Thank you once again Joe Ferguson for sharing your shows with us. 1983 was a great year for me, finishing up in Panama. Quite a tour.
Sunday, June 30, 2024
Friday, June 28, 2024
John Doremus 1967
The theme is songs about movement, a seemingly straightforward idea. John would skillfully blend these songs with poetry and concepts. His shows gained popularity nationwide, particularly with major airlines, where he pioneered the production of in-flight music. A truly remarkable talent.
Paul Bottoms AFVN
About 2000-2001 a Dallas station was running a weekend feature show and ran a AFVN aircheck.
Paul Bottoms heard it and emailed. It was his show. He called in the next week and talked about AFVN.Paul sent in an aircheck of that broadcast.
Wednesday, June 26, 2024
Ira Cook 1974
He started his career at KMTR in 1938, working as a record librarian and occasionally as an announcer. A recent graduate from Stanford with a degree in basic medical science, his passion for radio began at the tender age of eight during a visit to a local station with his father. Ira, a native of Duluth, Minnesota, recounted in a detailed interview, "During World War II, at the Battle of the Bulge, we lost 10 to 15 guys from my platoon." Post-war, Ira teamed up with Frank Bull to broadcast boxing and wrestling matches from the Olympic Auditorium. Later, he became the host of Lucky Lager Dance Time on KFAC and pursued his interest in songwriting.
In a 1957 Newsweek story connected with a payola probe, Ira made the following comment about being a DJ: "It's safer than stealing, more legal than gambling, easier than loafing, and it beats working!"
Tuesday, June 25, 2024
Sunday, June 23, 2024
Charlie Tuna 1974
Charlie was very much a friend of the blog. It really was an honor when he posted this:
Charlie Tuna Having done almost 6000 shows, I never thought about saving those AFRTS vinyl discs each week, but thanks to people like Thom Whetston, I can take a walk down memory lane with digital quality, and all those shows shrunk down to CD size for storage!
Saturday, June 22, 2024
Harry Newman 1991
There's two more weeks to go on the first Gulf War and time for the Harry Newman show. Harry had a big career in country radio in Los Angeles KBLA, 1965-66; KBBQ, 1967-68; KLAC, 1970-84. Harry retired in 1995.
Wolfman Jack 1972
Roger Carroll 1967
The first time I encountered Roger Carroll's work was when he announced on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. His talent was evident throughout the show.
Roger Carroll, an ABC staff announcer, enlisted in the army during the Korean War with hopes of being stationed in Austria. Instead, the Army assigned him to McCadden Place, conveniently close to his home. This marked the beginning of a lengthy association. Roger generously shared his shows with us, allowing us to relive those moments. For this, I am deeply thankful.
Mary Turner 1985
A solitary GI yearning for a female voice found solace in Mary Turner's broadcasts, as she carried on the legacy of GI Jill, Rebel Randall, and Chris Noel, speaking directly to the hearts of the troops.
Vance Graham 1973
Vance Graham, known as Victor, had been performing for the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service since the 1950s. Originally from Utah, he relocated to California in the 1930s and emerged as a leader in the Latino community.
Herman Griffith 1972
Here's Herman with Roger Carroll, Jim Pewter, Gary Owens and the rest
In the early years of the Vietnam war there was not a lot of rock programming coming from the network. Herman Griffith played rockin soul for the "brave and bold on the Records Caravan."
Herman was at KGFJ between 1963-66 and we know little else.
Herman had helped Roland Bynum get is first big Los Angeles gig and a few years later disappeared.
During those years, Herman was on our team. I just wish I had more of these...
Thursday, June 20, 2024
Andy Mansfield - America's Popular Music - Glenn Miller
Andy continues his heartfelt tribute to MAJ Glenn Miller. It had barely been 20 years and America still felt the loss.
Tom Campbell 1971
The music was great and so was Tom Campbell. Tom was one of the greatest one on one voices and through that was very successful being the voice of several great sponsors. Tom's still around, and taking your calls...
Roland Bynum 1980
Feels like yesterday, Roland Bynum opening the Creators Workshop and the jams were heard..
Downbeat 1945
This is a great show. DJ, promoter, record guy Gene Norman tells the history of early jazz in the 1920s. Downbeat was always danceable, but this kicks.
Jim Pewter 1988
Jim Pewter
Jim was an amazing oldies jock. He was one of us at AFKN in 1965 and took Los Angeles by storm. Let's see why..
Don Tracy 1983
1983 was a great year for me, I finished up at SCN and within the year had made it onto Boston radio (part time). Don Tracy had the happy music. Rockin the world was Don Tracy!
