• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Where are they now?

IIRC, Sam Riddle was the producer of the 80s TV show Star Search, somewhat of a forerunner to The X Factor, minus the humiliation of untalented people.

In recent years, Riddle has produced a lot of the poker tournaments you see on TV. There's a photo on the internet of Riddle standing among a group - he's the short older man. If you're old enough to remember, Sam was about a half-head shorter than most of the teen boys dancing on the show, and the rock stars he interviewed.

I believe this is the link, but I can only open a thumbnail because I'm at work and the content is blocked ("gambling") ::)

http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&sa=N&biw=991&bih=577&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbnid=Sc2w AR6E4DYGfM:&imgrefurl=http://www.pokerpages.com/articles/archives/west19.htm&do cid=R020W2_IPg2j0M&imgurl=http://gallery.pokerpages.com/gallery2/d/76629-2/Vene tian_Press_Conference.JPG&w=300&h=201&ei=dNt_Udi4O-LtiwKqooDgAQ&zoom=1&iact=rc& dur=62&page=1&tbnh=134&tbnw=199&start=0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:85&tx=117& ty=63
 
While we're on the subject, whatever happened to "Sweet" Dick Whittington?
 
RicoGregg said:
Is Sam Riddle related to Nelson Riddle? ???
Click to expand...

I don't believe so. Sam told a story a long time back about his first job in radio...playing Mantovani records on a station in Texas...and the way he pronounced "Mantovani" was part of the joke. It sounded as though he might have been a Texas native. The farthest back I can trace his career is KDEO, San Diego, where he did some time in 1959-60 as "Rocky Riddle".
 
Lkeller said:
RicoGregg said:
Is Sam Riddle related to Nelson Riddle? ???
Click to expand...

This is a foggy 50 year old memory, but I seem to recall that Sam was related to Nelson - nephew, cousin, or something like that
Click to expand...

Could certainly be. On Ray Randolph's great KHJ tribute site, I've found a 1965 sales one-sheet for Sam referring to him as a "transplanted Texan", but that certainly doesn't mean that his dad wasn't related to Nelson and simply moved to Texas. Nelson was born in New Jersey and moved to Hollywood in the late 40s.

Further research: Sam and record producer Snuff Garrett were both DJs at the same time at KDUB in Lubbock, Texas. Backtiming a couple of references in a 40-year old Billboard profile of Garrett that mentions his working with and becoming close friends with Sam, that was 1956. Snuff was 17. Figure Sam was close in age.
 
And more: If Sam and Nelson were related, it wasn't an uncle or first cousin relationship. Nelson was the only child from his parents'
marriage who survived. There was a stillbirth and six miscarriages.
 
My Mother in Law baby sat Sam Riddle when he was a kid. They were friends with the riddle family here in Texas. She seems to remember seeing Nelson visiting family members back in the mid 40's
 
It should be noted that there are two other Sam Riddles of note - a disgraced midwestern political consultant (served some time in prison for bribery), and a young country music singer.
 
MisterGort said:
I think the only relation between Sam Riddle and Nelson Riddle is Route 66.
Click to expand...

Huh? What did Sam Riddle have to do with Route 66? He was a DJ at KRLA and KFWB when that show was running on CBS.
 
Sam Riddle is from Texas - and Route 66 runs through the Texas Panhandle as well as Sam Riddle the DJ - must have played the theme from Route 66 - many times on KRLA.
 
A few years ago, one of my station managers was discussing Humble Harve. At that point he was in Dallas working with Gene Chenault and Bill Drake on a nationally syndicated oldies station. They did have a couple of top notch guys lined up. But sadly, the venture died before it had a chance to take off. Only 3 affiliates and they were in smaller markets.
 
jerrbud said:
A few years ago, one of my station managers was discussing Humble Harve. At that point he was in Dallas working with Gene Chenault and Bill Drake on a nationally syndicated oldies station. They did have a couple of top notch guys lined up. But sadly, the venture died before it had a chance to take off. Only 3 affiliates and they were in smaller markets.
Click to expand...

Yep. Bill was working with Jones Radio, the format was going to be called "Rock & Rolldies" and Harve was on board. Demos were cut, it never aired. I believe the Dial-Global acquisition of Jones happened about that time.
 
Michael, do you remember Humble Harve's short-lived Doo-Wop Shoppe show that was on the old KIEV-870 in late 1999? (I think at least 95% of all the doo-wop shows in the world are called "Doo-Wop Shoppe." Not very original.) Unfortunately he focused on big pop hits and didn't play very many obscure songs. And his definition of "doo-wop" was pretty broad---one time he played the Four Tops' It's All In The Game! Yikes!
 
LARadioRewind said:
Michael, do you remember Humble Harve's short-lived Doo-Wop Shoppe show that was on the old KIEV-870 in late 1999? (I think at least 95% of all the doo-wop shows in the world are called "Doo-Wop Shoppe." Not very original.) Unfortunately he focused on big pop hits and didn't play very many obscure songs. And his definition of "doo-wop" was pretty broad---one time he played the Four Tops' It's All In The Game! Yikes!
Click to expand...

I remember reading about it, Steve...never actually heard it.

And the Four Tops example shows what happens when a DJ starts going with his gut. Even Harve, who programmed KBLA and KUTE, lost the focus of what the show was supposed to be. The big hits, probably an attempt to get some sampling from people tuning by...but the Four Tops was a near-miss (#24 Billboard, #18 KHJ) and was probably Harve saying "Man, I love this record. I think I'll play it." He probably dug it at KHJ back in '70 and hadn't heard it since.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom