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Mary Helen Barro invites you to a Friday fiesta!
Friday, January 31, 2025
Charlie Tuna 1982
Joe Allison 1969
Joe Allison is back with another hour of your country favorites. Hello Dottie West...
Thursday, January 30, 2025
Wolfman Jack 1972
Your weekend howls with Wolfman Jack.
In 1972 the Air Force had Wolf magic... I remember these, making the military much cooler.
Roger Carroll 1968
Roger Carroll at the Hollywood Palladium
It's the best sounds in town! Here's Roger Carroll with some 1968 fun. Busy times, AFRTS show, KMPC, CBS and I'm sure a bunch of agency work. Nice...
Hear RC and the Happy Hour every morning at 7am Pacific 10am Eastern
Mary Turner 1985
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.
Tuesday, January 28, 2025
Command Performance 1942
How do you come up with words for something like this? In 1942 the US radio networks and all of the stars of radio and movies cooperated to make the biggest variety show ever, Command Performance. The program continued well into 1951. The wartime shows in particular were a big deal.
Here's how it all began:
Herman Griffith 1967
Jim Pewter, Herman Griffith and Roger Carroll
Herman brought rock and soul to the troops. These are great!
Hear Herman Griffith every day at 3pm (Central) on www.mybestsounds.com
Herman Griffith 1967
Turn Back the Clock 1958
Andy and Virginia Mansfield brought their brand of oldies to NBC and shortly around that time to AFRTS.
Monday, January 27, 2025
Tom Campbell 1971
Tom Campbell is a rockin. It's still really early in his AFRTS run. he's got the grrove.
Roland Bynum 1980
It seems like yesterday. Great music and wonderful talent. Here's a 1980 visit to the Creators Workshop.
Sunday, January 26, 2025
Bill Stewart 1969
Amazing talent from KMPC
Don Browne has some insights: Not all AFRTS-LA radio show hosts methodically recorded their programs at the beginning of the RU 8-week cycle-to-air. Of course, all AFRTS stations and networks held the RU "on the floor" for an additional 3-weeks as a protection for four-class mail delays enroute. The only exception was AFVN in Saigon, RVN who aired the RU and RP ("Date With Chris") the week that it was received. Saigon had daily flights from Travis AFB, CA and didn't have to worry about delay in four-class mail deliveries.
Bill Stewart, and a few other hosts, recorded and stored their shows at AFRTS-LA for four to six months prior to air. Although the programming was 5-55:00 at the beginning, it was considered "ever green" by the LA producers. Bill Stewart never mentioned "it's the Monday edition" or "it's the Tuesday edition" the way Roger Carroll did for his 5-55:00 series. I believe this was due to the inordinate delay in recording the Bill Stewart Shows. He just didn't know what day the show was to be aired!
When Bill Stewart says "this song is a new release", it really isn't. . .it's four to six months old!
Because of the long "lead-time" in recording the Bill Stewart Shows (at the request of Bill himself), I reviewed and logged a year of the Bill Stewart Show to determine if there was a detrimental effect on the program. This took about two weeks of auditioning the pristine discs in the Library of Congress. I saved the "Bill Stewart logs" when I retired from AFRTS in January 2001.
Bill Stewart is back for another swinging hour. It's a little jumpy near the beginning but it fills the Bill..
Don Tracy 1980
The weekend came blasting like a freight train. Here's Don Tracy, making a Friday rock..
Thursday, January 23, 2025
Cousin Brucie for Vietnam
In 1969 the Coca-Cola company asked some very bigtime jocks to record shows for the troops, which were distributed on LP. The Real Don Steele did one. Hy Litt did one Here's the one that Cousin Brucie did..
AFVN Cousin Brucie
The series was not documented. What I know for a fact is that the Don Steele one showed up on eBay last year and went for top dollar. I've heard rumors that AFVN ran some of them on the air. I can't confirm that.
The series was not documented. What I know for a fact is that the Don Steele one showed up on eBay last year and went for top dollar. I've heard rumors that AFVN ran some of them on the air. I can't confirm that.
Sunday, January 19, 2025
Chris Noel 1969
Chris Noel has memories on "A Date With Chris"
Don Browne has details "Date" was started expressly for the Vietnam War to counter AM broadcasting from "Hanoi Hanna". The first show with Chris Noel was aired 12 December 1966, 5-55:00, RP 23-7. As the Vietnam War began to wind down in 1969, the last AFRTS 13-week "flight" of 5-55:00 was 14-0 to 26-0 (Oct - Nov - Dec 1969). "Date" was demoted to "flights" of 1-55:00 and the last-ever Date With Chris AFRTS 13-week "flight" was 27-1 to 38-1 (Jan - Feb - Mar 1971).
Friday, January 17, 2025
Gene Price 1973
When I arrived in Panama and was settled into the temporary quarters in 1980 there was Gene Price. Gene and Leonard had a long run on the network. Gene followed fellow KFOX vet Charlie Williams as one of the AFRTS country voices and truly made the show his own.
