The Sam Hale Collection
Broadcast Specialist Sam Hale with AFRTS 1957-1958, KANU—ASMARA. Sam has the distinction of having done the first regularly scheduled live newscast from an U.S. Army operated TV station. |
Like so many others whose air checks and comments reside here in the REELRADIO archives, Sam Hale was fascinated with radio from his earliest years. His winning various public speaking contests, and the publicity of having been elected Governor of the TN 4-H Club Congress, led to his first paying gig, "Letters to Santa". He recalls taping this show on the Magnecord recorder with the speed slowed by adding electrical tape to one of its capstans to deepen the sound of his young voice. This led to his getting to cover for the entire air-staff on Christmas day; the only person in the station December 25, 1954 - 5:00 AM 'til signoff at midnight! The station, WMMT, McMinnville, TN, was a Mutual affiliate and the only station in town at the time. However, he recalls its having had several excellent announcers, including Chris Lane (Country DJ Hall of Fame), who, thanks to Eddie Arnold, began his long and very successful commercial career in this small town. Without intervening contact for 15 years Sam would later work with Chris when he returned to Bartell in Milwaukee, before Chris went to KYA. He and the terrific Terrell Metheny (Mitch Michael) were also reunited at WOKY. They had first worked together at WKDA.
A second station (WBMC) went on the air May 1, 1955 and "Sammy" became a member of the original announcing staff. He managed a full time radio shift while not allowing his grades to suffer and graduated Valedictorian of his class. During this year he shared an apartment with a fellow announcer, Ed Philllips, who later would be known as Mel Kent (WYDE), Johnny Holiday (KCBQ), Johnny Mitchell (KHJ) and Sebastian Stone (KFRC and WOR-FM). Years later, Ed would phone Sam (WKDA) when Bartell was transferring him from WYDE to KCBQ and suggest he take the spot he was leaving in Birmingham. That was Sam's introduction to Bartell. It also resulted in his meeting his wife of 53 years! At WYDE he was privileged to work with Jay Cook (WFIL, Gannett President) and Jim Staggs (WCFL, WMAQ) and others. His, and Birmingham's favorite, Joe Carl, died of lung cancer in this brief window of time. Joe was only 21! Following discharge from the Army, where he served as a Broadcast Specialist, Sam resumed his radio career at WYDE, WADO, WJJD, WDGY, WOKY and WQXI. Air shifts were generally only three to four hours a day; then an hour, or so of production work. This permitted him to pursue his newly developed interest in the study of the stock market. He left broadcasting for those greater financial prospects in 1966. After a successful career as a Chartered Market Technician and affiliate of the New York Society of Security Analysts, Sam retired in 2003. In the intervening years he has continued to do limited voice over and commercial work. Now he is having thoughts of doing radio again - just for the fun of it! He says, "I've nurtured friendships with many in the music industry through all these years and would enjoy doing a show with those records I helped make hits - 1954-1966". You'd likely say — "Dream on! Do you know what's happened to radio?" Sam Hale passed away at the age of 78, after a lengthy illness in early August, 2015. |
Sam was also Co-Founder and former Vice President of the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame and a 2010 Career Achievement inductee.
The Repository thanks Sam for his airchecks, and all his efforts on behalf of our organization.
Scoped
How times have changed! I thought Peter, Paul & Mary were “weird-looking” in 1962. This is now embarrassing as I see nothing weird in their look today.
A couple of years ago, I was with them for the first time since the reference on this tape. They were most gracious and, because it was so early in their career, actually remembered my working with them in Milwaukee. Paul Stookey told my oldest son, Barry, “Your dad taught us how to use a microphone.”
The drummer on the #1 record that week, Sheila, is Mike Clark who, together with Bill Lowery owned Southern Tracks Studios where some of today’s giants, such as Bruce Springsteen, recorded smash hits.
[There are seven musical performances on this exhibit, only one was not restored.]
Unscoped
[Description by contributor Sam Hale]
How times have changed! I thought Peter, Paul & Mary were “weird-looking” in 1962. This is now embarrassing as I see nothing weird in their look today.
A couple of years ago, I was with them for the first time since the reference on this tape. They were most gracious and, because it was so early in their career, actually remembered my working with them in Milwaukee. Paul Stookey told my oldest son, Barry, “Your dad taught us how to use a microphone.”
The drummer on the #1 record that week, Sheila, is Mike Clark who, together with Bill Lowery owned Southern Tracks Studios where some of today’s giants, such as Bruce Springsteen, recorded smash hits.
[There are seven musical performances on this exhibit, only one was not restored.]
Scoped
[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.
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.
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.
Scoped
[Description by contributor Sam Hale]
playThis Exhibit ‘SCOPED (16:05)
SCOPEDIf all you want is the jings and the jock and the news and the spots, this version’s for you! Please remember that in addition to music licensing fees for the mostly UNSCOPED version, there are bandwidth and hardware costs for this ‘SCOPED version, and anything streamed from REELRADIO. We welcome your support.
This aircheck was given to me by the late Steve Farrington with expressed permission to submit it as part of my REELRADIO Collection.
Tony “The Tiger” Taylor came to WQXI replacing Rod Roddy who had followed my regular 9-12 slot. Tony and I did numerous two-voice spots for an extended period. Additionally, Tony was the original voice for the Home Depot commercials.
After success in New York at WOR-FM, WNEW and WNBC, Tony returned to Atlanta and then headed a boutique ad agency for which Atlanta’s premier Mercedes Benz dealer was his number one client.
Tony Taylor passed away Sunday, June 18, 2017. He was a 2008 Career Achievement Inductee into the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame.
COMMENTS (below) reveal this recording was actually a RE-CREATION, broadcast on April 1, 1985.
[From Uncle Ricky: The Music on this exhibit was restored by REELRADIO, first for the July 31, 2005 debut, and again on August 3, 2005.]
If all you want is the jings and the jock and the news and the spots, this version’s for you! Please remember that in addition to music licensing fees for the mostly UNSCOPED version, there are bandwidth and hardware costs for this ‘SCOPED version, and anything streamed from REELRADIO. We welcome your support.
This aircheck was given to me by the late Steve Farrington with expressed permission to submit it as part of my REELRADIO Collection.
Tony “The Tiger” Taylor came to WQXI replacing Rod Roddy who had followed my regular 9-12 slot. Tony and I did numerous two-voice spots for an extended period. Additionally, Tony was the original voice for the Home Depot commercials.
After success in New York at WOR-FM, WNEW and WNBC, Tony returned to Atlanta and then headed a boutique ad agency for which Atlanta’s premier Mercedes Benz dealer was his number one client.
Tony Taylor passed away Sunday, June 18, 2017. He was a 2008 Career Achievement Inductee into the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame.
COMMENTS (below) reveal this recording was actually a RE-CREATION, broadcast on April 1, 1985.
[From Uncle Ricky: The Music on this exhibit was restored by REELRADIO, first for the July 31, 2005 debut, and again on August 3, 2005.]
regarding TONY TAYLOR, WQXI ATLANTA, APRIL 1965
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