| Author | Message | ||
  Chancellor of Soul (harlem_144) 5-Doyen Username: harlem_144 Post Number: 198 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 66.207.40.18 |
Hey SDer's ! No matter what city, country or town or any part of the world, what was your favorite radio station growing up ??? Can you name some of the songs that the dee jays played that made you run straight to the record store and purchase that song ?? Name the call letters and the location of that station, in your hometown. You can also name your favorite dee jay and tell why as well. Peace, Mike Boone (Chancellor of Soul) chancellorofsoul.com | ||
soulseeker (soulseeker) 3-Pundit Username: soulseeker Post Number: 31 Registered: 7-2004 Posted From: 192.94.3.10 |
We had two am soul stations growing up in St. Louis. One was really popular (KATZ) and the other wasn't. I can't remember how old I was but I remember the not so popular station had a request hour. I used to call up and request Black Ivory every night over and over again because nobody else was calling, LOL! Oh the memories. | ||
Soul Sister (soul_sister) 6-Zenith Username: soul_sister Post Number: 1193 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 65.43.165.74 |
Hey Mike! Good to see or hear more of you!! WWRL-DJ Frankie Crocker WNJR-DJ Hal Jackson Were the best in N.Y.-N.J. area as you well know  !! SoulstillmissingthemSister | ||
Catdaddy (catdaddy) 3-Pundit Username: catdaddy Post Number: 31 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 66.72.101.96 |
There were a number of stations in Chicago geared to African-Americans in the '60s, with the most popular being WVON. But the station I listened to the most was a small, 1000 watt daytimer, WMPP. The people I remember most on that station were "JJ the DJ" (man, I wish I could remember his real name), and political activist Lu Palmer, who had a daily commentary on issues of importance to the 'hood (Lu is still alive and well, last I heard). The thing I remember most is that the jocks back then would interject their comments all throughout the songs. There would never be a tune that would play all the way through. There would always be at least 5 or 6 well placed ad-libs by the jock. It was hilarious! No one could get away with that today!! The late '60s and early '70 was dominated by WGRT, later to be called WJPC after Johnson Publishing bought it. That was where we in Chicago first heard Tom Joyner. | ||
Chancellor of Soul (harlem_144) 5-Doyen Username: harlem_144 Post Number: 199 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 66.207.40.18 |
Hey Soul Sister ! You ain't never lied about those two ! Take care, Mike Boone (Chancellor of Soul) chancellorofsoul.com | ||
Destruction (destruction) 5-Doyen Username: destruction Post Number: 260 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 199.173.224.2 |
From Baltimore in the 60's: W-E-B-B That's the station for me 1-3-6-0 On your Radio.... Also WWIN - 1400 (converted to soul around 63) WSID - 1010 My fave DJ's were Hot Rod, Kelson "Chop Chop" Fisher and Fat Daddy (of the Xmas song, 'I'm Fat Daddy' fame). Later in the early 70's, Anthony used to come on late at night and play songs that had a more album and FM vibe like Wanda Robinson over Black Ivory or Down By the River by Buddy Miles. He also used to do his own "talks" over certain songs. One of my fondest memories is of them describing all of the wonderful shows that were coming to town soon at places like the Civic Center and Carrs Beach, ending with: I want to see your face in the place Your feet under your seat And your smile as you Walk down the aisle.... Workout. And there was also a station out of Annapolis that only broadcast Soul in the evenings. I think it was WITH 1230. I remember that I had to turn the radio on the side to pick it up, but it was worth it because they played songs not normally heard on the Big Baltimore stations. The DJ's name started with an 'H'. Hoppy something? We also had 2 local dance shows: Buddy Deane - The model for the movie Hairspray and later, Kirby Scott. nuff 4 now....gotta run the poopers to the "liberry" | ||
Kev-Lo (7273747576) 5-Doyen Username: 7273747576 Post Number: 188 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 4.236.117.69 |
