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The Greatest 60s DJs

Y

yugoidar

This was posted by former WKBW personality Dick Biondi on Facebook:

Radio Ink Magazine has put together a list of the greatest DJ’s of the 1960’s for their October 24th issue and I’m among the candidates! If you’re still fooled into thinking I know how to do this job vote for me and spread the word!

Should be an interesting list, can't wait to see it!
 
I'd bet a lot of WABC, WLS, KHJ and WCFL jocks will turn up on the list. Who can deny WABC's Dan Ingram or B. Mitchell Reed, one of the WMCA Good Guys. Maybe a few WPTR, WOLF and WNDR jocks will show up too. Should the responses be limited to Buffalo-Niagara Falls-Rochester for the sake of discussion on this board? No doubt KB and WBBF jocks will get plenty of mentions. Joey, Danny, Rod Roddy, Jingle Jay and Fred. IIRC, Berns and Armstrong arrived at KB (on the same day) in 1969, so their names would be in play too.

And there also were some very good jocks on WYSL 1400, like Dave Shafer (briefly), Dickie "Wild Child" Kemp (who was just as electric as Jack Armstrong) or the original Sean Grabowski (John Sepanic) aka Jack Kelly in his earlier KB years.

Frank Benny at WGR is sometimes overlooked, but he was immensely talented and could have easily worked at KB and major market blasters of the 60s like WBZ and WRKO Boston.

WBEN? Bill Masters. Even Clint, although for some reason, it's difficult to reconcile Clint as a "jock." How about the smooth as silk Ken Phillips?

And Big Jim Davis (later at CKLW) as Mike Melody or Mac Maguire on WNIA might qualify. Hey, why not. And how could you discount CHUM, Toronto with guys like John Brodie, and again, Jay Nelson? How about the progressive jocks of the 60s like Scott Muni, Rosco, Allison Steele and Jim Santella at WYSL-FM/WPHD.

"The Greatest." Not as easy as it looks or sounds. Should this be limited to Top 40 jocks? This could be the second coming of the "Stiffs" thread, Yugo. A fine mess you've created! You go first... and let the games begin.
 
Actually, Jim, Jack and I arrived in 1970, so we would not be in the running for our work at KB (and quite frankly, I don't believe my style was worthy of more than a grimace before then).
I would include a lot of the 60s jocks from WDRC on this list: Joey, Sandy, Ron Landry, the Wade bothers, Kenny Griffin...all classics!
 
The RadioInk newsletter is doing daily updates and printing a selected email. Today's features Rick Snyder:

Maybe it was the photo of Lujack with Billy Joel we posted to the website. Maybe it was the aircheck of his last show. Maybe it's just because Larry Lujack WAS the best Jock of the 1960's. Whatever the reason, Lujack is now in the lead on day 3. Here is your new order and keep the votes coming. 1. Larry Lujack 2. Don Steele 3. Dan Ingram. 4. Cousin Brucie 5. Dick Biondi. Throw up a minor debate about who was the best DJ of the 1960's and you never know who you'll find out reads Radio Ink.

VOTE IN OUR POLL NOW Or just read everyone's cool comments.

Rick Snyder worked with his friend Jay Clark "back in the day" at WTRY in Albany, New York and he says "I thought it was fascinating that the 2 of us, long time friends, listed comments on this article." Snyder made a great post, coming up with his own listing accompanied by well-thought-out comments, to our poll that we decided to share here. Enjoy!

East Coast flavor but all great.
Dan Ingram (WABC) (Without a doubt, the best of the best) Funny, fast, original, smooth, great voice, an on air presence that was unmistakable
Bruce Bradley (WBZ, Boston) Funny, smooth as silk, entertaining on a full service top 40 giant
Joey Reynolds (everywhere) One of the best, a rebel, creative, unique delivery, left his mark wherever he was
Dick Biondi (Buffalo, Chicago) Unique, unforgettable
Don Weeks (Albany, New York) Another smooth, funny morning man. Original, very funny, stay in the Albany market because he loved it there.
Dale Dorman (Syracuse, Boston) Outrageous, zany, weird voice, funny and original, creative.
Herb Oscar Anderson (WABC) the most consistent, smooth delivery. Morning mayor, believable, friendly and still around
Dave Maynard (WBZ, Boston) The smoothest mid day guy ever with a smiling voice, friendly delivery, quick and humorous.
Tommy Saunders (Syracuse, San Francisco). Great voice, smooth delivery, quiet sense of humor and a great boss.
Rick Snyder (Syracuse, Albany, Portland, Maine). Yeah, it’s me, but everyone told me I was one of the best top 40 jocks they ever heard)
 
