Johnny Dark, WCAO Baltimore MD August 18, 1972 (scoped) (0:14:31)

Scoped
… Golden Grass from the Grass Roots …
This Exhibit ‘SCOPED (14:31) Johnny Dark is my favorite Baltimore radio personality of all time. Other personalities, including Kirby Scott (Confer) and Bob Foster, made a bigger splash during their stints in Baltimore. But Johnny Dark was always there, always sounding bright and exciting. He arguably sounded the same in his mid-fifties as in his twenties. Dark first joined WCAO in 1961 from WMEX in Boston as the nighttime jock. He left for Washington’s WEAM in 1965 but returned to WCAO a year later. He stayed through WCAO’s remaining top 40 and then country days. He left in the early nineties when the format changed to black gospel. Johnny Dark handled mornings, afternoons and evenings at various times during his years at WCAO. In this recording, he’s doing afternoon drive. By 1972, WCAO had evolved to the adult side of Top 40, leaving the teens to FM upstart WLPL. THIS CONTENT WAS CONTRIBUTED TO REELRADIO EXCLUSIVELY. Duplication and/or distribution is a violation of our Terms Of Service.

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We want to thank the board of ReelRadio, Inc. for their stewardship since the passing of the founder Richard Irwin in 2018.  It has not been easy and they have maintained the exhibits for future generations to enjoy.

I met Richard Irwin, aka Uncle Ricky, when we were freshmen at East Carolina University.  We both had worked at local stations in our hometowns.  No one was more passionate about radio, especially Top 40 radio, than my friend Richard. 

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