Hi this Kev-Lo yes chancellor we had some great radio stations all over the country in the 50's,60's,and 70's.You know what our stations was WWRL and WLIB were two of New York's biggest stations in the 60's and 70's. Great Dis jockies like THE CHEIF ROCKER FRANKIE CROCKER(WWRL) ROCKY G.(WWRL) HAL AKENS(WWRL) THE DIXIE DRIFTER(WWRL) gave us New Yorker's the best soul music ever. Hey soul sister what's happenning do you remember that great station in New Jersey WNJR.That was also a superbad station along with New York that made the NY,NJ connection dynomite and soulful | ||
Chi Drummer (chidrummer) 4-Laureate Username: chidrummer Post Number: 86 Registered: 5-2004 Posted From: 24.15.230.44 |
Who could forget Lu's Notebook? But, even as a kid I wanted to strangle those jocks on WMPP! I was very happy when WGRT showed up. Even better when WBMX (now 'VAZ) started on the FM band in stereo. One jock I miss alot is Bob Wall. Is Irene Mojica still on the air somewhere? Finally, I've got to mention Herb Kent (the cool gent). Still going strong after all these years. In Cincinnati it had to be WCIN with Chaunston Brown in the over night slot. | ||
Moe (moe) 5-Doyen Username: moe Post Number: 219 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 63.145.195.140 |
This is easy- WAMO in Pittsburgh (forget the call leters) Porky CHedwick"the daddio of the raddio" There were quite a few songs but the one I remember he most was "Knock on Wood" by Eddie Floyd-went & bought i right away! If Magyr Ed & his brother Chuck K is out there reading this, they know what a legend Porky is! | ||
Ron Murphy (ron_murphy) 4-Laureate Username: ron_murphy Post Number: 112 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.42.90.140 |
from Detroit-2 soul stations WJLB (1400) and WCHB(1440) on WJLB in the early 50's was Rockin' with Leroy (Leroy White) he may have been the first black DJ here, then when I started listening in 59 it was Bristoe Bryant, Joltin' Joe Howard and my all time favorite Frantic Ernie Durham. over on WCHB was lean & tall Larry Dean and Mr. velvet voice Larry Dixon. a little later Martha Jean the queen came to WCHB from Memphis and moved over to JLB also came Al Perkins, LeBaron Taylor, Bill Williams,Jay Butler, Wade Butterball Briggs then soon after that you started to need a scorecard as they came and went, and soon after that the radio we listened to was no more. | ||
Eli (phillysoulman) 6-Zenith Username: phillysoulman Post Number: 1223 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.162.127.172 |
WDAS--Georgie Woods, Butterball, Jimmy Bishop, Carl Helm, Larry Daly, Cannonball, Lord Fauntleroy, Perry Johnson WHAT-- Kae Williams, Rockin Robin, Lee Garrett the Rockin Mr G,Lloyd Fatman Smith, Hot Rod, the Bonnie Prince. There were so many records too numerous to mention, but I remember the first time that I heard Sillouhettes by the Rays, I saw my dad walking on the way home looking spiffy as usual and I asked him for fifty cents so that I could go over to kae Williams record shop on York street to buy the record, immediately!! | ||
dvdmike (dvdmike) 5-Doyen Username: dvdmike Post Number: 252 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 65.208.234.61 |
For Chicago, it was originally WVON (Voice of the Negro) which went on the air in 1963. The station, owned by Leonard Chess had great DJs such as Herb Kent, Richard Pegue, Lucky Cordell, Ed "Nassau" Cook and E. Rodney Jones. Former Chicago police officer Don Cornelius was also an announcer during the '60s. The first FM soul station was WMBX (The Black Experience) premiered around 1972 or 73. Loved seeing that red stereo indicator on my Radio Shack tuner. My dad bought a Scott amp that didn't have a tuner. | ||
John Barry Sheffield (jaybs) 3-Pundit Username: jaybs Post Number: 64 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 195.92.168.178 |
YOU are so fortunate in the USA, we have never had SOUL RADIO in the UK, in London there is a few Soul Stations now and on the Internet, but not here in the UK, my older Brother used to buy the "Cruisin" Radio Albums and thatw as why I wanted and did work in Radio! But my true love is still ALL AMERICAN RADIO! - I would have loved to have worked out in the USA on a Soul Station. John | ||
Randy Russi (randy_russi) 4-Laureate Username: randy_russi Post Number: 138 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 169.139.180.100 |
