2004 HALL OF FAME Peter McLean -- Industry Finds McLean

In the process, McLean forges a number of close industry ties, including Diane Romano, president of AGT-Seven. Romano soon found McLean to be a little off center, in a good way, and 25 years later she still holds him in high regard.

"Peter is a jokester," she says. "In the middle of a serious conversation, he will say something totally outrageous and disarming that totally catches you off guard. It took me about a year to not let him catch me. Now he can say outrageous and totally disarming things, and I make believe like I didn't hear it. I've been in the industry a very long time, and Peter just happens to be one of my favorite people."