Y-100's FOOTY...My Take
Major:
I'll give you my take on Footy. I've known Footy a/k/a John Cross for the better part of 30 years. He is one of the few that I still keep in contact with. Even tho I left Y-100 in August 1996, I told him that because of our long relationship, that no matter where I was, i'd promised to come to help out at his yearly charity event "Wing-Ding". I see him a couple times a year, especially at Thanksgiving,where for as long as I can remember, he opens his home to past and present co-workers, to celebrate the day. I believe he started at Y-100 in late 1974/early 1975. My first encounter with Footy, was in 1976 when he was known as "Athletes Foot". He did the moring sports along with "Tanner In The Morning", as well as doing some of the comedy bits (Hiney Winery & Jackie Stewed). Back in the day <snikka>, Thursday, Friday & Saturday nites were High School Football games. Radio stations were very involved in having the scores reported, as well as going to give out t-shirts, albums, concert tickets & bumper stickers. Footy was at Y-100 & I was at 96X.
In a time when competition was "Us vs Them" & it was unheard of having people from different stations actually talk to each other. But, we didn't feel that our bosses were correct with that line of thought. So when we showed up at the same field, we did our stuff and hung out for a bit. That was the beginning of a friendship. I finally got the chance to work with Footy in 1988 when I began my 8 year run with Y-100. I considered it an honor to work with Footy. He was an established legend (as radio legends go) & we've been friends all this time, so it was great to be on his "team". When I did over-nites, i'd hang out after to help him out in his studio or do some bits for him. He'd say something in the way of..."I need this type of voice and this is what I want you to do." Besides Y-100 and everything Footy does at the station, for those not "in the know", he also heads up a Drug Rehab center called "Here's Help" which is located in Opa-Locka. This was the premise for the "Wing-Ding" which started in 1988 when I joined the station. Every dollar that is made from the Wing-Ding goes to Here's Help. Footy, or any one of us who work the event do not take one dollar. It's all for Charity.
Walking into his home, is like a who's who of the radio/music/movie industry. His walls in his family room are covered with celeb's that he's been associated with over the years. I guess if I had to say 2 of his biggest supporters, the answer would be Dan Marino and Gloria & Emilio Estefan. They are like family members to Footy. Personally, I don't care what anyone says about Dan Marino (in the bad sense). If Footy lifts up the phone and says "Dan, I need you to do this for me...." If Dan is available, he's there. This is the power that Footy has. This is how respected he is, by stars, as well as his peers. Myself included.
Of everyone i've been associated with in the industry, Footy has always been one of my biggest supporters, always there to back me up. He holds back no punches & tells it like it is, a strong ally & if he believes in you and you show your worth, I don't think there is anything he wouldn't do for you. As I have said, I have alot of respect for Footy. He earned it 30 years ago for just being himself. The funny thing about all this, is he admires me. The main reason being that when I was at the original 96X, at one time we had done a talk show on Sunday Nites. One of our guests? Bob Marley! Footy is a heavy duty Bob Marley fan & when ever i'm around Footy and Bob Marley is mentioned, he'll always bring up that he's jealous/envious that I met Bob. That always leaves me laughing.
Thru the revolving doors of radio, I can say that I have a very short list of people that are true "Friends". By that meaning you work with alot of people, but there is a hard-core group that you keep tabs with throughout the years. I am proud to say that John Cross/ Footy is one of them. Said it before, and it bears repeating.... Footy IS Y-100. He has outlasted every person on the programming side. Actually, now that VP/GM David Ross has departed, I should say that Footy has outlasted EVERYBODY he worked with in his 30 years at Y. That in itself should tell you the kind of person he is.
> > > I was wondering.....
> > >
> > > If they made a TV show about Footy and his
> > > history at Y-100, mightn't they call it
> > > The Footy Legacy?
> > >
> > > 73s from 954
> > >
> > I'll take it a step further...."The Footy Legacy: How This
>
> > Form Of Athletes Foot Didn't Hurt"
>
> Well I can't think of a more appropriate time than the
> present to piggyback on this entertaining exchange and enter
> into the historical archives of 'Miami Radio' here at
> Radio-Info.Com my next intriguing inquiry into the long and
> illustrious history of South Florida contemporary hit music
> radio. It's a discussion that I've been eager to introduce
> and participate in since I joined this forum not so long ago
> at the end of December 2005.
>
> I'm calling on all of those who have been around for quite
> some time to educate me on the history of the one-and-only
> 'Footy' at WHYI Y-100(.7). He's been there forever, and I'd
> like to know about his various roles at the station from the
> point that he was hired on (sometime in the late-1970s or
> early-1980s ?) to the present.
>
> When I moved to South Florida at the end of 1987 he was
> known as 'Athlete's Foot', and he had a somewhat limited
> role as the 'sports guy' on the 'Sonny (Fox) In The Morning'
> show. It wasn't until he was teamed-up with the legendary
> Bobby Mitchell on the 'Y-100 Morning Zoo' did he become a
> 'co-star'. Of course that's only what I remember since the
> end of 1987. A few of you out there should be able to brief
> me on the decade or so prior to then. Let's roll.
>
> THE MAJOR
>
<P ID="signature">______________
I AM 96X! KEEP ON Xin'
Stuart Elliott/TOP 40 DJ</P>
