Abbot Vaughan Meader (1936-2004) was born in Waterville on March 20, 1936, using Vaughn Meader as his professional name in the entertainment industry. After his father’s death he was, according to his wife, sent to a brutal children’s home in Massachusetts. Thereafter he attended several schools, including five high schools, before graduating.
Meader was best known for his portrayal of President John F. Kennedy and his extended family in his recording The First Family.
The record album developed from a comedy nightclub act and was released in November 1962. It became the fastest selling record in history, soon to be outdistance by the Beatles, selling 1.2 million copies in two weeks and 7.5 million copies in total. He released a follow-up album just months before President Kennedy’s assassination on November 22, 1963.
According to the New York Times, Meader said that was “the day I died.” He became depressed, abusing alcohol and drugs for several years before experiencing a “religious awakening” in the late 1960’s.
In the years before his death he managed a pub restaurant in Hallowell and performed as a pianist and singer, specializing in bluegrass and gospel. He was married three times, the last time to Sheila Colbath in 1984.
Meader died at his home in Auburn on October 29, 2004.
Additional resources
Fox, Margalit. “Vaughn Meader, Star as Kennedy Mimicker, Dies at 68.” New York Times. October 30, 2004, p. B15.
Meader, Vaughn. The First Family. Cadence. 1962.
Tribute to Hallowell, Maine [moving image recording]. Augusta, Me. Radio Free Maine. 2008. [Maine State Library]