WLAC Nashville, Tenn. I loved to tune in late at night (from Central Florida!!!) and listen to great R&B played by John R, Hossman, Gene Nobles and sponsored by Randy's Record Shop or Ernie's Record Mart. Amazingly, all these guys were white, but sounded so soulfully black. In fact, the only black announcer on the station, Dave Whitehead, who did the news, sounded white! A lot of good memories lying in bed with the transister radio up against my head. In Southern Florida was WRBD--Rockin' Big Daddy. In Central Florida was WOKB-Tiger Radio with djs Jay Baby Robinson and Little Daddy--Melvin Grace. Melvin always preferred to be called "an almighty record spinner" rather than a disc jockey. In the late 60s/early 70s he was the highest paid disc jockey in the Central Florida area. | ||
dvdmike (dvdmike) 5-Doyen Username: dvdmike Post Number: 254 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 65.208.234.61 |
Chi Drummer, speaking of Lu's Notebook: "It's enough to make a Negro turn Black." I also remember WSDM-FM, the "station with the girls." One of those girls was the late Yvonne Daniels, who was a fixture in Chicago radio for years. Her father was the late crooner, Billy Daniels. | ||
Kdubya (paladin) 5-Doyen Username: paladin Post Number: 171 Registered: 5-2004 Posted From: 206.185.64.23 |
Chicago in the house: WMPP** WBEE** WSDM WJPC WVON** WBMX All these stations were good. You could chose between Marty Faye, Pervis Spann, Daddio Daylie, Herb Kent, Big Bill Hill, E Rodney Jones, Don Cornelius,Richard Pegue,Roy Wood,Bernadine C Washington, Merri Dee, Yvonne Daniels, Bob Wall, Tom Joyner, Butterball and the list goes on.... Funny thing being an avid radio listener back in the day, **most of these stations sounded like they were right in the neighborhood, most had political and social tie ins to the community, everything black was celebrated and reported on through this medium from the major black events like the Bud Billiken Parade to The Free Breakfasts given by the Black Panther Party. Not to trivialize them but they reported on crimes too. There were no sacred cows. The civil rights movement gave incredible power to these radio DJ's and they were not afraid to offer their commentary. As far as music goes Motown ruled, although later on Philly, Stax played a major role in their playlists. It was not uncommon to hear Top 40 R&B and Delta Blues on the same station all day long. Thes guys and girls broke records that were on the jukeboxes in the juke joints in the hood. It was a great time to grow up with radio. Oh The Chilites,Dells, Impressions, Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, Major Lance, Staples and Emotions were constantly being played.........EWF came later...man just to go back to those days...... Kdubya I know I have forgotten some but my memory aint what it used to be.......blame it on my head and not my heart you Chicago members of SDF.....:-) | ||
Soul Sister (soul_sister) 6-Zenith Username: soul_sister Post Number: 1197 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 65.43.165.74 |
kev-lo; Hey there! You, Mike, & I are definately on the same page there! Don't forget when a young Gary Byrd came on board around 1968! S.S. | ||
Chancellor of Soul (harlem_144) 5-Doyen Username: harlem_144 Post Number: 200 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 63.78.189.114 |
Hey Soul Sister ! Yes I do remember Gary Byrd's show on WWRL. He was on at night as I remember. Do you remember Eddie O'Jay's show on WLIB called " Soul At Sunrise". And of course Hal Jackson's show on WNJR, broadcasting live from Palisades Park on Saturday afternoon. Man I wish I could go back LOL. Take care, Mike Boone (Chancellor of Soul) chancellorofsoul.com | ||
Gary (gary) 4-Laureate Username: gary Post Number: 117 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 172.200.209.125 |
Ron...do you remember the name of the "original" Butterball? I remember Wade Briggs real well, but there was another earlier DJ on WCHB who was known as "Butterball", when Wade came along, he became Butterball Jr. The original Butterball was a big, husky guy, hence the nickname. I remember him doing the voice-over on a radio commercial for some sort of weight loss product. After reading the script, Butterball commented something like "What a disgusting commercial to have on a fat man's show." Still cracks me up every time I think about it. I've always wondered whatever happened to him, I think he may have passed away. I thought maybe you might know. | ||
