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Rocko Dead (WAAF)

onair

onair

People posting this online. Don't know if it is true. Anyone know more? Assume it was mentioned on WAAF
 
So far all I see is a mention of it on the WAAF facebook page ("they announced it an hour ago") and someone mentioned that Rocko (what is his real name?) had passed on "1/19/12 of unknown reasons"
on Wikipedia's WAAF entry. So far not turning up any other info. (Newspapers, TV, AAF webpage etc)
 
bostonradio and DanielleWAAF have mentioned on Twitter that Rocko indeed did pass away. bostonradio (Mark from Boston Radio Watch) said Rocko was with them from 95-02 and had been in poor health in recent times; obit coming etc
 
I am only aware of Rocko from when Opie & Anthony used to trash him - I believe this is after they left WAAF for New York.
 
over 2,200 views to this topic and no one has said a nice thing about him, what a shame. Rocko was a nice guy and played the role at WAAF perfectly. Good luck to a radio friend at the great studio in the sky.
 
Really can't believe there's not more posts on this. Rocko was one of my favorites on WAAF in the late 90's. He had some hilarious bits, including one memorable interview with Ozzy around 1998 that had me laughing my ass off. It literally was one of the funniest interviews I can remember hearing on radio. As mentioned before he did fit the format and imaging they had at the time very well. Wasn't a HUGE fan with the addition of Birdsey later, liked him solo better. R.I.P., a shame to lose him at such a young age!!! Anyone know what exactly the deal was w/his health? Also why did he get out of radio/WAAF in the first place?
 
over 2,200 views to this topic and no one has said a nice thing about him, what a shame. Rocko was a nice guy and played the role at WAAF perfectly. Good luck to a radio friend at the great studio in the sky.

I knew him when I worked at Entercom. Talked with him often down in the loading dock leper colony for smokers. I found him a pretty pleasant guy to be around. One of the highlights of my time at the cluster, and one of the great stunts in Boston radio, was when they snookered the Globe into running the bogus Rocko & Birdsey (in drag) engagement photo as a legit Society Page item.

Regards,
TSB
 
So, Rocko really became depressed in his final years. Which is a shame. It might be the nature of this industry. Whatever the case, I would like to think of him in his prime. Making prank calls on the air at night, like "I'm looking for a guy named Heywood...Last name...Jablome."


In his Post-WAAF years, from what I've heard is that he frequented one of the Opie and Anthony message boards under another name. He worked in Cleveland radio for a bit. After he left radio for good, he supposedly moved to New Jersey and sang in a metal band for a bit and even sold used RV's for a while. After that, he split time between Florida and Jersey to spend time with his son. But I think that he just went into a depression and couldn't get himself back up from there.

When O&A were fired, management were scrambling to find the next O&A, and they stuck Rocko with some guy name Birdsey and that didn't work. Ass Whoopin' Wednesday? That's pathetic and I think that Rocko knew it too. Rehashing WOW with something like Ass Whoopin' Wednesday. Shame. RIP Rocko.
 
surfin bird said:
So, Rocko really became depressed in his final years. Which is a shame. It might be the nature of this industry. Whatever the case, I would like to think of him in his prime. Making prank calls on the air at night, like "I'm looking for a guy named Heywood...Last name...Jablome."


In his Post-WAAF years, from what I've heard is that he frequented one of the Opie and Anthony message boards under another name. He worked in Cleveland radio for a bit. After he left radio for good, he supposedly moved to New Jersey and sang in a metal band for a bit and even sold used RV's for a while. After that, he split time between Florida and Jersey to spend time with his son. But I think that he just went into a depression and couldn't get himself back up from there.

When O&A were fired, management were scrambling to find the next O&A, and they stuck Rocko with some guy name Birdsey and that didn't work. Ass Whoopin' Wednesday? That's pathetic and I think that Rocko knew it too. Rehashing WOW with something like Ass Whoopin' Wednesday. Shame. RIP Rocko.
Click to expand...

