Musicradio WABC Memories and Stories II

I have received so much interesting mail about WABC that we needed a second page. So, here is the most recent mail from the last couple of months!

Added March 28, 1997:

Pete Kesser wrote a TERRIFIC letter that really sums up what it was like growing up with Musicradio, WABC:

My earliest memory of any music on the radio is hearing Pat Boone singing "Love Letters in the Sand" on WINS. I was standing on the front seat of my Grandmother's '56 Pontiac (these were the pre-child restraint days!) It was in the morning, so it wasn't Alan Freed's show. I guess I never heard Alan Freed on the radio, much as I'd like to think I did. I have most of his movies on tape, though.

Years later, same Grandmother, table radio - I remember "Sherry" by the Four Seasons. That was it. I wore out the carpet with my knees begging for a transistor radio. So, at Christmas 1962, Santa presented me with a 7-transistor model. Steve Lawrence singing "Go Away Little Girl" was the first song I ever heard on that radio. The next song was "Remember When" by Larry Chance and the Earls, possibly the last Doo-Wop song of the era. How sad. I didn't realize there were any other stations on the dial, nor did I realize there were any other Top-40 stations for years!

I'd wake up every morning to H.O.A. How many times in four hours did he play Acker Bilk's "Stranger on the Shore?" "And if no one has said it as yet...Good Morning!" Off to the fourth grade. I hadn't figured out the earphone-wire-up-the-sleeve yet.

Home from school. DAN INGRAM!!! The greatest D.J. of all time on any planet!!! He was talking to ME! His delivery was like a machine gun, and you'd better listen carefully, lest you miss the funny stuff. One day he did a Dairy Queen spot. At the end of the spot, he said, in a semi-feminine voice, "Hi, I'm your Dairy Queen." I just about fell off the chair.

At six, there was an hour of news, including Howard Cosell "Speaking of Sports." After that, Scott Muni. Homework had to be done in silence. Those were the rules. Later, when I was supposed to be sleeping, the radio was under the pillow. I'm fuzzy about the on-air personalities and the music. I might have actually been asleep...or the battery died.

Then, there were the BEATLES!!! They'd play ANYTHING, including "She Loves You" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand" in German. They played "My Bonnie" which, technically, wasn't a Beatles song. They played them over and over and over. "INSTANT REPLAY REPLAY REPLAY..." "NUUMBERRR FOUR!!! That SOUND!!! I remember hearing about a Dave Clark Five concert (they didn't call them "concerts" then, did they?) at Olympic Park in Irvington, NJ, I think. It may have been Palisades Park, I'm not sure.

They were the best times. God blessed me with the happiest childhood imagineable. That's why I can remember so much. We lived in a small lake community in Northern NJ. I remember warm summer days at the beach, five radios all tuned to the same station - early stereo! The Four Tops,the Temptations, Booker T and the MG's, Percy Sledge. Hundreds of groups from a radio station that played GOOD MUSIC 24 HOURS A DAY.

And, there were the Doors. I remember hearing "Light My Fire," but only between midnight and six A.M. The Doors were a dangerous band in those days. One day at the beach I heard the song. Someone asked me if that was the song I'd been talking about. Gee, the Doors in daylight!

In 1969, we moved to Alabama, of all places. After listening to the radio there, I gave up. There was nothing like WABC. For me, it was over. Then, we moved to Georgia. I remember fooling around the dial one night and hearing Cousin Brucie. Could this be?!?! I learned then what 50k watts will do at night. I had my music BACK!!!

We moved back to NJ in '71, just in time for high school graduation. I was busy catching up, and had no time for anything but my studies. I came back, though. It was a struggle to stay with A.M. WPLJ (the former WABC-FM... "Ninety Five and a Half") was on, and hearing rock music in stereo was pretty tempting. But I always made time for Dan Ingram, stereo or not.

Allan, it is a pleasure remembering. I owe you a debt of gratitude for helping to clear the cobwebs. Having ties to my past has always been important to me. As I move through my forties, this has become essential. I have a five year old son. We don't listen to a lot of radio together, we can't! I have dozens of "Oldies" CD's. The music deals with first loves, what kind of car to drive, where to go, and what to do when you get there - none of it involving breaking the law. We listen to Chuck Berry, and all the greats, and we both enjoy them.

I'm brand new to the internet. My next move is to get a faster modem so I can hear what you have. I'll be in touch from time to time. If you're ever in South Florida, look me up!

Thanks for everything!

Pete Kesser

Stan Schnitzer wrote:

Allan,

A friend of mine told me about the site, and it killed a whole morning of work. I enjoyed immensely, and I sent an e-mail about it to my friend in Israel. He probably won't catch it until tomorrow night, but he can relive his Saturday youth. Thanks for the memories. (Oops, I guess that would be from another site, right?)

Stan Schnitzer

JJesensky wrote:

I greatly enjoyed sharing your memories about the old WABC. Growing up on Long Island during the '60's, I remember listening to the station almost every day from 1964 until my family moved out of the area in 1970. For me, that was 'the day the music died', although, on many a "good" night out in Chicago, I could catch WABC fading in and out in waves! They spoiled me for any other radio stations (WLS in Chicago was WABC's "sister" station, but it just wasn't the same!) WABC's DJ's, as well as their jingles, are as a part of my life's soundtrack as the music itself.

