The Surviving Boss Jocks from KHJ

[michael hagerty]

I started this with a post---gosh, maybe ten years ago and have updated it infrequently. It's been a couple of years since the last, and we've lost Humble Harve, Jimmy Rabbitt, Mark Elliott and Sam Riddle recently, so...

Of those who worked at KHJ during the Ron Jacobs era (1965-69), only Gary Mack (12-3 pm from 1965-1967), Johnny Williams (12-6 am 1965-1974), Scotty Brink (various shifts in 1965-1966 and then again 1968-70), Steve Clark (weekends 1966), Donn Tyler (weekends 1965) and Bill Wade (various shifts 1968-1974) are still with us.

And sadly, there are only a few left from the rest of the Drake years (1970-73): Shadoe Stevens (weekends 1970), Pete McNeal (various shifts 1970-1972), Walt "Baby" Love (9-midnight 1971-1972), Charlie Van Dyke (middays 1972, mornings 1973-77), Captain John (evenings 1972-73) and Barry Kaye (afternoons 1973-74).

 

[mofocat]

I started this with a post---gosh, maybe ten years ago and have updated it infrequently. It's been a couple of years since the last, and we've lost Humble Harve, Jimmy Rabbitt, Mark Elliott and Sam Riddle recently, so...

Of those who worked at KHJ during the Ron Jacobs era (1965-69), only Gary Mack (12-3 pm from 1965-1967), Johnny Williams (12-6 am 1965-1974), Scotty Brink (various shifts in 1965-1966 and then again 1968-70), Steve Clark (weekends 1966), Donn Tyler (weekends 1965) and Bill Wade (various shifts 1968-1974) are still with us.

And sadly, there are only a few left from the rest of the Drake years (1970-73): Shadoe Stevens (weekends 1970), Pete McNeal (various shifts 1970-1972), Walt "Baby" Love (9-midnight 1971-1972), Charlie Van Dyke (middays 1972, mornings 1973-77), Captain John (evenings 1972-73) and Barry Kaye (afternoons 1973-74).

Whenever I see mention of KHJ and the 'Boss Radio' phenom I lament not seeing mention of the real roots of 'Boss Radio' as being K/MAKe and KYNO in Fresno. (1962-65) Robert W. Morgan learned his chops from 'Bob' Morgan on K/MAKe in Fresno.

 

[michael hagerty]

Whenever I see mention of KHJ and the 'Boss Radio' phenom I lament not seeing mention of the real roots of 'Boss Radio' as being K/MAKe and KYNO in Fresno. (1962-65) Robert W. Morgan learned his chops from 'Bob' Morgan on K/MAKe in Fresno.

True, but since this is specifically about who's still alive from KHJ 1965-73, I stuck to that.

 

[Mikey Radio]

I started this with a post---gosh, maybe ten years ago and have updated it infrequently. It's been a couple of years since the last, and we've lost Humble Harve, Jimmy Rabbitt, Mark Elliott and Sam Riddle recently, so...

Of those who worked at KHJ during the Ron Jacobs era (1965-69), only Gary Mack (12-3 pm from 1965-1967), Johnny Williams (12-6 am 1965-1974), Scotty Brink (various shifts in 1965-1966 and then again 1968-70), Steve Clark (weekends 1966), Donn Tyler (weekends 1965) and Bill Wade (various shifts 1968-1974) are still with us.

And sadly, there are only a few left from the rest of the Drake years (1970-73): Shadoe Stevens (weekends 1970), Pete McNeal (various shifts 1970-1972), Walt "Baby" Love (9-midnight 1971-1972), Charlie Van Dyke (middays 1972, mornings 1973-77), Captain John (evenings 1972-73) and Barry Kaye (afternoons 1973-74).

Not to sidetrack your thread @michael hagerty but I note a lot of well-known TV and movie voice artists came from the LA radio scene from back in the day. Mark Elliott who you mentioned was with Disney for years and though not everyone knows his face or name, most everyone knows his voice very well (actually there's a YouTube video where he described an appearance he made at a college event I believe after he'd retired from Disney. He took the mic, introduced himself and then went into his Disney shtick and launched into teaser annoucements he'd done for The Lion King or one of the other bigger releases and the audience immediately recognized his voice and went berserk). Charlie O'Donnell who was the long-time, well-known announcer on Wheel of Fortune was also on LA radio.

Question is, back in the day did the LA-based movie studios or TV producers hear these guys on the radio, and after hearing their voices say "That's our guy!" and grab them for their V/O or announcing work?

 

[davideduardo]

Whenever I see mention of KHJ and the 'Boss Radio' phenom I lament not seeing mention of the real roots of 'Boss Radio' as being K/MAKe and KYNO in Fresno. (1962-65) Robert W. Morgan learned his chops from 'Bob' Morgan on K/MAKe in Fresno.

And the RKO version of Boss Radio was as much a product of The Poi Boys from KPOI in Honolulu as Drake himself. Ron Jacobs and Tom Rounds actually programmed KHJ and KFRC when they made their debut.