EXCELLENT post! The "Haywood JABLOME" bit!! ROFL I totally remembered that bit! Rocko: "Yeah, just take down my name...first name Haywood, last name, Jablome. J-A-B-L-O-M-E." Caller - "Ok, sure. Hey-would..ya-bl** me." Rocko- "What?! Cya later, loser!" Also remember him playing a new Sevendust song 4 or 5 times in a row every hour "just cuz the new song kicked ass." Don't hear radio like that anymore really. R.I.P.
 
Is Ted in the house?
 
I remember when he first got there...I'd come in to do some overnight stuff and do Hill-man impressions for him. He knew Greg hated it, and milked it for what it was worth. Rocko said something about "gotta be able to take it." I liked that he kicked the door in and didn't kiss ass. It's a rare trait. Of course, it also can backfire and cost you your gig. He paid dearly a couple of times for being fearless.

His "letter to Miguel" on one of those 'AAF compilation CDs is still my favorite bit he did.

He was the definition of the sad-clown. Hope he found the peace he never had in life.
 
Wow, I had no idea he died. How sad. I just did a search for my old co-worker and found this post here. I worked with Frank in Sarasota in 1993. It's also unfortunate how there is very little information on Frank's career online especially pre-WAAF. Since he deserves to be remembered, I decided to reply to this post and at least provide some kind of online record of his early career.

When I met Frank it was 1993. He was working at WSRZ/Sarasota, FL "Oldies 106" using the air name "Motown Moby" and he did the 7pm to Midnight shift. He had been there at least a year by then, but what he really wanted to do was to get into rock radio. So that summer be began working weekends at WXTB/Tampa "98 Rock" while still keeping his Sarasota gig. It was here at "98 Rock" where he first used the name "Rocko." By 1994 he got a full-time position at a rock station in Ft. Myers, FL. I don't remember the call letters at that time but it was "Rock 106." I lost contact with him by then but I do remember reading about him getting the WAAF job. I believe after WAAF, I remember hearing he went to KUFO/Portland and had a brief tryout at WMMS/Cleveland. Then I guess he got out of the business. R.I.P. Frank.
 
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Wrong lol

surfin bird said:
So, Rocko really became depressed in his final years. Which is a shame. It might be the nature of this industry. Whatever the case, I would like to think of him in his prime. Making prank calls on the air at night, like "I'm looking for a guy named Heywood...Last name...Jablome."


In his Post-WAAF years, from what I've heard is that he frequented one of the Opie and Anthony message boards under another name. He worked in Cleveland radio for a bit. After he left radio for good, he supposedly moved to New Jersey and sang in a metal band for a bit and even sold used RV's for a while. After that, he split time between Florida and Jersey to spend time with his son. But I think that he just went into a depression and couldn't get himself back up from there.

When O&A were fired, management were scrambling to find the next O&A, and they stuck Rocko with some guy name Birdsey and that didn't work. Ass Whoopin' Wednesday? That's pathetic and I think that Rocko knew it too. Rehashing WOW with something like Ass Whoopin' Wednesday. Shame. RIP Rocko.
Click to expand...

After he left Cleveland he went to Portland and worked for a station out there for less than a year, THEN called it quits. He moved back to Boston and got into voiceover work and some online side businesses.

He never frequented New Jeresey and you’d never catch him singing metal music (actually made me laugh). He was a drummer, if anything. Once he came back to florida (around ‘06) he stayed here for good. Didn’t split time between florida and NJ, and he NEVER sold RVs (also made me laugh).

Yeah he was depressed for sure, blackballed by the industry he was meant to be in. Entercom Boston was one of the last great non-commercial/corporate radio stations in Boston before ClearChannel bought them. That was the true shame.

He bought into a construction business that I helped him run while I was in college.

He was a hilarious individual. Everyone wants to bust on him for his “radio personality” when he was just doing his job. I don’t think people realize that half the jokes he cracked on the radio are supposed to be busted and quirky. His character was an overweight dude who loved rock music and loved jazzin people up, a ballbuster. He was an extremely talented guy and could turn any situation into a skit and derive entertainment from it.

And for you to say “Rocko & Birdsey didn’t work”, shows me how out of touch you were with the radio scene in Boston around that time. Rocko & Birdsey ruled the ratings every quarter they were a duo. Birdsey tried to hold out for more money from the station and the rest is history..


I know all this because he was my dad.
 
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