For the longest time I, too, wanted to become a DJ at WABC when I grew up. I make a point whenever I'm in the New York area to catch Cousin Brucie and Big Dan on WCBS-FM. They still are the two best DJ's ever anywhere, period. I'd really, really love to hear some tapes of the station from the British Invasion days ('64-'68).

PS: Does anyone remember that, for a while, WABC-AM used to simulcast onWABC-FM, before the FCC made stations stop simulcasting on FM (circa 1966)? It was strange hearing the station without the echo!

Keep the faith, Cousin!

JJesensky

John Wilson wrote:

I worked with Bob Dayton in 1966 at a small station in Burbank, Calif. station ID (KBLA). This, of course, was after the Hiroshima incident. I found Bob to be a very intelligent and charming fellow. Somewhat quiet for a radio personality. He was very kind to me (I was a budding show host and production editor).

I think your description of Bob’s wit is quite accurate. He was very quiet off the air. He and I got along very well. For some reason he liked me and was extremely kind. He would take the time to sit and talk with me and tell me about his New York days and his many opinions. I remember him as being short and a rather good looking guy. He didn’t seem to have much camaraderie with the other personalities and, as usual, didn’t seem to warm the ownership and management’s hearts. I always felt he was bitter and withdrawn from the Hiroshima thing.

I was sorry to read Bob died. Anymore info on him in later years? He truly was a talent. Funny, now with the likes of Howard Stern etc. Bob would not have been given a sideward glance for the "birthday song." Actually, I am glad for myself that it happened as it provided an opportunity to meet and work with a major talent in life.

Love your web site.

Regards,
John Wilson
Prescott, AZ.

Dennis Falcone, Program Director of B-103, Long Island NY wrote:

Hey, grrreattt page! I'm Dennis Falcone, I worked at CBS-FM from 86-92 in the program department, where I worked with all the all-amercians and even some good guys. It was the greatest time of my life, and the closest thing to being at ABC!

Nowadays I'm programming and on-air on Long Island at B-103 LONG ISLAND'S OLDIES!

Keep up the great work on the page..

Dennis Falcone

Wendy Vickers wrote:

Hi Allen,

Just upgraded my RealAudio player and got to hear some of the audio bytes. What a blast! Aren't you lucky to be able to acquire so much of that great old stuff, and many thanks for sharing it all with us.

I don't think I'm touching that last audio clip, tho...

Best--Wendy

Peter J. Zwerlein wrote:

Allan,

I'm really enjoying listening to all of the old WABC radio clips. I can remember laying in bed as a teenager listening to (I think) WABC. There was a commercial for Denisen's clothiers, Route 9, Union, New Jersey every night. I can't remember who the D.J. was but it was done with a lot of reverb (that's why I think it was WABC). It's one of those things that you put in the back of your mind and think about every once in a while. I'm sure many others would get a kick hearing that again, is there a chance that you have it?

I'll keep checking back from time to time. Thanks again for a GREAT web site.

Peter

Allan responds: That was Charlie Greer who read those Dennison's commercials during the overnights at WABC... "where money talks and nobody walks". I don't have an aircheck with Charlie doing one of those spots, but if someone reading this does, please e mail me!!

Art Chimes of the Voice of America wrote:

Allan,

What a truckload of memories...

Do you remember the "principal of the year" contest 'ABC ran year-after-year. As I recall, students would send in postcards, or maybe slips of paper, with the name of their school and their principal. Most received won, though I don't recall what the prize was. Being from New Jersey, we never had a chance; the winner was always, it seemed from Queens, Bklyn or Long Island.

And - since I'm now a radio journalist - you should note that the news at HH:55 was "WABC Action Central News" complete with an awful, insistent sounder.

Great work!

Art Chimes

Chuck Chapman wrote:

I just accidently ran into this site and what a surprise. I've only scratched the surface.

I first turned on WABC when I was a pissed off teen one night and the first voice I heard was Cousin Brucie's. I remember Harry, Dan and Ron too. Don't remember George Michael, but it was a long time ago, but I live in the DC area so I have the pleasure of seeing him everyday. I don't remember the Dennison's promos, but I do remember Sunday at Raceway Park and Palisades.

This brings it back, keep up the good work. Anyway, I lived in Catskill, NY and always got it loud and clear.

Chuck Chapman

Chris McLenaghan from Canberra, ACT, Australia wrote:

Hi! Although I cannot share memories of WABC from Australia, I've just read Rick Sklar's book (great man!) and let you know that WABC New York had its'clones' everywhere. The sound, complete with echo chamber, could be heard on Australian stations in the '70's like 1270 2SM Sydney and 1420 3XY Melbourne. We had our own Cousin Brucie's and Big Dan's too!

While radio has changed, there's obviously a lot of emotion still out there. Why can't we get another WABC? Come on guys, let's live again! Bring back Top 40 radio, be it oldies cross over or that mixed with the 'now' sound. (Damn the consultants!)

Chris McLenaghan
Canberra, ACT, Australia.

Pete Bonastia wrote:

Allan,

I'm 31 years old and have great memories of WABC. I'm thrilled that some of the former WABC dj's have carried the "fun" over to CBS-FM. Your tribute was a pleasure to read. Thanks. I still have my WABC Musicradio winners button.

