- This list is of Twin Cities disk jockeys of the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s. If I have continuing information I will probably include it, but this website as a whole stops at 1974.
- The list leans heavily on those who played rock ‘n’ roll – don’t be looking for anyone from WCCO-AM.
- The dates are taken from what was available, and may not be right or all-inclusive. If it says 1972, it may have actually been before and/or after that as well.
- Only Twin Cities stations are included.
- Birth names are given in parentheses.
- All stations are AM radio stations unless otherwise indicated.
- If you have any additions or corrections, please, please, contact me. I would also appreciate any photos. Thanks!
Some good radio web sites are:
http://radiotapes.com/ (Tom Gavaras)
http://www.twincitiesradioairchecks.com/ (Rick Burnett)
https://www.reelradio.com/
http://www.440int.com/440sat.html (Disk Jockey database)
And we all know, being a disc jockey was like this:
Dean Alexander – WISK (1959), KDWB (1959)
Dan Allan – WMIN (1954-1958), WLOL (1959; program director until October 1963), KSTP (1970)
Terry Allan (Terry Stripsky) – WAYL (1964-66), KQRS (1966-78) Terry writes:
I worked at WAYL from 1964 through 1966, which overlapped with my start at KQRS in 1966. Working at both stations made for some quick trips from Golden Valley (KQRS) to New Brighton (WAYL). I was working midday at KQ and had an hour to drive to WAYL for the afternoon/evening shift. At that time the formats of the two stations were so different I doubt anyone ever noticed I was on both stations even though they were very close on the dial.
Now there’s an interesting combination! Thanks, Terry!
Tom Ambrose – KQRS (1968); WWTC (1970-75), WCCO-FM (1975).
In June 1968 Ambrose participated in a contest at KQ by living in a motor home for four weeks, visiting various places around the Twin Cities and broadcasting his regular show from the KQ parking lot in Golden Valley. The contest was to guess how many miles he drove during those four weeks. Ambrose had also recently won the egg eating championship, “devouring one dozen eggs in less than five minutes on the air.”
Don Anderson – WLOL (1954-59) – on the “Mr. Music Show” 5/58: D.A. Special: Freeway Club (4-7pm M-F), Swing Club (noon to 6 pm Saturdays). Could be the same Don Anderson who was a host of “Record Hop” on Channel 9 TV from 1957-59?
Herb Oscar Anderson – KSTP (1954-1956), WDGY (1956-1957). Follow the link for HOA’s own page.
Marc Anderson (Howard Leroy Anderson, Jr.) – KDWB (May 1969 – March 1973), WDGY (March 1973 – October 1974), KDWB again. KSTP (Adminstrative job until June 1979), WLOL (early 1980s)
Photo from Rob Sherwood’s Blog
Marc died on July 10, 2021, as a result of injuries from a fire at his home on July 6, 2021. He was 71 years old.
Marc Anthony – WLOL (1965)
Marc Anthony – WLOL (1965)
Paul Anthony (Ralph Hull) – KDWB (June 1964 – June 1965 as Paul Anthony), KUXL (February 17, 1965 to 1966 as Preacher Paul Anthony).
I was lucky enough to have interviewed Mr. Hull over the phone in 2014, and of course I never wrote up my notes, so I hope I can understand what they mean. At the time he had just closed his restaurant, Sushi on the Sea, in Sooke, British Columbia. After his career in radio he had become a marine operator in commercial fishing and had retired to Canada, even renouncing his American citizenship.
Many of the things he told me were the same things that were in his profile in Secret Stash magazine. He was born in Portland, Oregon, and knew at age 14 that he wanted to make his career in radio. He ended up working at 23 stations over a 17 year radio career. In mid-1964 he got on at KDWB, but got fired for playing the blues. Program Manager Don French didn’t approve and fired him while he was on the air – General Manager Sam Sherwood had to come and finish the shift. He said it was one of nine times he was fired!
Secret Stash quotes him about his interview with KUXL:
For about six months he appears to have been working for KDWB and KUXL at the same time, but I didn’t figure that out until 2021, and by then it was too late to ask him about it.
As Preacher Paul he wrote a rather long article in the Twin Cities teen magazine Twin Cities a Go-Go in September 1965. Most of it was taken up in trying to explain things – the audience of KUXL (blacks and hip white kids ages 16 to 25), the gist of the station (“Truth Radio” or “Big Beat Radio”), and who can rightly sing R&B (only blacks with the exception of one in a million whites like the Righteous Brothers). He didn’t much care for all the white groups trying to sing R&B and would be better off adapting them to rock ‘n’ roll.
Says he Went to XERB in Mexico with Wolfman Jack in 1966. Other aliases were The Nazz, Les Moore, Ivan Goetz, Ref Snaborgadavitch, Captain Cash, the PJDJ, and Captain Rosta. In 2007 – 2011 he ran a sushi restaurant in Sooke, British Columbia.
Paul Anthony – Photo courtesy Mark Groesbeck
Wayne Anthony
Wayne Anthony in 2009 posted by Randi Kirshbaum
Bill Armstrong – WDGY (March 1956 – 1958).
Armstrong was born in Fremont, Nebraska, on March 16, 1937, and graduated from Lincoln Northeast High School. He worked at Storz station KOWH in Omaha right after graduating from high school in 1954, and six weeks later was transferred to WTIX in New Orleans. In February 1956 he was one of the original DJs at the “new” WDGY, billed as “The All-American Disc Jockey.” He was only 19. He went into the National Guard in January 1957, but returned to WDGY six months later. When Jack Thayer became WDGY General Manager in June 1957, Loughnane transferred to Storz-owned WHB in Kansas City and Jack named Bill program director in mid-November 1958. Storz ad: “Smooth, mystery-tuner, birthday acknowledger, actor, impersonator, writer, newscaster, public speaker, producer, ex-radio a.e.”
Thayer and Armstrong had a falling out, and at the tender age of 21, Armstrong moved to Colorado and bought radio station KOSI in Aurora, which he owned for 25 years. He became involved in several businesses and pursued a political career, serving in the Colorado State House of Representatives (1963 – 1964), Colorado State Senate (1965 – 1972), US Congress from Colorado (1973 – 1979), and US Senate from Colorado (1979 – 1991). He served as President of Colorado Christian University from 2006 until his death on July 5, 2016, at the age of 79.
1956
Stu Armstrong – KEYD (1954 – 1955)
Prime Minister Billy G. – KUXL.
In the spring of 1968 the Insider reported that he was on-air from 3:30 to 7 on Saturdays only.
Sam Babcock – WDGY (1964).
1964
“Boom Boom” Bailey – WDGY (1972-73)
Chris Bailey – KDWB (1969)
Andy Barber – KSTP (1974). Andy replaced Machine Gun Kelly.
Len Bart – WDGY (October 1, 1955 – March 30, 1956)
Tom Barnard – KDAN (1973), KSTP (1974 – 1975), WDGY (2/1975 – 7/7/1977 “The Catman”), KQRS (1986- )
Thomas Mark Paul Barnard was born on November 7, 1951, in Long Prairie, Minnesota, and raised in North Minneapolis.
J.J. Barnes – KUXL (1967)
Tom Berry – WDGY (1973)
Len Bart – WDGY (1955-56)
Tal Bartell – WYOO/U100 (1975 – 1976.) He called himself “Tall Tan Tal.”
Bill Bauman – WDGY (1954-55)
Ralph BeBeau – KANO (1957 – 1958), KTCR (1962 – 1965)
J. Walter Beethoven (Wally Thornton) – WDGY (1964)
“Brother” Bill Bennett – WDGY (1956-60), WLOL (1963-65).
In 1956, Bennett came from another Storz station WTIX in New Orleans. He had his name officially changed from Moriarty as part of a St. Patrick’s Day promotion. Once led his own orchestra; WWII Veteran. Storz ad: “Comedian, emcee, TV performer, recording star, teen-dance innovator, ‘Northwest’s outstanding radio personality,’ likeable, perpetual smiler, teen-age columnist, magician, amateur clown.” Starting in April 1956, hosted shows at the Prom Ballroom on Saturday nights. Wrote a teen-oriented column distributed in 130 school papers.
Buzz Bennet – KDWB
Bob Berglund – WWTC (1974), WDGY (1979), WLOL (part of Hines and Berglund), KSTP-AM (news)
Tom Berry – WDGY (1972)
Pharaoh Black (Thornton Jones) – KUXL (May 1, 1975-1979)
Art Blaske – news – KDWB, WDGY (1964)
1964
Bill Blast – (Al Collins) KUXL (1967 – 1968)
This was the adopted name of the manager of Music City at 7th & Hennepin who hosted an hour of paid sponsorship for the store on Saturdays for a short period in 1967 – 1968. According to the Insider, he hosted an Oldies show.
True Don Bleu – KDWB (1968 – 1978).
Don was inducted into the Museum of Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2005.
Ron Block – KDWB (1966-69).
On the November 18, 1967 hit list: “KDWB apologizes for what Ron Block said Tuesday morning.”
Benny Blore (Bill Hartman) – WYOO (1973), KDWB (1974 – 1976).
Hartman died in September 2020.
Chuck Blore – KDWB (1966)
Don Bowman – KDWB (1963-64).
Image below from KDWB Fabulous Forty Survey, December 21, 1963. Don Betzold Collection, courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting.
Jay J. Bowman – WDGY (1968).
Photo below courtesy Rick Burnett’s Twin Cities Radio Airchecks.
Steve “Boogie” Bowman – WWTC (1981), KEEY-FM.
Steve died on July 23, 1986, of lung cancer at age 41.
Jim (J. Peter) Boysen – WTCN (1944-54 “Musical Caravan”), WLOL (1957-59).
Photo below is from 1959 at WLOL.
Brad Bradford – WDGY (1966). Described as “rather idiosyncratic” by Mike Neudecker
Bob Bradley – WLOL (1954 – 1958). The “Swing Club” show on WLOL played some rock ‘n’ roll in 1953 – 1955, but mostly covers. WPBC (1959). Photo below from an August 1956 Top 40 courtesy of the Pavek Museum of Broadcasting.
Susan Bradley – KQRS (1970), KRSI (May 1972 to May 1973), KQRS (December 1973 to at least August 1974 ). Susan and Randi Kirshbaum were the first female disk jockeys in the Twin Cities.
Gary Bridges – WDGY (1976)
Chuck “The Chucker” Britton – KDWB
Grady Brock (William Grady Brock) – KSTP (1974 – 1975). Grady died on June 28, 2015, of pulmunary fibrosis at the age of 66.
Jerry Brooke – WDGY (1968), KDWB (1970), WYOO (1974)
Brother Bob – See Brother Bob Hall
Marci Boelter – KQRS (1978)
Charlee Brown – (Dave Nixon) – KDWB (1963 – September 1967, again May 25, 1970 – 1972).
