July 4th 1992 Pyromusical Spectacular at Cal Expo

The July 4th Collection
… our star-spangled salute to the two hundred sixteenth birthday of the United States of America – Land of Discovery! …

America – Land of Discovery
Harrah’s Lake Tahoe
The Sacramento Union, KRBK-TV 31,
KHYL Oldies 101, KSAC 1240 Sports
and Cal Expo Harness RacingPresent

The 1992 July 4th Pyromusical Spectacular

Produced By: Don Early
Narrated By: Tony Cox
Written & Directed By: Richard Irwin

Recorded at STUDIO Z RECORDING
Special Thanks to Zack Boles

[Description by Uncle Ricky]

This was the last July 4th Pyromusical Spectacular produced by Don Early, and it was the last show I wrote and directed. It had been 500 years since 1492 when Columbus sailed the ocean blue, so the theme was “Land of Discovery”.

It had more sponsors than ever before, was the shortest and had the smallest attendance and fireworks budget. We DID have a 600-foot “Wall of Fire” effect that was impressive, however. The future of Harness Racing at Cal Expo (the State Fairgrounds) was uncertain, and in fact, changed hands after 1992.

We had two radio stations (with different owners!) to promote the event. Both KSAC 1240 Sports and KHYL Oldies 101 were sponsors. We simulcast the program on both stations. A newspaper, TV station and the Racing Association joined the major sponsor, Harrah’s Lake Tahoe.

The audio production for this show was simple, and it was definitely G-rated in every way. I like to think we went out small and stylish. We had done bigger (and better?) shows, but the event was always sensational. It kept me excited about July 4th for months. It was always fun and it was always rewarding.

Start typing and press enter to search

Welcome to the new ReelRadio!

This site is now operated by the North Carolina Broadcast History Museum. 

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. 

Our goals with this site are to preserve the exhibits and make them available free of charge for people to enjoy.  Over time, we hope to add some airchecks to the site.  This will not happen immediately.  Time and resources will determine the future of new exhibits. 

Many thanks to the web folks at the Beasley Media Group for countless hours of work.  Again thanks to the board members of ReelRadio, Inc. for their faith in us. 

Richard Irwin’s hope was that his site would live on long after his passing. He said, “I hope REELRADIO will survive as my contribution to the ‘radio business’. The business is allowed to forget me, but the business should never forget the great era of radio that we celebrate here”.

We remember Richard and we thank him. If you enjoy this new site, we would appreciate a contribution. We hope you enjoy the new ReelRadio!

Board of NCBHP
North Carolina Broadcast History Project