Michael Gray and Memories of Shazam

I wanted to acknowledge the passing of Michael Gray, and how deeply the news was felt by so many, at least based on social media.It surprised me, I’ll admit. Though responses to the deaths of celebrities shouldn’t be a contest, it seemed that Gray’s passing had an impact beyond what I would have expected, and beyond what I’ve seen for actors of a more prominent stature.Maybe it appeared that way to me because most of my friends online are in my age group, so we all grew up at the same time and spent our Saturday mornings in front of the television. One of the shows we watched was Shazam! A live action superhero series that debuted in 1974 and ran for just 28 episodes. But those episodes stuck with us for a long time.For the uninitiated, Michael Gray played Billy Batson, a roving junior newscaster who traveled in a Winnebago motor home with an older companion called Mentor (Les Tremayne). They would receive messages from The Elders that someone would soon need their help and guidance.…