Image below from KDWB Fabulous Forty Survey, July 20, 1963. Don Betzold Collection, courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting.
“Charlee Brown was the go-to D.J. at all the bar/bat mitzvah parties in St. Louis Park in the mid ’60s. He knew who was dating who and more. Kind of creepy when you think about it.” St. Louis Park even had Charlee Brown Days in 1964.
Chuck Buell – KDWB (1969-73)
Paul Bunyan – WDGY (1964-65)
Don Buehler – KSTP (1970)
Dan Burton – WDGY (1979)
Scott Burton – WISK (1956), WDGY (1965 – 1971) “The Boss Sound of Scott” In 1969 he was WDGY Program Director. From a 1970 ad: “The Solid Sound of Scott Burton starts out your day with his entertaining Burton ‘n Eggs Show, morning from 6 to 9. Road information, features, music. A Touch of Taste. Join the Call-In to Scott on the Good Morning Line, 827-9955.” Burton died of cancer on March 26, 2008. Photo below courtesy Rick Burnett’s Twin Cities Radio Airchecks.
Charlie Bush – KSTP (1963-81), WCCO-FM (1981-82), WDGY (1982-83), K102 (1983-91).
Charlie Bush passed away on October 30, 1991. Charlie was inducted into the Museum of Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2009. Images below courtesy the Pavek Museum of Broadcasting.
Mike Butts – KDWB (1974-1976)
Steve Cannon (Bernard Cannon) – WMIN (1949 – November 1954), WLOL (October 1955 – December 1957); KSTP-AM (December 15, 1958 – November 4, 1971), WCCO (November 15, 1971 – October 3, 1997).
Shows on WMIN in 1953 – 1954 were “Cannonball Express” and “Cannon Fodder.” In a column dated January 24, 1954, Will Jones called Cannon a “Hep Talking radio disk jockey.”
1956 – WLOL. Image courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting
In 1958 he was a Disk Jockey and a beatnik (says Will Jones) at Station KGO in San Francisco.
THE LITTLE CANNONS
Over the years, Cannon created characters that became known as the “Little Cannons.” The best known were Morgan Mundane, Ma Linger and Backlash LaRue. His voice characterizations were so real that the the union billed him for back dues!
The image below, from a 1959 ad for KSTP, is captioned,
THE ONE IN THE DERBY… is Steve Cannon, the marvelously adequate host of KSTP’s Morning Watch.. With him — pictured for the first time — are all the Little Cannons who appear with him daily. The Shakespearean janitor is Abilene Anderson; the mail boy is Jethro. The sorehead with the records is Mean Sam, and next to him is the marvelously inadequate Ma Linger. Contemporary Collins is the cool one at the bottom right..
Image courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting.
The whole story of the Little Cannons can be read on the Pavek Museum of Broadcasting’s website.
Photo courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting
Steve never allowed anyone to see him do his “Little Cannons” voices; when he was inducted into the Museum of Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2002 he was almost persuaded to demonstrate if everyone shut their eyes, but too many peeked and it didn’t happen. Steve died in April 2009.
In 1975 Mpls. Magazine named Cannon one of Minneapolis’s Sexiest.
Johnny Canton – WDGY (November 1966 – March 1977). WCCO-FM/WLTE-FM (December 1977 – June 1984, September 1985 – December 2011). Click on Johnny’s name for a page about one of the Cities’ most popular DJs.
Captain Billy – WYOO (1974)
Al Carlson – KSTP (1973). Played C&W after midnight.
Hugh Carlson – WDGY (1965)
Larry Carolla – KSTP (1973-75)
Roy Carr – WLOL (1954-55), WTCN (1955-59)
Scott Carpenter – WLOL (1964), KRSI (1965), WWTC (1979-1980)
Walt Carpenter – WDGY (1961)
Walt twisting on the cover of a WDGY promotional album
Captain Billy – WYOO
Chuck Casey – KDWB (1964)
Steve Casey – KDWB
Hugh Cardenas – KRSI (1958 – 1961), KUXL (November 1961 – October 1962); WPBC (Sales, 1962 – September 1963). In 1965 he revived his dance band and performed all over the Twin Cities with his vocalist wife, Patty Hicks. He died on April 1, 2001, at age 66 of cancer.
Catman – see Tom Bernard
Don Cavitt – KRSI (1959)
Joel Cederholm – WYOO (1975)
Chuck Cell – KDWB (1963-64), WTCN-TV (1973)
Jack Chapman – WDGY (1964)
Bob Chase – WYOO (1972-73)
Todd Chase – KDWB (1968)
Bob Chasteen – KDWB (1959)
Ray Christensen – KUOM, WLOL (8 years, PD in 1956), WCCO Photos below courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting. Christensen was inducted into the Minnesota Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2002.
Ray Christensen passed away Sunday, February 5, 2017, at the age of 92.
Michael Christian – KDWB
Bob Christie (Jim Larkin) – KRSI (October 1969 – ) Became Music Director at KRSI in April 1971.
B.J. Clark – KDAN (1973)
Dick Clark a/k/a Mike Ryan – WYOO (1973)
Bill Cleary – WDGY (1954 – 1955)
Larry Clinton – WTCN (1944)
Steve Cochran – KDWB
Bob Cole – WDGY (November 1965 – October 1966). He died on March 5, 1998.
Randy Cook – WISK (1959), KDWB (1959-64), WWTC (1970)
Dave Cooper – KDWB, WYOO (1975)
Cosmic Cowboy – KSTP-AM (1975)
B.J. Crocker (Ken Kops) – WWTC (1979-1984), KMFY-AM (1984-1985)
B.J. Crocker on WWTC, courtesy RadioTapes.com
Mort Crowley – WDGY (1964-65)
Larry Cummins – WDGY (1979)
Jerry Cunning – WLOL (1954 – 1958 “The Nightwatch”), KEVE (1959 – 1963), KTCR-FM (1973), WWTC (1985). Image below from an August 1956 WLOL Top 40 courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting.
Mike Cunningham – WMMR (U of M), 1966 – 1970; KUXL (1972 – 1974); KTCR-FM, (1972 – 1977)
Information and photo courtesy Mike Cunningham via Rick Burnett’s Twin Cities Radio Airchecks.
Evan Curfew – See Curt Lundgren
Bill Curtis – WDGY (1948)
Daddy Soul – See Jack Harris
Bobby Dale – KDWB (1960-61)
Roy Dale – WTCN (1953-54)
Dandy Dan Daniel – WDGY (1957 – 1961).
Vergil Glynn Daniel was born on December 18, 1934, and started as a disc jockey at age 17 on Armed Forces Radio with the US Navy. His first commercial job was at KXYZ in Houston in 1955. Todd Storz hired him for his station in Omaha in February 1957, and within two weeks moved him to WDGY. Storz ad: “Tall, thin, friendly, contest-minded, safety-conscious, record-hopper, Texas-drawler, heavily-sponsored.” Some of his nicknames were Dandy Dan Daniel and Triple-D Daniel.
In August 1961 he went to New York, where he worked at a handful of stations until he retired from WCBS on December 31, 2002. Daniel died on June 21, 2016, after falling in his home the previous day. He was 82.
Wikipedia
Dave Daniels (David Sikkink) – KANO (1980-’85). After my 1974 cutoff, but he was kind enough to send me a photo!
JIM DANDY
Diamond Jim Dandy (James Brian Everts, 1942 – 2010). WDGY 1965 – May 25, 1968. He returned to WDGY in May 1969 to replace Rob Sherwood when Sherwood left for KDWB-AM but moved on to Cleveland before the year was out.
In the Oct. – Dec., 1997 issue of the Pavek Museum of Broadcasting Newsletter, Mike Neudecker wrote his memories of Jim Dandy:
If any readers remember like I do, he had a high-pitched Mickey-Mouse-with-a-cold voice and an intentionally mildly abrasive manner and outlook. This was baldly for the purpose of generating annoyance and hence interest and hence ratings.
Within a week he generated – and read – “hate mail” over the radio, once from a classmate of mine. He’d call the Rolling Stones the “Rolling Uglies,” and would good-naturedly rail against white socks and agitate for keeping drive-ins open year ’round. He chartered the Royal Order of Night People, who would then engage in organized “moon tanning” under the light of the moon. Last, he’d faithfully end each show with the non sequitur, “… And remember, love is love and fun is fun, but isn’t it quiet when the goldfish die?” followed forthwith by “See You in September” by the Happenings!
All of this proved a winning formula, and Jim Dandy thus took ratings for the lucrative 7:00 pm teen time slot to an all-time high for the next year and a half. By late ’67, however, he tired of the shtick, quit the show, and left the station.
By spring of ’69 WDGY wanted him back at almost any price, and reportedly made him an unrefusable offer. By April the hype and hyperbole began. A Saturday in late May was selected as “The Time” and a grassy open area between Wards Southtown and the Southtown Bowl was selected as “The Place.” The pomp and circumstance would be provided by a band called the Tombstone Epitaph set up in front of the bowling alley wall for an event billed and ballyhooed as the “Return of the King.”
I arrived at the appointed time with a couple of friends, sat on the grass with a not overly large crowd, and began to wait.
The eggbeater sound and sight of a helicopter on the horizon … grew larger and louder [easing] down in the center of the large grassy rectangle. Jim Dandy got out to commence “The Return of the King,” and it was immediately apparent how dismayed he was at the small crowd. I’m sure he had expected hundreds more.
“The King” then walked briskly over to the microphone stand .. and in a slightly pained and disappointed voice, greeted the faithful assembled for the second coming. He seemed at a loss for words as he quickly surveyed the scene. “Most of you graduating this June?” he asked, engendering nods and shouts of “Yes, yeah!” Not skipping a beat, he hastened, “Well, we’ve got a band here to play for you, and I hope you enjoy the music…” He then did a quick stage left as the Epitaph began to blare and discreetly disappeared in a manner antithetical to that in which he had arrived only five minutes earlier.”
In retrospect, what neither myself nor Dandy nor WDGY realized that spring was by 1969, “the times they were a-changin'” – and indeed had changed. The relatively simplistic and superficial mid-’60s ethos had metamorphosed to the super-hip, politically charged ethos of Woodstock, then only two and a half months away. Hence the small crowd and disappointed “King” and WDGY. Dandy would be gone a second and final time within the year.
Second photo below from 1969, courtesy Rick Burnett’s Twin Cities Radio Airchecks.
Big Al Davis (Al Arneson) – KSTP-AM (1973), WYOO (1976)
Bobby Davis – KDWB (1967-68) “Super Boob” in TV Guide ad
Bob Dayton – WMIN (1969), KDAN (1970), WDGY (1971 – 1973). Dayton took his name from Dayton’s Department Store, which, at one point in his career, was his only sponsor.
