(David, if you want to take this down, that's fine)
I started listening to WCBSFM 101.1 in the summer of 1984 - right in the era of Dick ("Leader of Lasagna Land") Heatherton and Bob "Mr. Trivia" Shannon. That weekend's Radio Greats reunion included guys like Dan Ingram, who would subsequently get a weekend slot a few years later (and died a few years ago) - he was blessed to be part of TWO great legacy radio stations - WABC and, of course, The Golden 101.1.
Ingram got me hooked on the station (I was a fan of his back in the day - who wasn't?) - but it was CBSFM's regular crew who kept me hooked - all the way until 2014 in one way or the other. You had the aforementioned Shannon and Heatherton - you also had Mr. Music Norm N Nite, who was a veritable encyclopedia of rock trivia (not to mention a best-selling author - three "Rock On" books. You also had DJ soon to be bestselling author Marc Sommers (who now goes under his real name Travis L. Ayres). Gary Clark was the guy who ended the weekend with his "Music for Lovers Only" and played the entire gamut of love songs that WCBSFM had at that time. 1986 would bring in Bobby Jay, whose combination of radio and music experience (he sang bass with The Laddins) souled up a Saturday night (and the rest of the week for that matter). Shannon was the guy who taught you things about the music that you didn't ever know. Max "Supermax" Kinkel brought humor, kick, and energy to the overnight hours with his combination of music knowledge and the way he related to the listeners.
Then there was Don K. Reed (I think the "K" stood for "King of the Doowopp Shop"
) - his evening (and later on, overnight) shifts were a comforting way to end the day - the combination of great music and Don's understated (note I said understated) style proved quite successful with the listeners. But it was the Sunday Night DooWopp Shop that stood Don head-and-shoulders above others in the same genre. Playing rare, in some cases, street corner vocal group harmony music (with my apologies to the late Ronnie "I" Italiano) - and the guests he had. Oh, he had all the big groups - Classics, Passions, Excellents - but it was the local groups like "Harmony Street" and "Classic Sounds" just to name a few that made the show special. And made Don a VERY special part of WCBS-FM's musical landscape.
Don K. was a family man in every sense of the word - I remember hanging with him (and wife Dolores and Mr. Reed, Don's father) at one event at the NY Aquarium in Coney Island. Don loved Dolores, his family (he had become a grandpa a few years later) - and yes, the listeners. Don was the sweet, kind, classy gentleman who would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. (I know this from personal experience).
Sadly, I found out very late last night that Reed had passed away - according to several sources, he had been sick for quite a while. I am a bit heartbroken. Don was not just a guy that i listened to on the air - he turned out to be a friend as well - and I will miss him VERY much.
(PS - leave it to my bud David Hinckley, formerly of the Daily News, and his well-written perspective on Mr. Reed - RIP, Don.... )
I started listening to WCBSFM 101.1 in the summer of 1984 - right in the era of Dick ("Leader of Lasagna Land") Heatherton and Bob "Mr. Trivia" Shannon. That weekend's Radio Greats reunion included guys like Dan Ingram, who would subsequently get a weekend slot a few years later (and died a few years ago) - he was blessed to be part of TWO great legacy radio stations - WABC and, of course, The Golden 101.1.
Ingram got me hooked on the station (I was a fan of his back in the day - who wasn't?) - but it was CBSFM's regular crew who kept me hooked - all the way until 2014 in one way or the other. You had the aforementioned Shannon and Heatherton - you also had Mr. Music Norm N Nite, who was a veritable encyclopedia of rock trivia (not to mention a best-selling author - three "Rock On" books. You also had DJ soon to be bestselling author Marc Sommers (who now goes under his real name Travis L. Ayres). Gary Clark was the guy who ended the weekend with his "Music for Lovers Only" and played the entire gamut of love songs that WCBSFM had at that time. 1986 would bring in Bobby Jay, whose combination of radio and music experience (he sang bass with The Laddins) souled up a Saturday night (and the rest of the week for that matter). Shannon was the guy who taught you things about the music that you didn't ever know. Max "Supermax" Kinkel brought humor, kick, and energy to the overnight hours with his combination of music knowledge and the way he related to the listeners.
Then there was Don K. Reed (I think the "K" stood for "King of the Doowopp Shop"
) - his evening (and later on, overnight) shifts were a comforting way to end the day - the combination of great music and Don's understated (note I said understated) style proved quite successful with the listeners. But it was the Sunday Night DooWopp Shop that stood Don head-and-shoulders above others in the same genre. Playing rare, in some cases, street corner vocal group harmony music (with my apologies to the late Ronnie "I" Italiano) - and the guests he had. Oh, he had all the big groups - Classics, Passions, Excellents - but it was the local groups like "Harmony Street" and "Classic Sounds" just to name a few that made the show special. And made Don a VERY special part of WCBS-FM's musical landscape.Don K. was a family man in every sense of the word - I remember hanging with him (and wife Dolores and Mr. Reed, Don's father) at one event at the NY Aquarium in Coney Island. Don loved Dolores, his family (he had become a grandpa a few years later) - and yes, the listeners. Don was the sweet, kind, classy gentleman who would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. (I know this from personal experience).
Sadly, I found out very late last night that Reed had passed away - according to several sources, he had been sick for quite a while. I am a bit heartbroken. Don was not just a guy that i listened to on the air - he turned out to be a friend as well - and I will miss him VERY much.
(PS - leave it to my bud David Hinckley, formerly of the Daily News, and his well-written perspective on Mr. Reed - RIP, Don....
)
