… her nibs, Miss Georgia Gibbs …
[Description by Contributor Sam Hale]
Sincere thanks to Paul Drew for providing this exclusive, historical addition to the REELRADIO archives.Paul, Bill Drake and their wives met by chance at the pool of the apartment complex where they both lived in 1961 and became friends. On a subsequent social visit, Bill offered Paul the 8-12 midnight slot at WAKE, which he accepted. Paul notes that this was the only time that Bill hired him. All his RKO jobs came directly from Ross Taber and Bruce Johnson. As to the origin of this recording, Paul writes that Drake’s first wife was cleaning her garage in Los Angeles in 1996 when she came across some old airchecks, called Paul’s wife, and Paul got the airchecks.
This aircheck is vintage, early Bartell. Al Heacock was national PD at the time, based at KCBQ. You will hear the voice of Harry Martin (Happy Hare) on some stagings. Harry enjoyed phenomenal success at KCBQ, both before and after Bartell’s ill-fated experience at WADO in New York City, where I had the good fortune to meet him.
Sincere thanks to Paul Drew for providing this exclusive, historical addition to the REELRADIO archives.Paul, Bill Drake and their wives met by chance at the pool of the apartment complex where they both lived in 1961 and became friends. On a subsequent social visit, Bill offered Paul the 8-12 midnight slot at WAKE, which he accepted. Paul notes that this was the only time that Bill hired him. All his RKO jobs came directly from Ross Taber and Bruce Johnson. As to the origin of this recording, Paul writes that Drake’s first wife was cleaning her garage in Los Angeles in 1996 when she came across some old airchecks, called Paul’s wife, and Paul got the airchecks.
This aircheck is vintage, early Bartell. Al Heacock was national PD at the time, based at KCBQ. You will hear the voice of Harry Martin (Happy Hare) on some stagings. Harry enjoyed phenomenal success at KCBQ, both before and after Bartell’s ill-fated experience at WADO in New York City, where I had the good fortune to meet him.
In 1959, Bill Drake was programming WAKE in a successful run that continued until WQXI shifted formats. As all REELRADIO fans know, Bill later became an absolutely legendary force in “modern” radio.