Take care,
Pete Bonastia

Mike Sersen wrote:

I must say this is by far the best web page I have found yet. Even though I was from PA I always listened to WABC and always wondered what happened to all those guys. Every time I hear Bob-a-loo's wedding day I remember "Cousin Brucie" playing that song and talking about "Bob-a-looie" Lewis getting married that day. I never knew if that was true but I believed it. Thank you for a job well done.

Respectfully
Mike Sersen

Mark Williams wrote:

Allan:

I found your site through a newsgroup I subscribe to. Thanks for all the effort of putting the memories of WABC on the net for all of us to enjoy.

As a jock in the early 70's... most of the generation patterened themselves to WABC. Thank goodness for "Real Audio" to bring back all the memories.

Growing up in northeastern Pennsylvania, WABC was THE station and Dan Ingram was THE jock. Last time I was in New York, I caught his act on WCBS-FM. What a pro....

Mark Williams
Cocoa, Fl.

Eric Bergman wrote:

Hi Allan,

I just wanted to tell you how much I LOVE your site; I linked to it from Bob Shannon's site, and I couldn't be happier! As a kid in Westchester, I was an avid NYC radio listener and being able to re-live some of those memories is an incredible treat. Thanks so much for the work you obviously put into this "labor of love." I plan to spend a great deal of time there...so much for getting any work done!

Eric

Peter Richner from Switzerland wrote:

Hi Allan

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw your pages - I agree with you it was the best station there was at that time. I'm from Switzerland and in the late 60's I jumped at at business trip in NY in the WABC wagon and never left it in the coming years - I had my office in NY made music-tapes every week for all the years right to the end - its an unforgettable time - the music was better then today, the djs were superb - the station made you jump - even the jingles were unique.

For en European at that time it was unbelievable - whenever I arrived at JFK I had my radiorecorder on and started taping and taping - the best time music ever had and I never could understand why ABC changed the format - no times changed - they will never come back. The same story happend with the big bands station in NY - they changed it always and whenever I'm in NY it's hard to find a good musicstation. Miami had a similar station at this time for black music - superb in the 70's - but its all gone..

Now I receive all this kind of music via satellite in digital quality (100 channels ) direct via satellite from the States here in Switzerland 1 channel for every format - but I miss the DJ from yesteryear..

So - thanks very much for your outstanding pages - keep up, I check them out form now on.

Greetings from Switzerland!

Peter Richner

Keith McComb wrote:

Allan....

Just spent the last two hours exploring your website. All I can say is "WOW"!!!! It brought back many fond memories of my youth. I remember rushing home from school on Tuesday afternoons, waiting for Dan to start playing the new Music Power Survey, hoping to get as many numbers filled in before Brucie started to count them down. I remembered the elated feeling I would get when Dan would sandwich anywhere between 3 and 15 jingles back to back, so glad that I had my cassette recorder going at the time.

hen there were the classic Ingram closings....Hi-Fi Drums (Billy May??), if I remember the title correctly. But the closing music was nothing compared to the comments that Big Dan would make when wrapping up his show. He always had something either funny or profound to say.......the ultimate DJ.

The Top 100 of the Year. Waking up Christmas morning....forget the presents (well...maybe not...). But as soon as they were opened, up the stairs to the radio to find out what song came out as what number on the survey.

Another fond memory....Sneak Preview with Chuch Leonard. I remember hearing "Stick Up" by the Honeycone (which got played as Want Ads started winding down). All the new music (although I can remember the songs were cut quite drastically) played each night at the same time (was it 8:25???). What a concept (in fact I think that is what led to WPIX's Newies Show)!

It was because of Dan and WABC that I too decided to go into radio, much to the chagrin of my parents. After going to college for broadcasting, I finally worked in radio at the Mighty 1290 WGLI (oldies format) in Babylon, Long Island for a few years. As we all know, salary figures for small outlets are not condusive to staying in the business. And with a wife and children, it is a tough field to make a comfortable living with.....so I left broadcasting after about 4 years. (I realized early on that I was no Dan Ingram and never would be.) Not to say I would never get back into it!!! If I ever hit Lotto, forget about my day job!! But the music bug is still with me.

I have been doing mobile DJ shows for the past 20 years and have been managing a music store on Long Island for the past 17 years. I have performed at countless weddings and private parties and have helped hundreds of other local personalities provide the right music for their companies.....all due to the interest that was sparked by Dan Ingram and WABC.

One again, thank you for the blast from the past. I will give your website address to the many other disc jockeys that visit me in the store, so that they too can enjoy what you have done so well. Congratulations!!!

Keith McComb (KM in the AM)

Mark Carbonaro wrote:

Allan,

Thank you for this wonderful page - what a joy it is to listen to WABC again. I grew up in San Jose, CA and had never heard of WABC until getting involved in radio in the 1970s. My first exposure to WABC was reading items in Claude Hall's Vox Jox column in Billboard. I do however, remember, the "the day the music died"- I did'nt fully come to realize how much we had lost until I had the opportunity to listen to WABC airchecks passed onto me by good friends over the years.

WABC's passing in 1981 was truly the "end of an era". "The king is dead, long live the king!"