Don Tracy 1983
Sunday, June 16, 2024
Chris Noel 1968
A pretty girl, some great music, the voice of home. Sounds simple but it's never been done like A Date With Chris. Thank you Chris Noel.
Joe Ferguson 1983
In 1983 AFRTS reached out to jocks all over the country to record series of shows for the troops. Joe Ferguson from Portland (OR) was one of the guys to contribute great shows. A while back Joe shared his shows with us. They are a bunch of fun...
Thursday, June 13, 2024
John Doremus 1967
Must be the dinner hour. John Doremus would create a mood. There were few who could really do this. John was also the one that came up with the idea for music on your airplane rides. Amazing talent.
Gene Price 1973
Gene Price has your country favorites in this 1973 memory. The world needs more silliness. Thanks Gene!
Tuesday, June 11, 2024
Your Favorite Jingles
Here's another bit from the 1969 package from Totalsound. Say everything you want to say about radio... in ten seconds.
Charlie Tuna1982
Charlie Tuna and Del Shannon
On almost everyone's lists of favorite AFRTS jocks, Charlie Tuna's name is there. Here's another example of radio consistency and perfection...
Joe Allison 1965
Here's Joe Allison with another visit to the Country Corner. The disk was misfiled, unjacketed and was crying out to be heard.
Monday, June 10, 2024
Wolfman Jack 1975
Hey another Minnesotan! Not really. Bob Smith was a New Yorker that ended up running KUXL a soul station in Minneapolis. That's where he worked out his act before working at the border blasters in Mexico. Here's a 1975 visit with Wolfman.
Roger Carroll - Lawrence Welk Radio Show
Wednesday, June 5, 2024
Mary Turner1985
And we were proud to have her. Mary started her show with us in 1982.
Mary Turner, hailed as the first lady of rock radio in Los Angeles, passed away in 2023 at the age of 76. She died at her Beverly Hills residence after a prolonged fight with cancer.
From the mid-1970s to the early 1990s, Mary Turner was the leading female air personality in contemporary music radio. She was the top-rated disc jockey at Los Angeles' iconic KMET, hosted "Off The Record," a nationally syndicated interview show by Westwood One that broadcasted on over 300 stations weekly, and led the "Mary Turner Show" on Armed Forces Radio. After departing from radio in 1994, Dr. Pattiz enrolled at UCLA, becoming a certified drug and alcohol counselor, and started her career in substance abuse treatment. She earned a Doctor of Psychology degree from the California Graduate Institute, now part of The Chicago School, in 2008. She was active in the field as a counselor and group leader, and held positions on the boards of DARE, the Musicians Assistance Program, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's COACH for Kids, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences' MusiCares, the Betty Ford Center, and the Betty Ford Institute. Dr. Pattiz was the spouse of the late Norman Pattiz, the founder and chairman of Westwood One Companies, and resides in Beverly Hills and Santa Barbara.
Herman Griffith 1967
Martha Reeves and the Vandellas "Jimmy Mack"
"Time for something for the brave and the bold, it's the Records Caravan". The music was changing. Herman made it better.
Play it loud
Tuesday, June 4, 2024
Andy Mansfield 1964
Andy Mansfield continues his 1964 tribute to MAJ Glenn Miller. It's part 14 of America's Popular Music.
Tom Campbell 1978
After his service in the United States Air Force, Campbell landed his first radio gig at KEEL in Shreveport, Louisiana, thanks to Al Hart, who would later become a renowned newscaster and radio personality in San Francisco.
Campbell's career took him to Minneapolis, Minnesota at WDGY, and to WONE in Dayton, Ohio, before he settled at KYA 1260 AM in San Francisco in 1967. He was famously generous, often lending his personal phonograph, record collection, and even his car to listeners, with the understanding that they would return them, which they invariably did.
His home and car phone numbers (indeed, he had one of the rare car phones in 1967) were listed publicly in the white and yellow pages across the Bay Area, and he welcomed calls from listeners even at his residence.
Tom Campbell hosted two programs for us: "Tom Campbell Stateside" and the more album-focused "Playback." Tom generously shared a few boxes of these from his garage. I'm deeply appreciative. Now, it's time for "Playback."
Monday, June 3, 2024
Bob Kingsley 1978
Bob Kingsley 1978
Saturday, June 1, 2024
Jim Pewter 1981
Jim Pewter has your required dose of the greatest hits of the 1960s. His feel for that music has never been matched. Easy to see how this AFKN vet could start with the network in 1967 and stay to the very end of AFRTS-LA programming.