The Voice of Spartanburg - Bill Drake

[ATOMO]

Hi folks,

For those of you who cannot make it to the funeral but would like to hear it, we will be streaming it live at www.thesourceforspartanburg.com . You can also
hear us on the Tune In App. It is Monday, July 14th, at 1pm, at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium. We have been airing classic Drake all day today all the way back to
1968 at WEMP in Milwaukee. He's doing an actual rock n' roll show, plus a lot of other great material we'll be featuring each weekday morning, 6am-9am. Here is a link
to a great article from our friends at the Spartanburg Herald-Journal.

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20...Awake-with-Drake-radio-personality-dies-at-73

 

[Unregistered]

I brought bill drake to south carolina

This is a really sad time for all of you who listened to Bill Drake through the years in Spartanburg. I had the honor
of hiring Bill at WIS in Columbia in 1972. There was no doubt in my mind--as Program Director of the station--that
Bill would become a legend in South Carolina broadcasting. We were seeking an afternoon drive personality for the
station, and as I went through all of the resumes and audition tapes, Bill Drake stood out. He had the kind of talent we were seeking, and he became a most popular local personality. His "Battle of the Brains" and the program from Dutch
Square Mall, "On the Air at Dutch Square" were immediate hits in the market. We paired Bill at the Mall with a young
lady named Beryl Dakers. Bill and Beryl were a wonderful on the air combination, and our audience loved the program.
When WIS was undergoing some major personnel changes in 1976, Bill was nervous about his future at WIS. I was in
touch with the manager of WSPA Radio in Spartanburg, and told him that Bill was interested in looking around for another position. WSPA immediately hired Bill after I introduced him to the Spartanburg station, and the rest is history. Yes,
Bill did become a South Carolina broadcast legend. His wonderful wife Judy and his three children were always so proud of the work Bill was doing, always ready to help the community. The news today about Bill's passing is so sad for me. I
eventually became a Radio News Anchor on the CNN Radio Network, and I can honestly say, that in all the years I spent in radio, even at the network level of CNN, Bill Drake stood out as one of the most devoted broadcasters I ever worked
with. I have lots of great memories of Bill and Judy and their kids. I know this is a very rough time for them, as well as all of us who knew him, and worked with him. Bill Drake--the Legend--will be missed by all of his fans in Spartanburg, and indeed, across all of South Carolina.

DAVE KIRSCHNER
ATLANTA, GA.
(Former Program Director WIS, Columbia SC)

 

[RadioLover]

I am the person who was responsible for Bill Drake coming to South Carolina in 1972. I was the Program Director at WIS Columbia, and we were looking for an afternoon drive personality. Little did I realize at the time that when we hired Bill Drake that he would become a TRUE BROADCASTING LEGEND in South Carolina. His resume and audition tape stood out in the large number of applications we received. There was no doubt: Bill Drake would be our choice. From the very first time I met him and his wonderful wife Judy, it was instant magic for us. I let Bill come up with things like the original "Battle of the Brains" and also a new live show each day in the Dutch Square Mall, "On the Air at Dutch Square". He was paired with a bright new female on WIS, Beryl Dakers, and they made an instant hit on the air. Bill was a hard worker and devoted a lot of time to preparing for his on the air shows. He knew how to reach out to the community. He knew music.
He had a great voice. What a talent we found....! Then in 1976, WIS was undergoing some major changes, and Bill was worried about the future. I had been in contact with the station manager at WSPA in Spartanburg and told him about Bill.
He made contact with Bill and hired him immediately. The rest is history ! Bill went on to become the person that all of you at your station, and the listeners in Spatanburg, came to appreciate. He moved to Columbia from Milwaukee, and loved the South and our people. He told me so many times how happy he was living in South Carolina. I am still in shock to know that he died last week, and I wish I could have been at the service that you and others conducted yesterday. Bill and Judy and their kids have a special place in my heart. Of all the people I worked with in my almost 50 year broadcasting career, Bill stands out as one of the finest that I ever met. And that includes on the network level at CNN, where I eventually became an anchor for the CNN Radio Network. Bill would have fit into network radio as smoothly as he fit into the local stations that he worked for and loved so much. I have the highest respect for this true South Carolina radio Legend. All of you in Spartanburg have been blessed to have had him on the air for so many years, and for all the things that Bill Drake accomplished in your community.

DAVE KIRSCHNER
Atlanta GA
(former WIS Radio Program Director)