Does Uncle Floyd deserve to be in the New Jersey Hall of Fame?

A new crop of nominees just came out for inclusion into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. Sixty nominees across six categories with public voting that just began over the weekend.

The categories include sports and business, public service, entertainers, and more. It is always the entertainers that seem to matter most to us. We love our homegrown talent.

This year’s entertainers include James L Brooks the director, writer and producer. Kirsten Dunst the actress. Marilyn McCoo the singer.

And there’s also Uncle Floyd. For whom I have no explanation.

(Scott Gordon (left) and Uncle Floyd)

When I wrote that to a Facebook friend of the nominee, they took it as meaning he didn’t deserve to be nominated. Their reason was “Yeah bro I can’t explain why he would be nominated either.”

When I wrote back clarifying that I meant “I just meant I can’t explain what he would be called,” we then got into a debate. They didn’t think he deserved even the nomination let alone being inducted.

He does though. Floyd Vivino, or Uncle Floyd as he’s called, 100% deserves a place in the New Jersey Hall of Fame. I just can’t quite explain what he is.

To say he’s just stand up comic doesn’t fly. He’s a song man, a piano player, a puppeteer, an interviewer, a unique one-of-a-kind New Jersey icon who never gave a sh## about how you’d categorize him.

When I was a teenager “The Uncle Floyd Show” was on an obscure UHF TV channel in New Jersey in the 80s. It was on after school and I knew no one who didn’t watch it.

Even IMDB.com describes it vaguely, saying “Half-improvised, low-to-no budget show with sketch comedy and live music (ranging from local talent to star performers), with Uncle Floyd himself as host, puppeteer and piano player.”

It was so unlikely, so out of place, so low-budget, so underdog, it was riveting. I’ve read John Lennon watched. I’ve heard David Bowie was also a fan.

Cyndi Lauper appeared on his show as easily as some band no one heard of that only played somewhere in a Kenilworth bar. Bon Jovi appeared, and Blue Öyster Cult, Squeeze, Joe Jackson, The Ramones and others.

The show ran in one form or another from 1974 to 1998. It was the ultimate show to represent New Jersey. Everyone always counts us out too. And no outsider can ever fully explain New Jersey just like they can’t ever call us underdogs out.

Floyd Vivino has been in TV shows like “Law & Order” and “Cosby,” and movies like “Goodmorning Vietnam” and “Crazy People.”

He’s done countless comedy clubs of course. Back in the 1990s he even spent some time as a guest talk host on this very radio station, NJ101.5.

So with all due respect to my Facebook friend who says Uncle Floyd should not be in the New Jersey Hall of Fame, he’s wrong. Uncle Floyd better be inducted. If the New Jersey Hall of Fame exists to show how misunderstood New Jersey can be by showcasing how many great people come from what America dismisses as its armpit, then ignoring Uncle Floyd would be antithetical to its entire existence.