Don Cox

[Grk_ScorpioInTheMIA]

Yeah, a lot of programmers thought Cox was a terrible jock, especially with his "maniacal" laugh. Another example of how S. Florida was a different breed of market.

Everywhere else he may have not been liked, but he was very well liked here in Miami. He made radio here entertaining and fun to listen to, unlike what we have on the air now. Now all we have are voicetracked DJ's who sound like they were sucking on a balloon and letting the helium make their voices lighter. R.I.P. Don Cox. You are truly missed here.

 

[radioman148]

Yeah, a lot of programmers thought Cox was a terrible jock, especially with his "maniacal" laugh. Another example of how S. Florida was a different breed of market.

Everywhere else he may have not been liked, but he was very well liked here in Miami. He made radio here entertaining and fun to listen to, unlike what we have on the air now. Now all we have are voicetracked DJ's who sound like they were sucking on a balloon and letting the helium make their voices lighter. R.I.P. Don Cox. You are truly missed here.

I thought he was good on WEFM in Chicago in the late 70s, but for whatever reason he didn't last, but neither did the station.

 

[beefjerky]

There are different styles of programming, and Cox did not do well in stations where the PD wanted the DJs to just follow orders. Y-100, I-95 and Power 96 allowed Cox to be Cox and that's where he thrived.

Some of us believe Cox drank himself to death because he was no longer able to "be" Cox. He was a great person and a very loyal friend.

 

[radioman148]

There are different styles of programming, and Cox did not do well in stations where the PD wanted the DJs to just follow orders. Y-100, I-95 and Power 96 allowed Cox to be Cox and that's where he thrived.

Some of us believe Cox drank himself to death because he was no longer able to "be" Cox. He was a great person and a very loyal friend.

Clearly he was one of those guys who needed his freedom on the air.
Very sad that he died at such a young age.

 

[TinElLay]

Don "Cox-on-the-Radio" was one of the many exciting personalities with whom I've had the opportunity to work. I met him at Y-100 and we became friends. It was a friendship that would last for many years through many stations.

Cox was boisterous, bawdy, outrageous, silly, fun, and had an amazing ability to transcend all the equipment between him on one side of the mike and a listener driving along, just listening. For all his loudness he could be amazingly quiet over the right intro...thoughtful...even introspective. It was like riding down the street with an interesting companion.

One of my favorite Cox lines: "Here's Jennifer Lopez with the number one song in the country. If YOU had an ass like that, you'd have the number one song in the country." Perfect - "brevity is the soul of wit". Music information presented in a funny, sexy, succinct intro...as only Cox could.

And on top of all that, one of the nicest guys you could know.

 

[theharleyshow]

I never worked with Don, other than doing some breaks with him from a Police concert, while broadcasting my WSHE show from the Orange Bowl(Cox was just fired from Y100 and wandering around and I thought it would be fun to have him on the ROCK station, he was funny and great by the way). I did have the honor of running into him from time to time other than that time at SHE while in South Florida. One of my favorite Cox moments was from one of the many times I would have lunch with my friend Gabe Baptiste, who was PD of I95(I was working at Y-100 then). Gabe and I would be standing outside in the parking lot and Cox would drive in and pretend to nearly hit me with his car! The first time I freaked! He just laughed.

Cox was also part of the reason I got my air name. When I was hired by Sonny Fox at WSHE to do evenings, I had been Greg Garron in the Quad Cities. Fox pointed out that Cox on Y-100 was a legend and wanted me to come up with a name people would hear one time and remember, like Charlie Tuna. I jokingly said "Harley Davidson" and it for good or bad it stuck.

I always enjoyed listening to Don on the radio and hanging out with him was never dull.

 

[Hockeyfan]

Y100....ah the good 'ol days of So. Flo Radio. Tremonte Watts also plus can't remember who was canned after being arrested for selling drugs from their Van at South Broward HS in Hollywood.

 

[InSearchOfGear]

In his final days Cox lived about 20 minutes from me and we spoke often, up until a few weeks before his death. I'm still not over the loss.

Call letters that come to mind:

WQXI, CKLW, WMYQ, 13Q, Y-100, WEFM, KHJ, I-95, Power96, WKIS. I'm sure there's more.

First met Cox in '77, when he returned to Y-100 to guest host nights for a vacationing JoJo Kincaid. He was truly amazed how the market so warmly remembered him after being gone for several years. On and off the air, Don was one of the most unique and amazing people I've ever known. He inspried a lot of careers, mine among them.

Miss you man. :-(

 

[InSearchOfGear]

There are different styles of programming, and Cox did not do well in stations where the PD wanted the DJs to just follow orders. Y-100, I-95 and Power 96 allowed Cox to be Cox and that's where he thrived.