B. Mason Dean (Robert Gross) – WDGY (1966 – 1967)
Joe Della Malva – WDGY (1956) Storz ad: “News director, newscaster, WDGY news center overseer, Sound-Off editor, tipster-ringleader, scooper (on nearly every important local story), beauty judge, Simca-owner, pop science devourer), WPBC (1959)
Jimmy Delmont – WTCN (1952), WMIN (1953), WLOL (May 1953-), WCOW (1954 – 1955), WISK (1956). Sam Sherwood remembers that at WCOW, Delmont had a kind of “advice to the lovelorn” program that the ladies just ate up. He called himself their “sentimental servant” and opened his show with his theme song, “Tenderly.” A note on April 1, 1954, said that he was back at the Five O’Clock Club on WCOW after a couple of months’ illness. Jimmy hosted a Beach Party show at Phalen Park Beach in the summer of 1955 that was very popular with kids.
The first photo below comes from 1955 ad for WCOW. The second image is from Jimmy’s letterhead, courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting.
Gary DeMaroney – WYOO (1976)
Packhorse/Pecos Paul Denault – WCOW. Also did a kiddie show on Channel 5 TV called “Saddle and Boots” – he was Boots. Denault went on to a long career at WGN in Chicago as Paul Rogers. Denault died on March 3, 2007 at age 81.
Bill Diehl – WMIN (1948 – 1949, 1951 – 1955), WTCN (1955 – February 1956), WDGY (1956 – 1966), WCCO (1967 – 1995). Click his name for a separate page on this Twin Cities radio icon.
Johnny Dollar (Robert Dean (Bob) Moomey) – WDGY (1963 – 1966) [11-17-1936 to 1-19-2008]
John Dotas – WMIN (1961 – 1963, under his own name), WMIN (1963 – 1966, as Johnny West), WDGY (1967 – 1973, as Dr. George Young)
Don Doty – WCOW (July 1, 1952 to October 1953), KDUB-TV, Lubbock (December 1953), WTCN (January 1955 – March 31, 1958), WPBC (June 2, 1958 – April 16, 1959), KSTP (April 17, 1959 – May 1964), WTCN-TV (1965), WPBC (1965 – 1966).
Donald Smith Doty was born on April 23, 1926, in St. Paul. He was a graduate of the University of Minnesota and a veteran of World War II.
In his short 40 years, Don Doty spent most of them on the air, garnering many awards as the Twin Cities’ favorite DJ of the 1950s.
While at WCOW, “Denver Don” Doty was the top country DJ in the Twin Cities. He was also the Program Director.
He won a Favorite DJ contest run by Don Leary in 1955.
From February to April 1955, he hosted the Don Doty TV Show on Channel 11.
In February 1956, Doty won a “Minnie” Award for best Disc Jockey.
In 1958 he won a Minnie for Best Male Radio Announcer.
On April 4, 1958, Will Jones reported that Doty left WTCN because of “doubts about a racy new program policy that is to start soon.” Leigh Kamman was to replace him, but he went to KSTP instead, for the same reason.
In a letter to a fan dated May 6, 1959, Don reported that when he started at KSTP, “they built me my own little private studio inside the radio transmitter on Highway 61, about a mile north of Highway 36, out towards White Bear. I play my own records and run my own controls. I’ve never been happier with my work than I am now.”
In 1960 and 1961, Doty won Minnie Awards for best Disc Jockey.
1964
On May 7, 1964, Will Jones reported that Doty announced he was giving up the rat race to become a bon vivant. Jones also reported that his contract had expired, which may have meant that he was fired. Apparently there was a rash of firings at KSTP – Don Morrison reported that several well-known personalities were “turned out” by KSTP.
In July 1964, Will Jones described Doty as a freelance TV announcer and radio DJ. He was also getting MC work.
Mentions in January and February 1965 say that Doty was working for WTCN-TV.
An article dated June 15, 1965, indicated that Doty was at liberty, freelancing on WTCN-TV.
In September 1965, Jones referred to him as “WPBC’s Don Doty.”
Don Doty died on October 12, 1966, at the age of 40, after a seven-year battle with cancer.
Jack Douglas – WCOW, WDGY, WMIN (1955 – 1958), WCCO (1973). Jack had a deep voice and did a show called Rhythm Roundup on WCOW featuring country uptempo tunes.
Lord Douglas (Phillip E. Heuer – also see Chris Roberts) – KDWB (10/1967 to 3/1968). Follow the link for an aircheck on radiotapes.com provided by Curt Lundgren.
Michael J. Douglas (Wegner) – KDWB (1972 to 1973), WYOO (1975 to 1976), KSTP-FM/KS95 (February 1979 to April 1994). With Chuck Knapp, Douglas was half of the team of “Knapp & Donuts” on KS95. KQQL (KOOL 108) (1990s.) Douglas retired because of injuries sustained when he fell out of a tree. Michael died on April 24, 2013 at the age of 65.
Click on the link for a page dedicated to Dick Driscoll. Photo below courtesy radiotapes.com
Roy Drusky – KEVE (1957). Also performed at the Flame Cafe.
John Ducart – WLOL (1959)
Don DuChene – KDWB (1961 – 1965), KSTP (1965 – 1970); KQRS (1971 – 1973). KSTP photo courtesy of Don’s son Tom. Second image from KDWB Fabulous Forty Survey, June 15, 1963. Don Betzold Collection, courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting. Hear Don from the summer of 1965 on YouTube. Don passed away on May 14, 2016, at the age of 83.
Dave Dudley (David Darwin Pedruska)- WISK (December 1957 – February 1958), KEVE (February 1958 – February 1960). Dudley’s online bios say he moved to Minnesota in 1960. He died in December 2003.
Larry Dukes – KDWB (1967)
Jim Duryea – WMIN (1959)
Dave Dworkin – KSTP-AM (August 28, 1973 – less than one year); KQRS (December 6, 1978 – 1984)
Dave was Captain Beefheart on KSTP in 1973. He gave away meat during a meat shortage!
Dave passed away on October 14, 2018.
Rick Easton (Elroy Easton) – KRSI (1969). In 2022 Denny Long reported that Rick was a retired Chief of Staff officer from the North Dakota Army National Guard.
Rick Easton, from the KRSI Request Album, courtesy Roger Fischer
Curt Edwards – WTCN (1952)
Joe Edwards – WDGY (1972)
Eric Edwards – WDGY (9/1974-)
Frank Edwards – WMIN (1953-54), WDGY (1954)
Merle “Hub Cap” Edwards – WMIN/WMNS (1949 – 1955).
Merle had a late-night “Uncle Merle” request show in ’53-’54 where he played rock ‘n’ roll and rhythm & blues, including tunes by Clyde McPhatter and Little Richard. His other WMIN shows were Merle Edwards’ Caravan (1954) and Merle’s Mad House (1955). Bill Diehl told the story that he was offered a great show and time slot, but only if he changed his name to “Hub Cap” – apparently the sponsor was a car dealer or something. Well, Bill was already a well-known columnist in the St. Paul Pioneer Press, and couldn’t see doing such a thing, so he turned it down. So Merle became “Hub Cap.” First photo below from 1949. Merle’s is the second photo Stuart A. Lindman is holding up
Marc Elliot – KDWB
Chuck Englund – WWTC (1965)
Chuck Evans – KDWB
John L. Evans – WDGY (1954-55)
Paul Evans – See Curt Lundgren
Peter Evensen – KSTP (1958 – 1959).
A 1965 ad said that Pete was a six-year KSTP veteran and frequently presented the news over KSTP Radio. He also regularly presented the weather on KSTP-TV on the Sunday 10:00 news.
1965
Warren Falls – WYOO (1973)
Loyal Farrel – WWTC (1964-65)
John Fine – KQRS (DJ and Musical Director)
John Michael Fine died on September 5, 2008, at age 60.
John Fineberg – KQRS (1972), KRSI (1972 – 1973)
John Fineberg, 1972/1973 at KRSI. Photo courtesy John Fineberg.
John Fineberg in 2009, posted by Randi Kirshbaum
Ken Firstahl – KEVE (1959)
Larry Fischer – WLOL (1951 – 1953), WTCN (1953 – 1956). Moved to Milwaukee in 1956.
Jack Fisher (The Ole Reb) – WLOL (1955)
George Donaldson Fisher – KQRS (early spring 1966 to 1971), KSJN (1974), MPR (1975 to 1976), Cities 97 (1985, 1986 to 1987, 1991)
George describes his disc jockey journey:
I began the Progressive (I referred to it as “Underground”) rock on KQRS in early 1967. The station had signed off the air at 11 p.m. when I did evenings until I was offered the overnight slot with Musicland as a sponsor. Then I was given stacks of albums of rock, bands from primarily the West Coast, to audition and play once my show began that Spring. I developed a “format” of album rock, blues, soul, some jazz, a bit of folk, classical, spoken word and anything I could find that interested listeners. The reaction to the music I played overnights was very favorable and the “format” expanded to evening hours and then into days and KQ became full time rock.
Here’s an aircheck from May 15, 1970, courtesy twincitiesradioairchecks.com
George at KQ in 1966 playing records for the MOR format
George in about 1968 at KQ, well into the “underground” rock format
George in 2009, posted by Randi Kirshbaum
George says he is always delighted to hear from his former listeners – his email is [email protected]
Arne Fogel –WWTC (1980-1984).
Arne is primarily a singer: a member of the rock group Batch in the ’60s and ’70s, and a prolific jingle singer to boot. I remember how he played oldies and told his audience some fun facts about the songs and/or artists!
Arne in 1980 at WWTC
Curt Forsland – KSTP (1959)
Jim Foster – WCOW (1956), WISK (1956)
Charlie Fox (James Martin) – KDWB (1974-1975)
Dave Fransen – WDGY (1961)
Gary Frarck – KDWB (1959)
Alan Freed (that’s his real name!) – WWTC (1982 – 1983 Golden Rock, 1984 – 1985 Metro Radio, 1998 Beat Radio (and Beat Radio Network, at which WWTC was the flagship station)), KBEM (1977-1981), KMOJ (1981 – 1987), KTCJ (1984 – 1985), KMAP (1988 – 1989), Beat Radio 97.7 (1996), KFAI (1997 – 1998)
Don French – KDWB (1960). Photo of Don French interviewing Hubert Humphrey courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting.
Bob Friend – WISK (1959 – Freund), KDWB (1959-63)
Ralph Jon Fritz – KRSI (1963, 1967). Known more for his TV career on WCCO. Photo below courtesy Minneapolis Central Library.
