Memorial Day
May 29, 2017
by Rollye James
and
Claude Hall
Rollye: “There are not too many radio stations where the above sign could hang with
credibility. I’m sure you can laugh out loud envisioning it above the control room door in
more than a few places you’ve worked. But there are a handful of stations that live up to that
message. Undoubtedly CHUM in Toronto is one of them.
Warren Cosford shared a great site, chock full
of memories for anyone who listened to CHUM,
where the lineup of standout personalities
occasionally featured stateside giants like
Jack Armstrong. Check out CHUMtribute.com.”
Shotgun Tom: “At the Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters luncheon we salute celebrities in the
Television, Radio, Motion Pictures and recording business. This last Friday we saluted
Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. On the Dais was, Lou Gossett Junior, Joan Van Ark,
Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Kathy Ireland, Pat Boone and Wink Martindale.
(L to R) "Shotgun Tom" Kelly, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr.
along with Stevie Wonder's brother Milton Hardaway
“Our next lunch is on June 16th and we are going to salute National sportscaster Al Michaels.
If you're in broadcasting the record business, movies or any media and would like to join the
Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters all that is required is that you have at least 10 years in the
business. If that's you, you're eligible to join us at these wonderful luncheons and meet the
celebrities. Contact Shotgun Tom Kelly here and I'll send you an application.”
Shotgun Tom with Regis Philbin who was honored in 2017
Shotgun Tom with Vin Scully who was honored in 2014
Rollye: “Got a flurry of emails from Timmy Manocheo. The first one was a forward from
Jeffery Leonard reminding you that we’re just two weeks away from the Summer Radio
Reunion Lunch in Southern California. As usual, it will be at Fuddruckers in Burbank.
Saturday June 10th from 11 to 3. Jeffrey would like an RSVP if you’re attending so he can
give the restaurant a head-count. Email him here.
“Timmy also sent links to the news that Gregg Allman passed. Quite a colorful life Allman
had. It’s amazing he made it to almost 70. But that doesn’t lessen the grief of those close to
him. I was a fan of the Allmans' first album, when they were Hour Glass, on Liberty in 1967.
I remember Danny Alvino giving me a copy. I had no idea what that motley collection of
musicians on the cover might sound like, but it was evident they liked R&B. It was not the
covers that grabbed my attention. What got to me was the two minute song that led side one:
Out Of The Night, which doesn’t even rate a mention in the liner notes that accompanied the
CD reissue. I still play it on KJAA. (Interestingly, it was co-written by Bob Welch during his
soul days, a decade before Fleetwood Mac, when he was in The Seven Souls, replacing record
exec. Ray Tusken. I play The Seven Souls’ “I Still Love You,” too. But I digress.) No shortage
of Gregg Allman obits online. There’s a brief one on the official GreggAllman.com site, the
“Timmy also sent word that Rodney is Off the ‘Roq. Rodney Bingenheimer who had been
Rodney on the 'Roq at KROQ since 1976 has been told his services are no longer needed. But
unlike most unceremonial firings, Bingenheimer was told beforehand. His last show will be
Sunday June 5th Mid-3A. It’s easy blame the CBS - Entercom deal for this (and other recent
firings, and those to come). But regardless of reason, it’s not the end of Bingenheimer— at
least not if Rodney has anything to say about it. Here is what he said in the Orange County
Register story.
“And I heard from former KYA San Francisco personality Carol Ford with the sad, but at 95
years old, not totally surprising, news of the passing of Ken Ackerman, who was heard on
KCBS there from the 40s until 1995. Ackerman’s voice was perfect for the overnight ‘Music
Til Dawn’ program that he hosted from 1958 until 1970. Among his fans was Alfred
Hitchcock who not only cast him in “The Birds” but also did liners for Ackerman's show.
With KCBS’ switch to all news, Ackerman made a seamless transition from disc jockey to
newsman in 1970. If you did any time in the Bay Area, the voice, if not the name, will be
instantly familiar to you. The Ben Fong-Torres obit is here.
“Just as I was putting this column together Sunday evening, I was surprised to realize that I
hadn’t heard from Joey Reynolds. While I was mulling over the meaning of that, 11 emails
from Joey came in, just a few hours before his Sunday Night Live show began. Seems Joey
had a great time Friday night with Frankie Valli.”
Joey & Frankie
Joey Reynolds: “Looks like I am holding Frankie up. I wore him out telling Trump and the
Pope jokes. The tour was sponsored by Pope si Cola.”
Joey and Frankie Valli’s girlfriend Frannie
Producer, Arranger, Conductor, Writer Charlie Calello and radio impresario Bill Hennes
Joey with Robbie Robertson
Joey Reynolds: “The magic music man behind the Jersey boy. The only guy I ever met in the
music business that had one job in 38 years I had 38 jobs in one year. Did I send you this
picture from the dedication of the new space at WABC?”
Cecil Fielder & Tom Joyner in the new WABC studios
Rollye: “Joey also sent a shot of the ‘new rules’…”
New Studio. New Rules.
Rollye: “Every time I see something like this I have to wonder… ‘Exactly what incident
caused the making of that rule?!’ Any idea, Joey?”
Bob Sherwood (to Johnny Holliday on his nomination for the National Radio Hall of Fame):
“Johnny, I’m absolutely STUNNED to discover that you’re not already in there !....just based
on your work at KYA alone! And then there was Cleveland, NYC, Miami et al. The Hall must
be run by the same group of incompetents who run the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame. Any event,
congratulations!