Some of us believe Cox drank himself to death because he was no longer able to "be" Cox. He was a great person and a very loyal friend.

I concur.

 

[theharleyshow]

Hockeyfan? What is this you speak of? I worked with Tramontte Watts and he and I changed places in the Y-100 lineup when I was moved to 6-10pm and he 10pm-2am. As for selling drugs out of the station van, more than one would have been canned since the Y-100 jocks NEVER drove the vans. We were driven to appearances by the promotions department, headed by Tony Novia, who is one of the most straight up radio guys I've ever worked with.

From what I remember, Tramontte was total anti drugs. I don't even think he drank. I'd speculate that the crew that followed Cox and Company at Y-100 were boring compared to them. Dude, we used to go BOWLING together after jock meetings. Chio and I even joined a league and later Paco filled in on our team(we finished second in the summer league at West Hollywood Lanes in the Summer of '86). Things did get wild during the beer frames though.

 

[jcblanco]

Hockeyfan? What is this you speak of? I worked with Tramontte Watts and he and I changed places in the Y-100 lineup when I was moved to 6-10pm and he 10pm-2am. As for selling drugs out of the station van, more than one would have been canned since the Y-100 jocks NEVER drove the vans. We were driven to appearances by the promotions department, headed by Tony Novia, who is one of the most straight up radio guys I've ever worked with.

From what I remember, Tramontte was total anti drugs. I don't even think he drank. I'd speculate that the crew that followed Cox and Company at Y-100 were boring compared to them. Dude, we used to go BOWLING together after jock meetings. Chio and I even joined a league and later Paco filled in on our team(we finished second in the summer league at West Hollywood Lanes in the Summer of '86). Things did get wild during the beer frames though.

Harley, what did become of Al Chio? If I recall, he briefly returned to Y-100 after Mega 103.5 flipped formats, but I haven't heard him since. Wasn't he the longest-tenured (with one station) on-air talent on FM in the market before he moved to Mega in '99?

 

[Hockeyfan]

Hockeyfan? What is this you speak of? I worked with Tramontte Watts and he and I changed places in the Y-100 lineup when I was moved to 6-10pm and he 10pm-2am. As for selling drugs out of the station van, more than one would have been canned since the Y-100 jocks NEVER drove the vans. We were driven to appearances by the promotions department, headed by Tony Novia, who is one of the most straight up radio guys I've ever worked with.

From what I remember, Tramontte was total anti drugs. I don't even think he drank. I'd speculate that the crew that followed Cox and Company at Y-100 were boring compared to them. Dude, we used to go BOWLING together after jock meetings. Chio and I even joined a league and later Paco filled in on our team(we finished second in the summer league at West Hollywood Lanes in the Summer of '86). Things did get wild during the beer frames though.

I'm sorry. Didn't phrase that right at all. I was just musing that almost of the Y-100 Jocks were mentioned except Tramonte Watts, not to imply that he was involved with drugs. Sorry.

I am pretty sure an on air personality was arrested for selling drugs to high school kids from the Y-100 Van.

 

[InSearchOfGear]

From what I remember, Tramontte was total anti drugs. I don't even think he drank.

You are correct, sir. TOTALLY anti-drug and alcohol. He was a fitness buff. Sexual addiction? Definitely. lol

Tramontte and I go all the way back to his WQAM days in the mid 70s. Another devastating loss. Myself and my pal Milan (a/k/a Cadillac Jack, nights at Y-100 after Paco) drove out to Akron for his funeral. So sad....

 

[abuiltmale]

Back in the early 80s (83-84)Tramonte and I lived in the same townhouse development. in W Broward. I never talked to him but the lifeguard at the pool was very friendly with him and the two discussed religion most of the time. I was friendly with the lifeguard and he told me Tramonte was a very religious person. Why Tramonte was working on his tan, was beyond me....lol

 

[tunchwoman]

Miami has lost a lot of great talent...Cox, Kramer, Bo. Kid Curry and Power knew how to put together a station that was home to some of the best talent around. Today's sound doesn't even compare although Tom C at Power has done a decent job. DJ Laz morning show is def a weak link there.

 

[InSearchOfGear]

Miami has lost a lot of great talent...Cox, Kramer, Bo. Kid Curry and Power knew how to put together a station that was home to some of the best talent around. Today's sound doesn't even compare although Tom C at Power has done a decent job. DJ Laz morning show is def a weak link there.

Those of us from that era who are still breathing, still get it. What SFla needs is a true SFla Hot AC. That would be one gig I could NOT say no to.

 

[tunchwoman]

Agreed. Cox tried it with Coast but flipped to AC and would rather play the same 20 songs from the past than expand the playlist with new music. If they expanded their playlist and stopped competiting against Lite FM for the title of who can play the same old music over and over, things would sound better.