 

[michael hagerty]

Not to sidetrack your thread @michael hagerty but I note a lot of well-known TV and movie voice artists came from the LA radio scene from back in the day. Mark Elliott who you mentioned was with Disney for years and though not everyone knows his face or name, most everyone knows his voice very well (actually there's a YouTube video where he described an appearance he made at a college event I believe after he'd retired from Disney. He took the mic, introduced himself and then went into his Disney shtick and launched into teaser annoucements he'd done for The Lion King or one of the other bigger releases and the audience immediately recognized his voice and went berserk). Charlie O'Donnell who was the long-time, well-known announcer on Wheel of Fortune was also on LA radio.

Question is, back in the day did the LA-based movie studios or TV producers hear these guys on the radio, and after hearing their voices say "That's our guy!" and grab them for their V/O or announcing work?

Every one of those people probably has a different story. Some likely went to auditions. That was Mark Elliott's story---his first was for a movie nobody thought would do much---"Star Wars." He built a career on that momentum.

Gary Owens told the story of how he got his role on "Laugh-In". As the afternoon personality on KMPC, a lot of entertainers were listeners, and Gary socialized a lot, so he met them. In 1967, George Schlatter, planning "Laugh-In", took Gary to lunch at The Smoke House in Burbank, but they couldn't really come up with a good idea as to what Gary would do on the show.

On their way out to the car, they stopped in the mens' room. At the urinal, Gary put his hand over his ear and said "The acoustics are good in here, aren't they, George?" And Schlatter said "That! That's what I want you to do on the show!"

 

[michael hagerty]

And since we've gone there----here are Mark Elliott and fellow KHJ jock John Leader, featured in a video produced for the Hollywood Reporter Key Art Awards in the 1990s: Five Men In A Limo (the limo belonging to the late Don LaFontaine):

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

I started this with a post---gosh, maybe ten years ago and have updated it infrequently. It's been a couple of years since the last, and we've lost Humble Harve, Jimmy Rabbitt, Mark Elliott and Sam Riddle recently, so...

Of those who worked at KHJ during the Ron Jacobs era (1965-69), only Gary Mack (12-3 pm from 1965-1967), Johnny Williams (12-6 am 1965-1974), Scotty Brink (various shifts in 1965-1966 and then again 1968-70), Steve Clark (weekends 1966), Donn Tyler (weekends 1965) and Bill Wade (various shifts 1968-1974) are still with us.

And sadly, there are only a few left from the rest of the Drake years (1970-73): Shadoe Stevens (weekends 1970), Pete McNeal (various shifts 1970-1972), Walt "Baby" Love (9-midnight 1971-1972), Charlie Van Dyke (middays 1972, mornings 1973-77), Captain John (evenings 1972-73) and Barry Kaye (afternoons 1973-74).

Charlie Van Dyke has to be one of the last person on the list who is still active on broadcasting as a Voiceover artist. Van Dyke still has his voiceover work for various Local TV Stations most notably he's on KABC-TV and WABC-TV as the VO for their news promos.

Van Dyke has done VO radio work for KRTH and KLOVE at one point. But the vast majority of VO work is local TV from all over the USA.

Had no idea he did VO Radio work in other parts of the USA. He's more known for his TV work

 

[Mikey Radio]

And since we've gone there----here are Mark Elliott and fellow KHJ jock John Leader, featured in a video produced for the Hollywood Reporter Key Art Awards in the 1990s: Five Men In A Limo (the limo belonging to the late Don LaFontaine):

This is actually a favorite video of mine, and I posted it on Radiodiscussions back when Mark Elliott passed and his "in memorium" was posted on this site. Some legendary V/O guys are featured in that video, and as you say, LaFontaine owned the limo. Waaaaay back before the days of VoIP and home studios, the story was that Don was so in demand, hopping from one LA-based gig to the next that he bought a limo, put his monogrammed initials on the side, and hired a driver to take him from job to job throughout a given day.

 

[gr8oldies]

Charlie Van Dyke has to be one of the last person on the list who is still active on broadcasting as a Voiceover artist. Van Dyke still has his voiceover work for various Local TV Stations most notably he's on KABC-TV and WABC-TV as the VO for their news promos.

Van Dyke has done VO radio work for KRTH and KLOVE at one point. But the vast majority of VO work is local TV from all over the USA.

Had no idea he did VO Radio work in other parts of the USA. He's more known for his TV work

CVD may have cut back his workload a little, but there was a time any oldies station worth its stacks o' wax wanted him as their imaging voice. He's been on TV stations coast to coast

 

[michael hagerty]

Charlie Van Dyke has to be one of the last person on the list who is still active on broadcasting as a Voiceover artist. Van Dyke still has his voiceover work for various Local TV Stations most notably he's on KABC-TV and WABC-TV as the VO for their news promos.

Van Dyke has done VO radio work for KRTH and KLOVE at one point. But the vast majority of VO work is local TV from all over the USA.

Had no idea he did VO Radio work in other parts of the USA. He's more known for his TV work

Charlie’s VO work nationwide got its start with radio imaging, then branched out to include TV.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

Here is Charlie Van Dykes two stints at KLIF Radio Between the stints he was at KHJ, CKLW, WRKO, KFRC, WLS-AM at some point. There were even airchecks that Charlie Van Dyke was a fill in host for Casey Kasem at one point before his TV voice over work overshadowed all of his radio accomplishments.

