Legendary Atlanta Programmer Passes

[RoddyFreeman]

Paul Drew became big in Atlanta when he did evenings on Quixie in the 60s. I believe he interviewed the Beatles when they first came to America. From Quixie, he was hired by another legend, programmer Bill Drake, to install the Drake format at CKLW in the Detroit market. Drew had gotten to know Drake when they were both at WAKE/1340 in Atlanta. Drew went on to become a major, major programmer, eventually succeeding Bill Drake as RKO Radio's head of programming. Drew also consulted other stations.

From what I've read, and a Mr. John Long would know more about this than I, he was difficult to work for, and it wasn't rare that a jock's head rolled. But Paul Drew was certainly one of the foremost programmers--and radio lovers--of the Top-40 era.

He was in the first class of Career Achievement inductees at the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame in 2007.

 

[AlsoRan]

Paul gave me my first job in radio... as a production assistant (record filing, distributing Quixie top 40 surveys, etc.) at the old house on Mathieson Drive... first of several times I worked at QXI/94Q. I was never quite sure why he took me under his wing... but I'm grateful. It kept me from becoming a chef 50 years ago ;D

 

[Mike_Rafone]

Was visiting the Mathieson Drive house one afternoon/evening as Pat Hughes' shift ended and Drew was coming on. Classy guy? The first thing he did after coming into the booth and Hughes had left was take out a hadkerchef and carefully wipe the headphones. Later I understand he brought his own.

 

[Savage]

Paul Drew was blunt and plain-spoken, and he "did not suffer fools gladly." So many people who had fragile/very large egos had problems with his style. But to be fair: Paul became a programmer in an era when the industry was ruled with overbearing, egomaniacal, tyrannical loudmouth air personalities. They had reached a point where, outside of a few fondly-recalled stars in major markets like Dick Biondi, Dan Ingram, Robert W. Morgan et al, they were bad for radio. If Paul Drew hadn't been Paul Drew, he would have been double-steamrolled by air talent and management. Paul jerked American music radio into the mass-appeal, massively influential media presence it was 1965 - 1980s.

Paul hired me - when I was 19 - for summer relief at WIBG Philadelphia. I also worked with him indirectly, as a consultant advising management over my head, at CKLW and 13Q Pittsburgh. He may not have always been complimentary, but he had excellent taste, an unerring ear for what great radio sounded like, and he was eminently fair. When Paul whacked me alongside the head, truthfully I had it coming, and my career was so much the better for him and his influence.

In fact - I just pulled a 3-ring binder out of my bookshelf containing a two-inch stack of interoffice memos, format sheets and Advance Golden Lists representing my SIX WEEKS on the air as a summer fill-in jock at WIBG in July-August 1969. The first page, on WIBG Storer letterhead, reads:

"You are to be complimented for the fine job you did on the air last night. How about enrolling in a local college and joining us full time." (Signed) - Paul Drew. Of course, the next night he could be yelling at you on the studio phone, but he also supported you when you did well. You always knew where you stood. That was Paul Drew.

So Paul has answered The Last Batphone Call. Thanks for everything, Paul - R. I. P.

 

[trusty]

Was visiting the Mathieson Drive house one afternoon/evening as Pat Hughes' shift ended and Drew was coming on. Classy guy? The first thing he did after coming into the booth and Hughes had left was take out a hadkerchef and carefully wipe the headphones. Later I understand he brought his own.

Woah. I saw the EXACT same thing on a visit to the old Quixie. He wiped down that monster microphone, too. I don't blame him, though. To say Pat Hughes' hair was a little on the greasy side would be quite an understatement. Pat also like to talk "into" the mic; sometimes he would hold it with his left hand and press his mouth against it. He was a great DJ.

When we first moved to Atlanta in '57, I was frantic trying to find a Top 40 station. WQXI was a variety station, calling themselves "The People's Choice". WPLO was still WAGA at the time. I finally found WAKE on 1340. WAKE was great, fast-paced, snappy jingles, reverb, never stopped, absolutely NO dead air. (I found out later that WAKE had NO cart machines; EVERYTHING was on disc (They had 4 turntables.), and the jocks were kept busy. The PD was Bill Drake, who developed his style at WAKE before taking it national as Drake-Chenault. The only problem was I lost it at night - we lived in Brookhaven, and WAKE dropped from 250 to 100 watts. It got lost in the hash.

However, I learned that if I waited a couple of hours, I could easily pick up WGST/920 who had this guy named Paul Drew with hit records. Now, WGST was a full-service station - still owned by Georgia Tech. No jingles. No reverb. Very bland. It was like they brokered him some air time every night. That was OK. Everyone who couldn't pick up WAKE at night listened to Paul Drew.

Paul sounded slow on WGST. When GST changed formats (or whatever they did), he went to WAKE, and I never thought he would make it with WAKE's fast-paced format. When I was downtown one night and got a chance to listen, I realized he wasn't slow; he was smooth - a style he carried to WQXI and the nation.

Paul Drew will be missed. When you leave a legacy, you leave a lot of memories, and, as a listener, all my memories are good.