Claude Hall: “ Gang, My opinion of Max Brand just improved. His short stories lacked
something until yesterday I read "Honor Bright" which was published in Cosmopolitan back in
1948. Great story. Compares with anything by Hemingway. Not quite Chekov, but who was?
I was so impressed with "Honor Bright" that I read it twice and parts of it three and four
times! It was in an eBook collection from Amazon/Kindle titled "Fourteen Dead Men." 99
cents. [Here’s a link to it.]
“I’ve gone back and added a paragraph or so to the article at the end of my "Popsie" collection,
which I hope to install tomorrow with Kindle Books. My thanks to all of you. Been great to
know you!”
Rollye: “It’s safe to say that the 'great to know you' sentiments are returned to Claude Hall by
every one of us. As I’ve told him, he not only wrote about us, he wrote amongst us. I can’t
think of anyone before Claude Hall who made his column a must-read. Billboard never
appreciated that. Heck, they never knew it. Circulation was the same. But the difference was
that instead of Billboard landing on the reception area coffee table, it was grabbed by the PD
who ran back to his office to read every word. Management never realized it, but advertisers
undoubtedly knew. So did all of us, and in an era of expensive long distance calls and nothing
remotely akin to the ease of email, it meant more to us than even Claude could have known.”
Neil Ross: “Rollye, hope your medical issues are speedily resolving themselves. We’re all
good here, which seems like something of a miracle in view of past misbehavior (although I
must confess to having spent the last 20 years trying to make up for it). Thought you might be
interested in this. haven’t read the book yet (full disclosure: I’m in it). I hope she did a good
job.”
Click on it for a good price from Amazon.
Rollye: “That’s LinDee Rochelle’s second book covering the 1960s, chronicling disc jockeys
from back in the day. She’s ultimately going for a trilogy. The third will be dealing with the
‘70s. Her first work dealt with jocks from ’54 through ’59:”
Click on it for a good price from Amazon
Macey Lipman: “Nice day! Thank you for the wonderful article on the show. Wish you were
there. The first person to arrive was none other than Don Graham. Love your newsletter.”
Claude Hall: “For those of you who aren’t aware, Macey Lipman turned from the record
business to the world of art and has become damned good at it. It’s a great pleasure to see how
some in the music and radio industries have meandered into other creative genres. Rochelle
Staab, first lady to my knowledge to be named a national program director, has been writing
and has had at least two mystery novels published. Jay Lawrence, well known personality in
Arizona radio, got into politics. Jack Hakim (remember him?) became a mayor in Bullhead
City, AZ. Jack McCoy, program director at KCBQ in San Diego, got into the boat business.
Bet Rollye James knows of many other such metamorphosings.
“Hall medical update: Spent four days in Desert Springs in Las Vegas. Doctors drained about
three liters of gop from my lungs. I remember when they used to do much the same thing from
Larry Shannon of Radio Daily News. Funny how stuff comes around.
“Writing update: Back to work now on “Anasazi” (working title). Realized that I’d better
place a radio personality in it as a character. Met Red McIlvane once. For a while he was
fairly big here in Las Vegas. Yes, I know the tale of his firing from KMPC in Los Angeles.”
Mel Phillips: “I thank you both for all the press you gave me on the 50th WRKO Anniversary
Weekend, June 2 - 4, 2017. This will be my last post of the events of that weekend. In addition
to having Art Vuolo video taping, we will have Cheryl Knapp (Chuck's wife) taking stills.
There will be many shots to share with you and your readers. You should both know how much
attention you brought to a very special radio event and how much you boosted our attendance.
Also know that I will continue to share radio photos taken throughout the years and continue to
comment on your weekly posts. Billboard was never this good. Love you guys.
“The big weekend is here. Everything is in place for the WRKO 50th Anniversary Weekend
June 2 - 4, 2017. This is the last update so please pay attention to the timeline of events that
follows. I am so looking forward to celebrating with everyone at what promises to be one of
the biggest radio events in recent Boston history:
“Friday, June 2, 2017:
WRKO 50th Anniversary Dinner (w/cash bar from 6pm to 10pm). Dress is business casual.
Dinner will be served promptly at 7pm in the Charles Ballroom of the Crowne Plaza in
Newton, following introduction of guests seated at the dais. Dinner will be followed by dessert,
coffee or tea. Emcee Jordan Rich (photo above left) will then be introduced. Jordan (ex
WRKO, WBZ, etc.) will conduct his famous walk around with portable mic in hand. Art
Vuolo (photo above right) will be taping the dinner for inclusion into the National Radio
Hall Of Fame...
“Saturday, June 3, 2017:
A 4-hour tribute (7pm - 11pm) to WRKO with 5 members of the original NOW CROWD (Al
Gates, Joel Cash, J.J. Jeffrey, Chuck Knapp & Arnie Ginsburg, seen above left to
right) playing the hits from the Top 100 of 1967 using the original WRKO jingles. Live
broadcast will be aired on WRKO-AM (& Streaming) and Backbone Networks/Bay State
College (Streaming) produced by George Capalbo, Jeff Lawrence (both seen below) &
Chuck Knapp.
“See you all on June 2, 2017.”
Mel Phillips
Rollye: “If you can’t be there and want to see it live, here’s the link for Backbone. Claude and
I will be there in spirit, and I hope if you spent any time at WRKO, you’ll be there in person.
I’m holding Mel to his promise of pictures. I think we’ll have no trouble hearing from him for
the next year each week just with a recap. But if you’d like to fill the reunion void, how about
planning one for your favorite station? We’ll do our part in promoting it.
“Happy Memorial Day!”
