• 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

George Gilbert

Wibbage's loss was WARM's gain.

When I was in high school, I occasionally used to listen to George on WARM all the way down here in Clayton, NJ.

Yes, daytime (weekends, summers and holidays)! I could only get WARM at home on an old 6-volt vacuum-tube Ford car radio that I had converted to AC and rigged with a longwire antenna. It had the selectivity of a communications receiver, but much better audio. (Of course, you could never get WARM here today, with WIP running I-BLOCK!)

Every time I heard George -- or the station, after he became PD -- I knew that Wibbage had made a big mistake. WARM was a great station -- while Wibbage was growing complacent and self-satisfied, just waiting to be knocked off by WFIL's "Pop Explosion" flip.

I wonder whether Wibbage would have been so vulnerable if George had been its PD!

Jack Hannold
 
I met GG later in his career when he was GM at WRAK/WKSB in Williamsport. He gave me my first job in radio -but I've never held that against him :)-
One significant thing I remember about George is that your ideas and opinions mattered...even if you had 5 minutes experience at the time.
GG made the job fun...the way its supposed to be. I know someone mentioned that these posts sound like "eulogies"...but so be it...George and his family deserve to know what a great impact he had on so many people in this biz. My thoughts and prayers are with George and his family.
 
SUPERCASTER said:
I found some Double G pictures. Thanks go to www.philaradio.com.
Here are the links:
http://www.philaradio.com/gg/gg_maharis.gif
http://www.philaradio.com/gg/gg_avalon.gif
http://www.philaradio.com/gg/gg_weld.gif
http://www.philaradio.com/gg/survey5_20_63.gif
http://www.philaradio.com/gg/strike.gif
Click to expand...

Apparently the direct links to the pictures no longer work.
Here is a link to the webpage, just scroll down to "George Gilbert":
http://www.philaradio.com/jock.htm
 
SUPERCASTER said:
I found some Double G pictures. Thanks go to www.philaradio.com.
Here are the links:
http://www.philaradio.com/gg/gg_maharis.gif
http://www.philaradio.com/gg/gg_avalon.gif
http://www.philaradio.com/gg/gg_weld.gif
http://www.philaradio.com/gg/survey5_20_63.gif
http://www.philaradio.com/gg/strike.gif
Click to expand...

For some reason the direct links I provided to the pictures no longer seem to work. The links are on this page, just scroll down to "George Gilbert". Apparently George allowed the photos from his personal collection to be posted on the www.philaradio.com website. Here is a webpage link:
http://www.philaradio.com/jock.htm
 
SUPERCASTER said:
SUPERCASTER said:
I found some Double G pictures. Thanks go to www.philaradio.com.
Here are the links:
http://www.philaradio.com/gg/gg_maharis.gif
http://www.philaradio.com/gg/gg_avalon.gif
http://www.philaradio.com/gg/gg_weld.gif
http://www.philaradio.com/gg/survey5_20_63.gif
http://www.philaradio.com/gg/strike.gif
Click to expand...

For some reason the direct links I provided to the pictures no longer seem to work. The links are on this page, just scroll down to "George Gilbert". Apparently George allowed the photos from his personal collection to be posted on the www.philaradio.com website. Here is a webpage link:
http://www.philaradio.com/jock.htm
Click to expand...

Not only have the Double G pictures been removed from the www.philaradio.com website but the webpage has been changed excluding the links to them.
 
Tommy:

Any update on how George is doing? We are keeping him in our thoughts and prayers...
 
berniek said:
Tommy:

Any update on how George is doing? We are keeping him in our thoughts and prayers...
Click to expand...


I was going to call the house tonight...I'll try in a little while and let everyone know.

Tom
 
Hi everybody...I spoke with Geroges's wife Betty last night. She told me Geroge is about the same..Not talking too much but still hanging in there. The hipa laws hold me back from telling you anything else...Please keep the prayers, good thoughts and memories going. His family reads this site constantly and appreciats all your nice comments.

Thanks Tom
 
Unless you are in the medical profession. HIPAA laws have no affect on providing information on George's medical condition. HIPAA is a privacy act for health care providers and insurance companies to share information. But if privacy is a family issue, we certainly understand and continue our thoughts and prayers.
 
Oldies man said:
Unless you are in the medical profession. HIPAA laws have no affect on providing information on George's medical condition. HIPAA is a privacy act for health care providers and insurance companies to share information. But if privacy is a family issue, we certainly understand and continue our thoughts and prayers.
Click to expand...

True...I'm more than well qualified to understand the HIPAA laws.....However I will not go into details of George's illness. It was enough to say that he is now under the care of home Hospice.
 
