8
8638
Guest
A great loss. A piece of Philadelphia has died. Hyski was the epitome of what a broadcast professional should be. Rest in peace!
Deepest sympathies to Sam and family.
Deepest sympathies to Sam and family.
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Thanks for the great rocket ride
- Thread starter qtpieislit
- Start date
rtetro said:
Thank you Rene'. These warm wishes mean so much comming for you, and all Hy's friends on the Radio Board .
Re: HY LIT and WIBG
Thank you Rick. Hy was quite pleased to have brought some of the early history back to 1020/WIBG during our simulcast broadcasts. It was part of the radio rocket ride that he just would not have done without. He felt you were very special for making that happen.
wibg1020 said:
Thank you Rick. Hy was quite pleased to have brought some of the early history back to 1020/WIBG during our simulcast broadcasts. It was part of the radio rocket ride that he just would not have done without. He felt you were very special for making that happen.
E
Evangelist
Guest
Hy was one of the greats. There are not adequate words to convey our condolences to his family.
RIP.
RIP.
J
Jace
Guest
My earliest memory as a very young lad, (although very fuzzy) is getting excited one Saturday, with the family gathered around the black and white television to Channel 48 and looking for an older cousin, who was a teenager at the time. Everyone was excited because she was going to be on the "The Hy Lit" dance show. 
I hoped that no one ever forgets Hy's history at WHAT and WDAS AM, where he played rock 'n roll and soul music with the likes of Georgie Woods before WIBG went to the Top 40 format. In those days WHAT and WDAS went head-to-head with WIBG and WFIL. In fact, The Beatles were first played on WDAS in Philadelphia. In those days, all the young people, not just one segment of the population, listened to WHAT or WDAS, to find out what was "cool" to listen to!
"Mr. Lit's biography credits Georgie Woods, another influential radio personality, with saving him one night during an early appearance, when the mostly African American audience did not believe that the white man at the microphone truly was Hy Lit."
Hy did ground breaking programming at WDAS FM in the early 70's with the underground rock format which eventually influenced the direction of WYSP and WMMR to change from "beautiful music" to rock music.
Hy Lit, not just a DJ, but a true innovator and original.
Thanks for the memories Hyski O'Rooney McVoutie O'Zoot!
I hoped that no one ever forgets Hy's history at WHAT and WDAS AM, where he played rock 'n roll and soul music with the likes of Georgie Woods before WIBG went to the Top 40 format. In those days WHAT and WDAS went head-to-head with WIBG and WFIL. In fact, The Beatles were first played on WDAS in Philadelphia. In those days, all the young people, not just one segment of the population, listened to WHAT or WDAS, to find out what was "cool" to listen to!
"Mr. Lit's biography credits Georgie Woods, another influential radio personality, with saving him one night during an early appearance, when the mostly African American audience did not believe that the white man at the microphone truly was Hy Lit."
Hy did ground breaking programming at WDAS FM in the early 70's with the underground rock format which eventually influenced the direction of WYSP and WMMR to change from "beautiful music" to rock music.
Hy Lit, not just a DJ, but a true innovator and original.
Thanks for the memories Hyski O'Rooney McVoutie O'Zoot!
My first radio internship was with WOGL/WGMP in the summer of 1995, starting day one with Brad Segall in the WOGL newsroom. As I gathered copy for the day a news story broke about Hy and Jerry Blavat's reported mob contract on the legend.
Needless to say my first day in the newsroom and radio was one to never forget.
Hy was away that day on a pre-planned vacation but returned a couple of days later to the WOGL airwaves. He introduced himself to me and we spoke in between a few songs. Being a pro radio rookie but a huge fan of the man, it was truly an honor to get to spend some of my first work hours with a true radio legend.
After his final break of the day and a quick stop in the WOGL jock lounge, the Hyski sense of humor came out like a rocket as the Blavat hit story still simmered in the news.
He tossed me his keys and said, "You're the intern. You go start my car!"
I was in awe, but not dumb! We laughed as I politely refused.
It was those first few moments of Hy in person that I will never forget. He was a radio inspiration to my own career, and truly one of the nicest people I ever got the chance to work with.
I'm hoping he and his WIBBAGE mates are spinning some delicious vinyl today on heaven's Radio 99, and all I have to say is thank you for being a true pioneer, a real person in a business brimming with phonies, and for helping drive a young man's radio dreams further.
With today's radio ownership and management growing dumber and cheaper by the day in many locations, it's sad to realize that another great who embodied what radio is and should always be has passed, leaving us another reminder of all that once was great about radio, and revealing all that is wrong with today's personality-free homogeonized talent.