dvdmike (dvdmike) 5-Doyen Username: dvdmike Post Number: 258 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 65.165.198.19 |
Chicago had a "Butterball" of it's own. Bill "Butterball" Crane was a DJ at WVON in the '60s & '70s. There were other cool jockeys like Don St. John at WGRT, Daddy O'Daylie and Sid McCoy at WAAT which was a jazz station and before them all, Al Benson at WGES which played blues & R&B. He later did promo ads for WVON. I still remember his ads for Stotland's Furniture and Ribs Supreme. Herb Kent was the man, though with his characters like The Wahoo Man, Rudolph Browner, the Black millionaire and The Gym Shoe Creeper, a super hero who would punish the bad guys by forcing them to sniff his shoes. Merri Dee, who would later make a name for herself on TV, was with WVON in the '60s. Merri was the victim of a tragedy in the late 1970s when a man kidnapped her and another man at gunpoint, drove them out to the forest preserve and shot them both in the head point blank. The man died, but Merri managed to survive. She said that she still gets headaches. She's been with WGN-TV for many years now. She's as beautiful and classy as ever. In his autobiography, Jim Brown said that Merri Dee was the classiest woman that he'd ever met. | ||
dvdmike (dvdmike) 5-Doyen Username: dvdmike Post Number: 259 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 65.165.198.19 |
Merri Dee is a personality worth knowing about. I'll post more on her in the future. | ||
Kdubya (paladin) 5-Doyen Username: paladin Post Number: 186 Registered: 5-2004 Posted From: 206.185.64.23 |
DVDMike I knew I forgot Al Benson and Stotlands Furniture... that brother pushed a lot of Cadillacs back in the day. As for Herb Kent we used to dance to Herb's cuts at the packinghouse (Times Square)and Herb was famous for his "skunch light" which was actually the first time I ever saw a strobe light used on the dance floor. Herb would always turn the light on when he cued James Brown's There was a Time...............hell he was still using it years later at the Green Bunny...... Please post more about Merri Dee and dont forget Gene Chandler....... Kdubya | ||
Destruction (destruction) 5-Doyen Username: destruction Post Number: 273 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 199.173.224.23 |
In the early 70's I was introduced to the world of Jazz Fusion by WHUR (home of the ORIGINAL Quiet Storm. They played Billy Cobham's Spectrum about 10 times a day. | ||
dvdmike (dvdmike) 5-Doyen Username: dvdmike Post Number: 260 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 69.208.222.191 |
Kdubya, Merri and Gene were an item at one time. If you can find a copy of Gene's "The Gene Chandler Situation" LP, there is a photo montage of them out on the town. | ||
Kdubya (paladin) 5-Doyen Username: paladin Post Number: 191 Registered: 5-2004 Posted From: 206.185.64.23 |
I know I was just promptin ya.....you post took me back brother... Square, Square, The Times Square...Green Lizards.....Red Rooster....Prince & Joys....Guys and Gals.......Ernie's Show Lounge...Regal......Capitol... .Tivoli and the High Chapparall........Checkmate... ..dam I love Chicago.... Kdubya | ||
Ron Murphy (ron_murphy) 4-Laureate Username: ron_murphy Post Number: 116 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.42.90.140 |
Gary: yes there was an earlier Butterball, the name of Bill Crane came to my mind and then I looked at the next post here by dvdmike and he mentions the guy as being Butterball on WVON in Chicago, so I'm not sure about it now. | ||
DyvaNaye (westside314) 6-Zenith Username: westside314 Post Number: 741 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 209.212.74.198 |
Chancellor, heh, heh, heh... You listened to the same ones I did, but I always have to shout WXLO, WPIX, WCBS, WABC, WNJR,WWRL WLIB,WBLS, WNEW, WRVR, WKRS, and a few others... My favorite DJ's then were: Eddie O'Jay, Frankie Crocker, LaMarr Renee, Ken Spider Webb, Chuck Leonard, Vaughn Harper. I know I am missing a few from WWRL... 'Classic Soul and R&B, the way it should be' DyvaNaye | ||