Stu Gang (Jeffrey Stewart) – WTCN ( -1/1957), WDGY (news 1/1957- ), WTCN-TV (1964)
Bill Gardner – KDWB (1973)
Mort Garren – KRSI (1959), KUXL (1963). In October 1963 Garren hosted a show called “Celebrity Table,” with remote broadcasts from places like the Waikiki Room at the Pick Nicollet Hotel.
Greg Gears – WWTC (1971 – 1975), WCCO-FM (1975)
Anthony Gee – (Tony Coloff ) – KRSI (1969). Denny Long reported that Tony became a multi-station owner in Iowa.
Anthony Gee, From the KRSI Request Album, courtesy Roger Fischer
Steve Gibbons/Ugly Steve Steele – WYOO (1972)
Tony Glover – KDWB Underground (April 1969-July 1970). He took over from Jonny Matthews.
Note that while Glover’s program on KDWB was extremely popular, it was by no means the first Underground music program in the Twin Cities. George Donaldson Fisher had begun playing a diverse selection of underground rock, jazz, blues and comedy (Firesign Theatre, Cheech and Chong) since 1967 on KQRS.
George writes:
In fact, one night in 1969 I called Tony and suggested we both play the same music at the same time to see if any listeners switched between our stations and noticed. They didn’t, but the point is I had the same music in the KQRS library as Tony had at KDWB. We played the same music for an hour coordinating over the phone.
The following information about Tony’s performing career comes from Tony’s website:
Tony Glover was a performing musician and writer since 1962. In the mid-sixties he recorded and toured as part of the seminal folk-blues trio Koerner, Ray & Glover. He authored three books of harmonica instruction, album liner notes, as well as countless feature articles, book and record reviews for publications as diverse as Junior Scholastic, Music Journal, CREEM and Rolling Stone.
In the seventies he played with Nine Below Zero, an electric band doing blues, country and rock classic tunes. In the late eighties he and Dave Ray began regular duo gigs, appearing with artists like John Lee Hooker, J J Cale and B B King. The nineties saw “reunion” KR&G appearances at Winnipeg, Vancouver, and Philadelphia folk festivals, as well as release of a live 1996 album by the trio. Glover also produced a two-hour documentary video on the life and times of the group.
[This documentary is apparently only available on a 2007 DVD that goes for over $100. There are many clips of performances and a shorter documentary on YouTube.
He continued writing as well. In 2000, his booklet notes for the CD release BOB DYLAN LIVE 1966 won the ASCAP-Deems Taylor award. He researched and co-wrote a biography of the harmonica great, Little Walter. Blues With a Feeling was published in Fall 2002 by Routledge Press.
He also continued performing and recording. With his partner Dave Ray he released four albums since 1987, and the two performed often in the Twin Cities and surrounding midwest area before Ray’s death on Thanksgiving day 2002. Glover performed with his acoustic trio V3, and did occasional gigs with Spider John Koerner.
Tony Glover passed away on May 29, 2019.
“Tuneful” Tommy Graham – KTCR (1970); KSTP, WYOO, WRAH (all 1972); KSTP-FM (1976) Tommy Graham was apparently a colorful character with a long history in the music industry. Stories:
Last I heard he was in Dallas, at least two years ago. He had a quad bypass, though after that I watched him eat a steak/lobster dinner drenched in melted butter and gulping wine. Guy lived big.
Stuart Balcomb remembers:
When I knew Tommy, he looked like Alan Hale Jr. with a bleached-blond Little Richard bouffant. What a hoot. He said he had worked with Dick Clark, and even took a fall for him during the payola scandal. When I knew him in 1978, Tommy was working as an arranger for the John Davidson Singers Workshop on Catalina Island off of LA.
John Grimes – KSTP (1956)
Jo Jo Gunne – WYOO (1976)
Dick Haase – KRSI (1963), WWTC (1965)
Smokin’ Joe Hager – KSTP (1973 – 1974), KDWB (1974 -1979)
Joe was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January 17, 1945. Following graduation from Camden High School in Camden, New Jersey in 1963, he began his radio career at WRSU, the campus radio station, while attending Rutgers University. Leaving college, he joined radio station WMID in Atlantic City in 1965. He was drafted that year and spent two years in Vietnam, returning to work at stations on the East Coast from 1967 to 1972. After his years in the Twin Cities, he finished his career at various stations in Florida.
Joe Hager, KDWB, 1976. Photo courtesy RadioTapes.com
Joe passed away February 23, 1999, at the age of 54.
Sammy Hale – WDGY (1961)
Brother Bob Hall – WYOO (1974 – 1976). Also known as Brother Bob. Photos courtesy RadioTapes.com
Dick Halvorson – WISK (1959), KDWB (1959 – 1961), KSTP (1973)
Dan Halyburton – WDGY (1977)
John Hamilton – KDWB (1967)
Lance “Tac” Hammer – KDWB (1965 – 1968), KRSI (1968 – 1974), KQRS (March 1, 1974 – 1979), WLOL-FM (1982 – July 1986). According to newspaper listings, Tac moved from KDWB to KRSI sometime between March 26 and April 21, 1968.
Tac Hammer, from the KRSI Request Album, courtesy Roger Fischer
For fun I looked him up on Ancestry.com – Lance Douglas Hammer (12/10/1939 – 8/19/1993) came from Hammer Village, South Dakota, where everyone there was named Hammer! It is now a ghost town. Tac’s sister, Mary Beth Worm, sent in her memories of Tac’s home town:
My grandfather, Iver Hammer, owned much of the farmland and land in and around Hammer in the early and middle part of the last century. He and his wife Ingaborg raised nine children there. Their oldest daughter, Sophie Berit, died at young age and is buried in the cemetery as you turn down the road towards Hammer. It was once a busy town, but the story passed down in the family is that the railroad stopped going past as much or at all. Farming changed and the businesses could not survive. My uncle Selmer ran the grocery store, creamery, and post office. Iver and his sons owned and worked there, including my dad Hardy, who owned the gas station for a bit. World War II marked the beginning of the end for Hammer. Iver Hammer died in 1951 I believe. I spent summers there as the town was waning. It was a great place for a kid’s imagination!
Dick Hansen – WMIN (1956)
Dick Harris – KDWB TV Guide ad: “The Controversial Dick Harris. M-Sat midnight to 2am – Call in – if you dare”
Jack Harris, aka “Daddy Soul” – KUXL (1968-1970).
Jack came to KUXL in the spring of 1968 and quickly became the program director when Ray Moss left. The Insider reported that he was also an artist on the Chess/Checker label. In 1969 he produced the “Jackie Awards” to recognize black musical talent in the Twin Cities. Singer, song writer, radio executive and entrepreneur Jack “Jackie” Harris was born in Chicago in 1936 and started playing piano and singing when he was 5 years old. Billy Davis introduced him to Chess records and one single was issued. In 1970 he left to run a station in Omaha.
January 1969 – Minnesota Historical Society
From 1969 KUXL Music Survey – RadioTapes.com
From 1971 KUXL Music Survey – RadioTapes.com
Tony Hart (aka Fast Eddie and Frank Miller) – KDWB-FM
Steve Hatley – KSTP-AM (1973 – 1975)
Steve died on February 28, 1984, at age 37 in a motorcycle accident in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Don Hawkins – KSTP (1945-1959) Don “Night Hawk” Hawkins show. Don died in 2007 at age 95. Thanks to Dave Fairhurst for sending this fabulous photo!
Paul Hedberg – WMIN (August 1958 – ), WTCN, WLOL, and KDWB (1961 – December 30, 1962). He went on to build stations around Minnesota and Iowa. Paul was inducted into the Museum of Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2002. Photos below courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting.
Paul Clifford Hedberg passed away on May 27, 2021, at his home in Southlake, Texas, at the age of 81. He was born on May 28, 1939, in Cokato, Minnesota.
Max Henderson – WTCN (1952-54)
Marv Henry – WLOL ( – 1962), KSTP (1962 – )
Myron Heuer – KEVE (1959)
Steve Highsmith – WDGY (1979)
John Hines – WWTC (1971- 1973), KSTP (1979), WLOL-FM, KEEY-FM, WCCO
Ed Hinshaw – KSTP (1962)
Jim Hobbins – WCOW. Hobbins was actually an audio engineer, but the Tedesco Brothers, who owned WCOW, had a policy that WCOW engineers had to be on the air for an hour a day. Hobbins’ on-air name at WCOW was Juniper Jim.
Photo of Franklin Hobbs courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting
Dolly Holiday – KSTP (1970)
Blueberry Bill Hood – KDWB (1974 – 1976). Blueberry Bill hour with local musicians on Sunday nights.
Bob Hooper – KDWB (1974 – 1976)
Hal Hoover – KDAN (April 1970 to March 1972), WAYL, KQRS (September 1977 to 1981), WDGY
Louis E. “Lou” House, Jr. – WDGY (1955), WMIN (1956 – 1958), KDWB (1959)
Lou House was possibly the only black DJ in the market before KUXL came on the air. In 1957 – 1958 WMIN put weekly ads in the Minneapolis Spokesman urging readers to listen to “Lucky Lou,” Sundays from 10 pm to 2 am. His program was described as “Jazz and Bits and Pieces of Music.”
From what I can tell, Lou went to WTMB in Tomah, Wisconsin, in 1959; was in Chicago (WAAF?) in 1965; became the Director of the Council for Bio-Medical Careers Training in New York in 1968; and hosted at least one edition of the “Black Journal” newsmagazine TV show for WNET in New York in 1969.
Jack Houston – WWTC (1964-65)
Mike Hoyer, KEVE (1945 – 1959)
Mike Hoyer was a legendary overnight Country radio air personality, whose show reached “from coat to coast and border to border and then some,” as he said each night to open his program. Hoyer started in radio right out of high school at age 17 when he joined KEVE in 1945 to at least 1959. He went on to several other midwest Country stations before retiring. Hoyer was also a United Artists recording artist, co-writing “Looking at the World Through a Windshield,” a hit for Del Reeves.
Mike Hoyer was inducted into the Country Music DJ Hall of Fame in 1995. He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2007 Mid-America Music Hall of Fame. Hoyer died on February 1, 1999.
Ralph Hull – See Paul Anthony
Jim Hutton (James Utton) – KSTP (1958 – 59)
Bill Ingram – KSTP (1955)
Slim Jim Iverson – WRHM (WTCN) (1932), WDGY (1947-1949), KEYD (1953-1956), KSTP, WLOL.
Hosted Slim Jim’s Westerners on KMSP-TV Channel 9 in the 1950s. Slim Jim was inducted into the Museum of Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2003. He died in 1958. Photo below courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting
Bo Jangles: See Gary Marshall, below.
