page 3 of 4

Video technology catches Tesh in a rare blink.

To get an even more accurate measure of Tesh's depth, consider his resume. During the last decade, Tesh has worked as an anchorman, a composer, a sports commentator, an infomercial pitchman, a record label president, and even an actor. Even more than Madonna, Tesh is a post-modern Da Vinci; Camille Paglia probably writes raunchy schoolgirl love letters to him while plotting ways to off that phony goody-good Connie.

So what if much of Tesh's music sounds like the soundtrack to a not-very-good corporate slideshow? So what if he freely admits that his bosses at Entertainment Tonight have legally ensured their right to fire him in case of facial disfigurement. Or that his performance as a Klingon in Star Trek: The Next Generation failed to put him up for roles against Tom Hanks or Robert DeNiro, or even James Belushi? Has Phillip Glass ever announced Olympic gymnastics? Has Dan Rather done an infomercial? Can Robert DeNiro even carry a tune?

Clearly, Tesh is the man. The more you learn about him, the more fascinating he becomes. At 43 years old, he seems to be just hitting his stride. In the last two years, he has released a handful of new CDs, doggedly promoted his Live at Red Rocks videotape extravaganza via a vast network of small-town PBS stations, and embarked on several other media-related projects...all while performing his Entertainment Tonight duties with his usual friendly-robot professionalism.

What does the future hold for Tesh? Who can predict in which arena this entertainment visionary will next set foot? Perhaps TeshWear, a line of expertly tailored blazers in bright Disneyland guard-uniform colors, like the kind the guys in his band at Red Rocks were sporting. Or maybe a career in politics. After all, wasn't Ronald Reagan--in his pre-politico years as a sports announcer, mediocre actor, and RCA pitchman--the Tesh of his times?