We lost Robert W to lung cancer in 1998.
Monday, July 31, 2023
Robert W Morgan 1976
AFVN Gerry Elliott 1973,
Gerry Elliott, Alexis Wright, SGM Young at SCN c 1982
Let's see what was going on in Saigon in 1973. Here's Gerry with sports.
Chris Noel 1970
This certainly has been the biggest project. Chris is letting us hear the disks she saved from her AFRTS run. Great radio. We're up to 1970.
Friday, July 28, 2023
Kris Erik Stevens 1978
Kris Erik Stevens left Michigan to take over Chicago radio and was a star at WCFL and WLS when that really meant something. At WLS he worked with AFVN vet Gary Gears. After Chicago he went for the bigger challenge of Los Angeles and won. He was with AFRTS before and after disco. Remember disco? .
http://www.kriserikstevens.com/
Kris Erik Stevens - 1978
Thursday, July 27, 2023
Harry Newman 1987
Harry had a big career in country radio in Los Angeles KBLA, 1965-66; KBBQ, 1967-68; KLAC, 1970-84. Harry was the voice of "Cops"
Harry Newman - 1987
Wednesday, July 26, 2023
Tex Williams Show 1955
You may have heard Commander Cody and his Planet Airmen sing "Smoke That Cigarette". The original was by Tex Williams. Before leading his own group, Tex was the singer for Spade Cooley
Tuesday, July 25, 2023
Jim Pewter 1980
Don Browne has some Jim Pewter information:
To my knowledge, Jim Pewter is the only person to work overseas on AFRTS (AFKN) and then work as a show host on the RU series from the AFRTS-LA studios. The desire to work at AFRTS-LA after exposure to the disc programs at an affiliate was very strong. When my active duty at FEN was completed in January 1971. I spent a month in Los Angeles haunting the AFRTS-LA studios at North McCadden Place, trying to convince Jack Brown to hire me for a 13-week "flight" (1-55:00) on the RU. My schtick was that I would introduce PAMS and CRC jingles to the separation of program "sides" which could be used by the local affiliate. They were not impressed. What was impressive was that AFRTS-LA had a "Listen-Line" direct from AFVN Saigon, and you could listen to local AFVN programming on the building PA system. When it was 8 a.m. PST in LA it was 11 p.m. local time in Saigon; when it was 6 p.m. PST in LA it was 9 a.m. local time in Saigon.
Jim Pewter, because of his special status, worked every combination of show scheduling during his AFRTS-LA career. He was heard in series of 5-25:00, 5-30:00, 5-55:00, and 1-55:00 shows. Because of this, his show numerology was completely in disarray. As can be determined, Jim Pewter #1 was issued in RU 27-7 (January 1967).
Million Dollar memories were the Jim Pewter show. Jim was always the king of songs that you forgot to remember. From 1981, the Jim Pewter show. First couple of minutes of this transfer are rougher than I'd like, but it's worth it.
Friday, July 21, 2023
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
Andy Mansfield 1963
In 1963 it really hadn't been that long since we lost MAJ Glenn Miller during WWII. Glenn entertained the troops and cut a lot of exclusive music for AFRS and V Disc. Andy Mansfield did a five part tribute.
Tuesday, July 18, 2023
Wolfman Jack 1979
Let's revisit 1979. I was 22, in Korea and don't remember most of the year. I met Wolfman at LAX when I came Stateside. Only time I was ever totally speechless at meeting a celebrity. Play it loud!
AFN Latin Tempo 1980
1980 was HOW many years ago? Anyone know who was doing the Spanish show on AFN in 1980? Good stuff.
Roland Bynum 1973
One of the things a broadcaster strives for is a one on one sound. Roland Bynum had that down, making him perfect to tell America about opportunities in todays Air Force. Roger Carroll's company was the all-time leader in recruiting shows. It's 1973, almost Christmas and time for Soul In Motion with Roland Bynum:
Saturday, July 15, 2023
SCN Tom Kirby 1965
Tom Kirby was from Massachusetts, ended up in the Army with a stopover in Ft Huachucha them to Fort Clayton in the Canal Zone, doing radio and televison. By the 1980s Tom was a news director at a station in Minneapolis. In 1965 here's what happened on 79/1420 khz...
Friday, July 14, 2023
Joe Ferguson 1983
Joe Ferguson was one of the jocks from all over the country sharing his skills in an experiment AFRTS tried in the early 80s. He shared these shows and I'll always be grateful.