Paul Jay – KDWB (started November 26, 1960 – January 1961), KSTP-AM (1965 – 1966)
Lord Jeffrey (Jeffrey Diamond) – KUXL (1967-1970)
Johnny T. – KEYD (1956 – 1957)
Amos Johnson – KUXL (1971)
Insider, September 1971
Brad Johnson -WMIN (1958 – “The Old Professor”), WTCN (1959 – “The Bumper to Bumper Club”), KRSI (1964), WLOL (1967 – program director), WCCO (Sales).
In 1960 Brad switched to WTCN-TV, doing weekend weather and hosting “Lucky 11 Dancetime” on Saturday afternoons. He also guest hosted Dick Clark’s “American Bandstand” in Philadelphia. Brad passed away in 1988. He was inducted into the Museum of Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2008. Photo courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting.
Deane Johnson – KDWB (May 1969 – September 1970). Became General Manager of KDWB in October 1970.
Don Johnson – WISK (1959), KDWB (1959)
Paul Johnson – WDGY (1961). This is the original Paul Johnson, twisting away on a WDGY promotional album.
Paul Johnson – WDGY (1979). This is WDGY’s second Paul Johnson, on staff when the station went Country in the 1970s.
Red Jones – WDGY (1963 – 1964)
Tom Jones (Jim Channell) – KSTP-AM (1973 – 1975)
T. Michael Jordan – KDWB (1968)
Leigh Kamman – WLOL (1940 – 1942), (1946 – 1950), (July 1, 1956 – April 1958), KSTP (April 15, 1958 – 1973), MPR (1973 – 2007 – “The Jazz Image”). (*Leigh was slated to take Don Doty’s slot at WTCN in April 1958, but Will Jones reported that when KSTP found out he was available, they made him an offer. Both Doty and Kamman had “doubts about a racy new program policy [at WTCN??] that is to start soon.”)
There is much to say about the great Leigh Kamman, and I won’t attempt it here. If nobody has written a book about him, they certainly should. I only spoke to him briefly before he died on October 17, 2014, at the age of 92.
Leigh was inducted into the Museum of Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2003. Photo below from an August 1956 WLOL Top 40 courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting.
Bob Kaye (Krekelberg)- KEYD (1952-1955) – later sales at WCCO. Bob died in 1996.
Bob Kaye in 1953 – photo courtesy Mimi Vogel
Don Kelly – WLOL (1954 – 1957; with Steve Cannon January 1957), WDGY (early 1957 – 1960).
Storz ad: “‘Morning Mayor,’ happiest man in radio, radar-location divulger, ‘Smilin’ Irishman,’ singer, comedian, wit.” Image below from an August 1956 WLOL Top 40 courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting.
Machine Gun Kelly (Gary Sinclair) – KSTP-AM (1972 – 1974)
Machine Gun Kelly at KSTP, courtesy RadioTapes.com
Tim Kelly (Tim Sabean, Sam Sherwood’s son) – KDWB (1976 – 1979), WYOO/U100
Alan Kennedy – KDWB (1959)
Rodger Kent (Vogel) – WDGY (1950), KSTP (1954 – 1957), WCCO, WTCN (1959), WAYL (1979), KTWN, KLBB. Born June 9, 1924, in Waukegan, Illinois, died November 28, 2014 in Cook, Minnesota. Rodger was inducted into the Museum of Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2003. Photo below courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting
Tom Kilbride – WLOL (1958), KEVE (1959), KANO (1960 – 1965).
Tom remembers: “When they let me go at WLOL, I was replaced by Carl Peterson I think his name was. ‘The Singing Swede.’ Jim Boysen hired me at WLOL and when I got the axe at KEVE, he got my time slot.” Tom moved to Waco, Texas, in 1969.
Tom’s AFTRA photo, courtesy Tom Kilbride
Mesa Kincaid (Cheryl Holm) – WYOO (1975 – 1976), KSTP, KQRS, WCCO-FM.
Mesa was known as “The Fox That Rocks.” She died on September 6, 2009 at the age of 52.
Bill Kirby – WTCN (1944)
Bob Kirby – WTCN (June 6, 1960 – )
Randi Kirshbaum – KQRS (1970-1975). She and Susan Bradley at KRSI were the first full-time female disk jockeys in the Twin Cities. Tom L. says “She was very soft spoken (kind of sounds like a public radio DJ) but sexy too.” Randi was 16 years old when she started. RetroRandi photo below courtesy of Randi herself!
Chuck Knapp. Chuck and Charlie Bush had the morning drive spot on KSTP-AM from July 1973 to April 1976. After a time in Philadelphia, Chuck returned to the Twin Cities and did the Knapp and Donuts show with Michael J. Douglas on KS95 (KSTP-FM) from February 1979 until April 1994. From 1998 to 2007 Chuck was on KTIS-FM, and then on Bob-FM (KLCI) with Jon Engen. Chuck retired in 2013. He was inducted into the Museum of Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2008. Photo courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting.
Jerry Knight – KRSI (1973)
Pat Knight – KSTP (1974-75) (Also see Pat McKay)
Virgil Kohrs – KDWB (1959)
Roger Krupp – WDGY
Russ Kruse – WTCN (1954-1955)
Bill Lake (also know as Carl Lensgraf) – WYOO (1974)
Brad LaMay – KRSI-FM (1973), KFMX (1974)
“Bullet” Bob Lange – KDWB (1972 – 1979), WLOL-FM, WWTC (1988-1989), KSTP
Bob Lange, 1973, KDWB. Photo courtesy RadioTapes.com
Dan Larkin – WLTE-FM 102.9 (1984 – 1985 and 1991 – 1996). Dan worked overnights the first time and then 7p-12a as the original host of “The Love Lite”
Jim Larkin began his career as a disc jockey in 1967, according to an article 10 years later. In October 1969 he was Bob Christie at KRSI; he became Music Director at KRSI in April 1971. In 1974 he became the Music Director for KQRS. In July 1977 the format at KQ changed, and Larkin left the station for a job as a record promoter. “It used to be fun, the pay was secondary. But with the new format, it became a job.” (Jon Bream, Mpls. Star, August 3, 1977)
Jim Larkin at KRSI, September 17, 1972. Photo copyright Mike Barich, St. Paul
Joel Larson – WWTC (1970 – 1975), WCCO-FM (1975)
Daryl Laub – WLOL (1945), WMIN (1949), WTCN (1952), KSTP (1960s), KQRS (1973).
Photo below courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting. Laub passed away Friday, August 28, 2015, at the age of 90.
David Lawrence – KDAN (1973)
Gene Leader (Gene “Mean Gene” Okerlund) – KDWB (March 27 to October 29, 1968), WDGY (December 13, 1968 to October 28, 1970). (Dates taken from listings in Star Tribune). From a 1970 ad: “Follow the leader! That’s Gene Leader, everyday from 3 to 7. Keeping company with more people than a sold-out Twins game. Gene’s solid sound is excellent company going home.”
Okerlund left radio in 1970 to work at Channel 11 TV as a salesman. In an article in the Star Tribune (August 25, 1982), Mike Kaszuba described:
Okerlund happened to be walking across the studio at Channel 11 in 1971 during an employee strike just before a live professional wrestling show went on the air. Someone remembered he had some on-air experience, asked him to fill in as the announcer, and that was that.
Coached by Al DeRusha, he spent the rest of his career as a professional wrestling announcer. He was also known for his commercials, and Jeff Lonto says that he also did voice imaging on WWTC around 1980:
Voice imaging is pre-recorded soundbites saying things like “Ladies and gentlemen, you’re listening to Brad Piras on the Golden Rock, WWTC!” You can hear a couple of snippets of him starting at 1:44 in this station history.
Gene died of kidney failure on January 2, 2019, at the age of 76.
Photo from 1969 courtesy Rick Burnett’s Twin Cities Radio Airchecks.
Photo from WDGY Hitlist
D.J. (Dennis John) Leary – KDWB (1962 – July 1963) “Hotline,” KRSI (January 1964 – February 1966). He moved to Duluth to manage WEBC in February 1966.
The first photo below is from the front of the March 16, 1963 KDWB Fabulous Forty Survey, Don Betzold Collection, courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting. The caption: “Used in recreation rooms coast to coast, the D.J. Leary Dart Board.” He started his media career as a radio reporter and disc jockey, creating a new kind of show, “Live Line to Sports” at KDWB, where he poked fun at local sports organizations.
Leary died at home on August 4, 2021, at age 84, shortly after a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
Bruce Lee – KQRS (1968)
Gregg Lindahl – WDGY (1979)
Stuart A. Lindman – WMIN (1949-54). Photo below courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting.
Denny Long – KDAN, WMKT (1966-1967), KRSI (1967 – August 1971), WCCO (September 1971- )
Denny Long, from the KRSI Request Album, courtesy Roger Fischer
Denny Long came to WCCO as music director in 1971. In 1975 Mpls. Magazine named him as one of Minneapolis’s Sexiest. At the end of 1977 he led the station into a pop format, away from the MOR it had played for 50 years.
Verne Lotz – KEVE (1956)
Don Loughnane – WDGY (February 6, 1956 – June 1957)
In 1956, when WDGY was purchased by Todd Storz, he transferred from Storz station WTIX in New Orleans to become General Manager of WDGY. He was replaced by Jack Thayer in June 1957.
1956
Thomas Love – KUXL (1972). Photo below from a KUXL “Super Soul Thirty” from July 1, 1972, courtesy Rick Burnett’s Twin Cities Radio Airchecks.
Paul “Fast Eddie” Lowell – WWTC (1971 – 1973), WLOL (1973), KSTP.
Fast Eddie was accused of making slurs against homosexuals by gay activist Jack Baker, but the FCC ruled that Baker was a public figure and denied the request for action. Eddie ended up doing janitorial work and died in 1995 at the age of 60.
Curt Lundgren – WCCO FM (1975), WCCO AM (1983)
- As Paul Evans – WMIN (1968), WCCO-FM (1976-77)
- As Evan Curfew – KUXL (1966-68)
Mike McCormick – WDGY (1965)
Tom McCrumb – WMIN (1954)
John MacDougall – WLOL (1941 – 1947). After the next 12 years as a New York freelancer, MacDougall returned to the Twin Cities to anchor the news at KSTP-TV from December 1959 to 1971. KSTP-AM from 1979 until his death on October 13, 1993, at the age of 68.
Photo of John MacDougall courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting.
Joe McFarlin – KRSI (1964), WCCO (Jazz Show)
Pat McKay – U100 (1975-76) (Also see Pat Knight)
Jeff McKee – KDWB (1974 – 1976)
Jeff McKee, KDWB, 1976. Photo courtesy RadioTapes.com
Jack McKenna – WLOL (1965)
Barry McKinna (Siewart) – KDWB (1968 – 1973), WTCN-TV (1972 – 1983), WWTC (May 1981 – late 1981), WDGY (1981-), KS95, KOOL 108, LOVE 105
Photo below from 1973 at KDWB, courtesy RadioTapes.com
Doug MacKinnon – WYOO (1972 – 1973)
Stanley Mack – WDGY (1957 – 1961).
