For over 30 years, Pace has hosted “The William Pace Show,” a variety talk show featuring local and celebrity interviews, inspirational moments and vocal performances by Pace. It’s been described as having “a Midwestern charm and a cosmopolitan flair.” The show aired on NBC, Fox and WB affiliates, as well as on local access stations in Dayton. Tape transfers from past shows are regularly uploaded to YouTube alongside new segments he continues to produce under the banner of the show.
The roots of “The William Pace Show” go back to his childhood, in a decade he meticulously chooses not to reveal. Pace would pretend to be sick so he could stay home and watch Ruth Lyons’ show, “The 50-50 Club.” Lyons was a radio pioneer and broadcaster from Cincinnati, often credited for accidentally inventing the daytime TV talk show. Pace’s playing hooky to watch the incomparable Lyons sowed the seeds for his need to perform.
At 13, Pace began his theater training in summer stock and as an actor with Theatre West, a Black theater troupe on the west side of Dayton. His parents also took him to the Living Arts Center — a federally funded, public school-supported arts program — where his creativity flourished through writing and music.
During his time at the Living Arts Center, Nancy Stokes, an opera singer, detected Pace’s penchant for performing and recognized his operatic voice. He’s a lyric baritone — stylistically reminiscent of a tenor, but with a lower range.
“There’s a photograph of me as a kid by my father’s car, and you could see all the creativity just pouring out of this little kid,” Pace said. “I see myself as a once-in-a-lifetime spirit, I really do. It’s unusual to find someone with so many different gifts.”
Modesty is not necessarily one of them.
He double-majored in voice performance and broadcast journalism at Wilberforce University. After the response he received singing as a featured guest artist in concert halls across the U.S., Pace decided to pitch the idea for “The William Pace Show” to local affiliate stations.
He describes the experience as the story of Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz”: Go get the Wicked Witch’s broomstick, the stations told him, and we’ll give you a show. The broomstick was, in essence, sponsorship, which he obtained, yet it didn’t make a difference in the affiliates’ decisions.
But William Pace stayed the course: He started a production company to produce the show himself, and opened an ad agency to represent and fund the show. From the jump, “The William Pace Show” has been a 100 percent DIY operation: He rented his own studios, hired his own camera crew and editors, and became the face and voice of the program.
The affiliates sold half-hour slots, which Pace self-funded via commercials. The first episode aired on Fox 45. When he landed the WB network, Pace was able to negotiate prime-time slots, with good lead-ins and -outs.
Pace loves stories of people overcoming great obstacles — a fascination that mirrors why “The William Pace Show” has persisted for decades. The program has blurred state borders, having accumulated sizable fan bases in Fort Worth, Texas, and Charlotte, N.C.
In the early days, Pace wanted to be a celebrity. Instead, he interviewed them: Mr. T, B.B. King, Patti Austin and Jimmie Walker were just a few famous gets among his thousands of interviews on his variety show.
“I didn’t have the banner of a station. I couldn’t say ‘I’m with WDTN,’” Pace said. “It was always on the sheer strength of my name, my salesmanship, my personality. If you can put William Pace in the junkyard, he can sell everything in the junkyard.”
Though the show aired abridged, without commercials, on DATV and other access channels, “The William Pace Show” has been commercial since day one.
Still, Pace’s show sometimes carries the awkwardness of public access television — and that awkwardness is precisely what makes it so re-watchable. His voice is undeniably operatic, but often mismatched when paired with opposing genres, like when he sang Andrew Gold’s “Thank You for Being a Friend.”
Pace has had a storied career, including a 2011 run for Dayton City Commission — another example of his desire to stay visible and engaged in his community. But through it all, he’s remained a true showman, unencumbered by criticism. Online commentators, particularly on YouTube, often pan Pace.
“When you go before the public, you’re going to have people who have an opinion of you one way or the other,” Pace said. “You just have to be strong in who you are. I know enough people like me.”
To illustrate that point, he also often receives fan mail.
His YouTube channel is currently at the tipping point of monetization.
He says he feels successful that he was able to create a body of work through the sweat of his brow and by pulling himself up by his bootstraps. He uses the program now as a way to empower others. He wants to make a difference in their lives, through the turmoil and chaos, so they can have abundance.
“The life of an artist is a double life, because many times you’re pursuing your passion, and yet sometimes your passion doesn’t always pay the bills,” he said. “I don’t plan to ever retire. I plan to keep doing the show. Sooner or later, the right people will see it.”
Quality and longevity are what Pace desires. As Diana Ross said, someone will have to pull him off the stage before he quits.
After three decades, thousands of tapes and numerous obstacles, he still shows up in front of the camera and trusts that persistence will eventually meet its moment.
“I’m just staying the course,” he says.
Brandon Berry covers the music and arts scene in Dayton and Southwest Ohio. Reach him at branberry100@gmail.com.
More info: Watch “The William Pace Show” on YouTube at youtube.com/@WilliamPaceShow.
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