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Junior Ross has played several key roles at Keith-Albee
Junior Ross, maintenance man at the Keith-Albee, has worked at the performing arts center on and off for the past 30 years. In addition to maintenance, he was manager of the theater for seven years.
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HUNTINGTON -- Junior Ross has seen and done it all when it comes to the Keith-Albee.
In his 30-plus years working at the historic theater turned performing arts center, Ross has filled popcorn buckets, fixed leaky pipes and given tours to Hollywood celebrities.
"I'll just say I've done a little bit of everything," says the 66-year-old Ross, who now fills the role of maintenance man at the Keith. "I don't mind it. I just love the Keith-Albee because it's such a nice, old building."
Ross' reserved demeanor may not allow him to admit it, but those involved with the Keith-Albee say Ross has played a key role in its restoration efforts.
When state Sen. Bob Plymale and Huntington attorney David Tyson formed the Keith-Albee Foundation three years ago with the goal of turning it into a performing arts center, they needed someone who knew the building's intricacies like the back of their hand. They soon discovered Ross was the only person who could fill the position.
"I was retired when they approached me to oversee the building," Ross said. "I was happy knowing they had thought of me. It didn't take me long to say yes, because that building feels like home to me."
Ross worked for the Hyman family, the longtime owners of the Keith-Albee and other local theaters, for almost four decades. He began working for the family in 1960 as a parking lot attendant on 3rd Avenue. Within a few years he was promoted to manage the East End Drive-In on U.S. Route 60. The drive-in theater was where Huntington Internal Medicine Group's building is now.
Ross then moved on to help with the family's three downtown theaters in the 1960s. It was at that time that he was introduced to the Keith-Albee. In addition to serving as a maintenance man, he managed the historic theater for seven years.
When asked about his fondest memories of the Keith-Albee, Ross talks about the people who kept it running for so many years.
"The Hymans cared so much about the Keith-Albee, and I was very lucky to work for them," he said. "Everyone I worked with was more like family than anything."
Ross also has seen his fair share of celebrities, the most memorable of which was Dustin Hoffman when he came to Huntington for the premiere of "Rain Man."
During the movie's premiere, Hoffman got up from his seat and approached Ross.
"He asked me if I worked at the theater and if I could give him a tour," Ross said. "I don't really know what caused him to get up in the middle of the movie and ask for a tour, but he was really nice. He was interested in the building, I guess."
When people find out Ross has worked at the Keith-Albee for more than three decades, the first question most ask him is if he thinks the building is haunted, he said. After all, Ross would know everything about paranormal activity at the Keith. To save costs on electricity, most of his day is spent roaming in the dark.
"A lot of people think it's haunted. I've even run into ladies who have gotten really spooked on their way up the stairs from using the restroom," he said. "But I've never seen or heard anything. I know every sound in that building, from running water to the sewer pipes. If I ran around scared all day, how would I be able to get any work done in the building?"
Ross said he's thrilled to be part of the Keith-Albee's rebirth as a performing arts center. But it took a long time for him to become a believer that it could be done, he said.
"I never thought I would be here this long to see it go back to the way it was when I started working here," he said. "It's great what we're doing, because Huntington really needs a place like the Keith."
Junior Ross
AGE: 66
OCCUPATION: Maintenance man at Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center
RESIDES: Barboursville
FAMILY: Wife, Eunice; five children; five grandchildren
HOBBIES: Bowling, golf
