Joe Thomas, Ken Garland, Dex Card, Joel A. Spivak, Frank Kingston Smith, Sherm Strickhouse, Jim Mendes, and Jim Holt are some of the outstanding talent that passed through Providence on their way to the big time. I remember each of them distinctly, as a young listener. Joe Thomas playing his theme "Las Vegas", on WPAW, and later WXTR, moving on to WHIM, and WICE, then WPRO. Ken Garland was Salty's rival over at WHIM and Ken was the one we listened to the most when I was a kid growing up in Warwick. Dex Card was another great talent that worked at WHIM, which had an incredible sound, thanks to Pappy Philbrook. I remember the very distinct, and mellow "chime" that ran each hour on the hour, regardless of anything going on. It was an amazing sound, and the best "time tone" I've ever heard. Joel A. Spivak, was a huge innovation for WPRO, very slow and deliberate, and used to say hello to folks living in "Moose-up" Connecticut! Frank Kingston Smith spent some time on WICE, along with Morton Downey Jr. Smith went on to a big job on WABC in New York, and Morton Downey Jr. had a spectacular but short television career...Sherm Strickhouse was Program Director at WICE, when Jim Mendes who had one of the best voices I ever heard, was doing a spectacular weekend show, playing Ray Bryant's "Little Susie" on the Signature label, not the Columbia re-recording inbetween the dedications he took over the phone. I could not believe he was black, and it was a shock when I finally got to meet him. Jim Holt used to do a remote broadcast on WICE from the Shipyard Drive In, "with FREE miniature golf", come on down! Played Eddie Cochran's "Drive In Show" as theme, and I can remember that little green and silver label forty five rpm going round and round at the live broadcast. I remember how thrilled I was to finally get on the air on WHIM, but had to quit to move to Philadelphia. Oh wait, I forgot Jeff Krim, who was on WRIB, then moved to WHIM, and then to WBZ!!!! Later he was Program Director at WKBW in Buffalo, before moving on to many hours on the air doing fill in work at the legendary WNEW-AM in New York City. Providence has a rich and colorful history, but I left Rhode Island in 1970, never to return except to visit relatives, so even though I worked with Steve Wight briefly before his star rose to prominance, I only heard him on WLKW with absolutely terrible quality sound while visiting folks. He was doing some self indulgent bit about being contacted by the Providence journal who "wanted to hire him". I know he was talented, but I guess being eccentric plus radical worked for him. I worked with John Manzi (Big Ange) before he was a radio star, when he went by the name "Jack Andrews". Let's not forget Jack Spector on WPRO who had a TV dance party show, on which I viewed myself one Saturday afternoon, after the taping.
I know few people would probably know or care about these folks, but for me, they actually made up the voices and faces of Providence radio of my youth. They will always be in my own personal Rhode Island Radio Hall of Fame.
Oh, and remember Charles Scovel on WICE! What a unique news delivery. Absolutely one of a kind! He sounded like a parody of the big voiced news announcer, but he was for real! What a trip......oh, and Bud Roberts! What a talent, ending up at WLS in Chicago. Providence was a GREAT radio town at one time! I didn't realize how lucky I was to be exposed to all that wonderful talent til I spent some time in far less interesting places with far more people listening to the radio. Eddie Zack, Cousin Richie, Babs, Hum and Strum, Dick Domaine and the Blue Jays, the Videls, one of which I met at the Seekonk Drive-In quite by accident, Moffitts Music, the Crown Coffee Shop, Waybosset Street, Shephards Tea Room, the Outlet. Providence was a very cool place to be when I was a kid. City Hall Hardware, the Strand, Loew's State, the Majestic, and RKO Albee will never fade from my memories, nor will Rocky Point Park, and the "World's Largest Shore Dinner Hall", where I was a busboy for two summers.
What rich memories to have, and I have to ask. Will the kids of today have anything remotely resembling any kind of memories of radio or other cultural landmarks, as I had? Seems I was in the right place at the right time, and wasn't even aware of it.
