The article does not mention his stint on WHIM in the 90's as Andy Jackson. Heres the link.....
http://newsblog.projo.com/#590329
http://newsblog.projo.com/#590329
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!!!!!!!!-BREAKING NEWS-!!!!!!! Big Ange! John Manzi dead
- Thread starter Kenny Atkinson
- Start date
Nor does it mention "Superstar 'JAR."
I figured I had big shoes to fill in 1974.
When "Big Ange" went to WJAR, Gary Berkowitz handled his shift until he got ahold of WPRO-FM, and PD'd its transition from Beautiful Music to CHR. Then, for several months, came Harvey Fischer as "Bruce Diamond" (now longtime Mix107.3/Washington morning host)...then yours truly, for 6 years...several-of-which he-and-I competed. He was 6-10 on Superstar 'JAR and I did 7-midnight on WPRO.
RIP Andy Jackson.
HC
I figured I had big shoes to fill in 1974.
When "Big Ange" went to WJAR, Gary Berkowitz handled his shift until he got ahold of WPRO-FM, and PD'd its transition from Beautiful Music to CHR. Then, for several months, came Harvey Fischer as "Bruce Diamond" (now longtime Mix107.3/Washington morning host)...then yours truly, for 6 years...several-of-which he-and-I competed. He was 6-10 on Superstar 'JAR and I did 7-midnight on WPRO.
RIP Andy Jackson.
HC
I remember meeting Ange when I was interviewing for the chief engineer's job at the now silent WASY 1590 in Gorham, Maine. Ange was PD and another PRO alum, Joe Thomas was Music Director. Situated over a pizza joint, the place looked like it had been literally tossed together to get it on the air. Ange and Joe took me to dinner at a Chinese place: our bill came to over $50! Ange referred to himself and Joe as the Beef Brothers. Both guys were big and tall, larger than life. Along with Chuck Stevens, Rhode Island radio is so much the less for their loss.
The article also does not mention his 2 years as PD and afternoon drive host at WKRI in West Warwick. I worked with Ange there in different capacities. He was a character and I did learn alot from him.
RIP ANGE and Thank You
RIP ANGE and Thank You
Big Ange gave me my first break in radio. When Stern got fired from WNBC I searched my dial for another personality to fill the void left on my radio. Well I found a program that did that on 1450 WKRI. Big Ange had a BIG personality. I started calling him and telling him of my desire to be on the radio. I had just started attending Northeast Broadcast School in Boston that same year. Big Ange told me to come on down and help him out. He gave me my first radio job when I became his intern.
My first day on the job he told me to go get him coffee at the Bar next door. Not exactly what I was hoping to be my first experience in radio. The next week he told me to lose my ugly NBC jacket I had on. I wanted to punch him. But at the same time I never forgot him for being cool enough to give a kid his first break in radio. I always appreciated him for that. So thank you Big Ange. You were a part of my life and I will always remember you for the nice things you did for me.
Rest in peace my friend.
My first day on the job he told me to go get him coffee at the Bar next door. Not exactly what I was hoping to be my first experience in radio. The next week he told me to lose my ugly NBC jacket I had on. I wanted to punch him. But at the same time I never forgot him for being cool enough to give a kid his first break in radio. I always appreciated him for that. So thank you Big Ange. You were a part of my life and I will always remember you for the nice things you did for me.
Rest in peace my friend.
K
Ken Grady
Guest
Big Ange was a one-of-a-kind personality when that kind of talent had a place in radio. He was at his peak during some of the best years of Rhode Island radio.
I seem to remember him doing radio in the New Bedford/Fall River market as well. Big Ange, Joe Thomas, Joel A. Spivak, Vik Armen, Bob Di Carlo...just some Providence greats
I remember listening to Big Ange on 550 WICE, and his broadcasts from the Million Dollar Jewelry sale at JCPenney in Warwick Mall, and with Chuck Stevens from Combined Hardware (not sure if still in business). I remember one time during his show at the WICE studio on John St. in Cumberland, he called Scarborough Beach live on the air, and asked about the weather there, and the woman who answered said it was foggy and not a really good beach day. He talked to her for a good 10 minutes about the weather and the beach. Ange loved to chat, and sometimes it felt like his show on WICE was more like a talk show than a music show. I also remember a couple of live broadcasts, maybe from Warwick Mall, and a little boy grabbed his mike, which was on, or maybe the boy turned it on, and talked over a song. Ange then said over the song, "The little kid grabbed my mike." I laughed. I believe the song was Hank Ballard and the Midnighters, Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go. Also one where Ange was letting people do karaoke live on the air. I remember someone singing karaoke to Carl Perkin's Blue Suede Shoes, and there was feedback on the mike when the singer tried to reach a high note on "shoes". Hahaha. I also remember him as Andy Jackson on 1110 WHIM and his country kitchen contest, where he would give ingredients little by little to a recipe and you had to guess what it was. He was a fun guy to listen to. A legend of RI radio.
