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WKBW

Penrod Rightout said:
SirRoxalot said:
Maybe it's generational, but I think that Jackson Armstrong was the Big Daddy of nights on 'KB. Quinn was a pale imitation of Armstrong in my mind.

I do recall an era where nights were split, with Shane working 6P-10P, and Bob MacRae working 10P-1A. Shane was a unique jock, but his personal demons made him a difficult character to deal with in real life.

How about Tom Shannon? I believe he replaced Biondi in the 6-9pm slot, complete with his own theme song on ♫ K-B ra-di-ooo...Tommy...Shannon Show... ♫

Yep, Tom Shannon sure had his fans. I know a young lady who liked him so much she used to tune in CKLW after he left town just to hear him on the big 8. CKLW was easy to pick up in Buffalo at night.
 
My vote goes to Joe Gallagher... didn't he work at KB for 3 or 4 minutes before shuffling off to Syracuse?

Or howz about Mark Thompson? Went on to KOA Denver then to Market #2 to do the weather on KTTV and voice work for Fox. I remember his last show on KB, circa 1980.
 
"I never heard that the Greaseman was offered the job replacing Armstrong."

IIRC, Jeff Kaye told me Greasy 'won' the Great American Talent Hunt and had his vote as well, but didn't wind up on KB long-term because of $$$--KB didn't produce enough of them to make it worth his while to leave WAXC. It wasn't long, of course, before NBC was able to pull him down to DC for the top-40 makeover of WRC.
 
I also remember that Greaseman not getting the job had something to do with the fact that he couldn't make any live appearances because it would ruin the image he was creating on the air.
 
GSmitty said:
I'd vote for Biondi....but, of course, I'm an old guy.

You know I heard him on WLS-FM last fall and I must say he still sounds very good. What an amazing career!
 
Mr. Jackson Armstrong as well for me! I missed him the first time around but thoroughly enjoyed his stint at the reborn KB in the middle of this decade. What a waste, but that's a different, recurring thread.
 
Just stumbled onto this thread...had to put my 2 cents in since WKBW is THE reason I ended up in radio. 'KB in the early '70's under PD Jeff Kaye was, well...special. And dxing 'KB from Southern Vermont as a teenager meant a lot of nights listening to Jack Armstrong and thinking "that's what I wanna do for a living".

I remember the 1973 Great American Talent Hunt and that Greaseman was one of the finalists; interesting to learn he was offered the gig and turned it down. The Janitor lasted, what, a month or two then all-of-a-sudden there was another one of the finalists, Shane Brother Shane on nights doing horoscopes. I felt sorry for them both...there was no filling "your leeeeeedaaah"'s shoes.

Hopefully the Armstrong aircheck retrospective is still available from Big Apple Airchecks. I moved to Pittsburgh in 1975, just before he left 13Q, and haven't heard him since...but get it if you can, he was exhibit A in how to still be a personality in today's era. I just hope his daughters will finish the book he was said to be close to finishing when he passed away.
 
Chas, if you go to Youtube you can find some of Jack's work. I missed him the first time around on 'KB but was fortunate to hear him when he did KB the 2nd time earlier this decade. What a talent and what a shame he's gone.
 
Agreed.

I listened to Jack every night back-in-the-day, and Don Berns on Saturday Nights. Also Sandy Beach, Bob McRae...Casey Pietrowski on weekend overnights. Caught Danny Neavereth a few times as well when the air was clear enough and cold enough...I was living 400 miles away in Vermont in those days.

The You Tube stuff, IIRC, is from KKHR, one of the CBS CHR's from the early 80's. If so, I've seen those airchecks and they are indeed awesome, his signature sign-off is basically intact from his 'KB days.

Big Apple Airchecks' .mp3 tribute is over 2 1/2 hours. Covers every gig he did. What really impressed me was his ability to evolve over time. Would loved to have seen him work in PPM with a PD who appreciated his talents. IMO it would lay to rest the idea that the People Meter hates jock chatter. Not so, it simply hates idle chatter. Armstrong was never about idle chatter. Hearing his final gigs ('KB revival aside, there he simply did what we all expected) was proof that he could weave content, format and personality as well as anyone too young to remember all the "shuckin' and jivin" characteristic of the great personality jocks of the 60's and 70's. In each era, he gave people just what they wanted to hear, exceeding listener expectations.
 
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