Indiana Broadcast History Archive

Herb Shriner lived in Fort Wayne as a boy and learned to play the harmonica. He dropped out of Central High School and was soon entertaining audiences as “Harmonica Herb,” a solo act that combined his music and with deadpan two-liner humor about his fictional Indiana hometown. His style reminded many of Will Rogers. Shriner was hired by NBC in 1940 and appeared on a number of network radio shows. He got into television in 1949, and his TV popularity peaked in the 50’s with his own show in 1951 on ABC and later as host of the “Two for the Money” game show on NBC and CBS. 

Shriner and his wife died in a Florida car crash April 23, 1970. 

-Indiana Broadcast Pioneers