Arguably since the death of actor Tony Randall, there are no mainstream American raconteurs anymore. If you’re unfamiliar with the term raconteur, shame on you if you’re an American because this country turned out some of the greatest raconteurs ever, from Mark Twain and Will Rogers to Fred Allen and Orson Welles and Tony Randall. [...]
Hm, yes, but Bill Cosby often ends up with an agenda, these days. I pass no judgment on whether he's right or wrong, but a good raconteur can leaves no wake.