The Midwest might be able to claim him, but the world owns him. Danny “Hollywood” Clisham of Ann Arbor, Michigan, has been dazzling airshow audiences at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh and throughout the country for six decades.
Danny always feels right at home for whatever the announcing assignment, from play-by-play describing airshow acts, and interviewing performers, or as a master of ceremonies and presenting awards at the annual convention of the International Council of Air Shows (ICAS), or at Living Legends of Aviation featuring Hollywood celebrity pilots such as John Travolta, Morgan Freeman, Harrison Ford, and Kirk Russell, and aviation celebrities Patty Wagstaff, Sean Tucker, Mark Baker, and Danny himself. The 22nd Annual Legends of Aviation® Awards ceremonies was held April 25, 2025, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., and as usual, Danny was the emcee!
Danny soloed in 1961, and shortly after high school, he received his private pilot certificate. He landed his first airline job in 1965, the same month he started announcing airshows, all within 30 days! Danny retired as a captain with American Airlines due to federal mandatory age restrictions, but has no plans to stop announcing airshows.
During his career, Danny added aviation stunt coordinator for movies and television to his resume, as well as test pilot for Evergreen International to convert a Boeing 747 into an aerial firefighter that could drop retardant on forest fires. Unfortunately, Evergreen International could never secure a contract with the National Forest Service and the program was first sold, then discontinued.
Nurtured by many friends and relatives in aviation, including his uncle Jim Mynning, and friends Bill Barber, Eddie “The Grip” Green, and Bob Barden, Danny learned the meaning of showmanship and skill as both an announcer, pilot, and stuntman.
With a flair for showmanship, and an electrifying and dramatic voice that not only excites spectators, but educates them, Danny’s focus is on his customer, the spectator. He wants them to enjoy the show, learn something about flying, and keep coming back wanting more!
“Shiny, fast and loud. Those are the basics of an air show,” says Danny. “And it applies to acts in the air and on the ground. The shows that follow that old entertainment axiom and ‘give the people what they want’ are the most successful. Air shows that listen to and survey the fans and then adapt to what they want are successful.
There have been many excellent big-name announcers over the years who made their living announcing air shows. Watching these professionals work separately and together is showmanship at its best! When you are working among the best, it is a mutual admiration club, not jealously.
While at an air show in Elkins, West Virginia in 1965, Danny filled in to announce the show when the local television personality realized he wasn’t qualified and handed him the microphone, never to be seen at airshows again. Many communities just starting out and on a tough budget unknowingly make the mistake of hiring the local radio or television personality to announce their show. That person might be a private pilot but knows nothing about air shows and air show performers. They think they can announce the show because they have a great voice and notoriety in the community, only to realize later, the job requires knowledge of performers and their routines. With no notes, Danny had to rely totally on his background, and whatever pieces of paper were laying around the announcer stand with notes. Today, Danny carries with him a folder filled with performer bios, descriptions of aircraft, and schematics of each performer’s routine, so he is prepared.
“I’m the biggest kid in the spectator area. I love being in on the surprise and the excitement we are providing the crowd,” he said. “And when I hear the crowd respond with applause and cheering, I know they’ve felt the thrill of a good show – and we (myself and the performers) have done our job. “And there is nothing better than spontaneous applause. That is pure joy, and the crowd is responding favorably to what we’ve done.”
The air show entertainment industry has recognized Danny’s excellence and longevity. He is the only announcer to have been inducted into the Air Show Hall of Fame sponsored by the International Council of Air Shows (ICAS) Foundation, and has received the ICAS Sword of Excellence, ICAS Art Scholl Showmanship Award, and Bill Barber Award for Showmanship.
For additional information visit http://dannyclisham.com/
