• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

DJ's of influence

S

shilton

By now, I think its obvious to all of us who frequent this board, that we all share a passion for the business. I thought it would be fun to ask who may have influenced you to get into this crazy world we call radio.

I know for me, as a kid, I grew up on Sean McKay at WFBG...thought he was an absolute genius. In my teen years, I turned to Quinn and Bananna on B-94 Pittsburgh, Ed Sherlock at Q-94 and The Sheep Dog J- Randyll (again at WFBG)....I wanted to be like those guys.

Then when I got into the biz, I was more influenced locally by Scott St. John of WPRR (who ended up hiring me) as well as Steve Willett of WALY, and I also loved to listen to tapes of Elvis Duran of Z100. I think all these people shaped who I became in this biz.

Just wondering who got you roped in...or who helped make "you" who you are on the air? Anyone got any nice stories to share?
 
Does it HAVE to be disc DJs or can it be "personalities," since I predate much of jockdom?
Arthur Godfrey, Martin Block, Ted Husing, Alan Freed, Peter Trip. Gordon E. Baker, Don Imus, Dan Ingram, David Brinkley, Douglas Edwards, Raymon Bruce and the anonymous announcer who did the in-store commercials at McCrory's five-and-dime.
 
gargoyles said:
Does it HAVE to be disc DJs or can it be "personalities," since I predate much of jockdom?
Arthur Godfrey, Martin Block, Ted Husing, Alan Freed, Peter Trip. Gordon E. Baker, Don Imus, Dan Ingram, David Brinkley, Douglas Edwards, Raymon Bruce and the anonymous announcer who did the in-store commercials at McCrory's five-and-dime.
Click to expand...

My biggest influences were/are Dale Dorman when he was at KISS 108/Boston and Dan Justin when he was at WHTT/Boston...they made radio sound like sooooo much fun!
 
Bill Tanner-Y100, Dave Sholin, Mark McKay, Dr. Don Rose - KFRC, Rick Dees - WMPS/WHBQ, Cousin Bruice, Howard Hoffman - WABC, London & Engleman - KMEL & K-WEST, Terry Young - WTIX/WCAU, Steve McCoy - WSTR, Dick Van Dyke (yeah Laura's tv husband) WNOE, John Records Landecker, Tom Kent and Susan Platt - WLS AM, Jack Da Wack - Z100, Brian Pierce - B97, Greaseman - WAPE, Big Ron O'Brien - KIIS...best voice guy ever = Ernie Anderson ABC TV ($500 a line back in the 70's)
 
Don Berns, Johnny Williams-WTAE, Clark Ingram, Bob Savage-WHTX, Jeff Davis-WLS, Magic Matt Allen-Z-100, Bruce Kelly-B-94, Terry Young-WCAU, and Jackson Armstrong, where ever he was! And truly learned from some of the best! Wish I was half as good as any of the list above.
 
For me, it was my boss at a small Ozark, AR country station who told me, as an aspiring DJ in the 11th Grade, that he would accept my employment application IF I would apply for the Ted Rand Broadcasting Scholarship at Arkansas State University (http://www.astate.edu). I had never considered getting a college degree for radio, but this got me interested to the point that in 1985 I got my Bachelor's Degree in Broadcast Station Management. Another influence was none other than Wink104/Harrisburg's John O'Dea. He was, at the time I graduated college, PD at (then KZZB) what is now KZBB/B98 in Fort Smith, AR. His carefree, yet firm, management style & his human relations practices are models I still refer to even today when it comes to mentoring others in radio.
 
My DJ influence was started when I would prank call the DJ on WCHX in Burnham when it was a Top40, I think the DJ's name was Dennis the Mennis Mitchell. If you know him, tell him Hanz says Guten Tag. I loved being on the air and interacting with the DJ, I knew thats what I wanted to do. Years down the road, Gary Ishler of WMRF gave me my first chance to be on the radio when I was a senior in high school with his Merf Morning Co-host. I did that three times (I still have those airchecks) Drew and the Crew from WQKX also inspired me to be more natural sounding a they always had that relaxed feeling in their voices plus they were very localin the programming. Later on the down the road when I worked at Forever Broadcasting, Mark the Shark of Beaver 103 gave me plenty of pointers as did Glen Turner before he left the first time. A man that really helped to give me direction was Lucas of Hot 92.
 
