The Tom Tiberi Collection

Tom Tiberi, WYSL Buffalo Music Survey, 1979

Tom Tiberi 1997
Slickdaddy Tom, 1993

Tom Tiberi 1993
Slickdaddy Tom, 1997

Tom Tiberi first got turned on to airchecks in 1975 as a "gawky teenager and radio freak" growing up in Buffalo, NY.

In April of 1998, Tom wrote:

"As it turns out, most of my radio idols are from the west coast. I mailed away for tapes of all my faves: Real Don, Tuna, Machine Gun Kelly, Robert W., Shotgun Tom Kelly, Beaver Cleaver, Humble Harv, etc., etc. My goal was to make it to KHJ or B-100. But I guess I was born too late. I started in radio in 1979 .. the tail end of the great top 40 stations. DAMN!!!!!I was a weird kid. The tapes in my collection are more than just airchecks, they are part of my boyhood. These are my heroes — the guys I imitated, and wanted to work with, someday. I am in my mid 30's now and still get a charge out of these airchecks. I know you will too.

I would like to give credit to the original source of my collections. The only two still in biz are California Aircheck & Tom Konard's Aircheck Factory. You can purchase good quality cassete airchecks from their huge catalogs for a few bucks a tape.

I am currently back in radio and working 7-mid at WGRF/97 ROCK in Buffalo, NY."

The Repository thanks Tom for sharing!

Shotgun Tom Kelly, KFMB (B-100) San Diego, 1976 (0:04:42)

… me and Dr. Pepper – two originals …

Shotgun Tom Kelly at his high energy best Ã¢â‚¬â€ smokin’ in the AM! One of my all-time favorite airchecks. [Courtesy California Aircheck]

John Leader, WQXI Atlanta, 12-23-1972 (0:05:03)

… Superfly – another one of those songs about Burt Reynolds …

Dr. John Leader went on to KHJ a couple of years later. Smooth! And one of the best throats I ever heard. Definitely a “real pro”.

The 10Q Family, KTNQ Los Angeles 1977 (0:18:14)

… . . . Sounds like David Bowie or Tom Jones on acid . . . …

PD Jimi Fox put together a killer station to go up against KHJ in 1977. However short-lived it was, 10Q made for one of the most exciting radio stations I have ever heard – bar none! I got this off a radio bootleg album from the 70’s.

Featured (not a complete list): The Real Don Steele, Willie B., Nancy Plum, John M. Driscoll, Dave Conley, Rich Brother Robbin, Joe Nasty, Beaver Cleaver, Boyd R. Britton.

Machine Gun Kelly, KHJ Los Angeles, 1974 (0:07:10)

… . . . Am I through now? . . . …

Here’s The Gunner smokin’ in his early days at KHJ.

Slick Tom Tiberi, WGRF Buffalo NY, 1997 (0:03:49)

Humble Harv, KKDJ Los Angeles, 1974 (0:04:37)

… . . . We’ll send this one out to all the husbands whose wives are in the kitchen . . . …

I remember a movie named Aloha Bobby & Rose with a scene of two kids cruisin’ L.A. at night. Who comes on the radio? Humble Harv on KKDJ, doing a really cool rap over Just My Imagination. Harv was also a DJ in the very funny flick Hollywood Knights.

Here’s the always smooth, cool and righteous Humble Harv on KKDJ, Thanksgiving Day, 1974.

Real Don Steele, Billy Pearl, K100 Los Angeles 1974 (0:05:26)

… . . . someday you’ll be greasing their baseball mitts and sticking ping pong balls in their gas tanks . . . …

The Real Don Steele and Billy Pearl, on Drake-Chenault’s KIQQ, Los Angeles. Two west coast legends back to back on K-100 FM!