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Jackson Armstrong Dies

That was sad. :( I usually listened to Jack Armstrong on WWKB when it was an 50kw oldies station at night when it comes into New York City, but it sounds great at night after sundown. Jack sounded great than Dan Ingram and Cousin Brucie on Musicradio WABC back in the day.

WKBW was a great station in Buffalo and it was a 50kw power house station where it covers the rest of New York including New York City where people tuned to 1520 AM every night in New York City. I missed him so much. He was also on a WKBW remake of "War of the Worlds" with Tim Downing as the news reporter where it covers the martians from Buffalo. That version was a classic from 1972 and it was a remake of a 1938 radio sci-fi classic from the "Mercury Theater of the Air" with Orson Welles.

RIP: Jack Armstrong :'(
 
Your sentiments are shared by many. Just a note, the newsman in War Of The Worlds was Joe Downey, a real gentleman and great soul who just might be doing news for Jack at the big clear channel station in the sky and the call letters just might be Well Known Bible Worker.
 
I was in high school when I listened to Jack on the revived WWKB 1520. Because of what time he was on and the properties of the ionosphere, I usually only heard Jack on KB. He was so great! I think I made an aircheck of his show, I hope I still have it.
 
Re: Jackson Armstrong Lives

I threw a couple of CD's in the machines while working around the house this evening and in the course of shuffling through songs like "Get It On" by Chase, Steely Dan's "Hey Nineteen" and "Steppin' Out" by Joe Jackson, up came... Mashmakhan's "As The Years Go By."

Many readers won't recognize this semi-obscure Buffalo turntable hit, but if you listened to Jack Armstrong on KB back in the day, I swear this was one of those songs he was really on top of, talking it up with almost philosophical introspection, neatly done on the 24 second intro and backsold, "just so's ya didn't forget." The lyrics in the song aren't what you'd call profound, but Jack's take on the lyrics as they related to life certain was. Amazing. Almost haunting. Thirty five years since he left KB ('70-'73, when we were all a lot younger) and some of the things he said still stick in the craw. I couldn't remember the formula for converting farenheit to centigrade if you had a gun to my head, but Jack Armstrong's song into's... what a legacy!

To make sure the dates corresponded, I checked Rollye James' website for Jack's chronology and crossed checked Billboard for the song. It was a fit.1



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1Subject to verification by Don Berns.
 
During the short-lived return of "KB" a couple years ago, I couldn't wait to get back to visit family in the area so I could hear the station. Through most of the day, I was sorry I'd let the low-budget, uninspired nostalgia trip intrude upon the memories, which were much better.

Then I heard Jack. Wow. His voicetracked show sounded tighter, way more fun than the live guys. Finally, I was transported back, not only to a great time in my life, but to a great era in the history of the medium.

I e-mailed him to thank him for his work, and for inspiring me to get into radio. He sent me a very personal and gracious response, which I wished I'd saved.

As an alumnus of East Aurora High School, Class of '72, KB reached its pinnacle for me from '68 - '73. This hits me first as awful news, but what a great career and life. Congrats, Jack, on the move to the bigger market.

Paul Warren Plack
Aero News Network
 
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