The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / Dr. Kildare & Thorn Birds' Richard Chamberlain Dies At 90

**Posted by RadioActive** March 30, 2025 3:12 pm

The former heartthrob suffered a stroke, which took his life at the age of 90. Among his best known roles: Dr. Kildare, an hit NBC medical show in the 60s and the miniseries The Thorn Birds and the original Shogun.

Richard Chamberlain, TV’s Dr. Kildare, ‘Shogun,’ ‘Thorn Birds’ Star, Dies at 90

**Posted by Damian** March 30, 2025 6:57 pm

Thank God (and Richard Carpenter) that Chamberlain’s recording of Bacharach and David’s “Close to You” was rescued by Herb Albert and The Carpenters.

**Posted by newsguy1** March 30, 2025 7:02 pm

Loved Dr. Kildare as a kid, and I was a big fan of the original Shogun.
Piece of trivia, he also tried his hand at singing.
I actually still have an ancient 45 of him singing "A kiss to build a dream on," and also the theme to Dr. Kildare.
Chamberlain also had to struggle to hide his sexuality through a time when he was considered a heartthrob my adoring women.
By the time he admitted he was gay it really didn't matter anymore.
Anyway good for him, he had a great career and memorable parts.

**Posted by TomTV** March 30, 2025 7:24 pm

RIP, I remember enjoying his acting in The Thorn Birds as a young man. Great actor.

**Posted by RadioActive** March 30, 2025 7:40 pm

I wonder how many here even remember that he also hit the CHUM Chart, not once, but four times. His biggest hit was the Theme From Dr. Kildare, his first really big TV show, but there were others, including an Elvis cover.

**Posted by mace** March 30, 2025 8:35 pm

Did you know that NBC's Dr. Kildaire and ABC's Ben Casey both premiered in 1961. Both series were cancelled in the spring of 1966.

**Posted by Walter** March 30, 2025 8:49 pm

CHUM-DINGER #18: I was a Gordon Lightfoot fanatic in my teens and early 20s. Had every single one of his albums, and played them to death. I have never heard of 'Remember Me, I'm The One'. I could look it up, but what album was that ever on?

**Posted by RadioActive** March 30, 2025 8:55 pm

Interesting that they were playing Lightfoot as early as 1962. I thought it was much later than that. It sounds much different than the guy we remember but I think this was one of his first - if not the first - song he ever released.

**Posted by Lorne** March 30, 2025 11:02 pm

(Remember Me) I'm The One was indeed Lightfoot's first release, and it was a non-album single which peaked at #3 on CHUM. It didn't see an album release until 1971's Early Lightfoot.

**Posted by paterson1** March 30, 2025 11:53 pm

According to wiki Gord had 10 charted pop songs in Canada prior to his first US charted record in 1970. Three of these were in the top ten. Lightfoot did hit the US in a big way with If You Could Read My Mind which reached #5 in 1970 and #1 on the US A/C charts. This was his first charted single on Billboard.

**Posted by Easily Amused** March 31, 2025 9:38 am

It might be 'old timers' disease' sneaking up on me, but I remember a short music video of Richard Chamberlain singing a song, broadcast way back in the 1960s, while I was parked in front of the television waiting for Saturday morning cartoons. I trundled around YouTube looking for any trace of it, couldn't find anything. It didn't seem to be an edit off a variety show of the era. I don't recall seeing anything similar until years later when the Hollywood Palace 'bait and switched' a hyped appearance of the Beatles, which turned out to be just a film of the group singing 'Penny Lane'.

**Posted by newsguy1** March 31, 2025 2:40 pm

then there's this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm8m-843xmg