Especially touched by your mention of your wifeand her passing. By Januarys end Lee Alan was gone. The WXYZ line-up in late 1965 consisted of some of the greatest radio voices heard on Detroit radio during that time. looking for the signoff song at 12am by sinatra. , Where is John E. Smooth Edwards? On top of being on air, he most recently was on the Netflix reality competition show, The Circle. June 16, 2015 / 7:29 PM / CBS Detroit. He did Sunday night segway on Mix 92.3, I am writing to ask if you know where former CKLW-WNIC radio personality Johnny Williams is today? The Lone Ranger, all local creations that had me glued to the receiver. DETROIT, MI - February 28, 2023 Cumulus Media . By April, after talking to Fritz that he should hire him immediately, Alan had Joey Reynolds making the move over to the Motor City. Now heading forward well into the early 1960s, the 1270 top 40 notables would comprise of great air names as Fred Wolf; Joel Sabastian; Paul Winter; Steve Lundy; Don Zee; Fred Weiss; Dave Prince and Lee Alan. Memories From the Soundtrack of Your Life, Regarding the very last name listed, Don Zee.I believe he was also on CKLW overnights at least in 66 & 67 before he went to Texas where he passed from a cleaning his gun incident. Don Zee worked the graveyard shift from midnight until 6 am, and always signed on with Dracula (Bobby Pickett), Elvira, and Trantula by The Trantulas. But pleas towards Fritz to persuade ABC in New York to drop network programming fell on deaf ears. I remember many of the broadcasters. By the early 1950s, ABC and WXYZ brought out the best in quality programming in Detroit on the TV dial. The event honored Sonny Eliot, the late Ernie Harwell, Specs Howard, Dick Purtan, and Robin Seymour. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and reflections on the website as well. Then Id listen to the 11:55 newscast and the first ten minutes of Don Zee with his zombie theme Tarantula by the Tarantulas. Now with new alternative moves towards capturing better ratings in the market, much of the old ABC network programming was being replaced while diverting some attention to the music of the times. Tony Ortiz, who has served as a sports anchor for WWJ and sister station 97.1 The Ticket, has also been elevated as new co-anchor of the afternoon drive, teaming up with Jackie Paige from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Brooke Allen will continue in middays, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. I couldnt be more excited to elevate Tony and Jason into their new roles, said Debbie Kenyon, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy Detroit. And two years later I could not have sold The Lee Alan School of Broadcast Arts to him, and 10s of thousands of people may never have experienced the excellent school it has become under his direction at The SPECS HOWARD SCHOOL. The on-air personality can also be heard nationally and locally on the Church of Lazlo show. After working at WJLB, The Love Bug relocated to Washington D.C. A man with many talents, Simpson began his television career in the early 80s. All in Detroit, his hometown. Finally, he reported the score, and I wrote Thank You on the paper, got on my bike and rode home. It can even be heard throughout most of the eastern United States, and eastern Canada at night, making it one of the most powerful radio stations in the United States, at 50,000 watts. Among the leading personalities to grace the airwaves there were Tom Shannon, Dave Shafer, Charlie Van Dyke, Frank Brodie, Terry Knight, Walt "Baby" Love, Bill Gable, Tom Rivers, Ted Richards, Scott Regen, Charlie O'Brien, Dick Purtan, Gary Burbank, Byron McGregor and Dick Smyth. WDET Staff - WDET 101.9 FM WDET Staff Meet the group of awesome people that keep your favorite radio station up and running. Interesting to note that had we not hired Martin and Howard I never would have known Specs Howard. By late-summer 1965, the veteran morning-broadcaster Fred Wolf left WXYZ for retirement. GOD Bless you BOTH! Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. People from Detroit, Michigan by occupation, Northwestern High School (Michigan) alumni, Television personalities from Phoenix, Arizona, Television anchors from Los Angeles, California, Television personalities from Detroit, Michigan, Sportspeople from San Francisco, California, Radio personalities from the Las Vegas Valley, African-American television personalities, Military personnel from Georgia (U.S. state), United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II, Religious leaders from Birmingham, Alabama, United States Army personnel of World War II. . Has been a morning radio show for 22 years. