… free pair of panty hose, and with that, of course, I’m givin’ free installation …
Rick left Birmingham for WMPS in Memphis in 1974 (some of his WMPS airchecks appear elsewhere on the site). We continued to stay in touch after he got to Memphis (a few phone calls, notes and tapes exchanged occasionally), but Rick’s career was starting to take off. His big break came in fall 1976, when his record “Disco Duck” hit the charts. But the initial results were bittersweet: His record company arranged a tour, and Rick mentioned it on the air at WMPS. The WMPS general manager fired him, claiming that he had been told not to promote his record. Although he quickly got another job across town at WHBQ, it was a jolting experience in the midst of a heady time.
While on the promotional tour, Rick did a guest spot on Charlie Van Dyke’s KHJ morning show. This is the first time that Rick was on the air in L.A. In the first hour of the tape, you hear Charlie getting ready for Rick’s arrival. Then Rick gets to the studio and starts doing bits, leaving Charlie in the role of straight man. Rarely do we get a chance to hear two top-drawer morning personalities sharing a studio this way.