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JNight
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Ken Courtright passed away at age 74 today at 5 PM in a Dover, Ohio Hospital, he was born on October 26th, 1935 and everyone will remember him by his deep voice he had and the great news he delivered. Here is some info he gave me awhile back while working at WBTC in Uhrichsville, Ohio:
By: Ken Courtright-
In the mid 1950’s, Ken started working for WJER 1450 AM in Dover, Ohio where he had heard Carl Reese spinning the tunes and decided he wanted to work as an announcer in radio. In 1958, he moved his way to Cleveland where he landed a job at WERE 1300 AM. In 1958 he was hired to do the news over KYW 1100 AM. Later he also became News Director at WCUE 1150 AM in Akron.
In 1965, Ken returned as a full time newsman at KYW 1100 AM and stayed after the call letters were changer to WKYC 1100 AM in 1965. Even after Ken left WKYC you could still hear his deep voice airing the EBS alert test for several years, as well as the sign off during Sunday evenings. He soon became News Director for WJW 850 AM.
Other jobs that Ken was a part of throughout his career included doing the news for WSLR 1350 AM in Akron, WQKT in Wooster, WGAR 1220 AM in Cleveland, WKIS in Orlando, Florida, WBGB 1580 AM in Mt. Dora, WCER 900 AM in Canton, and 27 years as News Director for WBTC 1540 AM in Uhrichsville, Ohio. Ken also did announcing and the news during mid-days over WDBN 94.9 FM in Medina.
In 1990, Bob Tayek of WWWE 1100 AM, hired Ken as a weekend News Announcer where once again Ken had held a job at the 1100 spot on the dial, making this his fourth different decade that that Ken did news for one frequency in Cleveland.
Ken’s voice can still be heard from time to time doing PSA commercials, and top of the hour news intros for some radio stations, as well as sign on and sign off spots. Ken Courtright’s voice has graced the Northeast Ohio airwaves for over 45 years.
________________________________________________________________________
On May 16th, 1997, Ken Courtright wrote a letter for me to give to Bill Randle while I was engineering Bill’s show over WRMR 850 AM in Cleveland. Ken’s letter reads as follows:
“Dear Bill Randle, as one of your former newscasters at WERE 1300 AM back in the fabulous 50’s, and a steady listener to your show that is now on WRMR 850 AM, I just want to tell you what a great job you still do on the air and I love the music that you still pick out”.
“Hearing you brings back memories of the most fantastic radio operations ever to hit Cleveland airwaves. I started there early one Sunday morning in June of 1956, where I got to read newscasts, and one day got the chance to introduce a Indians game which was delayed by rain and I had the chance to announce the records I played (oh my God) over the full 65 station network that carried the ballgame until the rain ended”.
“One day, engineer Dick Pollack informed me that since Bill Randle was not likely to make it in on time, I would have to fill him for Bill…But not to worry…Dick would tell me what to say. So I did go on playing records…and at 5 PM that day, you arrived Bill, and had me stay on until 6 PM…working with you for that 5 to 6 PM hour until you took over your Higbee Top 10 Radio Show. As I was leaving after 14 hours, you suggested that I could come aboard full time and would talk to the manager.”
“The following day, Monday, Ed Stevens call me at the Ashtabula station and told me to turn in my notice and that I was full time now at WERE 1300 AM as soon as I could make the trip to Cleveland. Ed explained how the station operated on the “Star” system. I had to park in the News Department parking area only, and that I had to learn the news business from Jerry Bowman and Wayne Johnson”.
At WERE, I worked with names as Harry Dennis, Dick Satterwaite, Jimmy Church, Tommy Edwards, Louise Winslow, Jeff Baxter, Carl Reese, Phil McLean and Bob Forester. Record companies bombarded WERE 1300 AM daily with new records. Engineer Chuck Crouse and I were auditioning some of the records and found certain ones that we knew would be hits, one of the records was called “Manhatten Spiritual” You liked it Bill and it became a super hit”.
In July of 1956, you put together a show for the Ohio National Guardsmen and their wives at Camp Perry. You sent me Bill as an emcee along with Miss Ohio (I believe her name was Robbie Palmer), and Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps all rode the same bus that day to Camp Perry. That evening we closed the show by sailing hundreds of 45 rpm records into the crowd and they loved it. Hundreds of girls managed to make their way inside the fire escape area and were trying to break down the door because Tab Hunter was being interviewed live. We got Tab into the roof parking area where he sat down in the back seat of my car, and as we drove off until we got to the Cleveland Statler Hotel where I dropped him off”.
Another time you sent me out to Hopkins Airport to pick up Sonny James and Billy Grammer. You had them booked into an East Side Club. They both sat in the rear seat of my 1956 Ford and sang such songs as “Young Love” and “Summers Almost Over and Winters Comin’ On”.
“My kids today hardly believe me when I tell them about the great stars I met while working with you at WERE Radio, such as Don and Phil Everly, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Jerry Vail, Doris Day-(with her fur coats), Tina Louise, Gina Lollobrigida, Walt Henrich, Carl Reese, Captain Nemo, Sam Elbur and Jayne Mansfield, and of course Jimmy Dudley, Tom Manning, Bob Neal, Herb Score and his buddy Roger Maris”.
“Bill, whatever happened to Bill Buchanan and Bob Ancell? Remember Bill when McLean Stevenson worked as a summer fill in DJ on WERE but after Adlai lost the election McLean went to New York and got into television”.
“Bill, please keep playing the Weavers…and some Al Jolson, as he was one of the greatest performers. Hope WRMR becomes a 50,000 watt station so I can hear you all over, thanks for the memories my friend, yours truly, Ken Courtright”.