My sincerest condolences to Hy's family and friends.
Needless to say my first day in the newsroom and radio was one to never forget.
Hy was away that day on a pre-planned vacation but returned a couple of days later to the WOGL airwaves. He introduced himself to me and we spoke in between a few songs. Being a pro radio rookie but a huge fan of the man, it was truly an honor to get to spend some of my first work hours with a true radio legend.
After his final break of the day and a quick stop in the WOGL jock lounge, the Hyski sense of humor came out like a rocket as the Blavat hit story still simmered in the news.
He tossed me his keys and said, "You're the intern. You go start my car!"
I was in awe, but not dumb! We laughed as I politely refused.
It was those first few moments of Hy in person that I will never forget. He was a radio inspiration to my own career, and truly one of the nicest people I ever got the chance to work with.
I'm hoping he and his WIBBAGE mates are spinning some delicious vinyl today on heaven's Radio 99, and all I have to say is thank you for being a true pioneer, a real person in a business brimming with phonies, and for helping drive a young man's radio dreams further.
With today's radio ownership and management growing dumber and cheaper by the day in many locations, it's sad to realize that another great who embodied what radio is and should always be has passed, leaving us another reminder of all that once was great about radio, and revealing all that is wrong with today's personality-free homogeonized talent.
My sincerest condolences to Hy's family and friends.
R
retrac
Guest
A few years ago i was standing at Dinic's in the Reading Terminal Market ordering a sandwich,when a voice boomed out.."Hey Brian"..i turned around and there HE was......HY LIT. standing with an radio engineer friend who was helping Hy get around.
I was shocked not only was it "HY LIT" but he knew who i was!!!!!!!!!
He told a few jokes and exchanged some killer one liners.
He was one of the reasons i came to PHILLY. LONGEVITY.STYLE.ORIGINALTY.
A TRUE PROFESSIONAL. AND A GIANT IN PHILLY RADIO.
I am going home and break out my prized copy of the WIBBAGE wake.
Sam, peace to you and your family and know the HY was loved not only by the listeners but those of us in Philly radio also.
I know he's gonna "open up his big bag of tricks" up there in THE BIG BROADCAST BOOTH! There is one heck of a Jock line up.
Brian Carter
Carter&Sanborn
I was shocked not only was it "HY LIT" but he knew who i was!!!!!!!!!
He told a few jokes and exchanged some killer one liners.
He was one of the reasons i came to PHILLY. LONGEVITY.STYLE.ORIGINALTY.
A TRUE PROFESSIONAL. AND A GIANT IN PHILLY RADIO.
I am going home and break out my prized copy of the WIBBAGE wake.
Sam, peace to you and your family and know the HY was loved not only by the listeners but those of us in Philly radio also.
I know he's gonna "open up his big bag of tricks" up there in THE BIG BROADCAST BOOTH! There is one heck of a Jock line up.
Brian Carter
Carter&Sanborn
If there was any doubt of his influence, I went on Philly.com this morning and the top search of the day for the Inquirer/daily News site was the passing of Hy Lit!
Long before the current J-Lo, K-Fed trend of making your show-biz name a cool variation of your real name, we had our own pioneer, Hy Lit! Long ago I thought it was some drinking-drug reference until I learned the real story, whch made the name even cooler!
Thanks to Sam & Radio-Info, I had the chance to give back to Hyski the past few years with some comments & questions here and even the chance to send him some old newspaper ad pictures which he enjoyed. Hy was the first disk jockey I really ever listened to via my sister's transistor blaring in the kitchen as she studied every evening in the early-mid 1960's, and still #1 in our hearts.
Rest in peace, Hyski - you'll live on in our memories & airchecks!
Long before the current J-Lo, K-Fed trend of making your show-biz name a cool variation of your real name, we had our own pioneer, Hy Lit! Long ago I thought it was some drinking-drug reference until I learned the real story, whch made the name even cooler!
Thanks to Sam & Radio-Info, I had the chance to give back to Hyski the past few years with some comments & questions here and even the chance to send him some old newspaper ad pictures which he enjoyed. Hy was the first disk jockey I really ever listened to via my sister's transistor blaring in the kitchen as she studied every evening in the early-mid 1960's, and still #1 in our hearts.
Rest in peace, Hyski - you'll live on in our memories & airchecks!
Although I didn't get the chance to experience Hy during his heyday, I did have the opportunity to listen often during his stint on WOGL until this business took me out of my home town...
