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Nat Wright former WIP radio DJ recovering from heart surgery

S

SUPERCASTER

For those of you who knew or remember popular WIP radio personality Nat Wright, this message is meant for you.

From Sue Wright, Nat's wife.

She says:
"In October, Nat was so anemic that he was hospitalized, then in rehab for a couple of weeks. On November 5th, he had open heart surgery, with one valve replaced and 2 repaired.

Two days of post-op and he was recuperating well. But the next day, everything but his heart shut down. Nat was hospitalized for 21 days and as of December 8th is in rehab. He would much appreciate a card, note or call. If he's in therapy or elsewhere, you won't get him on the phone, so try again."

The Hill NAT WRIGHT
Whitemarsh Room 229
4000 Fox Hound Drive
Lafayette Hill, PA 19444
 
BlueHen said:
Did he replace Jim Tate on the overnight? Was that in the '60s or did Nat come later?
Click to expand...
The following is from the Philadelphia Broadcast Pioneers' website

Nat Wright. Nat joined WIP in August of 1961 from WWDC in the nation's capital. In Washington, Wright did a popular personality music program and also had news experience. Upon joining WIP, he became a swing guy. That is, working 3 days a week doing news and 3 days doing fill in music. In the fall of 1967, station program director Dick Carr (a member of the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia) asked Wright to do the all night show (The Dawn Patrol) just for a little while until WIP could figure out what to do in that time period. He became Nat, the All Night Rat and did the shift for 17 years.
 
Nat Wright had a long and successful run on WIP. I have an aircheck of Joe McCauley from 1964 and Nat was doing the morning newscast. That was part of his swing shift. Nat was "the pilot" of the Dawn Patrol from 1967-1984. He did that show from midnight to 6 am, six days a week! That would never happen today. Before Nat, the Dawn Patrol was hosted by such legends as Joe McCauley, Dick Reynolds, and Jim Tate. Wright was one of the casualtes of WIP's inexorable move to talk in 1984. In January 1984, he played his last tune on WIP and was replaced by Steve Martarano.

The Dawn Patrol is part of a truly great era in Philadelphia radio history.
Get well soon, Nat.
 
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