Storz ad: “Legitimate stager, vaudevillian, radio actor (Sam Spade series), man of a thousand voices, dialectician, singer, drummer.”
Ty Mack – WDGY (1955)
Mike Malloy – WTCN (1953 – 1954)
Allen Peter Malmberg – KFMX (1974), WYOO/U100, WCCO-AM
David Malmberg: KEEY (Program and operations director), K102, KLBB, WDGY
Stu Mann – WMIN (1953), WTCN (1954 – 1955)
Gary Marshall (Marsh Walzer): U of M WMRR and WYOO/U100 (1972 – 1976), WLOL/AM-WRRD 13 Rock
(Also known as Bo Jangles filling in on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for different Twin Cities stations in the ’70s through the ’90s)
Dave Martin – KQRS (1975)
Donald K. Martin – KDWB (1964 – 1967), WDGY (1969 – 1977)
Donald K. was inducted into the Museum of Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2010. He passed away on September 24, 2012. He was a swell guy. Photos below courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting: 1963 at KDWB (first two), 1972 at WDGY.
Ralph Martin – WDGY (1956 – 1957). Storz ad: “Crisp, incisive, smooth, news-voice of WDGY, commentator, community force.”
Ernie Martz – WMIN (1954 – 1956 – went into the military), WCCO, KSTP, KMSP-TV (weather and live booth announcer in 1970s and ’80s)
Jonny Matthews – KDWB (1966 to April 1969) “Go Underground with Jonny Matthews, 11 pm to 5 am.”
1968
“Johnny (sic) Matthews had started the underground show on KDWB, but Matthews admittedly knew nothing about underground music. [Tony] Glover contacted him, took him some records and, after a certain amount of haggling, got his first class radio license and took over the show when Matthews left the Twin Cities.” (Minneapolis Tribune, June 8, 1969) The article implies that Glover took over in April 1969.
The Insider indicated that Matthews was new to KDWB in 1968.
** Note that George Donaldson Fisher had started his Underground music show in 1967 on KQRS, before it appeared on KDWB.
Ralph Mauseth – WDGY (1955)
Peter Huntington “Hookshot” May – WDGY (1961), KDWB (1966 – 1967, 1970).
Peter also produced and managed Stillroven. After a long and varied career, Peter died at his home in Eden Prairie at the age of 80.
Courtesy Minneapolis Star Tribune
Doug Melges – WTCN (1955), WCOW (1955). Photo below is from a 1955 ad for WCOW.
John Messenger – KDWB, KSTP, WWTC (1982), KEEY/K102
King Michael – (Mike Waggoner) WDGY (1970 – 1972). Also see Mike Wegner
This is the legendary Mike Waggoner of the Bops, one of the first rock ‘n’ rollers in the Twin Cities! Read about his career on minniepaulmusic.com From a 1970 ad: “Hold court with King Michael every morning, midnight to 6. Serving up the sounds of today with royal taste! Mike programs with you in mind.”
Johnny Michels – WDGY (7/1956)
Ken Mills – KRSI-FM, WCCO-FM
Bob Mitchell – WISK (1957 – R&B show)
“Buffalo” Bob Montgomery – WCOW (1952), WTCN (to December 1956), WCCO (December 1956-64 as Bob White), KRSI (as Bob White), WLOL. Was known as Big Bill Cash on WCCO for five months in 1956 during the Contest Craze. Also known as Lee Thomas? In 1963 he was hired by H.L. Hut to voice Life Line, a “right-wing daily radio commentary” which aired locally on KSTP and WMIN 15 minutes/day, reported Will Jones. Photo courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting.
Chucker Morgan – WYOO (1975 – 1976). Photo courtesy RadioTapes.com
Johnny Morris (Wigren) – WLOL (1946 – April 1954), KSTP (April 1954 – 1971).
Johnny started his career in 1945 in Mankato and quickly moved to WLOL in Minneapolis. In 1954 he moved to KSTP Radio and then to KSTP-TV. Video of Johnny on KSTP-TV Here. A KSTP ad from 1965 described Johnny as the top-rated TV weatherman in the Twin Cities for more than a decade. In 1971 he moved to Albuquerque, where he anchored the news until he retired in 2000. In the early ’70s he interviewed Senator Hubert Humphrey, one Minnesotan to another. Click Here for a video that gives an overview of his career made by his Albuquerque station when he retired. Thanks to Johnny’s son Tom Wigren for the info and photos!
Throck Morton – WLOL
Bobby Moske – KQRS (1972 – 1973)
Ray Moss – KUXL (1966), XERB, KUXL (1968).
Ray was a bartender at a Minneapolis nightclub and met some execs from KUXL at the club. They were impressed with his “verbal fluency” (noted the November 1966 In-Beat) and vast knowledge of music and offered him a job. He was first hired to do the jazz show, but soon took over the Rhythm & Blues show. He did all his own programming. He became Music Director in March 1968.
Chuck Mulkern – WMIN (1948). Hillbilly Hits
Hal Murray – KDWB (1959 – 1963)
Hal died September 17, 1988 at age 67. First image below from KDWB Fabulous Forty Survey, October 26, 1963, Don Betzold Collection, Pavek Museum of Broadcasting. Autograph card also from Pavek.
George Murphy – KRSI (August 1962 to February 1963), WLOL (August to September 1964).
There is an ad dated February 11, 1963, picturing George Murphy, Twin Cities host for KRSI’s hour-long NEWSCOPE feature every night from 6-7. He is described as “wide-eyed” in a 1964 WLOL ad. In September 1964 Murphy was renamed Dino Day and hosted “A Date With Dino” on TV, followed by “Upbeat.” See TV Shows.
Tom Murphy – WLOL (1964)
Richard Nelson – KUXL (1966 – 1968).
Known as “Admiral Richard E.” In 1964 he started a bootleg AM station in his basement in South Minneapolis. Richard went to WBAY in Green Bay in 1968…was the off-air production director at KQRS in the early 70s, and put in a few months at KYMN in Northfield around 1974. He then moved to Los Angeles and got into video production.
Phil Nolan – WDGY (1961 – 1962).
First image below is from a WDGY Twist album, 1961. Second image (WDGY, 1962) courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting. Nolan passed away on September 4, 2015, from complications related to Alzheimer’s disease.
Bruce Normandin – WMIN (1959)
Randy Norris (Randolph John Norris) – KEYD (1951-1956).
Just happened to find him in the St. Louis Park phone book! Norris was born in 1920 in Minnesota and from 1951 to 1954 lived at 7516 North Street in the Park. In 1940 he was listed in the census as a musician. In 1951 he was an instructor at the Beck School of Radio. This photo, also from 1951, courtesy Randy’s sister-in-law, Mimi Hillory Vogel.
Adam North – (Edward Van Cleve, Ph.D.) KDWB (1970 – 1973), KRSI-FM (1973). Photo courtesy radiotapes.com
Don O’Brien – WDGY (1954-55), WCCO-TV (1964)
Ed O’Brien – KSTP-AM (1975), KDWB (1979)
Steve O’Brien – KDWB (1974)
James Francis Patrick “Professor” “Jim” O’Neill – KDWB (1961 – August 25, 1967). Image below right from KDWB Fabulous Forty Survey, March 9, 1963. Don Betzold Collection, courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting. Click on the link for a tribute to O’Neill written by Senator Betzold.
“Sweet” Michael O’Shea – WYOO (1973), WLOL (1973 – 1976), KS-95, WWTC (1988-1989)
Glen “Big Daddy” Olson – WWTC (1971 – 1975 – had worked at the station earlier as G. Edward Foshay), WLOL/WRRD (1975), WDGY, KTWN, WLTE, WCCO, KOOL 108. Glen died on July 15, 2013.
Jim Osterhaus – KQRS (1970 – 1972), WWTC (1972)
Phil Page – KDWB (1959 – 1960)
Page had the 3-6 shift in December 1959: “Color Radio as it Should Be”
Lorrin Palagi – KDWB
Tony Parker – KEYD (1954 – 1955). Eventually became the sports anchor at KMSP-TV.
John Paul – WTCN
Al Paulson (Allan C. Paulson) – WLOL (March 1947 “Night Watch”), WDGY (December 1952 – May 1953), WTCN (December 1954 – 1956), KRSI (July 1959), KSTP-TV (1962 – 1986).
Paulson was born in Minneapolis, graduating from Roosevelt High School and Brown Institute, then called Beck’s School of Radio. His career started in 1941 in Medford, Wisconsin.
Paulson died of heart failure at the age of 67 on November 26, 1989, at his home in South Minneapolis.
Steve Perrun – KDWB, U100, KSTP
Curt Perry – WDGY (1972 – 1973)
Rod Person (Rodney Russell Person) – KANO (1959), WDGY (1960 – 1961), KRSI, KSTP-TV and AM (1965-2000).
Rod was born on November 3, 1935, in Elk River and raised in Anoka. He served in the Marine Corps in Korea (1952-1954) in communications and trained with Seals in amphibious reconnaissance. He attended Brown Institute for Broadcasting, and started his professional radio career in Anoka at KANO radio in 1959. Was a DJ for WDGY when it was the #1 Rock & Roll station. He was asked to audition for the local teen dance show “Date with Dino” on Channel 9. He became a Booth Announcer at KSTP-TV Channel 5 in 1965 and worked for 35 years as a writer, producer, and staff announcer before retiring in 2000. Rod died of MS on March 12, 2016.
Rod twisting on the cover of a WDGY promotional album.
John Pete (John Peterson) – WLOL (1962 – 1965), KQRS (Program Director 1968 – 1972), KRSI-FM (1972), KQRS (1973-1974).
John came to WLOL’s Nightwatch show in June 1962 from Mankato. John died on September 13, 2020, at the age of 82, from COPD.
Photo courtesy John Fineberg via the Minneapolis Star Tribune, September 20, 2020
John Pete in 2009, posted by Randi Kirshbaum
From Jon Bream’s obituary for John Pete in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, September 20, 2020:
Pete was born in St. Paul where he became a champion diver at Central High School. After studying at Brown Institute, he worked in Great Falls, Montana, as well as outlets in Detroit and San Diego. Between radio gigs in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, he managed popular local bands Daisy Dillman and the Flamin’ Oh’s, whose music he’d championed on KQ.
Carl Peterson – WLOL (1958 – 1959) March 1958: Nightwatch, midnight to 6am – the “Swingin’ Swede” answers record requests via Western Union only. WDGY (1959).
Carl recorded “Rhythm Review” with the Glenrays at Gaity Records in 1959. His father was a recording artist in Sweden.