Kevin Goins - KevGo (kevgo) 4-Laureate Username: kevgo Post Number: 162 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 64.33.151.51 |
Folks: Don't forget that Frankie Crocker, Eddie O'Jay and Gary Byrd all came from WUFO-AM in Buffalo. NY - the only station in Upstate NY that was all R&B during the 1960s. The trio made up what Gary later called "The Buffalo Brigade" that migrated from Upstate to NYC. As far as radio DJs that made me want to run out & buy my favorite records, in Rochester NY it was Jack Palvino and Ferdinand J. Smith III of WBBF. Granted it was a Top 40 station but they were the only station in Rochester during the 1960s where you heard James Brown, Motown, Wilson Pickett and other soul artists. In 1973, Rochester finally got an R&B station on the FM dial - WDKX (West of the Miss. River, D for Fredrick Douglass, K for Martin Luther King and X for Malcolm X). I listened to Renie Hale and Little John during my teen years and bought the hits they played from Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper Delight" to Go West's "Eye To Eye" (remixed by the System). Kevin Goins - KevGo | ||
Richard Felstead (felstead2001) 4-Laureate Username: felstead2001 Post Number: 89 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 128.40.91.183 |
As John Barry has already stated, hearing soul music played on radio in the late 1970's in the UK was almost impossible. I remember hearing a pirate radio station that would broadcast for 4 hours on a sunday afternoon,each week, from a tower block somewhere in south london. It was called radio Invicta. Most of us at this time were starved of decent music that was being made in the states. On this station you could hear Donald Byrd, Roy Ayers, Brass Construction, War, Johnnie Taylor, Al Wilson, Al Jarreau, Brenda Russell, Dexter Wansel, Archie Bell & The Drells etc. It became a passion for many to tune into, sometimes they would only be on for an hour before the authorities ( the department for trade and industry ) would find the transmitter site and confiscate the equipment. :-(( It was London's first official black music station, and is remembered very fondly, by people. Tony Johns may he rest in peace, started a movement that to this day, www.solarradio.com is trying to continue. Although no longer a pirate station, Solar remains one of the primary outlets for hearing quality black american music in the UK today, 24 hours a day. Mostly ignored by the black music media, our battle to get this music heard remains as passionate now, as it was 25 years ago. Although many UK stations now play black music ( R&B ) almost around the clock, for many it is the wrong type of black music they want to hear. So, our cause is as just, as it ever was. Towards the latter part of the 1970's, BBC Radio London and the commercial Capital Radio had introduced specialist soul music programmes into their scheduling. The much respected Robbie Vincent and Gregg Edwards were the presenters on those stations. These names wont mean much to you who are US based, however for those in the UK we have been proud to have had on our station over the years, Robbie Vincent, Chris Hill, Jeff Young, Froggy,Gilles Peterson, Jez Nelson,Tony Monson, Kev Roberts, and Les Adams, to name but a few. For a full history of how specialist black music radio evolved in the UK, please go to www.solarradio.com and click on the history link. I'm sure some of you will find it a fascinating read. | ||
Chancellor of Soul (harlem_144) 5-Doyen Username: harlem_144 Post Number: 204 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 205.188.116.139 |
Hey Dyva ! Now you took me back when you listed those radio call letters ! Those are the same ones I listened to. Here are the WWRL dee jays that you said you were missing.......... Hank Spann Jerry B. (Bledsoe) Dixie Drifter (Enoch Hawthone Gregory) Al Gee Bobby Jay Gary Byrd Magnificent Montague Rocky G. Hal Atkins Jeffrey Troy Peace, Mike Boone (Chancellor of Soul) chancellorofsoul.com | ||
Robb_K (robb_k) 6-Zenith Username: robb_k Post Number: 459 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 217.232.137.13 |
