow to the group, there was no doubting the
natural rapport that had developed between Ernie and all 20 of the Voices;
under the new guidance of musical director Harry Geller, they'd remained a team...and no one wanted to break up the act. In a classic
Hollywood backstage story, as told by Ernie's long-time manager, Jim Loakes, "...Twenty minutes before showtime on the
premiere show of the second season, they're telling us we can't call the kids
The Voices of Walter Schumann...we've got 15 minutes to come with a different
name for the group. Ernie sat down at his make-up table and said, 'well, o.k....there's
20 of them...they're the top at what they do--why don't we call them The Top
20?' And that was it. Everybody knew it immediately. (Producer/Director,
Bud) Yorkin looked at Cliffie (Stone) and (Norman) Lear, then back at Ernie, and
said 'damn. That's it, Ford!"
And
so...The Top Twenty was
born; an act that became synonymous with The Ford Show over its five year
run, and an act many in the business would claim as the best musical
supporting cast on network television. Accomplished dancers, trained and
polished singers all, the group saw few changes over the years, which kept
them consistently in tune with each other and Ernie -- a major
advantage when you're doing 38 weeks of live television a year for five
years. Clearly their biggest fan, Ernie lobbied early on in the first season
to expand the group's presence on the show and broaden their
visibility. By the third season, the group's number (usually done right
after Ernie's monologue) had become one of the most popular segments of the
show. While Ernie no doubt carried the weight as the show's main attraction,
host, pitchman and star, The Ford Show clearly owed a great deal of
its tremendous popularity to this incredible group of twenty artists...
Dick Beavers, Joanne
Burgin, Howard Chitjean, Donna Cook, Irene Cummings, Chet Fisher, Dorothy
Gill, John Guarnieri, Ken Harp, Deltra Kamsler, Don Kent, David McDaniel,
Katy Nero, Ken Remo, Pat Rocco, Elaine Tavano Thompson, Tommy Traynor, Dick
Wessler, Karen Wessler, Ted Wills
During the summer hiatus following the success of the
first season, The Ford Show lost one of it's most integral, behind-the-scenes
members: vocal contractor and mentor behind The Voices...Walter Schumann, who
died within weeks of the last show of the first season. 
And
so...The Top Twenty was
born; an act that became synonymous with The Ford Show over its five year
run, and an act many in the business would claim as the best musical
supporting cast on network television. Accomplished dancers, trained and
polished singers all, the group saw few changes over the years, which kept
them consistently in tune with each other and Ernie -- a major
advantage when you're doing 38 weeks of live television a year for five
years. Clearly their biggest fan, Ernie lobbied early on in the first season
to expand the group's presence on the show and broaden their
visibility. By the third season, the group's number (usually done right
after Ernie's monologue) had become one of the most popular segments of the
show. While Ernie no doubt carried the weight as the show's main attraction,
host, pitchman and star, The Ford Show clearly owed a great deal of
its tremendous popularity to this incredible group of twenty artists...