Mary Helen Barro 1980
Mary Helen in 1972 with Joe Ortiz
There's always been latin music on AFRTS. Chiquita during WWII and many others well into the 1990s. Mary Helen Barro held down the fort in the early 1980s. Here's Mary Helen, recorded off the air on AFN Frankfurt.
Mary Helen Barro - 1980
AFRTS 1977
From Torrejon, We'll hear bits and pieces from Roger Carroll, Roland Bynum, Humble Harve and more. 1977 was a big year in AFRTS history, it was the year they stopped using system cues "This is the American/Armed Forces Radio and Television Service". You'd never believe how many memos there were about that. The system cue was your warning that there was just fill music til the top of the hour. Somehow we managed to figure it out. This is great listening:
Monday, July 10, 2023
Gary Owens 1969
Gary Owens (May 10, 1936-February 12, 2015) was an American disc jockey and voice actor. His polished baritone speaking voice generally offers deadpan recitations of total nonsense, which he frequently demonstrated as the announcer on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. Owens was equally proficient in straight or silly assignments and is frequently heard in television, radio, and commercials. He is best known, aside from being the announcer on Laugh-In, for providing the voice of the titular superhero on Space Ghost. He also played himself in a cameo appearance on Space Ghost Coast to Coast in 1998. Likewise, Owens provided the voice of Roger Ramjet on The Roger Ramjet Cartoons. He was the primary voice of the over-the-air digital network Antenna TV.
We had Gary in the late 60s and it was great.
Charlie Tuna 1983
Here comes Charlie. What an amazing career, KOMA when that meant something. WMEX when that meant something. From there to Los Angeles and KHJ. Wow. In 1971 we stayed Tuna'd until 1996. Here's a memory:
Chris Noel 1967
Chris Noel with Bob Hope at the 1966 Christmas show.
Chris did a lot for us over the years. "A Date With Chris" brought memories than and now. A very interesting life.
It's a Monday on Armed Forces Radio and time for your Date With Chris
Saturday, July 8, 2023
Jingles
Thought you might like this, part of from the Totalsound jingle package. Have you ever listened to an entire, full jingle package? I'm always left with "Who thought THAT was a good idea?" and gems that made stations sound bigger. What do you think?
Friday, July 7, 2023
Steve Phillips AFRS Adak 1968
And I'll bet the weather was cold... Steve Phillips returns with another visit, 1968
Steve later went on Fort CONUS to KISN Portland. He's got of bunch a nice radio at his website RadioDiscJockey
Thursday, July 6, 2023
Kris Erik Stevens 1978
Learn something new every day, Kris didn't go to the McCadden studios:
"I had my own studios so I never worked in the building.... but hand delivered shows there for at least 5+ years in the 70’s ----American Disco and the Kris Erik Stevens show --- Bit of a blur... but great fun!"
And great shows they were.
Rebel Randall 1952
During the Korean War, Rebel Randall did "Jukebox USA" a DJ show for the troops. Her run with the network was much shorter than GI Jill or Chris Noel but it was good.
Wednesday, July 5, 2023
Tony Pigg 1971
These are fun. By 1971 "Free-form" rock stations started in many markets. In New York ABCs WPLJ sounded great and Tony Pigg was a great example.
Monday, July 3, 2023
Jubilee 1945
It's time for your jive session
The first tune is, "Rough Idea." Verne Smith (announcer), Murray McEachern (conductor), Manny Klein, Frank Wiley (trumpet), Henry Coker (trombone), Willie Smith (vocal), Bobby Hackett, Emmett Berry, Babe Russin, Bam Brown, Jack Martin, Juan Rolando, Nick Glicco, Corky Corcoran, Harry The Hipster Gibson, Lem Davis, Leo Watson, Peggy Lee, Ray Coniff, Slim Gaillard, The Jubilee All Stars, Vic Dickenson, Ernest Whitman (m. c.).
Jim Pewter 1979
Album Jim did for the USO
Jim lives the oldies. From his time with his band to AFKN, Los Angeles radio and then the worldwide network it's just really hard to describe. Fire up the grill, grab a beer and remember.
Sunday, July 2, 2023
Roger Carroll 1976
This is from the Torrejon airchecks. Wolfman finishes a show, station break and then Roger Carroll with the happy hour. Were Roger and the Wolf scheduled adjacent? That'd be odd.
It's a great listen
Wolfman Jack 1977
This is nice, Wolfman recorded off of AFN in Germany in 1977, at the end Wolfman is on voice tracks talking about USAEUR. Did all of the AFRTS-LA team record these? Howl!
It's been almost 30 years since we lost Wolf.