All the Best,

Mark Carbonaro

Barry Dunne in Dublin Ireland wrote:

Hi, I'm writing from Dublin in Ireland, and I'm aged 22.

I never heard WABC, just heard about it from the net, from guys in work etc. I love the page; its funny how radio can be so emotional for some of us. Here in Dublin we had a station from 1981-1986 called NOVA. It broadcast illegally, back then there were no regulations in Ireland.
Although it was probably very different to WABC, after reading your page, I realized that other people are sentimental about the stations that played a part in their lives.

The station was the first decent FM station in Ireland. When they started in 1981, they picked the best jocks from the existing stations of the time (SUNSHINE, BIG D RADIO, RADIO 257), and within 6 months hit number 1. Up till then Dublin stations had been sorta amatuerish, with no decent audio, and junk equipment.

One of biggest memories as a kid was Radio NOVA getting busted one morning back in 1983. The station refused to close, and 25,000 irate listeners flocked to the studios in Dublin city centre. They eventually closed down at 6pm that night, for two days, and reopened, with their usual FM signal, and a 50kw AM rig (Up till then they only ran 10kw).

The station eventually closed in 1986, but it is remembered fondly by most Dubliners over the age of twenty. I guess I feel the same way about NOVA as you do about WABC. After reading this page, me and a friend are seriously considering doing a Nova tribute site.

One of the things I hope NOVA did for me was influence the way I broadcast, and view the industry. In the same way that WABC was a catalyst for Top 40 in the U.S, Nova provided Ireland withs its first ever seriously good radio station.

Barry Dunne,
Todays Best Music Mix, 98FM

Bill Erdek wrote:

I listened to many of the clips and it brought back memories of my childhood (I'm 36). I remember summers on the Jersey Shore when you could walk up and down the beach and EVERY radio had WABC on. Thanks for the great flashback!

Bill Erdek

Derek Lundquist wrote:

Allan,

I must say I've gotten quite an education of New York radio history from your page. Although I am too young (I'm 23) to remember the time when WABC was all-music, I did enjoy hearing what it was like via the Realaudio clips.

I work for WCBS Newsradio 88 in the newsroom, just one floor down from all the guys who used to be on WABC. I work with Dan Ingram's daughter-in-law, Patricia Ingram a.k.a. Pat Carroll, one half of our morning drive anchor team. So little by little I am absorbing all of the rich radio history of New York radio.

We have people STILL working here when WCBS and WINS used to be spinning records before the switch to all-news. In fact, our boards still have labels for "turntables" even though they haven't been there since 1967.

Anyway, keep up the good work.

Derek Lundquist
WCBS Newsradio 88

Dave Wallace wrote:

Allan:

I just spent the last hour at your WWW site.

Your page brought back fond memories of the great days of radio from the past. Considering ABC's current talkshow format and line up, I sure wish they had found a better way to compete with FM.

On the other hand some of the greatest names at 77 still crank away at CBS FM and I go out of my way to enjoy the old DJs in FM land.

You spend some time focusing on Dan Ingram and that's easy to understand. There isn't anyone else out there with a voice like his. Nobody comes close. His skills are the bench mark to try to reach - though virtually nobody else can.

Thanks for takng the time to create the site. It's one of the best things I've found on the WWW in a long time!!

Dave Wallace

Carol Kessler wrote:

I'm sitting here with tears streaming down my face just remembering 77 WABC during the summers of 64-68. I was on my way to teenagehood. Those were truly the great days, made better by the music and the on-air personalities. Heck, I even listened to the "Breakfast Club" just 'cause it was on and I didn.t want to change the station.

I never knew there were other "Top 40" stations competing with WABC!

Thanks so much for putting so much effort into this. I certainly appreciate it!

Carol Kessler

Mike Selman wrote:

Allan

Found your web site last night and as a former New Yorker who spent his fomative years constantly listening to WABC, I just wanted to say "Thanks".

During college and for a couple of years after, I was in the radio biz, and as lousy as I was on the air, I always tried to pattern my 'shows' after Ingram. Very tough to do when I wanted to be Top 40 personality and the station I worked at was low keyed progressive...maybe that's why I've been out of radio for 20 years!!

Thanks again for the site. Bye now Kemosabe.

Mike Selman

Dave Coopman wrote:

Allan,

I just finished browsing your Musicradio pages and they are nothing short of fantastic! As a listener to WABC out in the midwest (Moline, IL) I always had to wait for the skywave to kick in, but Cousin Brucie was the greatest. The entire station was great. Now I know more about how they did it and with pictures to boot!!

Great job, and hope to see more soon.

Dave Coopman

Ross A. Eggers wrote:

I have a "sort of" WABC story to relate.

I grew up in Indianapolis, and remember Jay Reynolds(70-76) on WIFE radio in the sixties. He was the 2-6 jock while here in Indiana. He sort of walked me home from school every day. But that came to an end when he announced in the spring of 1970 that he was going to WABC.

I got out my Dad's good radio and found a home at 77. It was nice to see a local boy make it in the big city.

Six years later I heard him sign off for the last time at WABC. Said he was going home. Going back to where he had started. He would now be the 6-10AM DJ at WIFE again.

