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Grabowski on 'YSL in mid '70's.

B

Bill Myers

Been a reader for awhile but never a poster.
(I'm trying to cut down on how many passwords I have to remember -- Just kiddin').
Does anyone remember Grabowski on 'YSL during
the mid '70's? He had a great voice. He was sandwiched
in between Harv Moore and Robert W. Taylor and I believe
Jim Scott did evenings. Heard something a long time ago that
Grabowski died in a sky diving accident? Not sure though as I heard that almost 30 years ago.
Perhaps Jim might know since he was a Whistle'er.
Another thing I remember about WYSL, they would get phone
callers to record -- Y-103 - Doubles the music for (name of town).
It gave me excitement one evening as a kid when I was able to hail from Tonawanda and then hear it on the radio - all from my parent's
phone in their bedroom. (Wow).
If I may indulge in another memory: was when Robert W. Taylor took my call and thought my 14 year old voice sounded like a girl and he said on air - 'To the girl that won't leave me alone about this song request -Here's Green River from CCR on Y-103.

I have one more question that is not radio related --
Why, when viewing this message board, does it keep scrolling up
and down automatically? Kinda annoying if you're tryin' to read something.
Thanks guys for reading/answering from a newbie.
 
Please forgive me guys and gals for not taking the introductory course.
I did NOT mean to post twice. It was a mistake. Just learnin' the board. This board doesn't have pots and VU meters, etc.
While I'm here, I may as well ask: I meant maybe Jim Pasturic might know the Grabber question.

Sorry again for the double.
 
Bill Myers said:
Correcting Jim Pastrick mis-spell. Sorry Jim.
Click to expand...

Pastric, Patrick, Pasterick, Passtorik, Pasternak... pfffft! I've seen most variations. No offense taken, Bill. Welcome to the board.

I didn't work with "The Grabber," at WYSL-FM, but I'll testify that he was a great jock and had a great set of pipes.

Remember when WYSL-FM "suspended" Grabowski and ran promos saying that'd he'd been suspended for "what he said?" The promos "apologized for what Grabowski said," yet never mentioned what he said, because in reality, he didn't say anything that warranted a suspension! Classic old school McLendon-Storz theatre of the mind promos.

"JP" at 97 Rock or Harv Moor might know where Grabber is or God forbid, what happened to him. I'd not heard about the skydiving incident. Hopefully, that's no more than an urban myth. I'll ask around and point JP to this board. Good hearing from you Bill. Best to you and your family.

-Jim
 
I don't know how, but I heard that he passed away several years ago.
 
Sean Grabowski......was Jack Sczpanick (sp?).......who also went by the name of Jack Kelly on other stations in Buffalo including the old WBNY (1400)........He was a great guy and talent.......He did the Adventures of the "Czarnina Kid"....... on his show.....the Kid had his office on the back wall of the Broadway Market....it was a riot.........

I had the pleasure of working with him during my PD days at WYSL-FM 103.3.............

Ken Kiedrowski
 
thanks Ken. Just to clarify:

Sean Grabowski, Jack Kelly and John Szczepanik were one in the same, working at WKBW and later WYSL-AM in the 60's. Here's a bio-piece from WDRCOBG and scroll down lower half page:

Jack Kelly (real name Szczepanik) came to Hartford from WBNY in Buffalo to host the 9:00-11:00AM music shift. He was born in Buffalo in 1937 and began his career in the late 1950s at WUSJ in Lockport, NY. Before coming to Connecticut he also worked at WWOL and WKBW in Buffalo, and WVET Rochester. In July 1964 WPOP had him attempt to crack the world roller coaster record which he set in 1962. He went to Riverside Park in Agawam, MA with a goal of riding the loops 286 times. The result has been lost to history. Jack also put in some time at WHYN Springfield, MA, as Bob Allen. (Poster's note: Not the WUWU Bob Allen.)

Jack Kelly returned to Buffalo at WMMJ 1300 Lancaster and, later, WYSL. In 1970 he relocated to Norfolk, VA where he graced the airwaves of WGH and WNOR. His last stop was Milwaukee, where he was heard on WRIT. He also did a stint as public address announcer for the Brewers baseball team. He died in Milwaukee in January 1980 at the age of 42.

Note: Can 42 be the correct age when he passed? That's amazing. So young!

The Grabowski that Bill Myers is asking about worked WYSL-FM after the station flipped from progressive WPHD to CHR WYSL-FM in the Bob Howard era.

Both Grabowski's were talented performers.
 
Any info on why the board keeps jumping up and down by
say an inch or so while you're trying to read it?