Gene Phillips – WDGY (1965)
Brian “The Cosmic” Phoenix – KDWB (1974-1976)
Brad Piras – KTWN-FM (1978-79), WWTC (1979-1981)
Dan Pothier (pronounced Poh-SHAY) – KUXL, WJSW (June 1968 – April 1969), KQRS (October 1970 – September 1973).
Dan called himself the Soul Man (before Sam & Dave’s hit of the same name) and played jazz. While at KUXL, Dan served as Recreation Director at The Way, a refuge for troubled teens on Plymouth Ave. in North Minneapolis. In 1969 he hosted the “Black Voices” program on KTCA-TV. Pothier went on to teach a course on the blues at Howard University in Washington, DC from 1973 – 1975, and from there he worked for NPR searching out and interviewing blues legends.
Jim Ramsburg – WLOL (May – July 1956 – in 1956 he was the “Commodore”), WDGY (July 1956 – June 1957 – Hosted “Night Beat” program on WDGY in 1957; left to go into the National Guard on June 15, 1957), KSTP-AM (1970 – 1972)
Jim Ramsburg owned a successful boutique ad agency and typically voiced his own commercials for clients like Holiday Station Stores and Culligan.
Ramsburg published a book Network Radio Ratings, 1932-1953: A History of Prime Time Programs Through the Ratings of Neilsen, Crossley and Hooper.
Jim was inducted in the Minnesota Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2006. He passed away on January 18, 2021.
Photo of Jim Ramsburg courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting.
Ted Randal – KDWB
Hal Raymond – WDGY (1962 – 1964).
Died of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) August 8, 2005.
1964
Dave Reau – KEYD (@1954 – 1955). Reau was born in Minneapolis on October 30, 1922, but got his radio start playing country music in the South. At KEYD he had his own record show, “Dave Reau’s Key Room,” and “Remember Time” with Randy Norris.
Jimmy Reed – See Separate Page.
Carson Rennie – WLOL (1963 – 1965). Reportedly stood during his show.
Jack Reynolds (nee Reyelts) – KRSI
Jay Reynolds – WDGY (1965)
Ron “Killer” Richards – KDWB (1979), WYOO
“Loveable” Lou Riegert – KDWB (started September 10, 1960 – 1965), WWTC (1965).
Lou became early CNN anchor Lou Waters. Lou was inducted into the Museum of Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2005. The second photo below is from 1961.
Don Riley – KEYD (1949), KSTP (1954 – 1956), WLOL (Daily sports talk show). Passed away in 2016.
Ed Ripley – WDGY (1964 – 1965)
Jeff “Mother” Robbins – (Scott Wright) – WYOO (1974 – 1976) (pictured below at U100). He also used the name Shadoe Steele. Photo from Rob Sherwood’s blog.
Chris Roberts (Phil Heuer – also see Lord Douglas) – KDWB (March 1971 to September 1973) Follow the link for an aircheck on radiotapes.com
Chris Roberts in 1973, courtesy RadioTapes.com
“Ugly” Del Roberts (Darrell E. Mulroy) – KDWB (1965 – news), WWTC (September 1979 – September 1981, 1984, 1988), KLBB (1989), KDWB (1990), KJJO (1993), WWTC (2003)
Ugly Del died on March 16, 2003. Click here for an interview from RadioTapes.com
Photo courtesy RadioTapes.com
Photo courtesy Jeff Lonto
Gene Robinson – WISK (1956 – 1957)
Ronn the Rajah of R&B – See Ron Samuels
Dan Ronald – KDWB (1959)
Terry Rose – WDGY (1962 – 1964).
In May 1962, Rose rode on the roller coaster at Excelsior Amusement Park for 3 hours an 21 minutes as part of WDGY’s high school fun day. The Minneapolis Daily Herald reported, “During the course of his 70 consecutive rides Rose ate three hot dogs, lost his tie clip and seven pounds. Tired, bruised and exhausted after his 35 mile ride Rose said, ‘I don’t care if I never see another roller coaster.'”
Nancy Rosen – KQRS, WWTC
Jackson Ross – KDWB (1966 – 1968)
Scott Ross – WDGY (1972)
Bill Rudd (Oliver Rudrud) – WDGY (1954 – 1955)
Red Rush – WLOL (1959)
Russell Russ – KQRS (1973)
Mike “Records” Ryan – WWTC (1981 – 1982), WAYL, WWTC
Elton Ryberg – KSTP (1962)
Sam Sabean – see Sam Sherwood
Jerry St. James – WYOO (1975 – 1976). St. James was profiled in Mpls. Magazine in January 1976 as someone who was “going places” in 1976.
Kevin St. John – KQRS (1974)
Perry St. John – WDGY (1963 – 1967) (d. Feb. 27, 1999)
Bob Salmon – KDWB (1962 – 1963)
Ron Samuels (Ronn the Rajah of Rhythm & Blues) – KUXL (1965)
The Savage? KDWB (1974)
Harry Scarbourough – WDGY (1967), KQRS (1967) – died January 2012
Marvin Schultz – KRSI (1959)
Bob Schuman – WYOO (1972)
Bob Scott (Bob Wittnebel) – KDWA (1965), KUXL (1966)
John Sebastian – KDWB (1974 – 1978), KSTP-FM. Photo below from October 1976 issue of Little Bit Magazine, courtesy Alan Freed.
“Dynamite Dave” (Senechal), KDWB (1976). Photo courtesy RadioTapes.com When posted on Facebook, much was made about how he was smoking at work. How soon we forget!
Bob Shannon (Robert J. Adams) – KDWB (1964 – 1966; 1974 -1975)
Bob Shannon at KDWB, 1964 and 1974. Photos courtesy RadioTapes.com
Steve Shannon – KSTP-AM (1975), WLOL-AM/WRRD (PD, 1979)
Dean Sherman (Gordon Kapitan) – WDGY (1955)
Rob Sherwood (Buff Setterquist) – WDGY (November 1967 – April 1969), KDWB (April 1969 – April 6, 1974), WYOO (April 1974 – September 1976), KSTP-AM (September 1976 – February 1978)
Photo below left from Rob’s blog. Here’s an aircheck from September 30, 1971, courtesy of Deane Johnson.
Above and below: Sherwood at KDWB, September 1971. Photo courtesy Rick McComb, who got to see him do his show!
At WYOO
Sam Sherwood (Sabean) – WCOW (1953 – 1956 as Sam Sabean), WISK (1957 – 1959 as Sammy Sherwood), KDWB (1959 – 1969), WAYL-FM (1973), WWTC (1985 – 1987). Also see WCOW below.
Sam Sabean started out at WCOW, working himself up from writing ads in 1953, to reading the news on Saturdays, to getting his own show in 1954. He had several monikers, including Sidesaddle Sore Sam, Milkman Sam, and Hobo Sam and his Bum Program. He actually got a call from an organization called Hobos of America, who had copyrighted the name and asked him to stop using it. Sam joined them at one of their “Boolyas” down by the railroad tracks, where he met people from all walks of life who liked to ride the boxcars. They made a deal to let him use the name if he plugged the organization.
He left WCOW and produced films for about a year, then came back when the station had changed to WISK. He had to have a different name, so he selected Sherwood. At KDWB he was a disc jockey from 1959 – 1962, Program Director from 1962 – 1964, and General Manager/Vice President from 1964-69. When KDWB was sold, Sherwood joined Entertainment Communications and pioneered the beautiful music format with WAYL FM, where he spent ten years as general manager. Photo below left from 1955 ad for WCOW. Middle photo from KDWB Top 40. Photo at right courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting. Sam was inducted into the Museum of Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2005.
Verne Sheppard – KEVE (1956)
Barry Siewert – see Barry McKinna
Sandy Singer – WTCN (1956 – 1957), WDGY (August 1, -), WLOL (1958 – 1968).
At WTCN Singer introduced records with piano chords; if the record didn’t play at the right speed there was… dischord.
1964
Mike Sirlan – WISK (1956)
Irv Smith – WDGY (1954 – 1955)
Jere Smith – WMIN (1958), KMSP-TV (host of “Record Hop,” @1957 – 1959, weather 1959 – 1975)
Jimmy Smith – KUXL (1972). Photo below from a KUXL “Super Soul Thirty” from July 1, 1972, courtesy Rick Burnett’s Twin Cities Radio Airchecks.
Len Smith – WDGY (1972), KRSI (1973)
Ralf Smith – WCOW (1952), WMIN (1954 – 1958; his show on WMIN was Ralph and His Records)
Art Snow – WYOO (1974). Photo courtesy RadioTapes.com
Paul Sohmson – WDGY (1961)
Daddy Soul – See Jack Harris
Paul Stagg (Steigerwald) – WWTC (1969), WCCO Radio and TV (18 years as an announcer, music director, and program director), KLBB (until 2007)
Paul Stagg was inducted into the Minnesota Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2017.
Photo of Paul Stagg courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting
U.S. (Ugly Steve) Steele (Steve Gibbons) – WYOO (1976). Photo courtesy RadioTapes.com
Gary Stephens – KDWB
Gregg Stevens – WLOL (1973-74), WYOO (1974), WDGY (1975-1979)
Scott Stevens – KDWB, WWTC
Jim Stokes – KRSI
Jeanne Stolz – WISK (1956)
Alan Stone (Shel Danielson) – KQRS (1968 – 1980), Cities 97/KTCJ (1985 – 1996).
Between 2002 and 2006, Alan was a volunteer reader for the Radio Talking Book Network, recording news and audio books in his wonderful mellow radio voice!
Alan/Shel in 2009, posted by Randi Kirshbaum
David Stone – KSTP (1954-1962). Stone hosted the Sunset Valley Barn Dance
David Stone photo courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting
Texas Bill Strength – KEYD (November 26, 1955 – June 1956), KEVE (June 1956 – January 1957 and April 1957 – March 31, 1958), KTCR (April 2, 1962 – July 1965), WMIN (August 1965 – February 7, 1966 and March 1967 – March 1968).
Capp Sutherland – WCOW (1954 – 1956). Image below from a 1955 ad for WCOW.
Chuck Swenson – WMIN (1959)
Johnny T. Talley – KEYD (1956), KEVE (1956)
Gene Taylor – WCOW (1953-1956). Photo below from WCOW ad 1955.
Henry J. Taylor – KSTP (1955)
Tedesco Brothers – See Radio Stations, WCOW
Jim Teeson – WWTC (1971 – 1975), WCCO-FM (1975)
David Teller – WWTC (1971-1973)
Jerry Telser – WLOL (1959 – 1964)
Terry Tersari – KRSI (1967)
Jack Thayer – WLOL (1943 – August 1952), WTCN (August 17, 1952 – January 1956), WDGY (February 6, 1956 – December 24, 1958).