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. They look like a country music group. Lee Alan left momentarily, came back again, this time working in the WXYZ television studios. Longtime metro Detroit radio personality and pioneering rock jockey John O'Leary was found dead at his Highland Park home, according to local media reports. Learn How To Advertise On Detroit Radio . More Robin Quivers. Still prime on WXYZ radio since coming back to Detroit from New York in 1947 was Johnny Slagle. News/Talk WJR-AM/Detroit has raised $1.8 million to help The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit combat hunger and . I had to go to bed at ten, in those days, but I had a transistor radio under my pillow and would never go to sleep until I had listened to the last two hours of Lee Alan and his closing theme I Cant Get Started by Frank Sinatra. They are in front of a WXYZ mic. At the station, there were those who were beginning to feel their efforts moving forward for a larger audience share was by now, possibly, being hampered by all the network programming fed into the Detroit affiliate out of New York. tazza kitchen nutrition menu; frank and richards food truck menu; 5 coin puzzle 1 move; la vie scolaire acteur yanis; sheridan avenue bronx shooting; american funeral home durham, nc obituaries; al leong wife; how much do band members make for famous singers; abbott point of care istat value assignment sheets A Detroit classic. Mojo, Spike and Shannon are the main personalities of the morning show that established legacy segments like War of the Roses and the various Phone Scams. On Sept. 25, Detroit Radio Personalities, Past and Present, was held at the Crowne Plaze Hotel in Novi. ROBERT WESOLOWSKI Paul Winter, Micky Shorr and Jack Sorrell with his jazz-themed Top Of The Town. It was a bold move which proved successful. It brings back great memories! Living near Traverse City, Michigan. Integrated Media Specialist. Johnson will also continue serving as the station's midday show host, weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and on the television side Club 1270 was gaining Detroit audience popularity asJoel SabastianandLee Alanintroduced the hottest WIXIE hits on WXYZ-TV. His show was still on in Cleveland last I heard. Programs such as, Still prime on WXYZ radio since coming back to Detroit from New York in 1947 was, initially came over to Detroit (WXYZ) from Cleveland in 1935. Growing up in Dearborn, Gibb went to Fordson High School where he later taught at. The move reunites Henson and McCormick, who previously co-hosted together at 97.1 FM Talk WKRK Detroit from 2002 to 2006. He was hired with the hopes in retaining the older Wolf audience, while at the same time appeal to a younger audience being drawn to the. Others remained. My compliments to Jim Feliciano and the MCRFB staff for this terrific site. THE DETROIT SOUND SURVEY: OCTOBER 10, 1966, Your email address will not be published. FOX News Radio has been added as the WJR network news provider and WJR news reporter/anchor Marie Osborne, WJR producer Chris Renwick and former WJR news reporter Lloyd Jackson have signed on as the first WJR Senior News Analysts, covering, writing and producing stories and presenting them across the day within the local WJR talk shows. Besides being an on-air personality, Kasem was a voice actor for Shaggy in Scooby-Doo and was a narrator for NBCs national promotional announcements from 1977 to 1981. Many major recording artists performed on the show and the majority of the MOTOWN acts were on. But it was also during this time the stations own commitment to recapture a higher market share, seemingly came to an impasse, a standstill in the ratings. Born in Detroit in 1932, Kasem was soon to be a household name and voice. Rogers spent three decades in radio, mostly in the Detroit market, but also with stops in Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. Lee Alan would always ask the regulars from the show to attend the dances at the Walled Lake Casino on Saturday nights where he was the DJ. By this time WXYZ radio had begun its fierce battle going full force head-to-head for top ratings going against Detroits top-rated WJBK 1500. I found out that Dick Kernan was at Spec Howard. (WWJ) -- WWJ Newsradio 950 listeners will be hearing some familiar voices in new time slots, as Detroit's top news station announced a new anchor lineup Thursday, effective immediately. When WDFN became the first all-sports-talk station in Detroit in the early 1990s, Regner was one of the very first on-air hosts. A Detroit household name. Leadership Programming News Digital Content Music Hosts Audio Engineering Underwriting Operations Interns Leadership Mary Zatina General Manager Mary Zatina came to WDET as General Manager in 2020. Art Regner. What's driving the players behind Israel's legal overhaul? A Mitch Albom Tom Athans B Doug Banks Frank Beckmann George Blaha Scott Boman Ralph J. Boyd Jerry Buckley (journalist) Don Bustany C Cara Carriveau Kim Carson Tom Clay Charles Coughlin D Lee Alan stands out among the most revered. Tom Ryan was born July 28, 1942 at Providence Hospital in Detroit. Thank goodness I have most of those memorable shows on tape! Vote on the Audacy Country Top 20 with Rob + Holly Saturdays, 8-10AM on your favorite Audacy Country station. This list may not reflect recent changes . I'm also very grateful that someone wrote a beautiful article about them, as well as a Detroit radio personality I'm too young to remember: Ernie Durham.