I'd just like to say, thanks guys for the Grabber info.
Yeah, I did hear somewhere his name was Sean but I
never heard of his real name before. That's like hearing
someone on the air and meeting them in person and their
nothing at all like you pictured. Shane was like that when
I saw him at the Erie Co. Fair back in '75. The ole GR55 days.
Long blonde hair - receding hair line, etc. John Otto I pictured
different too. But the thing about John Otto, he was such a nice guy.
He was exactly the same off the air as he was on the air. Seemed
very genuine. Those are the people that I've enjoyed hearing on the air. Real people. Not the shuckers, yuckers and jivers and trying to see how low they can make their voice - especially early in the morning when most guys' voices are at their ballsiest anyways. (Morning voice).
I was sad to hear awhile ago that John had passed.

Jim, thanks for the info too. Hey was just wondering....You
mentioned that you worked at WYSL. Were you the Jim Scott
that did evenings? I chuckled when you mentioned the publicity
stunt about what the Grabber supposedly said on the air. I forgot
all about that but as you mentioned it I remembered right away.
That's right. Something he said was supposed to be offensive
and they pulled him off the air and I think he was even arrested (supposedly). It all seemed fishy. Publicity. I think Dick Biondi pulled the same trick at KB around '60 - Being pulled off the air with no explanation. I think Grabowski was arrested but he was being held at the Boulevard Mall or something?...I'm chuckling just thinking of the memories...:)

Do you think the whole Don Imus incident was also a publicity stunt?
(I'm being sarcastic here. But my how has radio changed).

Merry Christmas.
 
Jim Scott was... real name, Jim Scott. A talented and affable guy who worked nights at WYSL-FM and later at WGR 55. He wasn't the Jim Scott of KB who came to KB from York, PA and later went on to do mornings at WLW in Cincinnati. After WGR, (WYSL-FM) Jim Scott moved to Texas where he had/has a successful career at KLBJ in Austin. A terrific guy and great jock.

BTW, Bill, I was "Doctor Don Wade" at WYSL-AM, a name that PD Kevin O'Connell hung on me. I hated using it because I had so much respect for the REAL Don Wade (and his equally talented brother, the late John Wade) who was pure genius on WDRC Hartford and WKBW, and now morning drive at WLS, Chicago.
 
SG did the morning show at WYSL when I was there on the 18th floor of the Satler Hilton as we called it. I worked right after him and saw Sean daily. I recall he did many of those little ad libs in Polish. Anyway it was quite a trip back then, with Kevin, Larry Vance in his torn shirts, Tim Kelly, Charlie Brown. Bob Luther, the manager, even had me date his daughter. Bet he regrets that! I am living in LA and have not been on the radio since 1980. Working with my wife making films.

Thanks for jarring my memory

Paul Palo
(Chris Clark) (John Patrick news)
 
Bill Myers said:
Any info on why the board keeps jumping up and down by
say an inch or so while you're trying to read it?
Click to expand...


It has to do with the industry news headlines that appear at the top of the page and your settings with regard to the size of your visuals.

Computerly challanged as I am, I sent a query to the admin folks and they led me through the steps to fix it. I didn't even the problem so here
try to correct I am dealing with it.


You might contact them for
help!
 
Hey Everyone,
Someone tipped me off to this discussion so I decided to join and say hello, and report that, to my knowledge, I am not dead. I was The Grabber/Grabowski that worked for Harv in the 70's at YSL/PHD. I did do some skydiving at one point, I may have done it badly but it didn't kill me! Anyway, I was resurrected as Alan Baxter (the name I used before Harv made me change it in Buffalo!) and was hired away to do mornings in Denver. I grew up listening to Harv on WPGC in DC and he was a major influence, as well as listening to the guys on KBW that you could actually hear at night in the DC area...Jackson Armstrong and the crew, whatta rush. Anyway, in Denver I hooked up with a sidekick named Mark Samansky and we took it on the road, with stops in Denver, Houston and Orlando. We had a blast there in the 80's doing rock radio! If you'd like to see some of the damning evidence, check out this page: http://airtalent.net/baxterandmark.html
Johnny Piccillo even came down to Orlando for a brief visit during that time. Later I went on to do mornings in New England, a little stint in Boston and now I'm in the DC area doing a Hot AC morning show.

So, THANKS for the nice words about me and that other guy as well! Happy New Year all.
 
Jack, your alive!! Who ever started the nasty rumor? Anyway some of us did a lot of flying back then, but not in the sky.

Best HEALTHY New Year there in our Nations Capital.
 
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