Hugh Jarrett passed away this morning at a hospital in Atlanta. This, after his grandson was killed in an automobile accident and will be buried today. Hugh,himself, had been hospitalized for several months as a result of an automobile accident. Arrangements are incomplete at this time. Hugh was a 2007 inductee into the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.
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Hugh Jarrett
- Thread starter grhof
- Start date
Hugh Baby was an American orginal - my radio seems a little more empty today.
God bless 'em
God bless 'em
M
MusicallyYours
Guest
Hugh was the bass for the Jordanaires from 1954-1958 and, thus, appeared in three
of Elvis' movies. Of the nine Elvis hits ranked among BILLBOARD'S All Time Top 100, Hugh was bass on six of them. Another little remembered fact: When Elvis began to appear following the military and a series of those cookie-cutter films, it
was "The Hugh Jarret Singers" backing him vocally on the first leg of that tour.
His first major radio work was with WLAC - Nashville; and later included on-air and
commercial work in LA and Atlanta. Until the auto accident on March 25th, he was featured in a Sunday morning program on Christain station 91.5 in Cumming.
In addition to the GA Radio Hall of Fame, he had previously been inducted into the
GA Music Hall of Fame and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
of Elvis' movies. Of the nine Elvis hits ranked among BILLBOARD'S All Time Top 100, Hugh was bass on six of them. Another little remembered fact: When Elvis began to appear following the military and a series of those cookie-cutter films, it
was "The Hugh Jarret Singers" backing him vocally on the first leg of that tour.
His first major radio work was with WLAC - Nashville; and later included on-air and
commercial work in LA and Atlanta. Until the auto accident on March 25th, he was featured in a Sunday morning program on Christain station 91.5 in Cumming.
In addition to the GA Radio Hall of Fame, he had previously been inducted into the
GA Music Hall of Fame and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
I had several experiences with HUGH Baby... I hung out @ WSB am when he produced Ludlow Porch's night show, and then did his own. I Also worked with him in Austell Ga while he worked @ Wacx for a short period of time. HUGH, you were a nice man and I will miss you. Shocking news indeed.
It was around '65 when Big Hugh Baby appeared at our neighborhood theater for a remote - first DJ I ever met. Hugh gave each fan their moment with him. Reflecting on the experience - the most impressive thing was to see that the 200th kid in line received the same smile and eye contact as the first.
"Big Hugh Baby" was the first DJ I ever met also. I used to walk past WFOM AM in Marietta on the way home from High School each day. One day I decided to stop in to see how a radio station worked. I met Hugh and started hanging around the station in the afternoons. He taught me how to run the board and would leave me in the studio to run the show while he "took a break". I ended up doing an early evening air shift in my senior year. Hugh taught me how to do an on air shift and also would sneak me into "Big Hugh Baby's Hoparooni" dance club to help him run the night. He was a great talent and a wonderful man. What a life he led! Singing bass for Elvis... appearing in several of his movies... traveling with him... and then a great career on air.
Hugh will go down as one of the greats in our industry and I hope those of us that knew him and worked with him will never let the world forget this treasure.
Big Hugh Baby you will be missed.
Joe Pedicino
Hugh will go down as one of the greats in our industry and I hope those of us that knew him and worked with him will never let the world forget this treasure.
Big Hugh Baby you will be missed.
Joe Pedicino
The first two LP's I owned as a kid were mail-ordered via Big Hugh's show on WLAC. I followed his stints at WPLO and WFOM where we finally met. Been meaning to get to Cumming for years to catch up with him again, but never got to it. That's OK, though, "cause we'll see each other again at that big sock hop in the sky. 
'Till then, I've got a couple of VERY scratchy Chuch Berry and Bo Diddley records playing.
Though we must part;
There's no reason to cry.
Just say so long;
Because lovers never say goodbye.
'Till then, I've got a couple of VERY scratchy Chuch Berry and Bo Diddley records playing.
Though we must part;
There's no reason to cry.
Just say so long;
Because lovers never say goodbye.
In 1964-65 I was an "Assistant Program Director" for WPLO-AM, representing Dykes High School in north Atlanta. Hugh was not always able to make the monthly meetings because he was on the air. a buddy and I did go by the studios in downtown Atlanta on Saturday morning while he was preparing a taped show for the following Friday night (This was in the ancient days long before electronic voice tracking). He needed to pre-record because he was doing a "sock hop" at a local high school. He was absolutely a gentleman, friendly and greatly impressed I was considering raido as a career.
A few years ago when I heard him on the Christian station one Sunday morning I called him, and he was thrilled someone still remembered his "Big Hugh Baby" days. I hope his last years in broadcasting were esy ones for him because I know there was a period when he had a rough time.
There weren't many like him, and even fewer like him today.
A few years ago when I heard him on the Christian station one Sunday morning I called him, and he was thrilled someone still remembered his "Big Hugh Baby" days. I hope his last years in broadcasting were esy ones for him because I know there was a period when he had a rough time.
There weren't many like him, and even fewer like him today.
J
jimrichvo
Guest
I remember listening to Big Hugh Baby on WPLO on a 6 transistor radio as a young teenager. He seemed to reach right through the radio and always made the listener feel he was talking personally just to him. I later got to know Hugh when he worked for Jimmy Davenport at WFOM and had the pleasure of working with Hugh years later at WSB. We had many deep conversations about life and faith in general while the mike was off. Hugh lived his faith daily. Devoted not only to his family but to radio. He really loved the "magic" that was radio. Through the ups and downs of the business Hugh never changed. In spite of his "stardom" Hugh was one of the kindest, most honest and most humble people in the business. He made everyone he met feel special. Whenever I play "Lovers Never Say Goodbye" by the Flamingos or hear those early Elvis songs on my ipod, I'll remember Hugh Jarrett. Rock and Roll haven is a better place today with Hugh singing in the chior. Those of us who were fortunate enough to know him will always remember that tall lanky gentlemen with those deep pipes. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.
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