Who is John Head? Saturday Night Live airs title card tribute
Over the years, one of the things that we have come to know rather well is that the late-night sketch show does do a lot of work in trying to honor some of the people who were a part of it over the years. Because we’re talking about an institution that is a good five decades long, we know that it has impacted generations of people behind the scenes, in addition to those who watched. This is one of the most tight-knit communities in the entire TV world.
John Head in particular is someone who was essential to the early days of the show, as he worked within talent acquisition back all the way in season 1. He was someone who helped get things going back when no one even knew for sure that this was going to be a worthwhile concept. It took some time for viewers to really take note, but that original cast has so much nostalgia and affection all around it. Over the years, he also worked as a producer on some other projects. (There is apparently a book out there co-authored by Head that offers up a look behind the scenes of the earlier days of the show, including some old scripts.)
There is not a good deal of information about Head’s passing online at the time of this writing, but we applaud SNL for giving him his due. We know that sometimes, people who worked on the show in the earlier years can be forgotten unless they were one of the big stars. We are pleased to say that this is not the case here.
For those unaware, these title cards will air in all subsequent airings of this particular episode — meaning that there are going to be a lot of opportunities for people out there to learn about John and what he meant to the show.
Our thoughts and condolences go out to John Head’s family and loved ones during this difficult time. (Photo: NBC.)