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What ever became of John Gilliland? (KSFO - 1960's & 70's)

L

Lumpus

He did weekday evenings 7-Midnight on KSFO for a great many years, hosting "Golden Age of Radio", "Pop Chronicles" and "The Comedy Hour". A great on-air personality and a really good guy IRL. I'd met him a few times time the early-mid 70's and I knew that his heart wasn't in real great shape. A few Google searches have generated zero hits so I assumed he's passed or is out of the business.

Anyone else remember him or knows what became of him?
 
Gilliland's show was the topic of discussion on another thread recently - see below on SF Board- there have been no responses in the last week or so, so it's fairly far down the list. The thread started with Don Sherwood, and moved on to other KSFO subjects. John returned to Texas to care for an aging parent, and passed away a few years ago.

Details are on that thread...sorry I don't remember the topic title
 
The thread is now on page 2, and is titled "Where was Radio Waves"...the topic started because Ben Fong Torres did a column on Sherwood.
 
Found it - TYVM!

I was still in grade school/Junior High during KSFO's glory years and listened every night absolutely religiously. To this day it makes me think that I grew up in the 1940's and 50's rather than the 1970's listening to old radio shows and JG every night.

For bonus points, can anyone remember the name of that independent movie theater next to the Pyramid downtown that played a constant stream of classic films, vintage B&W and cult movies every night? I moved from SF in 1975 and I've been trying to remember their name for the last 15+ years.

I hate to ask, but what drek has the former "World's Greatest Radio Station" sunk to nowadays... on the other had, I'd probably not want to know and spoil my entire childhood memories.
 
I'm sorry he passed. But KSFO is today so awful. A shame for a heritage station to broadcast hate.
 
Why don't you describe hate. Life is so wonderful for you and everyone else isn't. When will people like you will ever get it? Please , I wish people like you would just describe the programming in general without using the H word, the R word, and keep your politics locked up in your closet. It's a radio board. Not a board for socialist.
I'm sure KGO and KMEL is just full of love. One station drops the N bomb, ho word, gangstas, and the other stations like the Quake,,,aids and abets it.
Ok ...take your shot....oh oh oh , no guns please.
 
"Why don't you describe hate. Life is so wonderful for you and everyone else isn't. When will people like you will ever get it? Please , I wish people like you would just describe the programming in general without using the H word..."

As a fairly liberal person myself, I'm embarrased that others automatically equate conservative talk radio with "hate" - obviously that's not the case. A few hosts do tread the thin line, though - the Savage Wiener being the most obvious example.

Remember that KSFO bears no relation to the Golden West owned MOR station that went away a quarter of a century ago. We all equate call letters with brand names, but sometimes they're just call letters.
 
Lumpus said:
He did weekday evenings 7-Midnight on KSFO for a great many years, hosting "Golden Age of Radio", "Pop Chronicles" and "The Comedy Hour". A great on-air personality and a really good guy IRL. I'd met him a few times time the early-mid 70's and I knew that his heart wasn't in real great shape. A few Google searches have generated zero hits so I assumed he's passed or is out of the business.

Anyone else remember him or knows what became of him?
Click to expand...
I met John Gilliland twice, once in San Francisco, I'm guessing around 1977 and then I visited him in Texas in the late 1980's. He looked very ill by then but he had great memories on his time in San Francisco (as well as at KRLA).
 
Lumpus said:
For bonus points, can anyone remember the name of that independent movie theater next to the Pyramid downtown that played a constant stream of classic films, vintage B&W and cult movies every night? I moved from SF in 1975 and I've been trying to remember their name for the last 15+ years.
Click to expand...

The movie theatre you're thinking of was the Times. They had 99 cent movies. The owners, Michael Thomas and Gary Meyer both went on to bigger and better things.

Michael Thomas for years operated a chain of theatres including the Strand in SF, the Vista in LA, the Minor in Arcata, and a bunch of others. Eventually he started Strand Releasing, the largest distributed of gay/lesbian themed domestic and foreign movies in North America.

Gary Meyer went on to operate the UC Theatre in Berkeley, from which he co-founded Landmark Theatres. He sold Landmark some years back. He now operates the Balboa Theatre in San Francisco.
 
Starbucks said:
Why don't you describe hate. Life is so wonderful for you and everyone else isn't. When will people like you will ever get it? Please , I wish people like you would just describe the programming in general without using the H word, the R word, and keep your politics locked up in your closet. It's a radio board. Not a board for socialist.
I'm sure KGO and KMEL is just full of love. One station drops the N bomb, ho word, gangstas, and the other stations like the Quake,,,aids and abets it.
Ok ...take your shot....oh oh oh , no guns please.
Click to expand...
You keep listining to HATE KSFO.
 
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