Herbert Jon Antoine Jr. (April 21, 1923 – January 12, 1983), known professionally as Tex Antoine, was an American weatherman on New York City television for nearly three decades. Early life and career He was born Herbert Jon Antoine Jr., in Illinois, and was raised in California and Texas. His father was Herbert Jon Antoine Sr. (1894–1972), an auto supply salesman. His mother was Bertha Campbell, and by 1930 the family was living in Los Angeles. Antoine (whose nickname "Tex" came from his growing up in Texas) first joined NBC in New York as a page in 1943, and a year later became a staff announcer for the network. He was the first announcer, beginning in 1944, for the long-running religious drama The Eternal Light. His run with the program ended in 1945. His other radio announcing credits include The Adventures of Archie Andrews and The Adventures of Frank Merriwell. The WNBT / WRCA-TV / WNBC years (1949–1966) Antoine began his weather career in 1949 on WNBT (later WRCA-TV, now WNBC), working with a cartoon sidekick known as "Uncle Wethbee" (sometimes misspelled "Uncle Weatherbee"). His theme music was "Fine and Dandy." Originally, Antoine used several records to reflect the weather of the day. ("Stormy Weather," "Let it Snow", etc.) However, all of the records but one became damaged or broken and he was left with "Fine and Dandy". The theme served him for years. According to a reminiscence by Bob Tilden, Antoine's nightly weather report "was a wonderful mix of weather, cartoon art, and storytelling. He would start his weather segment standing next to an easel covered by blank papers, and he would proceed to draw the weather systems that were pertinent to the nation and the area. As his hands drew in the lows, highs, and fronts, his voice would narrate their past and expected movements, and what their effects would be. As he filled page after page of the easel, building the map as he described each feature, he engaged his audience. He instructed the viewers about their weather, rather than just informing them of a forecast." Antoine also entertained viewers during each report by writing the temperature in large numerals on his big blank pad, then embellishing with the marker as his weather narrative proceeded until the numeral had finally become part of a whimsical cartoon illustrating some facet of the day's weather or forecast. To WABC-TV