I remember his first day back in Indianapolis. It was 6-21-76. I was up getting ready to go off to NAVY boot camp in Florida. At 6:00 that old familiar voice hit the airwaves. Coming out of Stevie Wonder's "You Haven't Done Nothin", he said that it was good to be back in Indiana. But some old habits were hard to break. He announced to the Indianapolis audiance that WIFE had suddenly become "MusicRadio77" and it was now 80 degress in "Midtown Manhattan". Ten minutes later he caught himself and got a big laugh out of it.

It was sad to hear that he passed away last year at age 61. There are a lot of people in Indianapolis, and New York that will miss him.

Ross A. Eggers

Joe Mastroberti, of CBS TV, wrote:

Allan,

I can't tell you how surprised as well as happy I was to happen on your WABC site!

Similar to your experience I was a devoted WABC fan in my youth. I can remember to this day the first time I heard "Hey Jude" on a transistor radio at the nearby school yard near my home on Staten Island.

All you described is so much a part of my childhood memories that I was really immersed in nostalgia for quite a while.

I remember in my late teens traveling with my buddy to the western end of Pa. to visit some relatives of his. We hit the road at 4am and carried Jay Reynolds along with us for a good part of the ride. The distinctive sound always reminded me I wasn't too far (in spirit) from
home.

Well like so many kids I wanted to a a DJ myself. Ended up taking film, radio and TV in college. I am now at CBS TV as the Post-Production Editor of a news magazine show called "48 Hours" Which brings me to what I really wanted to tell you.

About 10 years ago I was involved in the editing of CBS Sports promos. We had an announcer named Don Roberts and he was known around the Broadcast center as the "Voice of CBS Sports."

Well that voice got laryngitis and as I walked into the edit session the producer introduced me to Don's replacement for that session. He said Joe this is Dan Ingram!

I was beside myself as he was and still is my all time radio favorite. There was no better and I let him know it. I've met many celebrities during my career but never have I imposed on one for stories of their past as I did with Dan.

He was most gracious and told me a few crazy stunts they pulled on H.O.A. I do believe it included semi-naked women on the other side of the glass.

Oh how I lament the passing of those days. My kids will never know what connected us all back then. Alas time marches on and takes what was our world with it.

Thanks to people like you at least we can still recapture a rather special portion of our youth.

Thanks

Joe Mastroberti

George Thompson wrote:

I see you got Bill E. to contribute to your site. Bill was my boss for a while at NBC when I was a project engineer. The way you feel about WABC in NY, I feel the same for WLS in Chicago when I was part of the radio scene while going to school in Southern Illinois and working on air part time at WLS and other Chicago stations.

George Thompson

Billy Sabatini, Assistant Program Director "The Arrow" (CBS-FM) in Los Angeles, wrote:

Hi Allan:

I had dinner with Cousin Brucie last night and he told me of the page so I went to check it out...He thought it was terrific and I agree...

You have a lot of cool stuff on there...I've heard all those stories and heard all the tapes many times from putting together the "Rock & Roll Radio Greats Reunions" but it's always great to hear them again...There's nothing like that station anymore..

Talk to you soon...

Billy

Luc, from Namur, Belgium wrote:

Dear Allan,

Congratulations for your WABC web page. I heard about in CompuServe's oldies forum.

I'm looking forward to the jingles section.

Luc (Namur, Belgium)

Tom Natoli wrote:

Hello!

I grew up in Jersey City, NJ listening to 77 since 1968 when I turned 11. I took down every survey from 10/68 through the end of the on-air list in late 1981. My Mom would listen to Dan Ingram every Tuesday afternoon for me until I would get home from school, which was usually closer to 3:00. Even when the survey didn't start until 3, she'd write down the songs so I'd know what to expect in the 4:00 hour!! What a Mom! And when, by Thursday, I didn't have some of the lower numbers, I'd call Sonia Jones of the music dept for the numbers. She was always very nice.

I now have almost all of the weekly WABC surveys since they started their own lists back in July, 1960 (when they broke away from Cashbox).

Tom

Phil Boyce, the current News Talkradio WABC Program Director wrote:

Allan:

I have seen yoru site, and it is excellent. WABC's 15th anniversary as a talk station is coming up May 10th. We might use it as a reunion of the old WABC rock jocks.

Stay tuned.

Phil

Keith, who worked at WABC, wrote:

Hi Allan,

Your page is excellent and very accurate, I'm very impressed!

As for my time at WABC, I grew up a fan of the station in it's hey day and it was WABC that was my inspiration to embark on a career in radio. I got my first job on air at 16 and I'm still at, I guess i'll never learn. But seriously, I started at WABC as an "intern" while still in high school thanks to Bob Cruz. I met Bob after calling him on the air one day. He invited me to the studio and after several months of hanging out there, I ended up with an internship, which started out as running errands and menial chores like labeling carts, making copies, answering phones; you name it i did it.

After high school I went onto college and of course majored in communications. I ended up back at WABC in promotions and creative services as an assistant and was still there on the last day of music in 1982.

To this day I greatly miss the station. Even though I'm still in radio and have been at a number of stations since, my time at WABC is without a doubt the greatest experience of my career. To have been given the opportunity at such a young age, and at the begining of my career, to be a part of what was the greatest music station in the history of radio is something I will never forget. Learning from guys like Dan Ingram (who I consider to be the best ever) and engineers like Win Lloyd and Bob Deitsch is something that has helped me throughout my career and I only hope to be able to pass on some of the things I learned about this industry at WABC to those people in radio today who either forgot what good radio is or just were never fortunate enough to have heard MusicRadio 77.

Keith

Peter Plantec wrote:

Allan,

I just had to say thanx. I'm reading Cusin Brucie's autobiography and it sparked a lot of nostalgia. I grew up listening to this stuff over in Milltown NJ, near New Brunswick. Now I'm here in Beverly Hills, thankful that I had such a rich youth in Jersey. You can knock that state, but It sure was a great place to grow up in during the 60/70's.

Your page gave me a lot of pleasure and I've bookmarkded it.

Peter Plantec
DreamScape Productions
Beverly Hills, CA

Mark DiIorio wrote:

Just a thank you note for a truly great page about my all-time favorite radio station. I grew up in the NY suburbs during ABC's peak and have many personal WABC stories and memories. I'll share this little one with you:

Our house was on a hill right at a major intersection in our town, built with an elaborate and sound-catching set of walls and steps. When the windows were open I could easily hear the car radios below me. I'd be in my room, listening to WABC, and as cars drove up to the traffic light and stopped I'd hear their radios echoing my own in a sort of monophonic stereo effect, WABC bouncing off the concrete and stone, louder and louder as more and more cars pulled up to the light - all tuned to that great station. The light would change and the other WABCs would drive away, leaving my little radio the lone voice of WABC until the light turned red again and the other ABCs came back.

Peace,
Mark DiIorio

Ted David, CNBC TV anchor wrote:

What a wonderful job you have done assembling the WABC Web Page!

I am wondering if you would be interested in my recollections? I was a page at ABC in 1967. One Sunday night, Sept 22, 1967 the NABET engineers went on strike. I called Rick Sklar from my post at the radio desk at 39 West 66th and offered my services. They were accepted and I was rushed to 1330...8th Floor. Rick put me in 8B, made me read some wire copy as an audition and next thing I knew I was doing the news during half time of a Jets game. And thereI sat in the jock chair in 8A with Rick on the board. Before the night was over I'd filled in for Chuck Leonard as well!

I then spent the next 16 weeks reading news and spots during the Breakfast Club and Ron's show. I also ran the board.

The rest is history, as they say. I ended up working with Dan, Bruce, Chuck, Bob-a-loo, Charley..even did 46 Dennision spots myself one night!

It is a fun story and was a thrilling one for me. You see I was only 18 at the time.

I went on to work for many stations, ultimately to return to ABC as a Network News anchor and even later did some work at WABC again.

I am now an anchor at CNBC and had the pleasure having Dan on a show called Talk Live several years ago. I stay in touch with Ron and these guys are just the best. They each have a special place in my heart.. and let's face it, for many of us they WERE our youth!
Best regards,

Ted David

Tedd Webb, of WFLA Tampa Florida, wrote:

Hi Allan,

I worked with Bob Cruz (Morgan) at WLCY in 1976 when Rick Sklar hired him away to work at WABC.

Bob Cruz was the world's nicest guy. He was young, atheltic, a hit with both the boys and girls, they all flocked to him. It was the height of the disco era, and even though bob was a weekend jock, he would work full time spinning records at the discos. He loved to play tennis, he loved WABC and he especially loved Dan Ingram. He would always fantazise about working in New York. He called himself Bob Morgan at the time.

Bill Hennes was our national PD at the time. Across town was WRBQ (Q105), Bill Garcia was their PD. Rick Skalr called Garcia and asked him to run tape on Cruz. Garcia did, and Sklar then knew that Cruz' audition tape was for real. They called him up and invited him to take a trip to NYC for an interview. The rest is history. This kid was in 7th heaven, he had gone from weekends in Tampa Bay, to full time at WABC, overnight. Quite a journey.

I lost track of him in the 80's, did not know what has transpired. I am so sorry to hear of his passing, it was quite a loss personally, and to broadcasting. Please stay in touch. I have another good friend working now at WABC, Lionel, he too was from Tampa Bay before going to the Apple.

I am doing mornings on newstalk WFLA 970 in Tampa. If you are ever in town give us a buzz.

Warm regards

Tedd Webb

Steve A. Uckerman, Assistant Chief Engineer, WABC wrote:

Just one word.......

Awesome.............

Steve A. Uckerman
Asst. Chief Engineer
WABC Radio, NY.

Michael A. Thissell wrote from Rhodes, Greece:

Allan,

Thanks for the memories. I credit WLS, WABC, KXOK, KOMA and a host of other for my 25 years in radio.

Regards,

Mike
Voice of America
Rhodes, Greece

Jay Sclar wrote:

Allan:

Someone here at AT&T directed me to a site linked to your WABC page today -very nice. I share your interests in those old radio days.

While in college and grad school I worked summers at WMCA ('63) and ABC-TV ('64-'65) as a console engineer. Even though working at ABC-TV, I hung out at the radio studio when on break. I once was in the studio with Ingram and asked him how he always managed to talk exactly up to the first lyric on the record. I must have thrown him, as he screwed up the very next one by about 5seconds.

Jay Sclar

Brien Lee wrote:

Dear Allan,

I just wanted to express my admiration and appreciation for your incredible website. Listening to WABC clips and reading the memorabilia at the same time is a true multimedia experience!

I grew up in New Jersey in the sixties (exit 9) and listened to and taped WABC constantly. Some of my personal compilations are floating around in collector-land somewhere.

My brushes with greatness are two-fold:

In 1983, I produced an interactive videodisc in New York. This was the kind of thing where you pressed on the TV screen to advance the disc to the next section. I was able to hire Dan Ingram to read the "help" menus for the disc. I have never heard anyone read a more lascivious "Touch Here".

In 1983 or 1984 (my memory fades), Rick Sklar spoke at our Advertising Club(in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) promoting his new book. For the cocktail hour, I produced an audio retrospective of WABC from around 1963-1967, and projected slides of my various "Silver Dollar Surveys". he was very gracious in his response to that.

Weird, but in retrospect my favorite WABC personality was HOA. We loved hating him at the time, but there was something very comforting in listening to him during our half-hour carpool ride to Metuchen. It started with the 7:25 news ("Come Alive! You're in the Pepsi Generation! I'm Dirk Fredericks.") And then HOA would sing a bit of his theme, say "I've got a song for you", and proceed to play something I'm sure he couldn't stand. Then he'd outro it with the artist name, and add "with the story of....(insert record name here, as he took a quick read off the cart)". This could be very funny, as in "That's Napoleon the 14th," with the story of"They're Coming to Take Me Away, ha-ha".

More than once, I played hooky just to listen to the daypart of WABC. Charlie Greer cracked me up, but ya gotta wonder why they never got him a better ID than that stupid "Swing, Charlie, Swing".

Anyway, thanks for a tremendous effort. You've recreated for so many that never heard it a sound that's impossible to describe.

Brien Lee

Dwight Richardson wrote:

I haven't had the opportunity to drop by your page for a couple of weeks but when I did...WOW...the new stuff is great. I have been trying for awhile to put together files of the WABC yearend surveys, and now here they are. Thanks!

For those of us who grew up with TOP 40 this page is just like home man. I really appreciate all the work that you have put into it. Thanks for sharing it with us!

Dwight

Richard Silverberg, a former WABC engineer, wrote:

Dear Allan,

I got an e-mail this evening from my old college buddy, Larry Berger, alerting me to your WABC Music Radio Page. I sure enjoyed every drop of it!

It was very nostalgic for me as I worked for WABC as an engineer from 1965 through the end of 1970. During those six years I did Dan Ingram's show many times (of course he was my favorite). I also worked with HOA, Cousin Brucie, Ron Lundy and Bob Lewis (Bob and I became friends, actually).

Jan 1, 1971 I moved here to San Francisco where I worked for KSFX through the end of 1979. Since then I have been selling condominiums here.

Thanks again for the spins . . .

Richard Silverberg

Neal Penland wrote:

This is the greatest page since the computer was invented. I have been in radio too many years 35-plus. Spent three years while in the service and working at WTOP and listened WABC constantly. Loved it then and what memories this page brings back. During that time, I had two years in Vietnam. Was nice to come home to a real HOME-WABC.

It was the greatest and was REAL radio. I have been in Portland for 28 years and often think of the old Radio 77. What a sound. Thanks for putting this together.

Neal Penland

Andy Neill from Toronto Canada wrote:

Hi there!

It is so interesting to hear about some of the people I remember listening to and idolizing as a kid in New Brunswick Canada. My family has been in the radio business since my grandfather began his own station in 1923 in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Both he and my father, who owned and ran the station after my grandfather's death, from 1945 to the time the station, CFNB, was sold in 1982.

I grew up listening to stations like WMCA, WMGM and WABC in New York, along with WBZ and WMEX in Boston. There were also others such as WKBW in Buffalo, WPTR in Albany and, very occasionally, CHUM in Toronto.

I remember Heb Oscar Anderson, Dan Ingram, the beautiful sound of Chuck Leonard, Cousin Brucie, Charlie Greer, Harry Harrison and Murray the K from New York. I also remember Dick Summer and Arnie Ginsberg and Dan Donovan from Boston. The bunch from "KB include Jay Nelson, Art Roberts, Joey Reynolds(I sat in the studio at "KB with Joey one night in '60 after driving straight through from New Brunswick to meet my hero.), Danny Nevereth and Fred Klestine.

Many thanks for the interest in the time when musicradio was really the greatest form of entertainment.

Is there anywhere one can get airchecks of some of the reunion shows? I saw a tape of the 25th reunion at WLS and it was great. By the way there are some who are still missing in action. What has happened to Larry Lujack? His last show on Super CFL is a classic if there ever was one. And Big Ron O'Brian In The Nighttime! was spectacular. I remember Ron
from WPTR as well.

Also, a little later, there was WRKO in Boston. I have since had the opportunity to meet and do some two voice commercial work with one of the jocks who worked RKO in '67...John Rode. He was there, along with Joel Cash and J.J. Jackson as I recall. That year was so great for music, I will never forget the energy of that year.

