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Robert Wells

Bob "Hoolihan" Wells and Lil' John Rinaldi welcoming fans at The Big Adios Muchachos Show in Cuyahoga Falls, September 13, 2025 — one of his final public appearances.

Bob Wells and Big Chuck Schodowski speaking at the University of Akron, February 21, 1974.

A Cleveland television personality hosts at a local event — the kind of community engagement that defined Bob Wells' relationship with his viewers.

Bob "Hoolihan" Wells commemorated at his 2015 induction into the Official Horror Host Hall of Fame.

Robert D. "Bob" Wells — known to generations of Clevelanders as "Hoolihan the Weatherman" — was a broadcaster, entertainer, pilot, and man of faith whose warmth and humor touched the lives of everyone who tuned in. Born on September 27, 1933, in West Point, Nebraska, Bob was a self-described shy kid who found his voice on the airwaves — and never looked back.

He launched his broadcasting career in 1951 at KWBE radio in Beatrice, Nebraska, right out of high school in Lincoln, and went on to study radio and television at the University of Nebraska while also serving as a military jet pilot with the Nebraska Air National Guard. When the Berlin Crisis erupted in 1961, Bob answered the call to active duty, flying C-124 cargo planes with the Air Force Reserve — the same steady hands that later delivered the weather with a wink and a smile.

After stops in Oklahoma City and Kansas City, Bob arrived in Cleveland in 1965 as the evening weatherman on WJW-TV Channel 8. Where competitors Dick Goddard and Don Webster played it straight, Bob brought the house down. He wore a grass skirt to his WJW audition, and station management loved it. His signature sign-off — "Sunshine to you, no matter what the weather" — became one of Cleveland television's most beloved catchphrases, earning him #1 ratings and a place in the city's heart.

On December 23, 1966, after Ernie "Ghoulardi" Anderson headed to Hollywood, Bob teamed up with engineer Charles "Big Chuck" Schodowski to launch "The Hoolihan and Big Chuck Show" — a late-night Friday showcase of Z-grade monster movies and irreverent comedy sketches. For thirteen years, the show routinely beat Johnny Carson's Tonight Show in Friday night ratings and won several local Emmy Awards. Bob piloted himself between Cleveland and Florida during his freelance years simply to keep the show going, a testament to how much it meant to him and to his audience.

In the mid-1970s, Bob and his wife Barbara became born-again Christians, a transformation that reshaped his priorities. He managed a Christian radio station, pursued Christian broadcasting in Florida, and co-hosted a daily program called "Horizons 22" with Barbara. He also built a second career in financial planning and made a memorable appearance alongside John Candy and Richard Crenna in the 1985 film "Summer Rental."

Bob was inducted into the Radio/Television Broadcasters' Hall of Fame of Ohio in 2007 and the Horror Host Hall of Fame in 2015. He remained a beloved figure at Ghoulardi Fest and community events throughout his life.

He passed away on October 21, 2026, at his home in Clearwater, Florida, at the age of 93. He is survived by his children Teri, Rob, and Tricia — and by every viewer who still hears his voice when the sun comes out.

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Robert Wells

Tell us about Robert Wells's life

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