Debaser said:
... Jack and I arrived in 1970, so we would not be in the running for our work at KB (and quite frankly, I don't believe my style was worthy of more than a grimace before then). I would include a lot of the 60s jocks from WDRC on this list: Joey, Sandy, Ron Landry, the Wade bothers, Kenny Griffin...all classics!
Click to expand...
My bad DB, off by a year. What the hell, it's only been 41 (forty one!?) years. Jack should get full consideration for his work at WIXY 1260 and 1100 WKYC Cleveland.

Lujack was a great personality, without a doubt, as were other WLS jocks of the 60s. And what about Big 10 WCFL? Another great station with super sized personalities.

Don Wade was a stellar personality, especially on KB where he did great shtick and voices, every bit as good as Dan Ingram. Ingram's greatness is indisputable, but consider the station he was on at the time. (The same might be said of KB.) If Wade was on WABC... well, who knows. It's one of those "ifs and butts" things.

And Joey? What can you say. How many jocks up and down the east coast do you think Reynolds influenced over the years. Hundreds. For as much reverence that's paid to WABC (rightly so) there are those who lived on Long Island, NJ, Connecticut and Massachusetts that thought KB was a better station. Probably better that we not open that to debate.
 
My list: Just about everyone at WKBW.

Joey Reynolds
Danny N
Rod Roddy
Stan Roberts
Tom Shannon
Bob Diamond
Sandy Beach
Don Burns
 
Debaser said:
Actually, Jim, Jack and I arrived in 1970, so we would not be in the running for our work at KB...
Click to expand...

The first year A.D. was called "1," not "zero," so for the same reason the current millennium began on January 1, 2001, the decade of the '70s didn't begin until January 1, 1971.

You're welcome, Don!
 
Paul_Warren said:
Debaser said:
Actually, Jim, Jack and I arrived in 1970, so we would not be in the running for our work at KB...
Click to expand...

The first year A.D. was called "1," not "zero," so for the same reason the current millennium began on January 1, 2001, the decade of the '70s didn't begin until January 1, 1971.

You're welcome, Don!
Click to expand...

Speaking strictly from a musical standpoint, I vote for the 70's beginning 1/1/70. Again, strictly from a musical standpoint...'70 was such a year of transition.

My 60's vote's for Dan Ingram. I've only heard the airchecks on Musicradio77.com but anyone who can weave formatic elements and take ownership of them the way he did is a hero in my book.

Didn't know Dale Dorman worked in Syracuse, the first time I heard "More Than A Feeling" it was Dale Dorman playing it on WRKO. Last time I heard him was ten years ago on Kiss 108. He still had it.

I never got to hear Joey Reynolds in action on-air...but a couple weeks ago over at Forgotten Hits, someone (maybe it was Kurt the webmaster) dug up Pop-Tops produced...IIRC by PAMS. I think they beat Joey to market by a month or two but quit making them rather quickly.

It was easy to hear why...they sounded like strained baby food spilled on your favorite hits. Actually, strained baby spit-up may be more like it. They sounded like the Enoch Light Singers...totally out of place.

None of the grit or personality of Joey's Pop-Tops...not even maybe. Apples and oranges.

Of course I'm talking about something that began in 1971 on a thread about the 60's so I'll go quietly now...
 
JimPastrick said:
Dickie "Wild Child" Kemp (who was just as electric as Jack Armstrong)
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more. His name rarely comes up and he pre-dated Jackson Armstrong in Buffalo by a few years, but the Wild Child was a fantastic, hi-energy 7-Midnight teen jock. IIRC, he was the first of that genre heard in the Queen City.

Nick Seneca
 
Nick Gerard said:
JimPastrick said:
Dickie "Wild Child" Kemp (who was just as electric as Jack Armstrong)
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more. His name rarely comes up and he pre-dated Jackson Armstrong in Buffalo by a few years, but the Wild Child was a fantastic, hi-energy 7-Midnight teen jock. IIRC, he was the first of that genre heard in the Queen City.

Nick Seneca
Click to expand...

I'm in Chicago and I remember Dick Kemp when he worked here at WYNR. What station and what years was he in Buffalo?
 
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