Thursday, January 16, 2025
Charlie Tuna 1983
In 2017 a friend of mine was visiting family in Duluth MN. I was texted "Charlie Tuna's on the radio up here!!!" Charlie had a syndicated show heard from coast to coast (through Black Card).
Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Harry Newman 1980
Harry always told the story of the music. Harry was on the air in southern California for 30 years including KBLA, KBBQ and KLAC.
Wolfman Jack 1977
Ladies and gentlemen, Wolfman Jack would like you to join the Air Force. This guy could SELL. It's an amazing skill at that level.
Roger Carroll 1961
RC circa 1960 with music director Julie Rizzo
It's a jazzy get together with Roger Carroll. It's fun to listen to shows evolve over the years. Roger always a solid talent. Almost two weeks without the Happy Hour? Never again.
Mary Turner 1985
Mary Turner rocks. But after winning at that, she made the world better as a psychologist and philanthropist.
Sunday, January 12, 2025
Vance Graham 1974
Victor was Vance Graham. Vance had entered Los Angeles radio in the 1930s and found his greatest success as a spanish DJ. Bolero Time was heard on multiple stations and recorded for AFRTS well into the 1970s.
Herman Griffith 1968
Jim Pewter, Herman and Roger Carroll
Herman was the first of the really great soul jocks at AFRTS. He was making waves at KGFJ and went worldwide. Herman was the one that brought Roland Bynum in..
1968 was great year for music. Take a listen:
America's Popular Music 1061
Andy and Virginia Mansfield
Andy did a bunch of shows, starting with Turn Back the Clock, America's Popular Music. I wouldn't surprise me if there were others. It's a great look at the earliest popular music.
Friday, January 10, 2025
This Is The Story 1948
"This is the Story" was a repackaging of anthology shows, sometimes newly recorded with a positive, patriotic theme.
In 1948 Ida Lupino starred in Hallmark Playhouse. December 9, 1948. CBS net. "Woman With A Sword". How a woman helped Abe Lincoln to win the Civil War. Ida Lupino, Gerald Mohr, James Hilton (host), Frank Goss (announcer). Wonderful story. AFRS repackaged it as "This Is The Story"
Roland Bynum 1977
It's a wonderful Wednesday, brought to by Roland. I was at AFKN, Camp Casey. Good Times!
Thursday, January 9, 2025
Jazzbo Collins 1967
Al "Jazzbo" Collins was doing a show for us in 1967. Neat feel. Big talent from the Purple Grotto..
Jim Pewter 1967
Jim Pewter had pretty much just gotten back from AFKN and scored a deal on McCadden Ave. The music was great!
Wednesday, January 8, 2025
Don Tracy 1980
Don Tracy now!
The weekend is coming up. You can be sure because it's time for a Don Tracy Friday show. He always kicked it up to get us ready. Don has some projects in the works. Hope to hear from him soon.
Chris Noel 1969
Chris Noel has your Date With Chris. It's 1969, a Thursday show and the weekend starts a lot nicer.
Tuesday, January 7, 2025
AFN Teen Thirty 1965
The Frankfurt American High School started a radio club amongst students who were interested, and we produced and aired a weekly radio program on AFN Frankfurt. I believe the first year was the 1961-62 school year and they would bus us from the school out to the castle in Hochst where the studios were located, and we would record the program. I believe it aired on the weekend. There was music, school activities news and sports news. The first faculty adviser to the radio club was the speech and drama teacher, Catherine Rotter and she was great fun.
In the castle along with the studios, there also were barracks and an AFN club with a bar and pub food. My senior year, 62-63 I was the president of the club.
Imagine the effect on an impressionable teen, interested in learning something about radio. Having the opportunity to go to a real life castle with big gates and real turrets too was an amazing experience. And then, throw in studios just stuffed with all this nifty Grundig and Telefunken broadcast gear and all the AFN pro’s we got to work with. I was hooked!
Little did I know I would never work in another radio station that had its own bar complete with pub food; =) Or one that had a turret either.
Regards,
Joe
Gene Price 1990
Saturday, January 4, 2025
Ira Cook 1965
KMPCs Ira Cook REALLY enjoyed his Hawaiian music, dropping one in wherever he could. He was a big piece of its 196os popularity. Here's a 1965 visit. Ira was with us well into the 80s, we lost him in 2007.
Mary Helen Barro 1983
Let's pause for a little break con la musica mas buena in el mundo. Mary Helen Barro brought latin music worldwide over AFRTS. Here's a 1983 visit.
Friday, January 3, 2025
Charlie Tuna 1984
Greatest (disk) jockey
Wolfman Jack 1976
Wolfman MC for ELO 1974
Here's our old friend Wolfman Jack with a 1976 memory. I met him at LAX around that timeframe. Great guy, only time I was just dumbfounded starstuck.
Roger Carroll 1972
There must be a story on this...
Roger has the first half of a Happy Hour from 1972. He has found even more shows and it's going to be great listening. I know what I want for Christmas!
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