-----Three Legends of Detroit Black Radio January 28, 2008 by Tom Sanders Flint, Michigan wasn't a pretty place. I was looking for it on line but no such luck. He's crazy about Springsteen, the Spartans and bacon. According to the Associated Press, Banks was given a late-night weekend show at WDRQ. Still can be heard on WNIC and seen on Fox 2 Detroit, the media personality has been juggling both radio and TV since 2004. It's a story about finding love at any. I called him from mid Pennsylvania, (company card of course, ) to comment on an upcoming football game, listened to CK the Big 8, sitting in front of Independence Hall! The station was then sold in 1930 to the Kunsky-Trendle Broadcasting Company who changed the calls to WXYZ. In the late sixties did Radio Detroit have a disc jockey named Dave Dawson. Mix 92.3. He invented the phrase: DODGE DEPEND ON IT. Detroit Radio: 1963 JFK Assassination Coverage, FROM THE ARCHIVES! According to CNN, Banks settled in the Windy City in the 80s. 2023 Audacy, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Is he still around? I have been remembering back to when I was working at WXYZ radio in 1966 til May 1967. Slagle initially came over to Detroit (WXYZ) from Cleveland in 1935. Another page in Detroit radio history had been turned. Click here to read about Mark McKenzies experience with the format flip. (AP Photo/File). (Detroit Rockers Engaged in the Abolishment of Disco). According to his, An icon for Detroit rock radio, Calvert served the Motor City airwaves for over 40 years. Now Fred Wolf, Paul Winter, Marc Avery, Steve Lundy, Pat Murphy, Barney Stutesman (Traffic Copter) and Don Zee are all in Heaven. The WXYZ line-up in late 1965 consisted of some of the greatest radio voices heard on Detroit radio during that time. He might have been the DJ doing the sign-off at the time with the song you had mentioned. 11-2; Dave Prince, 2-6; Lee Alan, 7:15-10; Here listed below is the ABC network programming line-up on WXYZ for a typical broadcast day, according to, By then Steve Lundy headed out west to another ABC-owned station, in San Francisco. Never got paid, but it was a real blast. Her name is Donna and she is a very wonderful lady," wrote the Detroit radio legend, who is known as the city's funny, unflappable voice for 45 years. From interviewing Bruno Mars to dressing up as a leprechaun at Rosie OGradys, having a morning show and was live on Saturday nights from Luna. My sister married one of the members from the group. WXYZ 1270 in 1966. Currently can be heard across Michigan and Ohio out of Detroit, Grand Rapids and Toledo. Valenti has developed a reputation for shooting. I remember when Lee had his horrible car accident. Names on the pictures are Elmer Thompson,Jumbo, Jinny, Bob Long, Will Karson, Mel Karson, Paul ?Young. I did the commercial logs and billing. He was a big fan of Detroit radio and of this site as well, and he contributed much here and I often wondered, from time to time, why we have not heard from Jim for quite some time now. My wife passed away in 2001 but I still remember her fondly when I think about Club 1270 and the Walled Lake Casino. A true lover of the oldies, BOTH of these guys will be remembered and MISSED! Similar memories long before we went to Specs-8 transistor radio Zenith under the pillow from 10-12, Lees opening theme was Plink went the strings of my heart (At least thats my memory) And yes, Sinatras Cant get started to close and into Don Zee. While WWJ is one of many legacy radio stations in Detroit, lets take a look at radio personalities from the 20th and 21st centuries who have helped shape the radio community. RADIO ONLINE offers the latest radio industry news, radio show prep, radio promotions, radio station data and more. Highly-identifiable air personalities. No longer were the deejays allowed to play whatever they wanted to play. ${paramValue} on Audacy: Listen to Free Radio Online | Music, Sports, News, Podcasts Drake Loses $400,000 Bet After Tommy Fury Defeats Jake Paul In Boxing Match Feb 27, 2023. Fred Wolf was doing a special broadcast on the following Saturday morning at a shopping center in Royal Oak, at the intersection of 13 Mile Road and Woodward Ave. There are so many musical references to the city, and besides that, Detroit has had many sports radio anchors who helped pave the way for broadcast journalism. So, Watch How You Drive That Automobile Now..And Dont You Dare Turn It Into a Couple of Tons of Deadly Weapon. Birthplace: Pikesville, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. With the Fred Wolf era gone and out of the picture, Fritz extended his sights in search for a younger (but calmer, more contemporary) voice in filling the morning void. Do you remember the CKLW Batman sticker that we got when we joined the batman club in the 60s? Does Dave Prince ring a bell? Many celebrities have been heard since this feature was inaugurated. The Chicago staple and former Southfield resident passed away in 2016. About this same time, Jimmy Hampton was hired as the new over-night personality on 1270. One last thing. What about 105.1 Magic and 93.9 the River? Those days and memories will forever linger, never to be duplicated. Eighty seven-years ago, according to, the station spawn birth in the Detroit area under the calls, WGHP was once a charter member (of 16 stations) that aired the first, program in 1927. Read more: Casey Kasems daughter pushes Michigan lawmakers to pass elder abuse bills, Ken The Casual One Calvert - WWWW, WABX, WRIF, WLLZ, WJR and WCSX, Related: A look inside Detroits historic Black-owned radio station. The end of an era. I just posted one of his WXYZ October 10, 1966 Detroit Sound Survey charts he kindly provided to us in 2013. Am I wrong or just losing it ?p. Then, on Halloween Eve of 1963 the KEENER onslaught began. Iconic Detroit radio personality Alan . WWJ-AM (WWJ Newsradio 950)/Detroit is announcing a new anchor lineup, effective immediately. I am beyond excited to begin another epic chapter with Gregg at WLAV along with the best team in the business.. We know the killer chemistry hes enjoyed best with Michelle McKormick, and paired with the comedic timing of Travis Gibbs, Mornings on WLAV will be transcendent and almost criminally funny., Derek J. 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