To say that Philly has lost one of the greats is an understatement. Hopefully the younger generations of radio broadcasters (and listeners) coming up will understand and appreciate exactly what pioneers like Hy have done to help[ pave the way.
Sam, I'm sorry for your loss. And as a native Philadelphian, I am sorry for the loss to the city and to our industry.
Neil Larrimore
Program Director
KMBZ/Kansas City
To say that Philly has lost one of the greats is an understatement. Hopefully the younger generations of radio broadcasters (and listeners) coming up will understand and appreciate exactly what pioneers like Hy have done to help[ pave the way.
Sam, I'm sorry for your loss. And as a native Philadelphian, I am sorry for the loss to the city and to our industry.
Neil Larrimore
Program Director
KMBZ/Kansas City
Wow, this is indeed a shock and a sad day for me to discover the news about Hy Lit's passing. My heartfelt condolences go out to Sam Lit and the rest of the family.
I gew up in Central New Jersey (New Brunswick) which was predominantly WABC-land However in late 1961 just reaching teen-hood, I discovered WIBG and in 1962 heard Hyski for the first time in March or April. I became a loyal listener to Hyski for the next 7 years or so. Where I lived, the 50,000 watt WIBG signal was adequate but at sunset when they powered down to 10,000 watts, it became pretty much unlistenable! Fortunately, I discovered WIBG-FM at 94.1 and that simulcasted signal came in well enough and then ... I was a WIBBAGE fan forever! Besides listening to Hy Lit almost EVERY night "6 to 10 in the PM", my absolute don't miss listening pleasure came Sunday nights -- the moldy oldies the golden gassers in the Hy Lit Sunday Night WIBBAGE Hall of Fame show from 7 to midnight.
Hyski was a showman and a genius behind the mic. While playing "DJ" with my brother, who built a little transmitter in the basement of our house, I patterned my DJ style after Hy Lit!
I still have a bunch of old WIBG Top 99 surveys and a few pictures of Hy and Joe Niagra as well in my garage.
In 1967 I lost the capability of hearing Hyski when the FM split from the AM programming after 12 noon thanks to an FCC mandate. However I still listened when I could and also heard Hyski on other stations from time to time ... like his brief stint on WIFI and later along with son Sam on WKXW Trenton. After moving to California in 1985, on visits back to New Jersey (and also to Philadelphia where one of my sisters lived) for Christmas, etc. I would search the dials to find out if Hyski was still around and I found him on WPGR and later on WOGL. Of course in recent years hearing HyLitRadio.com brings back all the memories of the great pioneer that Hy Lit was.
Hyski thanks for the memories from a "Jersey Boy" who will never ever forget you!! "Gone but not forgotten" as you used to say!
RIP and God Bless You!
John Nikelsky
The Overland Group, LLC
Brea, CA
I gew up in Central New Jersey (New Brunswick) which was predominantly WABC-land
However in late 1961 just reaching teen-hood, I discovered WIBG and in 1962 heard Hyski for the first time in March or April. I became a loyal listener to Hyski for the next 7 years or so. Where I lived, the 50,000 watt WIBG signal was adequate but at sunset when they powered down to 10,000 watts, it became pretty much unlistenable! Fortunately, I discovered WIBG-FM at 94.1 and that simulcasted signal came in well enough and then ... I was a WIBBAGE fan forever! Besides listening to Hy Lit almost EVERY night "6 to 10 in the PM", my absolute don't miss listening pleasure came Sunday nights -- the moldy oldies the golden gassers in the Hy Lit Sunday Night WIBBAGE Hall of Fame show from 7 to midnight. Hyski was a showman and a genius behind the mic. While playing "DJ" with my brother, who built a little transmitter in the basement of our house, I patterned my DJ style after Hy Lit!
I still have a bunch of old WIBG Top 99 surveys and a few pictures of Hy and Joe Niagra as well in my garage.
In 1967 I lost the capability of hearing Hyski when the FM split from the AM programming after 12 noon thanks to an FCC mandate. However I still listened when I could and also heard Hyski on other stations from time to time ... like his brief stint on WIFI and later along with son Sam on WKXW Trenton. After moving to California in 1985, on visits back to New Jersey (and also to Philadelphia where one of my sisters lived) for Christmas, etc. I would search the dials to find out if Hyski was still around and I found him on WPGR and later on WOGL. Of course in recent years hearing HyLitRadio.com brings back all the memories of the great pioneer that Hy Lit was.
Hyski thanks for the memories from a "Jersey Boy" who will never ever forget you!! "Gone but not forgotten" as you used to say!
RIP and God Bless You!
John Nikelsky
The Overland Group, LLC
Brea, CA
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