Larry Lujack (WLS, WCFL), Jack Armstrong (WKBW), Gary Burbank (CKLW, WLW), J.P. McCarthy (WJR), Gerry House (WSIX), Jay Thomas (Big WAYS, KPWR), Dr. Don Rose (WFIL, KFRC), Fred Winston (KQV, WLS), Gary Gears (WLS, WCFL, WIND). Altoona's all-time best: Doug--The Dugger--Hoffman (WVAM).
 
Bannerville said:
My DJ influence was started when I would prank call the DJ on WCHX in Burnham when it was a Top40, I think the DJ's name was Dennis the Mennis Mitchell. If you know him, tell him Hanz says Guten Tag. I loved being on the air and interacting with the DJ, I knew thats what I wanted to do. Years down the road, Gary Ishler of WMRF gave me my first chance to be on the radio when I was a senior in high school with his Merf Morning Co-host. I did that three times (I still have those airchecks) Drew and the Crew from WQKX also inspired me to be more natural sounding a they always had that relaxed feeling in their voices plus they were very localin the programming. Later on the down the road when I worked at Forever Broadcasting, Mark the Shark of Beaver 103 gave me plenty of pointers as did Glen Turner before he left the first time. A man that really helped to give me direction was Lucas of Hot 92.
Click to expand...

Bannerville...you are making me wonder who you are?? hmmm...you worked @ Forever when Sharkboy was there...and you were there when I left the first time...give me a hint as to who you are...lol.
 
Glen,
I know who he is! He works or worked at accu weather and once worked at blockbuster video. He is married with one kid. He was with us part time glen while we worked at the Beav. Those were the best times in radio. God bless Blaine Love whereever and whatever he is doing these days.
 
"Altoona's all-time best: Doug--The Dugger--Hoffman (WVAM)"

I agree---and he had probably the fastest delivery this side of Terry "Motormouth" Young.
 
I'm flattered. You ppl actually listened to me??? lol. Glen, Tiggerswoosh has it down to the dot, but I STILL do work at AcuuWeather. Where'd you go anyhow?? With me covering the 48 States, it would be nice to be hear Glen Turner on the dial again.
 
Bannerville said:
I'm flattered. You ppl actually listened to me??? lol. Glen, Tiggerswoosh has it down to the dot, but I STILL do work at AcuuWeather. Where'd you go anyhow?? With me covering the 48 States, it would be nice to be hear Glen Turner on the dial again.
Click to expand...

Not to be picky or anything but we do have 50 states. Do you only cover the continental (the adjoining 48) U.S.? And Glen said where he was in another thread. New Hampshire I think.
 
My first influence was Harv Moore on WPGC in Washington. And then Jim Elliott also on WPGC. My most recent influence was Don Geronimo and Mike O'Meara (The Don and Mike Show), but mostly the era when they were on in mornings on WAVA in Washington.
 
For me, even though I could hear Dan Ingram every afternoon on WABC in the 60s, and I could hear Scott Muni on WNEW-FM in the 70s,,,, (just to name a few) there was only one guy I had to listen for, religously, Jean Shepherd on WOR. You might know him as the narrator on the movie "A Christmas Story". Every night I would get under the covers with my little transistor radio next to my kid ear and go on an incredible journey with his stories and commentary on the world. Not political, just real life (or something resembling real life).

Yes my friends, there have been some great influential DJs in our time, but to me Shep was a total personality. I don't think we will ever hear radio like that again. He was a true "communicator". Check the site flicklives.com if you don't know Shep.
 
The personalities who influenced me the most were Robert W. Morgan, The Real Don Steele, Humble Harv Miller, Emperior Bob Hudson, Wolfman Jack, and Sam Riddle
 
Larry Lujack, Fred Winston, John Records Landecker, Gary Burbank, Bill Bailey(The Duke Of Louisville), Dan Ingram, Robert W. Morgan and a few others that have caught my attention over time.
 
I guess I will always have to thank my big brother for showing me WLS on the dial. This was back around 1972. All those jocks taught me a bunch about this job.
Also, a few other stations: WLAC Nashville (the Bear and Spider Harrison), Doc Holliday on KAAY Little Rock.

Landecker is the main reason I've been in radio for 28 years. A great mentor....and I'm still his biggest fan.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom