Transcript of Wally's Speech for Adam West in Palm Springs

     "IT WAS 30 YEARS AGO THIS PAST MARCH 1ST. A YOUNG FUZZY-HAIRED RADIO DJ TOOK HIS TAPE MACHINE OUT INTO THE COLD, SNOWY, WINTER DAY TO DO AN INTERVIEW WITH HIS CHILDHOOD HERO WHO WAS APPEARING THAT WEEKEND IN HIS HOMETOWN OF SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA. IT WAS A DREAM COME TRUE FOR THAT YOUNG DJ, NOT ONLY TO BE INTERVIEWING HIS IDOL, BUT TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT AFTER 3O YEARS, HE CAN CONSIDER HIMSELF A PERSONAL FRIEND...OF ADAM WEST!

     I'LL NEVER FORGET THOSE THREE DAYS IN MARCH OF 1980 AS LONG AS I LIVE. THE ZANY INTERVIEWS WE DID, SEEING ADAM IN THE LEGENDARY BATMAN COSTUME UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL, AND NERVOUSLY WALKING IN TO THE THEATER'S OFFICE TO MEET HIM FOR THE FIRST TIME. I WALKED IN AND SAID, "WALLY WINGERT FROM 13 KELO RADIO, HERE TO INTERVIEW ADAM WEST." THE GUY AT THE DESK MOTIONS BEHIND HIS SHOULDER AND SAID, "THERE HE IS." IT WAS LIKE A ZOOM-IN FROM A HITCHKOK MOVIE. THERE HE WAS INDEED...IN HIS SHEEPSKIN JACKET, RECLINING IN A CHAIR WITH HIS COWBOY BOOTED FEET PERCHED ATOP THE DESK. WOULD ADAM WEST BE WORTHY OF THIS YOUNG BOY'S ADULATION? OR WOULD HE TURN OUT TO BE A VERY, VERY "BAT" MAN! STAY TUNED BATFANS! SAME BAT TIME, SAME BAT CHANNEL! ADAM TURNED TO ME AND SAW THE FAMILIAR LOOK OF AWE AND AMAZEMENT! I STUTTERED SOMETHING ABOUT BEING FROM A RADIO STATION AND ADAM SAID, "IT'S OK. JUST TELL ME I'M YOUR HERO." WITHOUT MISSING A BEAT I SAID, "I'M YOUR HERO! I MEAN...YOU'RE MY HERO!" LIKE THE FROSTIEST COLD FRONT PERPETRATED BY MR. FREEZE, BATMAN HAD ONCE AGAIN...BROKEN THE ICE.

     A GROUP OF US WENT OUT TO EAT THAT WEEKEND, AND AFTER BRINGING ADAM HIS CRAB LEGS, A NERVOUS WAITER SPILLED MELTED BUTTER ALL OVER ADAM'S SHEEPSKIN JACKET. I FIGURED ADAM WOULD HIT THE ROOF, BUT AT THAT POINT I JUST DIDN'T KNOW ADAM THAT WELL. ADAM SMOOTHED OVER THE FRIGHTENED WAITER'S CONCERNS WITH SOME KIND WORDS, AND WHEN I ASKED HIM WHY HE DIDN'T FREAK OUT ADAM SAID, "WALLY, IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME." RIGHT THEN I KNEW THIS GUY IS DEFINITELY WORTHY OF ALL OF THE ADULATION AND WORSHIP HE'S RECEIVED. BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT BATMAN WOULD HAVE DONE.

     ON THE FINAL DAY OF ADAM'S APPEARANCE, WE TOOK A PHOTO TOGETHER. JUST BEFORE THE SHUTTER CLICKED, ADAM PUT OUT HIS BAT-GLOVED HAND AND SAID, "PUT 'ER THERE ROBIN!"

     IN 1988, WHEN I HAD LIVED IN LOS ANGELES FOR A YEAR, I ARRANGED ANOTHER APPEARANCE FOR ADAM IN MY HOMETOWN OF SIOUX FALLS. IT WAS ONE OF THE LAST APPEARANCES ADAM WAS ALLOWED TO DO IN THE BATMAN COSTUME BEFORE WARNER BROTHERS TOLD HIM HE COULDN'T DO IT ANYMORE. THE MORNING OF THE APPEARANCE, HE ASKED ME IF I COULD ARRANGE TO HAVE HIS CAPE IRONED, AS IT HAD BECOME QUITE WRINKLY ON THE AIRPLANE. ONLY ONE PERSON WOULD I TRUST TO ACCOMPLISH SUCH AN IMPORTANT TASK! I PLACED AN EARLY MORNING CALL TO...MY MOM. "MOM, BRING YOUR IRON, ADAM NEEDS HIS BATCAPE IRONED." SHE WAS SO TICKLED TO RECEIVE THIS HONOR, SHE STILL TALKS ABOUT IT TODAY!

     IN THE LIMO RIDE TO THE APPEARANCE, THE DRIVER HAD BROUGHT HIS 6 YEAR OLD SON ALONG FOR THE RIDE. THE KID SAT IN THE FRONT, BUT STAYED TURNED AROUND TO KEEP HIS EYE ON ADAM THE ENTIRE TIME. THOUGH THE COWL IS HOT AND UNCOMFORTABLE, ADAM DIDN'T REMOVE IT ONCE DURING THE TRIP, THOUGH I'M SURE HE WANTED TO. HE SIMPLY DIDN'T WANT TO RUIN THE EXPERIENCE FOR THE YOUNG BOY.

     AS WE RODE AND TALKED, HE CONFIDED IN ME THAT THE ROLE OF BATMAN WAS BOTH A BLESSING AND A CURSE, AND HE WONDERED HOW LIFE MIGHT HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT HAD HE NEVER GOTTEN THE ROLE. I REMINDED HIM THAT HE'S ACHIEVED RECOGNITION IN ALL CORNERS OF THE GLOBE, HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR HELPING TO RAISE GENERATIONS OF YOUNGSTERS WITH SOLID CORE VALUES AND PRINCIPLES, AND GIVEN SMILES TO MILLIONS OF PEOPLE. I KNEW LOTS OF ACTORS IN HOLLYWOOD WHO WOULD HAVE GIVEN A LARGE PORTION OF THEIR ANATOMY TO HAVE JUST ONE TENTH OF WHAT ADAM'S ACHIEVED THROUGH "BATMAN." HIS EYES LOCKED ON ME THROUGH THE EYEHOLES IN THE BATCOWL AND SAID, "WALLY, I'VE NEVER THOUGHT OF IT THAT WAY."

     I'VE ALWAYS CONSIDERED ADAM TO BE ONE OF THE MOST UNDERRATED COMEDIC GENIUSES OF OUR TIME. NO ONE ELSE HAS THE SAME DRY WIT, SWAGGER AND COMEDIC COMMITMENT THAT ADAM IS BLESSED WITH. AND THANKS TO SETH MACFARLANE, WHO RECOGNIZED THAT UNIQUE ABILITY AND PUT IT TO GOOD USE ON "FAMILY GUY," ADAM'S COMEDIC GENIUS IS FINALLY GETTING ITS FULL RECOGNITION. IN FACT, AT ADAM'S APPEARANCES TODAY YOU CAN WALK THE LINE AND SEE TWO TYPES OF PEOPLE...PEOPLE MY AGE HOLDING BATMAN SOUVENIRS, AND COLLEGE-AGE KIDS HOLDING IMAGES OF "FAMILY GUY'S" MAYOR WEST. IN FACT, SOME OF THE MAYOR WEST FANS HAVE NO IDEA THAT HE WAS EVER BATMAN! VERY FEW PEOPLE IN HOLLYWOOD OBTAIN THE KIND OF INTERNATIONAL STARDOM "BATMAN" HAS GIVEN ADAM. BUT EVEN FEWER ARE GIVEN A SECOND LEGACY, LIKE ADAM'S NOW ENJOYING WITH "FAMILY GUY."

     ONE OF THE PROUDEST MOMENTS OF MY CAREER CAME IN THE LATE 90'S, WHEN ADAM AND I WERE BOTH CAST IN "FAMILY GUY" TO PROVIDE VOICES. AT THE END OF EACH EPISODE THE GUEST CAST IS LISTED ALPHABETICALLY. AND THE VERY LAST CARD ON SEVERAL EPISODES SIMPLY LIST ADAM WEST...WALLY WINGERT. I COULDN'T BELIEVE I WAS ACTUALLY GETTING TO SHARE A CARD WITH MY IDOL! I SAVED IT AS A SCREENSHOT, PRINTED IT, AND IT NOW HAS A PLACE OF PRESTIGE ABOVE MY DOOR, SO I CAN LOOK AT IT EVERY DAY BEFORE I GO TO WORK. I LEAVE THE HOUSE WITH A SMILE.

     BEING BLESSED WITH TALENT, GOOD LOOKS, CHARM, POISE, GRACE, A UNIQUE SENSE OF HUMOR, AND A WHOLE HEAPIN' HELPIN' OF NICE GUYNESS...THERE IS NO BETTER CANDIDATE TO HAVE THEIR LIFE AND CAREER COMMEMORATED ON THIS ESTEEMED WALK OF FAME TODAY. AS MAYOR WEST HIMSELF MIGHT SAY, "I LOVE ADAM WEST MORE THAN I LOVE TAFFY. AND I'M A MAN WHO LOVES HIS TAFFY!" AND AS A PAL OF YOURS FOR OVER 30 YEARS I SAY...CON-BAT-ULATIONS... ADAM WEST!"