ENTERTAINMENT THE HO-HO MAN S omewhere between New York's Lower East Side and the long climb to stardom, the metamorphosis was complete. Little Aaron Chwatt, who once sang on street corners for pennies, can today stare fondly at his shining star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, pro- claiming his success and his adopted name: Red Buttons. Not bad for a Jewish kid from the ghetto who's been honored with the City of Hope's "Spirit of Life" Award, the Eddie Cantor Foundation's "Suzie" Award, the California Friar's Club "Lifetime Achievement" Award, and the Junior Achievement Award "for his contributions to all causes." He never dreamed of such prestigious accolades, but Buttons says he always knew he'd end up in show business. The self-proclaimed "show-off" simply had to. "It was always with me," he claim- ed during a recent telephone inter- view from his home in Bel Air, Calif. "I think some people are just born with a calling, a talent, some gift they have to share with others. My mother told me that when I was only two years old, I would jump on the table and begin singing the popular Jewish songs of the day for anyone who walk- ed in the house." To this day, Buttons credits his parents, Sophie and Michael, for the encouragement and love that was necessary to propel him toward suc- cess. "My parents were always very proud of me," he recalled fondly. "My father was the one who signed me up to sing in choirs. I sang in the famous Cooperman's choir for three years with the greatest cantor we ever had, Cantor Joseph `Yussele" Rosenblatt. Later, when I entered every amateur contest I could find, it was my mother Red Buttons' famous TV trademark came out of his synagogue experiences RITA CHARLESTON Special to The Jewish News who would sew little costumes for me, then sit in the audience and tap peo- ple on the shoulder saying, 'That's my son!' " Buttons claims in addition to his singing abilities, his flair for comedy flourished at a very early age as well. "I was a funny kid in school. I clown- ed around a lot. I think I got a wonderful sense of humor from my father's side mostly. He loved to sing, loved to dance, loved to clown around. And I think I got the other — the emo- tional, more dramatic side of my per- sonality — from my mother. She was that kind of person, although she did have a wry sense of humor." - As a young boy, Buttons was nicknamed "Irish" because of his red hair, blue eyes and a bright green sweater which he wore in his public graduation picture. He acquired his more famous stage name when, at the age of 16, he auditioned for and got the job as an entertaining bellhop at a tavern called Ryan's in City Island, N.Y. The red hair and the bellhop's uniform with all those buttons in- spired Dinty Moore, a popular or- chestra leader of the day, to call the boy "Red Buttons." That summer, Buttons worked his first job in the Catskill Mountains for $1.50 a week plus room and board. Four years later, in 1939, he went to work for Minsky. As the youngest burlesque comedian in the business, he billed himself as the "Only Burles- que Comedian With All His Own Teeth." In 1941, Jose Ferrer plucked But- tons out of burlesque, for his first Broadway show, The Admiral Had A Wife. The show was supposed to open on Dec. 8, 1941, but it never did. The show was a farce about Pearl Harbor. In 1942, however, Buttons did ap- pear on Broadway in Vicki. He also GOING PLACES WEEK OF SEPT. 25-OCT. 1 SPECIAL EVENTS UNIQUE ARTS FESTIVAL University Cultural Center, Wayne State University, Detroit, mimes, acrobats, jugglers, musicians, and dancers, today through Sunday, 336-1518. MICHIGAN RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL Dixie Highway between Pontiac and Flint, one mile north of Mt. Holly, Inc., Holly, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday admission, 645-9640. CHILDREN PEANUT BUTTER PLAYERS Austin Hall, 18000 E. Warren, Detroit, Pinocchio, lunch at noon, 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, admission, 559-6PBP. MUSIC DETROIT SYMPHONY Ford Auditorium, Detroit, Detroit Symphony Chorus, 8 p.m. Thursday, admission, 567-1400. DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit, Brunch With Bach, 10 and 11:30 a.m. Sunday, admission, 832-2730. FOLKTOWN Parks and Recreation building, Southfield Civic Center, Bob Brozman, 8 p.m. Saturday, admission, 855-9848. UNIVERSITY MUSICAL SOCIETY University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Hill Auditorium, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Andre Previn Quartet, 8 p.m. Monday, admission, 764-2538. LYRIC CHAMBER ENSEMBLE Great Gallery, Edsel and Eleanor Ford House, 1100 Lakeshore Dr., Grosse Pointe, Beethoven trios, concert, 3:30 p.m. Sunday, admission, 357-1111. DETROIT CHAMBER WINDS Wallace Smith Theatre, Farmington Hills, concert, 8 p.m. today, admission, 851-8329.