Someone on another post or maybe this one referred to double G as Mr. WARM. I'm sure there are many who aspire to that title. I think George was a great transitioning force for the radio station as an on air personality. Forget the community involvement work and the programming, that was pure broadscast savvy. But George bridged the gap between "the kids" who played that "darn rock and roll" and their parents. George on the air seemed like the big brother or dad trying to rein in the likes of Woloson, West, Shaver, Woods, and all the others. His style was understated, he rarely flubbed anything and he made it okay (along with the news department) for the adults to tune in WARM. In my mind, that is one of the least talked about aspects of his career, he was the epicenter of calmness in this new thing introduced to the coal region called Rock and Roll.
One year, I want to say maybe '65 or '66, during his noon to three shift, on Good Friday, he did this three hour long narration of the Passion. I was home sick that Easter but I remember how well he did it. I mean as far as pure theatre, it was better than church!
My first contact with him came when I wrote a rock column for a local paper. I was young then, maybe 15 and interviewed him about local radio. I of course came up to Avoca from Pittston on my bike. He was amused by that. 7 years later, at 22 I was interning at WARM from King's for a BA in Communications. On the first day I'm getting out of my car, (a canary yellow Camaro)the first guy I see getting out of his car is George. He looks at the car, looks at me and deadpans, "No bike?"
We both served on the bi County Bicentennial Committee in 1976 and that to me was golden. When some of the more excitable members were going off the deep end in terms of excitement that bordered on the verge of camp, George pulled us back and reminded us this was the celebration of a birth of a nation and not some cabaret production. Our events proved to be pure classs, just like George.

Yonkstur
 
The reason it's an honor,still, to tell people that you use to work for, or program WARM, is because of the reputation and hard work that George Gilbert built with his leadership of the station. My prayers and respect are with Mr. Gilbert, and add to that a "Thank You", for being a GREAT broadcaster! A"hello" to all my friends in WARMLAND still...

John Hancock
WARM PD 86-88
currently WBT-Charlotte
 
Tom, For some reason or another George popped into my mind last night. So, I went to Goggle to see what they had for George Gilbert. And, up pops this website with conversations among all of you about George being seriously ill. So, I registered on the website and here I am. What is going on? This is very weird that after all these years I would want to go on the Internet to see what George was up to. I haven't seen George or talked to him since 1990. By the way, what is up with you? Getting into any bar fights lately? Mike McKay (Steinhilper)
 
Mike McKay said:
Tom, For some reason or another George popped into my mind last night. So, I went to Goggle to see what they had for George Gilbert. And, up pops this website with conversations among all of you about George being seriously ill. So, I registered on the website and here I am. What is going on? This is very weird that after all these years I would want to go on the Internet to see what George was up to. I haven't seen George or talked to him since 1990. By the way, what is up with you? Getting into any bar fights lately? Mike McKay (Steinhilper)
Click to expand...

Mike I sent you a personal message.

Tom
 
George Gilbert - Sad News

All.... I'm sorry to announce the after a long and courageous battle with cancer, Geroge Gilbert passed away on Saturday night 4/12/2008 with his family by his side.
George was a special person to me, not only was he my father-in-law, but he also convinced me to get off the air as a jock and move into engineering. After doing my fair share of 7-12 shifts, I moved to engineering and I owe where I'm at today to him.

Anthony A. Gervasi, Jr.
Sr. Vice President - Engineering & Technology
Nassau Broadcasting Partners, LP
619 Alexander Road - 3rd Floor
Princeton, NJ 08540
voice: 609.452.9696
fax: 609.419.0254
www.NassauBroadcasting.com
 
Tony,

It is with profound sadness that we learn of George's passing. Thanks for carrying our messages to him before he died. I hope they were a comfort to him and your family. I suspect however, that they were really about us. We got a chance to tell our favorite "Double G" stories. He gave me my big break back in 1975 and I have always been indebted to him. In addition to expressing my sympathy to his family, I want to tell his many friends how sorry I am. They, like you, are heartbroken this morning. Cry a tear and then remember that wry smile and subtle laugh that we all were priveleged to experience. I will remember George always with a smile on my face.

Kevin Jordan
WARM Radio (1975-1979)
 
Hi Guys
THis is Joe Middleton spent yesterday afternoon with Georges wife and children .They appreciate
all the prayers,thoughts ,and visits from all who came to see George.
Spokewith Mickey Wolson and Vince Kierney this morning.Lenny doing about the same with his condition .
Vince having his own problems with his health . Recently had slight stroke and needs back surgery .
Also spoke with King Arthur Knight
 
I would like to pass my condolences on to Tony and Georges families. Didn't know George well, met him years ago when I was working in Philly. Great guy, well liked and respected by his peers and radio has truly lost a legend. God bless George, and I will keep him and family in my prayers tonight.
 
My condolences to George's family on their loss.

In every radio market, no matter how big or how small, there are on-air talents that rise to the level of legends.  Often it's the combination of their talent, their service to the community, their longevity in the market and the respect that they garner from their peers.  From everything
I've read here, that seemed to be the case with George Gilbert.

I didn't know George, like many of you, but I have fond memories of listening to the Mighty 590 -- WARM as a teenager growing up in the Elmira, NY area.  What an exciting radio station and one of the few Top 40 stations available to my then young radio ears (1959?)!  George, Harry West and others there were certainly partly responsible for giving me the "radio bug" that resulted in a 28 year career in the business. 

While I, like many others, left the business years ago, I continue to have an abiding interest.  And, I'm saddened every time I read of another legend like George passing on.

Thank you for all the great listening and Godspeed, George!

Larry White
www.larrywhitevoice.com
Charlotte, NC area
 
There will be a special tribute to George Gilbert
on next week's Doo Wop Sock Hop (6P to 9P Sun on 105 The River 104.9).

The tribute will include Double G's appearance on The Radio Greats Reunion
on WSGD in 1992.

We have lost a great broadcaster.

Bobby V
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom