WXPNs David Dye began his career with WMMR before hosting WXPNs Sleepy Hollow in 1989 and World Cafe from 1991 to present (as of 2016). Can you recognize these stars on the cover of TV Guide in 1970? [33], Drive time or "morning drive" shows capitalized on a listening audience of weekday commuters and parents getting children ready for school. Block's program on station WNEW was highly successful, and Block was described as "the make-all, break-all of records. The top rated DJs in New York are: DJ Dave Swirsky - Expressway Music DJ NYC. 2 The Real Roxanne feat. Remembering the Steve Byrd story reminded me that the 70's saw a number of good jocks at WHAT. DJ from Hazlet, NJ (59 miles from Philadelphia, PA) Good Time Party Music is Professional DJ Entertainment catering to Weddings, Anniversaries, Milestone Birthdays and Special Events with Elegance and Style. Ramon Bruce became a prominent DJ at WHAT (AM) in Philadelphia. Thats how much fun everyone was having! WFIL was formed in early 1935 by the combintaion of two existing radio stations: WFI, which was placed on the air March 18, 1922 . Judy Dibble on WDGY in Minneapolis started as "sidekick" to a male DJ in the mid 1960s and later went on to host her own DJ show. Jesse "Spider" Burke hosted a popular show on KXLW in Saint Louis, Missouri. Many Philadelphia DJs became celebrities, actively engaged and influential in the local music scene. Video Award, the Best Direction award, and the Best Choreography awards. . Weve received so much feedback from our guests telling us how amazing our band was and how much fun they had! [14][15] The Federal Communications Commission also clearly favored live music, providing accelerated license approval to stations promising not to use any recordings for their first three years on the air. Like other DJs, he was also involved in the music industry: he ran clubs, owned a record label and wrote original songs. People were always on the dance floor having fun. Chris Evans currently hosts one of the most popular radio shows in the UK, The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Virgin Radio. 115 reviews. Frankie Knuckles, affectionately known as 'The Godfather of House Music', was a DJ, producer, and remixer from The Bronx, New York. Like The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia on Facebook, Original home of WFIL studios and American Bandstand TV show (now the Enterprise Center in 2016), Follow The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia on Instagram, Like The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia on Facebook, Philadelphia, the Place that Loves You Back, Rock Music and Culture (Late 1960s to Present), Tuning in to the story of Philadelphia radio (WHYY, July 21, 2011), Blavat, Lamaine return to radio in South Jersey (WHYY, July 29, 2011), The 52nd annual Philadelphia Folk Festival focuses on 'Philly-centric' acts (WHYY, August 19, 2013), Growing up in love with Philly's soul radio (WHYY, February 13, 2014), Avalon, Blavat each kick in $5K to help find new home for South Philly mural (WHYY, June 11, 2015), WXPN morning host signing off after nearly 30 years (WHYY, June 24, 2015), "What is Philly without the Geator?" This list may not . Morning DJs such as New York's Don Imus and DJ teams such as Mark and Brian in Los Angeles are examples of notable radio personalities whose morning drive format included playing songs as well as sharing stories and taking listener phone calls. The bus driver came inside to check with us because no one was on the early bus. For a number of decades beginning in the 1930s, the term "disc jockey", "DJ", "deejay", or "jock"[1] was exclusively used to describe on-air personalities who played selections of popular recorded music on radio broadcasting stations. Many people thought Smith was a black DJ until he appeared as himself in the 1973 film American Graffiti. Evans is known for his high-energy style and for being one of the highest-paid presenters in the UK. While his audience was awaiting developments in the Lindbergh kidnapping, Block played records and created the illusion that he was broadcasting from a ballroom, with the nation's top dance bands performing live. However beginning in the Top 40 era, female disc jockeys became more common. Sid Mark first began airing his Friday with Frank show for WHAT-FM in 1957 focusing on the music of Frank Sinatra and in 2016 continued to host the show on WPHT as Sunday with Sinatra. Go beyond the typical Top 40 . A good thing eventually gets around, and then he expanded to Virginia PA DC NJ NY, eventually the entire East coast and Gulf Coast, then nationwide in 3 out of 4 times zones in the U.S. with over 350 DJs and wedding photographers hes affiliated with. It became a mass medium due to commercial licensing through the U.S. Department of Commerce in the 1920s. History of Philadelphia radio station 560 WFIL. We had Amsterdam at our wedding at Fairmont Park Horticulture Center during cocktail hour and the reception. Prior to the 1920s radio use was limited to military and hobbyists. Okay, there had to have been at least ten "fifth Beatles." The DJ was attentive to our music requests and even had my mom dancing. Her popularity grew, drawing an average nightly audience of 78,000. He was a DJ and wedding photographer for more than a decade himself, so he fully understands what happens in the real world at events firsthand. While at WERE (1300AM) in Cleveland, Ohio, DJ Bill Randle was one of the first to introduce Elvis Presley to radio audiences in the northeastern U.S.[22] At WMCA (AM), DJ Jack Spector was the first New York City radio personality to play the new Beatles' Capitol Records' single, "I Want to Hold Your Hand". Jack McCarthy is a music historian who regularly writes, lectures, and gives walking tours on Philadelphia music history. They created a custom arrangement for our first dance, even recording it in advance so we could practice to the song! [16], Block was notable for his considerable influence on a records popularity. Joel was our DJ and was so helpful from the planning stage and amazing the day of with choosing the perfect uplighting. Our day was perfect and I couldnt be happier! Sarah Fuller, RhythMix worked with us throughout the entire wedding planning process and had all of our friends and family on the dancefloor all night! Richard "Richie" Hawtin, a three-time DJ Awards winner, is a Canadian DJ counted amongst the most famous DJs of all time. Instead of reaching numerous DJs, record labels only had to connect with one station program director. 5. Dick Clark and Casey Kasem are still household names. [64][65], Alison Steele began her career at WNEW-FM in the late 1960s. All thanks to Pop Philly! FM radio in Philadelphia has a lot to offer besides DJs peddling Top 40 artists. Our dance floor was PACKED the entire night! Host Michel Martin talks about the audio documentary . They created a custom arrangement for our first dance, even recording it in advance so we could practice to the song! However a combination of financial pressures and new technology such as voice tracking and the Portable People Meter (PPM) began to have negative effects on the role of radio DJs beginning in the late 1990s, prompting one radio program manager to comment, "There was a time when the top 40 format was ruled by legends such as Casey Kasem, or Wolfman Jack, and others who were known for both playing the hits and talking to you. Chris Evans. Holliday oddly not the next entry on our list was also the announcer on the TV show Hullabaloo. Its the smiles and gratitude from the crowds they entertain that motivates them to provide exceptional service time and time again. The list of legendary Philadelphia radio personalities and disc jockeys is a long one. [57] Jackson moved to New York City in 1954, and was the first radio personality to broadcast three daily shows on three different New York stations. WABC (AM) in New York hired DJ Liz Kiley in 1979. The famous actress and Princess of Monaco, Grace Kelly, was born and raised in Philadelphia. From meeting the staff at a bridal show we knew this was gonna be the group to meet our wedding needs. Pictured from left to right are WIP's Bob Menefee, Joe The Rockin Bird Niagara (WIBG), Sid Mark (WHAT-FM), Jim Tate (WIP Radio), Reggie LaVong (WHAT-FM), and Jerry Blavat (of Camden's WCAM). DJs were less consequential in this new environment, exercising reduced control over what they played and how their programs were structured. disc jockey dies at 40. African American radio DJs emerged in the mid 1930s and late 1940s, mostly in cities with large black populations such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Detroit. And just an overall great guy as well. Philly's Power 99, WUSL - Hip Hop and R&B Radio in Philadelphia with The Rise & Grind Morning Show! Blavat, Jerry. She now . The loud, knock-knock-joke-telling jock was the first American to play the Beatles, in February of 1963. In today's world, with streaming services and digital music, an ocean of music is at your fingertips. To be fair to Murray, who became Brucie's main competition in New York, he had close ties to John, Paul, George and Ringo. During the 1950s, Kent worked at WGES in Chicago and then at WBEE where he coined the phrase "dusty records" or "dusties." He too would introduce a Beatles gig, at Candlestick. Category: Radio personalities from Philadelphia. Lit also lent his voice to other stations, including WDAS and WOGL, from 1989 until 2005. Listen to radio stations from Philadelphia PA, from a wide variety of genres like Oldies, Pop, RnB, Rock and Top 40. Whatever type of event you are throwing a sweet 16, a wedding, birthday retirement party engagement shoot he knows its a big deal and an important time in your life, so he takes seriously your trust in booking a DJ or photographer through him. ofGreaterPhiladelphia. [11][12], In 1917 Captain Horace Donisthorpe, who was training radio operators for the British Army near Worcester, England, made unofficial broadcasts as engineer from a field. Band Leader Corey and the Pop Philly band were so professional and went out of their way to make our reception perfect! We had guests tell us they missed dessert because they didnt want to leave the dance floor! Kat sang during our cocktail hour and I cant say enough about her! In 1998, Zoe Ball began hosting the BBC's key breakfast show slot, followed by Sarah Cox in 2000. He played the magician in the latter. Going Black: The Legacy of Philly Soul Radio highlights a time when black radio stations were the only ones playing music by African-Americans. Aug 1, 2022 - Who brought us the music? THE BRIGHT NEW SOUND. We were concerned about how to balance out a brunch mid afternoon wedding with music, but Brandon handled it all. Clipped from the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin (1977), this photo captures Hy Hyski Lit (left) and Joseph Nigro, better known as Joe The Rockin Bird Niagara, behind the microphone for WIBG-AM radio. After being invited by Beatles manager Brian Epstein to travel with the band, he came to be referred to as the "Fifth Beatle". The most comprehensive, authoritative reference source ever created for the Philadelphia region. In 2005, WXPN moved to a shared space within a 40,000 square foot factory building at 3025 Walnut Street, hosting live music events inside a full-service restaurant and bar. In May 1943, however, the format settled on a single regular host DJ, Martha Wilkerson, who was known on the air as "GI Jill. Follow The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia on Instagram [41][42], During the 1950s, Cleveland radio DJ Bill Randle personalized his own style of record hops called "Randle Romps" which he used to gauge the reactions of teenagers to new records he wished to promote while on the air. Four AM stations ruled the Philadelphia airwaves in the all-important youth radio market in this period: white stations WIBG and WFIL and Black stations WDAS and WHAT. They played our wedding and helped us create many memories with our friends and family that we will remember for the rest of our lives. We had trouble picking songs and he guided us through and made it so easy. Kae Williams hosted shows on WDAS, WHAT, and WCAM, and also wrote for the Philadelphia Tribune in the 1940s. Many wrote and delivered the commercials themselves, talking the place of advertising agencies who formerly executed these responsibilities. Come find the top new songs, playlists, and music! WMMR, with a longtime slogan of Everything that Rocks, first broadcast as WIP in 1942 and in the early twenty-first century continued to have a national reputation as a hard rock station, featuring in 2016 the popular Preston and Steve talk show in the mornings. Niagara began broadcasting rock and roll for WIBG 1956 and led the stations transition to all rock and roll by the end of the decade. [81], From the late 50s to the late 1980s when the Top 40 music radio format was popular, audience measuring tools such as ratings diaries were used. Over time, he has had the privilege to work with legendary DJs and musicians, spin at many of Phillys most popular clubs, and perform for numerous A-list celebrity events. Thus was born the disc jockey or DJ.. This famously rowdy comedian and actor was born and raised right here in Philly! Follow Backgrounders on Twitter Very easy to work with to the point that they take a massive amount of stress off of planning anything entertainment related. [78], Especially during the 1950s, the sales success of any record depended to a large extent on its airplay by popular radio disc jockeys. During World War II, disc jockey programs such as GI Jive were broadcast by the U.S. Armed Forces Radio Service to troops. Wow phonebook advertising and huge cases of CDs. Hy Lit was a mainstay of Philadelphia radio for decades. And just an overall great guy as well. Deepak Grover. [47], During the 1960s, pirate radio stations proliferated off the coast of England in response to popular demand for new music not provided by traditional radio outlets such as the BBC. He is also the subject of the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game. [43][44] In 1957 alone, disc jockey and American Bandstand host Dick Clark made 157 appearances at dances and record hops. July 23, 2022 Angelina Smith. Based In: Montreal. [9][10], For the history of club disc jockeys, see, Barlow, William (1999) Voice Over: The Making of Black Radio- Philadelphia:Temple Univ press, American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, National Association of Broadcaster's Hall of Fame, Archives of African American Music and Culture, The Radio Station: Broadcast, Satellite & Internet, The Hits Just Keep on Coming: The History of Top 40 Radio, Something in the Air: Radio, Rock, and the Revolution That Shaped a Generation, "Radio Patter From the Past: Vintage D.J. gonna post one here. DJs came into being as a result of changes in the radio industry after the advent of television in the 1950s. Acknowledging her role in their success, the band dedicated its first two albums to her. From Philadelphia wedding bands, DJs, musical ensembles, sound production, and lighting, they are highly adaptable to fit a wide range of needs and budgets. Vote for Your Favourite Radio Personalities. They could also negotiate which sponsors would appear on their program. Here are the 20 most influential DJs of all time. The first official British DJ was Christopher Stone, who in 1927 convinced the BBC to let him broadcast a program consisting of American and American-influenced jazz records interspersed with his ad libbed introductions. DJ Jonny Meister has been hosting WXPNs Blues Show since 1977, earning the Keeping The Blues Alive award from The Blues Foundation in the year 2000, and continues to host as of 2016. Acknowledging her role in their success, the Best Choreography awards ten `` fifth Beatles. they missed dessert they!, actively engaged and influential in the UK, the band dedicated its first two albums to her is... Such as GI Jive were broadcast by the U.S. Armed Forces radio service to troops also announcer! To offer besides DJs peddling top 40 artists the Steve Byrd story reminded that! 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