Dave Thomson – KDWB (1976 – 1977)
John Tollefson – KQRS (1968)
Rod Trongard – WLOL (1959-1968), KSTP (1968-1982). Sportscaster Rod Trongard was inducted into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2003. He died in 2005. Photo below courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting.
Earl L. Trout III – KDWB (1967 – 1968)
Jerry Urdahl – KEVE (1959)
Jimmy Valentine – WDGY (1938), KSTP (1941 – 1948). Jimmy was also a pioneer on KSTP TV from 1948 to 1986. Jimmy was inducted into the Museum of Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2002.
Jimmy Valentine retired in 1986, and passed away December 2, 2002, at the age of 83.
“Cheerful Charlie” Van Dyke – WDGY (1970 – 1973)
Fred Van’t Hull – KEYD (1955).
From 1962 to 1986 Fred and his wife Muriel ran the Van’t Hull (Old Time) Liquor Store at 7835 Wayzata Blvd. in St. Louis Park.
Ray Vecellio – KRSI (1966 – 1970), WCCO (1970 – 1997). Inducted into the Museum of Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2011.
Ray: “The photo [below] was, indeed, taken at KRSI. Actually it was taken in the recording studio as I was producing commercials. I was the morning drivetime announcer at KRSI including the period when the station’s format was Request Radio.”
Photo courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting
Howard Viken – KEYD (1949), WCCO (1950 – October 12, 1989), KLBB (1989 – 1994).
Viken was inducted into the Museum of Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2004.
Joe Vogel – KQRS (1974)
Lee Vogel – Did the WDGY Nightbeat show until October 26, 1963. Moved to KSTP on November 4, 1963.
Jay Walker – KDWB (1974)
Wally Walker – KQRS (1979 – 2020)
Ron Wandmacher – KEVE (March 30, 1959 to October 8, 1962); WLOL (May 16, 1965 to March 1970); KTCR. (Dates taken from published reports in Star Tribune; not guaranteed to be accurate.)
Ron was often listed as Rod at KEVE. He was a graduate of Brown Institute. In the mid sixties he hosted a call-in show on WLOL, discussing controversial topics. Ron died on May 21, 2016.
Photo courtesy Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 29, 2016
Albert Vant “Flash” Washington – WLOL (1940s) See a photo of Washington taken by John Glanton under Kenneth Wilson, below.
Fat Daddy Washington (Art Hoehn) – KUXL (1964 – 1966), XERB (1966), MPR.
In 1966, Hoehn traveled from Minneapolis with his fellow KUXL staffers Bob Smith (a.k.a. Wolfman Jack) and Ralph Hull (Preacher Paul Anthony and the Nazz) to Baja California, to take over XERB: The Mighty 1090, a “border blaster” station. There, he played the Wolfman’s sidekick “Fat Daddy Washington.” A year later, Hoehn returned to his alma mater to join Kling in operating what became MPR’s flagship station. Hoehn was inducted into the Museum of Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2010. He died in 2011. Photo at left below courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting. Photo below right courtesy Rick Burnett’s Twin Cities Radio Airchecks.
Art Way – KDWB (1961 – 1963).
Image below from 1962 KDWB Fabulous Forty Survey, November 1962. Don Betzold Collection, courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting
Bobby Wayne – KDWB (January 1966-)
An article from the December 1966 Inbeat says that he has eight telephones when he broadcasts, answered by secretary Melody Galore. She is supposedly a real person, but Wayne had other characters, such as Louis K. Lush, the hungover engineer, Katie Kute, the go-go girl, and Sleepy O’Dell, the weather girl. Bobby died in 1993. Image from Don Betzhold Collection, courtesy Pavek Museum of Broadcasting.
Vern Weegman – KEYD (1956), KEVE (1956 – 1958), KTCR (1962 – PD)
Mike Wegner (Mike Waggoner of the Bops!) KDWB (1973)
Warren Weikle – KRSI (1959)
Johnny West (John Dotas) – WMIN (1963 – December 1966) Dotas was working under his own name when new management came along and gave staff new western names over the weekend. (Minneapolis Star, June 5, 1963)
Bob White (nee Montgomery)
SEV WIDMAN
Sev Widman – WMIN (early 1940s – 1945), KSTP (July 1945 – November 1947), WMIN (December 1947 – February 1, 1949), WDGY (February 1, 1949 – September 12, 1952), WTCN (September 27, 1952 – January 1960 – Program director 1956 to January 1960), KEVE (June 1960 – August 1960. In November 1960 he was identified as KEVE’s Sales Manager).
Excerpted from Steve Iverson and Julian West’s site Minnesota Kid Vid:
In the early 1940s, Sev Widman (Severance J. Widman, Jr. 1922-1981) launched “Studio Party Wham,” a midnight program on WMIN Radio with his friend Leigh Kamman. The show featured big band and jazz music, broadcast from a club called Mitch’s, where the audience was quizzed and awarded free dinners. He left WMIN in 1945. In August 1946 he was hosting “Lets Turn The Tables,” a midnight radio show on KSTP. In December 1947 Widman left KSTP radio “in a huff,” following an interview with actress Virginia Mayo. She was in town promoting “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” and ended up in tears after the interview. Apparently the “KSTP switchboard lit up like a yule tree,” with complaints from listeners. He moved back to WMIN. In January 1949 Widman, described as an “irrascable disc jockey,” was fired from WMIN for munching popcorn on the air. He then moved to WDGY radio.
It was apparent that something was going on, since entertainment columnist Will Jones always referred to Widman in lower case letters…
There was record called the “Sev Widman Polka” by Harold Picha and His Band, which indicates his popularity! Here’s a photo of it, courtesy Greg Carr, former DJ of “Dig Up the Roots” on KFAI. The label says it was “Made in Hollywood for Non-Commercial Use.” Greg has donated this fine instrumental 78 to the Pavek Museum of Broadcasting! Thanks, Greg!
Sev in 1952
Harold Picha and His Band, 1950, courtesy Minnesota Historical Society. Front L to R: Emil Tuma, Tommy Thomas, Allen Ista, Mayme Borak, Harold Picha. Back L to R: Germanus Kipp, Herb Dallmann, Richard (Dick) Rosenthal.
After serving in the Merchant Marine during WW II, Widman started his radio career in Winona, Minnesota. In 1960, Widman won a seat on the New Brighton City Council. In 1969 he became a partner in polka station WJSW in Maplewood. Widman died on May 14, 1981, in St. Petersburg, Florida, where he had “worked in fundraising for many years.”
Bill Wigginton – WPBC (June 2, 1958)
Gary Wilcox – WYOO (1973)
Kenneth Wilson – WLOL (1940s) The photo below shows Wilson (standing) broadcasting in the 1940s with Albert Vant “Flash” Washington.
Photo by John Glanton courtesy Hennepin County Library
Jim Wise – KSTP (1970)
Henry Wolf – KSTP (1970)
Tom Wynn – WLOL (1957 – 1958), WDGY (1958 – 1961), KRSI (1962 – 1964), WWTC (1964 – 1965), WLOL (1967 and 1972 – 1976). He spent almost 40 years doing mornings at KFGO in Fargo. He retired about three years before he died in April 2021 at the age of 83. WLOL-A/WRRD-A, WDGY-A, KRSI-A, and WWTC-A.
Tom twisting on the cover of a WDGY promotional album. I wonder if this twisting thing was fun or embarassing for these WeeGee DJs?
Tom Wynn, 2021
George Young (John Dotas) – WDGY (1967 – 1973). Radio name was in homage to WDGY station founder, optometrist Dr. George Young. From a 1970 ad:
The man with a smile! That’s George Young. Keeping the afternoon pace light and lively everyday from noon to 3. Call George’s Phon-A-Song Line, 827-9955, to hear and win your favorite song. George keeps women Young!
Also see Johnny West.
Jimmy Young – KSTP (1954 – 1955)
John Young – WISK (1959), KDWB (1959)
Lee Zanin – WWTC (1969, sales; 1972 – 1977, General Manager). Voted one of Minneapolis’s Sexiest in 1975 by Mpls. Magazine.
Harry Zimmerman – KEYD (1948 – 1949), WTCN (1954 – February 1956), KSTP (February 6, 1956 – 1959)
Harry took over Herb Oscar Anderson’s show when HOA moved from KSTP to WDGY in 1956. Zimmerman was also the host of “Hi-Five Time” on KSTP-TV from 1958 – 1959.
JOE ZINGALE
Joe Zingale – “Mr. Rhythm” – WCOW (1955 – 1956), WISK (1956 – 1958). Joseph T. Zingale came from Cleveland and started selling time at WCOW in about 1954.
He came to the Tedescos with an idea to do a rhythm and blues show, and although he had never been on the air before, he went for it in about March 1955 and the show was an enormous hit.
Since everyone on WCOW had a Western nickname, Joe was originally billed as Jolly Joe Zingale when he was first listed on the radio log on April 29, 1955. He was apparently either very popular or very overworked – we see him three times a day, sometimes at long stretches at a time when shows then were often only 15 minutes.
The station became WISK starting on May 15, 1956, according to the radio logs, and Zingale remained on the air until October 9, 1958. Both WCOW and WISK signed off at 8:00 PM.
Zingale was also Augie Garcia’s manager and arranged for Augie to open for Elvis when he came to town in May 1956. Joe then took it a step further and booked the St. Paul Auditorium for a Rhythm & Blues show with great locals such as Augie Garcia.
In 1956 or ’57 (must have been 1958 since he was here until that October) Zingale went to station WHK in Cleveland, where he and other salesmen Norman Wayne and Bob Weiss pooled their commissions, unheard of at the time. They decided to buy a radio station in White Plains, New York but after a year their wives missed Cleveland. They found out that a station in Cleveland – WIXY 1260 – was for sale, so they returned to Cleveland and made it into a powerhouse rock ‘n’ roll station.
When the list of venues for the 1964 Beatles tour did not include Cleveland, the station sent Joe to New York to negotiate with Brian Epstein. Epstein needed a commitment from a venue and a guarantee of $50,000. Back at the station a telegram was crafted with the name of the owner of the Music Hall – without the owner’s knowledge. Then Norman Wayne went to the owner of Metromedia in New York – the owner of the station – to get the $50,000. They made money, although the Music Hall only had the capacity of 10,000. In 1966 the Beatles returned to Cleveland and sold out 25,000 seats.
Norman Wayne, Zingale’s associate for many years, says that the decision to play Top 40 was one of business, not musical taste.
When WIXY was sold, Weiss and Wayne moved on and Joe pursued his interest in tennis, eventually owning part of the Cleveland Nets World Tennis Team. He also had stakes in the Cleveland Indians and Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team. The photo at left below is from a 1955 newspaper ad for WCOW. Joe died on March 14, 2014.