He will be greatly missed---Rest in Peace my friend
By: Ken Courtright-
In the mid 1950’s, Ken started working for WJER 1450 AM in Dover, Ohio where he had heard Carl Reese spinning the tunes and decided he wanted to work as an announcer in radio. In 1958, he moved his way to Cleveland where he landed a job at WERE 1300 AM. In 1958 he was hired to do the news over KYW 1100 AM. Later he also became News Director at WCUE 1150 AM in Akron.
In 1965, Ken returned as a full time newsman at KYW 1100 AM and stayed after the call letters were changer to WKYC 1100 AM in 1965. Even after Ken left WKYC you could still hear his deep voice airing the EBS alert test for several years, as well as the sign off during Sunday evenings. He soon became News Director for WJW 850 AM.
Other jobs that Ken was a part of throughout his career included doing the news for WSLR 1350 AM in Akron, WQKT in Wooster, WGAR 1220 AM in Cleveland, WKIS in Orlando, Florida, WBGB 1580 AM in Mt. Dora, WCER 900 AM in Canton, and 27 years as News Director for WBTC 1540 AM in Uhrichsville, Ohio. Ken also did announcing and the news during mid-days over WDBN 94.9 FM in Medina.
In 1990, Bob Tayek of WWWE 1100 AM, hired Ken as a weekend News Announcer where once again Ken had held a job at the 1100 spot on the dial, making this his fourth different decade that that Ken did news for one frequency in Cleveland.
Ken’s voice can still be heard from time to time doing PSA commercials, and top of the hour news intros for some radio stations, as well as sign on and sign off spots. Ken Courtright’s voice has graced the Northeast Ohio airwaves for over 45 years.
________________________________________________________________________
On May 16th, 1997, Ken Courtright wrote a letter for me to give to Bill Randle while I was engineering Bill’s show over WRMR 850 AM in Cleveland. Ken’s letter reads as follows:
“Dear Bill Randle, as one of your former newscasters at WERE 1300 AM back in the fabulous 50’s, and a steady listener to your show that is now on WRMR 850 AM, I just want to tell you what a great job you still do on the air and I love the music that you still pick out”.
“Hearing you brings back memories of the most fantastic radio operations ever to hit Cleveland airwaves. I started there early one Sunday morning in June of 1956, where I got to read newscasts, and one day got the chance to introduce a Indians game which was delayed by rain and I had the chance to announce the records I played (oh my God) over the full 65 station network that carried the ballgame until the rain ended”.
“One day, engineer Dick Pollack informed me that since Bill Randle was not likely to make it in on time, I would have to fill him for Bill…But not to worry…Dick would tell me what to say. So I did go on playing records…and at 5 PM that day, you arrived Bill, and had me stay on until 6 PM…working with you for that 5 to 6 PM hour until you took over your Higbee Top 10 Radio Show. As I was leaving after 14 hours, you suggested that I could come aboard full time and would talk to the manager.”
“The following day, Monday, Ed Stevens call me at the Ashtabula station and told me to turn in my notice and that I was full time now at WERE 1300 AM as soon as I could make the trip to Cleveland. Ed explained how the station operated on the “Star” system. I had to park in the News Department parking area only, and that I had to learn the news business from Jerry Bowman and Wayne Johnson”.
At WERE, I worked with names as Harry Dennis, Dick Satterwaite, Jimmy Church, Tommy Edwards, Louise Winslow, Jeff Baxter, Carl Reese, Phil McLean and Bob Forester. Record companies bombarded WERE 1300 AM daily with new records. Engineer Chuck Crouse and I were auditioning some of the records and found certain ones that we knew would be hits, one of the records was called “Manhatten Spiritual” You liked it Bill and it became a super hit”.
In July of 1956, you put together a show for the Ohio National Guardsmen and their wives at Camp Perry. You sent me Bill as an emcee along with Miss Ohio (I believe her name was Robbie Palmer), and Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps all rode the same bus that day to Camp Perry. That evening we closed the show by sailing hundreds of 45 rpm records into the crowd and they loved it. Hundreds of girls managed to make their way inside the fire escape area and were trying to break down the door because Tab Hunter was being interviewed live. We got Tab into the roof parking area where he sat down in the back seat of my car, and as we drove off until we got to the Cleveland Statler Hotel where I dropped him off”.
Another time you sent me out to Hopkins Airport to pick up Sonny James and Billy Grammer. You had them booked into an East Side Club. They both sat in the rear seat of my 1956 Ford and sang such songs as “Young Love” and “Summers Almost Over and Winters Comin’ On”.
“My kids today hardly believe me when I tell them about the great stars I met while working with you at WERE Radio, such as Don and Phil Everly, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Jerry Vail, Doris Day-(with her fur coats), Tina Louise, Gina Lollobrigida, Walt Henrich, Carl Reese, Captain Nemo, Sam Elbur and Jayne Mansfield, and of course Jimmy Dudley, Tom Manning, Bob Neal, Herb Score and his buddy Roger Maris”.
“Bill, whatever happened to Bill Buchanan and Bob Ancell? Remember Bill when McLean Stevenson worked as a summer fill in DJ on WERE but after Adlai lost the election McLean went to New York and got into television”.
“Bill, please keep playing the Weavers…and some Al Jolson, as he was one of the greatest performers. Hope WRMR becomes a 50,000 watt station so I can hear you all over, thanks for the memories my friend, yours truly, Ken Courtright”.
He will be greatly missed---Rest in Peace my friend
