Page 62

Spring_ShakerLife_2016

telling stories Spend time with Bibb and you can’t help but be swept up by his prowess as a storyteller. And Bibb has stories to tell. Over the past four decades, he’s interviewed presidents, politicians, celebrities, and hundreds if not thousands  of Ohioans. These have included Akron’s Judith Resnik, a NASA engineer and astronaut who died in the Challenger explosion in 1986, and Neil Armstrong, who was the first man to walk on the moon, and many not so prominent, like those he often features in his “My Ohio” series. He has covered hurricanes, the Gulf War, and even interviewed James Earl Ray, who was convicted of assassinating Martin Luther King, Jr. He’s been to the White House twice and reported from the cockpit of a U.S. Air Force Thunderbird. Bibb has won many awards for his work, including six local Emmy Awards and the Distinguished Journalist Award from the Cleveland Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He’s been inducted into the Broadcasters’ Hall of Fame and the Cleveland Association of Broadcaster’s Hall of Fame. And these are just some of his accolades. A career highlight: interviewing President Barack Obama in 2011. “When I walked in, he said, ‘So you’re from Cleveland. Are you guys over LeBron James going to Miami yet?’ I said, ‘We’re working on it.’ He said, ‘You’re going to be fine, but Miami is going to win.’” The two spent about 10 minutes talking about Ohio’s economy. But Bibb has not limited his storytelling to television news. He’s published articles in Cleveland Magazine – winning an award for an article he wrote about his grandfather – and is also a poet. He’s performed in local productions, including “Grandfather Blues,” a poem he wrote and performed with jazz guitarist and fellow television news reporter Brian McIntyre, who died in 2012. And Bibb can frequently be found hosting events around the area, where he’s a favorite with Clevelanders. “TV is like a conduit. People get to know you and when you meet them, they often say, ‘I feel like I know you,’” says Bibb. He often hears from his fans, like the time he received $10 to pay for a cup of coffee from a viewer who told him, “You always seem to know the right thing to say.” Or the 89-year-old viewer who, in 2005, sent Bibb her husband’s cufflinks with a handwritten note. “These cufflinks belonged to my husband, who passed away in 1985. Don’t know anyone else who wears them. See you live everyday wearing cufflinks.” Bibb keeps them in his desk drawer, sometimes wearing them when he forgets his own. “It’s been wonderful,” he says, reflecting on his career. “The people I’ve met and the places I’ve gone.” And while Bibb, who is now 71, is contemplating retirement, on this particular Friday, there is still much to do and more stories to tell. “It’s always about the deadline,” says Bibb and with a smile gets back to work. a life in television Watch some highlights of Bibb’s career on YouTube. 1970s Co-anchoring the news with longtime Columbus newsman Hugh Demoss. 1980s Promo for Cleveland’s WKYC, touting Bibb’s promotion to primetime anchor. 2010 Performing “Grandfather Blues.” 2011 Interviewing President Barack Obama. 2015 Commenting on gun violence in Cleveland. 60 SHAKERONLINE.COM | SPRING 2016


Spring_ShakerLife_2016
To see the actual publication please follow the link above