I knew him as Jack Andrews - the air name he chose for himself back at the beginning. He started at WLOV, licensed to Cranston. An FM, that had The FCC not shut it down for myriad violations, could have been a really big gun. But it was too early and there were too few FM radios.
Jack hired on at WYNG (now WARV) in about 1961 as a salesman. Yes, he did an occasional air shift but most of his time was in sales.
The station was doing University of Rhode Island football and there was no money for phone lines. The engineer at the time converted an old police radio and added forced-air cooling, got it licensed for remote pickup operation. The GM, Bill Dawson, traded out a couple of 1951 Ford sedans on their last legs and traded out paint jobs to turn them into rolling billboards. We cut a hole in the roof of one, bolted a block of wood to the floor in the back and mounted a collapsible mast through the roof with a rather large Yaggi antenna on top. The roof was not reinforced in any way. Hold that thought.
Jack had a totally unreliable little car and, one payday, borrowed the Ford with the mast to go cash his paycheck. We knew he was going but didn't think it through.
Jack went to the drive-in bank by Gorton Pond (Warwick) and got in line for the teller window in those pre-ATM days. An older woman in a huge Cadillac got in line behind him and a big pickup truck behind her. As Jack advanced in the line the woman looked in horror at the mast, the Yaggi and the roof of the bank portico above the teller window. She slammed the Caddy into reverse and rammed the pickup but there was no escape. Jack drove relentlessly forward.
The mast hit the bank roof.
The flimsy steel of the Ford roof tore like paper.
The back window of the Ford shattered.
The mast toppled like a suicidal redwood.
The end of the Yag punched through the hood of the Cadillac.
Had the woman not reversed and rammed the pickup it would have punctured the top of her head.
Jack was never again allowed to use a company car.
Jack hired on at WYNG (now WARV) in about 1961 as a salesman. Yes, he did an occasional air shift but most of his time was in sales.
The station was doing University of Rhode Island football and there was no money for phone lines. The engineer at the time converted an old police radio and added forced-air cooling, got it licensed for remote pickup operation. The GM, Bill Dawson, traded out a couple of 1951 Ford sedans on their last legs and traded out paint jobs to turn them into rolling billboards. We cut a hole in the roof of one, bolted a block of wood to the floor in the back and mounted a collapsible mast through the roof with a rather large Yaggi antenna on top. The roof was not reinforced in any way. Hold that thought.
Jack had a totally unreliable little car and, one payday, borrowed the Ford with the mast to go cash his paycheck. We knew he was going but didn't think it through.
Jack went to the drive-in bank by Gorton Pond (Warwick) and got in line for the teller window in those pre-ATM days. An older woman in a huge Cadillac got in line behind him and a big pickup truck behind her. As Jack advanced in the line the woman looked in horror at the mast, the Yaggi and the roof of the bank portico above the teller window. She slammed the Caddy into reverse and rammed the pickup but there was no escape. Jack drove relentlessly forward.
The mast hit the bank roof.
The flimsy steel of the Ford roof tore like paper.
The back window of the Ford shattered.
The mast toppled like a suicidal redwood.
The end of the Yag punched through the hood of the Cadillac.
Had the woman not reversed and rammed the pickup it would have punctured the top of her head.
Jack was never again allowed to use a company car.
Ange worked in New Bedford at WNBH from 1968-1969 (give or take 6 months)....he was part-time at PRO 10 pm-1AM..and did so well in New Bedford (as Jack Andrews) he forced PRO to give him full-time,,6-10 which was changed to 7 to Midnight. Remember his Good night line for all the "little ladies of the night?"partymonster said:
Sorry to hear this. Never met him but I do remember him. Stories and recollections like this drive home all the more how much it sucks to be a listener and actually believe you're listening to personality radio now when Seacrest gushes over some celebrity or the B101ers read from Whitburn books.