I have been on the air since I was 17 and in high school. I started getting paid for it in 1963. I have done news, music and management since then. The last few years I have done oldies, as most of us have, and I do a lot of freelance voiceover work in the Toronto area, having been here since 1980. I came to do the morning drive for CKFH, which was owned by Foster Hewitt, the voice of the Toronto Maple Leafs. It was purchased shortly after I got there by Telemedia, from Quebec, and it is now The FAN 590, the only all-sports station in Canada. I am still doing voice work for their sports network, among other things.

Andy Neill

Michael Bitterman wrote:

Just had to tell you how wonderful your page is. I grew up on Long Island in the 50s & 60s and went to sleep every night with WABC AM & Cousin Brucie. Brucie was the greatest-hands down! Just hearing his voice again brings me back. Your page brings back all those great years and reminded me how important WABC AM was to my life.

There was a great security knowing it was always there. I have collected many air checks myself of not just ABC but other AM stations from those days as well including a very early Alan Freed tape when it was still "race" music. If you have a list, I'd love to see one and I forward you

one. I plan on adding a link to your page on my page as well as I don't know how I would have gotten through my early teen years without ABC AM. Also, in regard to AM sound vs FM. There is something very warm about AM sound. I still listen to an AM station that plays music from the 50s-60s-the pop stuff, instrumentals, etc. and that AM sound still takesme back.

Michael Bitterman

http://www.midmod.com

MIDNIGHT MODULATION-my recording studio
WHOSE FANTASY IS THIS?-my album
CURTAIN UP-My Broadway life/Sondheim, etc.
WILDLIFE RECORDS-my label

Charles Vogeler wrote:

Dear Sir:

Truly one of the most enjoyable places I've ever visited on the web. As an 11 year old boy (in 1964) growing up in New York I havent heard these wonderful sounds in 25 years or so. I have been playing (I'm a musician) Tri Fi Drums from memory all this time and I was so glad to discover it on your site.

Thank you again for the great memories.

Charles Vogeler

Howard Kotlus wrote:

Dear Allan,

I must echo the many remarks others have made on what a great web site you have constructed. One thing interested me the most - the top 100 list of 1964. I believe it is the only one that was not available in printed format for listeners to mail in for or pick up at record shops as all the others were. If I'm wrong about this, please correct me. Anyway, back in 1964, I listened all New Years weekend to the top 100 as they played it. I was never able to get a complete list since some songs apparently were not played and sometimes the djs didn't announce the numbers.

I have been looking for the missing pieces of this list ever since. A number of erroneous lists have come my way, including one played on WCBS-FM a couple of years ago. This is the first one that looks right to me.

Once again, congratulations on a great job. I'll be visiting the site often.

Howard Kotlus

John M. Conway wrote:

Allen -- great that you've been able to get the top 100 lists.

I'm having a lot of fun with them.

Did I every try my mystery melody out on you? I posted a thing on the ng which I'll gladly fwd to you if you think you might have an idea. (WABC played it a lot in the May/June 1967 timeframe -- then it literally fell off the face of the earth. Part of it sounded a little like Les Bicyclettes de Belsize, but that wasn't it.)

Anyway -- great going for getting and posting those lists!!

John

Chris Kendalls wrote:

I must admit, the end was rather sad, hell I got choked up. Great page, although talk radio did survive it has never been the same. Today we're relagated to Top 40 that is programmed from a computer far off somewhere, and we may never if rarely hear a DJ. So many stations in the larger cities have sold out and you rarely get to hear the other records; back in the day a dj could make an artist famous by playing his record but today with the music video controlling things no one ever gets that chance.

Chris Kendalls

Curt Alliaume wrote:

What a terrific page! Thanks so much for putting it up. As a long-time fan of 77 WABC, it's always great to pick up additional information on what went on behind the scenes and what happened to the air personalities.

One piece of information on part-time personality Jim Perry. He made the move to television, hosting game shows in Canada such as "Definition" and "I'll Bet." He's best known in the States as the host of "Card Sharks" (NBC, 1978-81) and "Sale of the Century" (NBC, 1983-89). Jim has also written a book. It is called "The Sleeper Awakes" and was published by Summit Publishing in 1991.The book is subtitled "A Journey to Self Awareness" and it chronicles the breakup of his then 25-year marriage. The good news is that after five years as a batchelor, he reunited with his wife and they recently remarried. A book he is working on now will chronicle their coming back together.

I briefly did part-time work as an air personality at WNND in Raleigh, NC in 1991. I found I had a lot in common with other staff members there -- we all grew up listening to WABC and that inspired us to get into radio. The morning drive guy's favorite dj was Dan Ingram, the mid-morning man's favorite was Ron Lundy, and I was a Cousin Brucie fan.

I currently work at St. Martin's Press (which published Rick Sklar's awesome book "Rocking America"; I don't think it's in print, but copies can still be had at used book stores), and ran into Cousin Brucie at a promotion at Macy's awhile back. He said he's working on another book (if you're reading this Cuz, let me know if you're still interested in SMP!).

Good luck Allan, and thanks again for bringing back great memories!

-- Curt Alliaume

George Sample wrote:

I grew up in Queens NY in the late 60s and the 70s. All I listened to was 77WABC morning till night, except when I was in school of course. It was great seeing all the bios on all the deejays. Dan Ingram was my favorite on-air personality. I am currently a deejay at a small market radio station in Lake Placid NY. I hope to move to a larger market someday soon.

George

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