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FOR DR DON ROSE FANS: A TREAT! His 1956 Audition

J

JAYDIO

Guest
(I originally posted this on the Airchecks board, and then on the Philly board a few days ago, where there are many great comments about the Good Doctor.)


For fans of Dr. Don Rose, here is a priceless addition to your collection: A 23 year old DDR with is audition tape, circa 1956! Thanks to former KDWB/St. Paul Minneapolis PD Deane Johnson for putting this on his site. Dean describes how he crossed paths with Don:

From this early audition tape it's easy to hear that Don Rose was a creative and talented individual at the age of 23. He demonstrates originality, maturity, and clarity of thought most 23 year olds have not yet acquired. Dr. Don somehow made his way to applying for a job at KWMT (Ft. Dodge, Iowa). He was hired by Burns Nugent as Program Director. Don implemented the Top 40 format on KWMT, which at the time was only 1KW, but covered a huge area with it's 540 kHz dial position and the rich Iowa soil. He put together a good sounding station, far better than its market size would dictate.

Don longed for bigger things and left to program KTUL in Tulsa. I was hired from KOOO as his replacement. Somehow, the KTUL thing didn't work out and Don came back as a member of the talent staff, until he moved to sister station WEBC in Duluth as Program Director.

By his own writings, Don had indicated he spent more time losing jobs in those early years than he did enjoying longevity. Then, Don struck gold at WQXI and WFIL for Paul Drew. He became a major and dominate success at these stations, and later moved to KFRC in San Francisco. At KFRC he was even more successful, and became one of the most famous and highly rated morning personalities in San Francisco history. During his KFRC days many felt he was the finest disc jockey in America. It would be hard to disagree with that opinion.

Listen and view photo here: http://www.deanejohnson.net/audio/dr_don_rose.shtml
Download here: http://www.savefile.com/files/1472281

Click here for a Rob Sherwood aircheck from KDWB in 1971, and photo. Be sure to note WHO is in the photo with him - a very hairy True Don Bleu, then KDWB afternoon guy, now at Star 101.3 in San Francisco: http://www.deanejohnson.net/audio/KDWB_Rob_Sherwood_Air_Check_9-30-71.shtml
 
And of course, you know that's my cue to jump in and remind you that Dr. Don's work at KFRC can be heard on demand on the Bay Area Radio Museum's website:

http://www.bayarearadio.org/audio/kfrc/dr-don-rose.shtml

We recently added something new to the DDR Collection: his 2003 recording session from KSTN in Stockton, during which he recorded a series of custom voicers for his great friend Knox Larue's station. The recording came to us through the generosity of KSTN's Paul Shinn, who engineered the session. Scroll all the way down the page -- it's at the very bottom of the list of airchecks on the DDR page.

DJ
 
...I neglected to mention what a wonderful recording the "Rose... Don Rose" audition is. This is an eleven-minute classic, starring a young man on the rise. He's years away from the corny jokes and cow bells that endeared him to so many of us; what you'll find here is a thoughtful, serious fellow trying to find the next rung up the ladder of success.

If it's 1956 and I received this recording at my radio station, this is the next person I'm hiring.

Two thumbs up. Dave Bob says definitely check it out.
 
What a wonderful look back this audition is. Great quality too, very clean. It brings back memories of meeting DDR who was just one of the nicest people and so very missed by those of us who were his fans.
 
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