I was really saddened to hear of Big Ange's passing.
In the early 1970s I did the all-night show on WPRO-AM, following Ange. The last few minutes of his show consisted of the "Good Night Line" where Ange would summon up his best basso piano and say good night to his "Little Ladies of The Night" over Paul Anka's "Goodnight My Love."
During the 11-o'clock hour he would put some of these women on the
air to give them a personal goodnight. (He did all of that with no 7-second delay, he just kept his finger on the speaker box) One night I was prepping at the side mike position when one of these "ladies" tried to drop an "F" on Ange. It never hit the air. By the time she got to "fuh" down went the button. I congratulated him on his reflexes, to which he "replied": "They try that once in a while, but Big Ange is too fast."
Andy Jackson was one of the medium's most unique personalities. So much so that I never heard anyone try to copy him. He also had to be a tough act to follow, as I am sure Harvey and Holland can attest. Especially, when he was opposite them at 'JAR. Outlet and the guys from Charlotte built a technically state of the art facility and gave Ange a little structure. Ange loved it after toiling at 24 Mason Street. He never sounded better.
Ange it was a special privilege to have stood in your shadow.
Vaya con Dios, Amigo
In the early 1970s I did the all-night show on WPRO-AM, following Ange. The last few minutes of his show consisted of the "Good Night Line" where Ange would summon up his best basso piano and say good night to his "Little Ladies of The Night" over Paul Anka's "Goodnight My Love."
During the 11-o'clock hour he would put some of these women on the
air to give them a personal goodnight. (He did all of that with no 7-second delay, he just kept his finger on the speaker box) One night I was prepping at the side mike position when one of these "ladies" tried to drop an "F" on Ange. It never hit the air. By the time she got to "fuh" down went the button. I congratulated him on his reflexes, to which he "replied": "They try that once in a while, but Big Ange is too fast."
Andy Jackson was one of the medium's most unique personalities. So much so that I never heard anyone try to copy him. He also had to be a tough act to follow, as I am sure Harvey and Holland can attest. Especially, when he was opposite them at 'JAR. Outlet and the guys from Charlotte built a technically state of the art facility and gave Ange a little structure. Ange loved it after toiling at 24 Mason Street. He never sounded better.
Ange it was a special privilege to have stood in your shadow.
Vaya con Dios, Amigo
Superstar 'JAR
Amen! Losing his longtime WPRO gig had to be a wake-up call.
WJAR was REAL tweaked. Veteran WBT PD and consultant Tom McMurray was on-the-case, and every daypart (except automated overnights) was stoked with talent: Charlie Jefferds > Mike Sands > Mike Ivers > Andy Jackson.
Meanwhile, successful Chicago PD John Rook -- whose Super 'CFL beat mighty WLS -- was consulting WGNG. They were playing songs @ 47RPM, compressed-as-all-get-out.
By the time I got to WPRO (weekends in June '74, full-time that September), Pro was playing defense alrighty. And we sure fought-our-way-back. Aggressive radio.
THEN, when Mike Joseph-consulted JB-105 came-on strong, Berko got the green-light to take Pro-FM live 24/7 (it had been automated late-nights/overnights).
This market was GREAT local radio then.
Not good.
GREAT.
One of our weekend Pro Personalities (Mark Simone, then an Emerson student, now @ WABC) told me of a conversation he had with the PD at WHDH/Boston, then popping. Simone offered to send an aircheck, and was told "If you're on WPRO-AM, we already have your aircheck."
I got a call from a station in Chicago, and the PD said "Loved your tape." I hadn't send one.
Dusty Dale Brooks said:
Amen! Losing his longtime WPRO gig had to be a wake-up call.
WJAR was REAL tweaked. Veteran WBT PD and consultant Tom McMurray was on-the-case, and every daypart (except automated overnights) was stoked with talent: Charlie Jefferds > Mike Sands > Mike Ivers > Andy Jackson.
Meanwhile, successful Chicago PD John Rook -- whose Super 'CFL beat mighty WLS -- was consulting WGNG. They were playing songs @ 47RPM, compressed-as-all-get-out.