Not much I can add about Chicago radio, that K-Dubya, and DVD Mike haven't said. I really liked listening to Al Benson on WGES, especially for his play list. Later on, I listened a lot to WVON, and liked Herb Kent, E. Rodney Jones, Richard Pegue, and Lucky Cordell. I'm with ya Chi-Drummer-I didn't like the WMPP style. I like to hear a song. | ||
mike s (mike_s) 4-Laureate Username: mike_s Post Number: 122 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 195.93.33.10 |
I don't know if it is still the same, but in the late 80s to late 90s, there was a great station playing soul music on 730 AM out of Fort Worth/Dallas....I think Millie Jackson is still broadcasting on there so presume it is still operating, Johnnie Taylor (RIP) also used to do a weekly show some years ago. Willis Jackson used to do the morning show, I think he was an ex basketball player (??). I used to listen to the station everytime I went to Dallas for work reasons from the UK and tape hours of the output for playing when I got home. | ||
mike s (mike_s) 4-Laureate Username: mike_s Post Number: 123 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 195.93.33.10 |
The station in Dallas by the way was Soul 73 (KKDA_AM). KKDA FM played current urban music. | ||
Robb_K (robb_k) 6-Zenith Username: robb_k Post Number: 462 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 217.232.145.180 |
With all this complaining about WMPP not letting us hear a decent portion of each song, I should have mentioned that during the late '50s and through the '60s, I don't remember EVER hearing a complete song on ANY R&B or Pop station. It seems that they ALWAYS cut off the beginning and endings of songs, in addition to talking during both those periods. I understand that they had to introduce the next song and also make their commercial plugs, but I like to hear the whole song. That's why I like public radio stations and other less commercial formats. | ||
Chi Drummer (chidrummer) 4-Laureate Username: chidrummer Post Number: 115 Registered: 5-2004 Posted From: 24.15.230.61 |
Robb k, What we're complaining about is worse than you think. During the sixties and very early seventies WMPP's jocks did more than the standard talk over the instrumental intro of a song. They would break in at random points within the record and make funny comments. IE: the Isley's, It's Your Thing. Imagine listening to the song and after the lyric. "...If you want me to love you, maybe I will.. (DJ breaks in and says, "Maybe I won't")..believe me woman.." That's the kind of stuff I remember them pulling. I wasn't even a teenager in those days and I couldn't stand it. I did visit the station once and got to see how they did that. It was a simple toggle switch that opened their mike while the record was playing. For some strange reason I found that little bit of technology fascinating. The practice had gone out of fashion by about 1973 or so. Others on the forum might have other rememberences. | ||
Catdaddy (catdaddy) 3-Pundit Username: catdaddy Post Number: 38 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.21.4.243 |
Chi-Drummer is right. That's exactly how it went down. The comments would more often than not refer to a lyric in the song. A lot of times, there would be an added "have mercy" or some other expletive. A song never, ever made it from beginning to end without a few comments. The style was actually pretty popular for a while. WVON did it to some extent, but nowhere NEAR what WMPP did. Looking back at it in retrospect, I think they were trying to distinguish themselves from WVON. The station had to sign off at sundown, so most of the WMPP listeners ended up listening to WVON anyway. I sure would like to know if there are any airchecks floating around somewhere!! | ||
DenvrMotownLvr (john) 1-Arriviste Username: john Post Number: 4 Registered: 5-2004 Posted From: 24.9.226.3 |
I'm originally from Kansas City, Missouri. The station that started playing authentic R&B music there was KPRS, 1590 AM. They went on the air in 1952 (I believe) I was 8 years old that year. At that time, as it has been reported, it was the first black owned radio station west of the Mississippi River. The on air staff was black as well. I remember Ray Charles, Little Richard, The Moonglows, The Orioles, The Clovers, The Five Royales, Clyde McPhatter with the Drifters and his solo efforts, and many others. I'm not sure of the ownership situation today, but KPRS is still on the air. |
