Encyclopedia Of Detroit
Eliot, Sonny
Television and radio personality Marvin Schlossberg, better known as Sonny Eliot, was born on December 5, 1920 on Hastings Street in Detroit. A graduate of Detroit Central High and Wayne State University, where he earned a B.A. in English and an M.A. in mass communications, Eliot began his broadcasting career in college. He appeared on such made-in-Detroit radio shows as The Lone Ranger, The Green Hornet and Challenge of the Yukon. He also performed in numerous area stage productions, once appearing opposite fellow Detroiter George C. Scott. His natural gift for entertaining would prove invaluable under harsh circumstances when, as a B-24 bomber pilot during World War II, Eliot was shot down over Germany and spent 18 months as a prisoner of war. While in captivity, he helped keep the morale of his fellow prisoners intact by staging original skits in the barracks.
In 1947, Eliot cemented his television and radio career. Returning to Detroit, Eliot was asked to do a bit part on a variety show produced by WWJ-TV (now WDIV). He worked for the next five decades on Detroit airwaves. From the 1950s to the early 1980s, he was a weatherman on local Detroit TV channels. His weather broadcasts evolved into a cheery mix of rapid-fire one-liners, silly similes, fractured descriptions (“Snowy and breezy…’sneezy’ kind of weather) and, most importantly, easy-to-understand forecasts. He also was a movie host in the late 1980s and host of the 17-year series At the Zoo. He was the author of four books for children and was fluent in three languages. Eliot retired in 2010 from broadcasting. He has been inducted into both the Michigan Broadcasting and Michigan Aviation Halls of Fame.
Sonny Eliot passed away on November 16, 2012 at the age of 91 in Farmington Michigan. He is buried in White Chapel Memorial Park Cemetery in Troy Michigan.
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