By the time I got to WPRO (weekends in June '74, full-time that September), Pro was playing defense alrighty. And we sure fought-our-way-back. Aggressive radio.
THEN, when Mike Joseph-consulted JB-105 came-on strong, Berko got the green-light to take Pro-FM live 24/7 (it had been automated late-nights/overnights).
This market was GREAT local radio then.
Not good.
GREAT.
One of our weekend Pro Personalities (Mark Simone, then an Emerson student, now @ WABC) told me of a conversation he had with the PD at WHDH/Boston, then popping. Simone offered to send an aircheck, and was told "If you're on WPRO-AM, we already have your aircheck."
I got a call from a station in Chicago, and the PD said "Loved your tape." I hadn't send one.
This is sad.. When doing his sort stint on mornings at WINR (Binghamton NY) back in 77/78, he inspired a 12 year kid who wanted nothing else but to grow up and do the same thing.. He put up with me calling him every morning, stopping at every remote and beging him to visit the radio station.. When he let me help him put away his remote gear, i just thought i was the coolest.. When he left all of a sudden one day, i was crushed.. My first job in radio, about 9 years latter was at that same radio station i had listen to him on.. it was the most exciting day of my life.. God Bless you "Big Ange" i don't know what i would be doing today if it wasn't for you..
Tejay Schwartz / AM Drive / Magic 101.7 - WLTB Binghamton NY
Tejay Schwartz / AM Drive / Magic 101.7 - WLTB Binghamton NY
WJAR was REAL tweaked. Veteran WBT PD and consultant Tom McMurray was on-the-case, and every daypart (except automated overnights) was stoked with talent: Charlie Jefferds > Mike Sands > Mike Ivers > Andy Jackson.
Lest we forget Uncle Ricky (Dick Irwin) doing production at 'JAR!
I think it was Al Herskovitz that hired Ange. During that period with Salty, Joe Thomas, Davey Jones, and Ange WPRO was pretty loose, even hard to listen to at times. Jimmy Gray was fundamentally the best of that turn of the decade staff (1970). Jay Clark came in in '72 and before long it seemed like everyone but Bill Drake and Buzz Bennett came after him.
Of course 'PRO did have Drake bleeding in from WRKO. And then there was WBZ, WABC, WNBC, WKBW (at night) rolling in--and that just the AM signals. Somehow Big Ange held serve at night, up against a lot more than just King Arthur Knight over at WICE.
Andy Jackson WAS Providence. "Luca. Luca, Luca Brasi" still rings in my ears!
Lest we forget Uncle Ricky (Dick Irwin) doing production at 'JAR!
I think it was Al Herskovitz that hired Ange. During that period with Salty, Joe Thomas, Davey Jones, and Ange WPRO was pretty loose, even hard to listen to at times. Jimmy Gray was fundamentally the best of that turn of the decade staff (1970). Jay Clark came in in '72 and before long it seemed like everyone but Bill Drake and Buzz Bennett came after him.
Of course 'PRO did have Drake bleeding in from WRKO. And then there was WBZ, WABC, WNBC, WKBW (at night) rolling in--and that just the AM signals. Somehow Big Ange held serve at night, up against a lot more than just King Arthur Knight over at WICE.
Andy Jackson WAS Providence. "Luca. Luca, Luca Brasi" still rings in my ears!
RIP Ange, one of the people who made the market what it is...one of the jocks who really mattered. The type of personality you listened to & decided this is what you wanted to do for a living even if you could never achieve what he did. Beneath the flamboyance, he "got" radio as it was. He knew what his listeners expected & wanted & gave it to them. I think he got into radio at the right time & probably got out at the right time as he wouldn't have been happy being on the air today. Listener preferences have changed, but in some ways I think radio has molded those preferences & conditioned people to expect less. I only regret that his eventual induction into the RIRHOF will be posthumous.
RIP
There have been plenty of posthumous inductions in the RIHOF's short history from Salty, Sherm, Chris Clark & Chuck Stevens in the first year, Jack Comely & Jim Mendes in year 2 to Mike Sands & Harry McKenna this year. They all had airchecks...looks like we have possible 2 posthumous lined up for next year with the recent passings of Ange & Bob Fish. Both were deep in the final voting the past 2 years if my memory serves me right.
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