 

[michael hagerty]

Here is Charlie Van Dykes two stints at KLIF Radio Between the stints he was at KHJ, CKLW, WRKO, KFRC, WLS-AM at some point. There were even airchecks that Charlie Van Dyke was a fill in host for Casey Kasem at one point before his TV voice over work overshadowed all of his radio accomplishments.

Van Dyke went from KLIF, Dallas to CKLW, Detroit in 1968. From there:

KFRC, San Francisco (1969-1970) *mornings
KGB, San Diego (1970-1972) *program director
KHJ, Los Angeles (1972) *9 a.m.-noon
WLS, Chicago (1972-1973) *mornings
KHJ, Los Angeles (1973-1977) *mornings plus program director from 1975-1977
KLIF, Dallas (1977-1979)*mornings
WRKO, Boston (1979-1982)*mornings and program director
KOY, Phoenix (1982-1983) *mornings and program director
KTAR, Phoenix (1983-1985) *mornings and program director
KFYI, Phoenix (1985-1986) *mornings

After KFYI, Charlie focused exclusively on his voiceover work. He came back to daily radio in 1993 at KPSN, Phoenix for about a year. In 1997, he and I partnered for a morning show on KGLQ (which was KPSN under new ownership and with new call letters).
In 1998, KRTH brought him back to L.A. for mornings after Robert W. Morgan's death. That ended in 2000. He and I were asked to do a one-shot together on KTAR that summer, and that led to an offer from them for us to work there together. Charlie passed, and incredibly, they took me without him.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

Whenever I see mention of KHJ and the 'Boss Radio' phenom I lament not seeing mention of the real roots of 'Boss Radio' as being K/MAKe and KYNO in Fresno. (1962-65) Robert W. Morgan learned his chops from 'Bob' Morgan on K/MAKe in Fresno.

The Radio Historian

'The Radio Historian

www.theradiohistorian.org

But Boss Radio had some of its origins at San Francisco's KYA-AM in the early 1960's when Bill Drake was the PD at KYA. However once KFRC became Big in top 40 they had to brand themselves as the Big 610 once Bill Drake consulted how RKO Top 40 stations should run their Top 40 format.

 

[michael hagerty]

The Radio Historian

'The Radio Historian

www.theradiohistorian.org

But Boss Radio had some of its origins at San Francisco's KYA-AM in the early 1960's when Bill Drake was the PD at KYA. However once KFRC became Big in top 40 they had to brand themselves as the Big 610 once Bill Drake consulted how RKO Top 40 stations should run their Top 40 format.

As I noted in a post yesterday, KYA did not call itself "Boss Radio". It was "The Boss of the Bay" when Drake arrived there. And, as I noted in a different post, Drake was not involved in the decision to brand KHJ as "Boss Radio", though when it was clear it wasn't hurting them, he applied the branding to two non-RKO stations he consulted, KGB in San Diego and KYNO in Fresno.

 

[davideduardo]

As I noted in a post yesterday, KYA did not call itself "Boss Radio". It was "The Boss of the Bay" when Drake arrived there. And, as I noted in a different post, Drake was not involved in the decision to brand KHJ as "Boss Radio", though when it was clear it wasn't hurting them, he applied the branding to two non-RKO stations he consulted, KGB in San Diego and KYNO in Fresno.

And a number of peeps involved at the time thought "Boss" was a very LA thing and did not want to use it elsewhere.

 

[michael hagerty]

And a number of peeps involved at the time thought "Boss" was a very LA thing and did not want to use it elsewhere.

And they were right. It was limited (at least under Drake) to L.A., San Diego and Fresno.

 

[davideduardo]

And they were right. It was limited (at least under Drake) to L.A., San Diego and Fresno.

TR found it very unappealing for SF. Of course, the tangential use on a competitor gave him reason to prevent the term's usage in the Bay Area.

 

[gr8oldies]

And they were right. It was limited (at least under Drake) to L.A., San Diego and Fresno.

Definitely not The Big 8, except for one commercial promoting a contest to see the Motortown Revue "this boss show is super-private and not open to the public"

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

Not to sidetrack your thread @michael hagerty but I note a lot of well-known TV and movie voice artists came from the LA radio scene from back in the day. Mark Elliott who you mentioned was with Disney for years and though not everyone knows his face or name, most everyone knows his voice very well (actually there's a YouTube video where he described an appearance he made at a college event I believe after he'd retired from Disney. He took the mic, introduced himself and then went into his Disney shtick and launched into teaser annoucements he'd done for The Lion King or one of the other bigger releases and the audience immediately recognized his voice and went berserk). Charlie O'Donnell who was the long-time, well-known announcer on Wheel of Fortune was also on LA radio.

Question is, back in the day did the LA-based movie studios or TV producers hear these guys on the radio, and after hearing their voices say "That's our guy!" and grab them for their V/O or announcing work?

One of Mark Elliott's non Disney Voiceover work was at KRON-TV San Francisco back when it was contract to carry NBC content in the 1990's.