He transferred to WDRC from the Buckley-Jaeger station in Providence. Sliding into the night shift to replace Jim Raynor, Dick joined one of America's most exciting pop radio stations at the beginning of the most exciting time in radio -the British Invasion. Young, hip and 6'3" tall, he became a friend to his teenage listeners (in the Dickie Robinson Underground) and embarked on a career path few in his industry have equaled.
In high school Dick was heavily involved in drama. He entered debates and public speaking contests, and spent a summer in Maine with a stock theater company, appearing with Anne Baxter and Tyrone Power in John Brown's Body. While still in high school, Dick conducted many record hops which was good training for the succession of hops he later hosted at Big D.
Behind the wheel of Little Dee in 1969.Two pivotal life events occurred in 1956. Dick's mother died. Months later he was attacked by a gang at a school dance. His nose was fractured and Dick nearly died during the surgical procedure to repair it. As surgeons performed a tracheotomy, the scalpel nicked his vocal cords. He spent five weeks in a hospital and was told he might never regain use of his voice.
That fall it was on to Boston University and a confidence-shattering job audition at WEEI Radio. He later told the Hartford Courant, "my breathing was erratic, my voice trembling and cracking. It was a mess." Dick switched to the Leland Powers School of Radio, Television and Theater in Boston.
Dick worked for a time as a theater usher, but eventually landed an audition at WARE in the central Massachusetts town of Ware. For the princely sum of $48.50 a week, Dick did what all announcers did...he learned the radio ropes. He read newscasts, played records, was promoted to program director and even tried his hand at selling commercials. It was that experience which sewed the seeds for opening a broadcast school someday to teach would-be broadcasters what it was really like in the trenches.
Dick's radio path took him to WREB in Holyoke, WSPR in Springfield, and a midnight to dawn stint on WPRO in Providence.
1965: Dick managed to get to New York to meet the Beatles, posing for a famous photograph that the Beatles didn't even know they were in.
The Rolling Stones nearly caused a riot when they stopped by Blue Hills Avenue for an interview with Dick.
The 8PM-1AM shift on WDRC AM/FM (everything was simulcast in those days) became the Dick Robinson Company, or "DRC on DRC." Nighttime ratings were in double digits (average 60 shares) and Dick was embroiled in fierce competition with cross-town rival Ken Griffin at WPOP. The exciting sounds of British rock and roll were finding their way across the Atlantic Ocean. Dick recalled, "I was in the right place, on the right job, at the right time. We were in the break-out area for new record releases and we released them all, even if we had to pick them up at Kennedy International Airport when the latest Rolling Stones' and Beatles' hits arrived by overseas jet."
Dick Robin's Late Show on WDRC - 1964 Each night he cooked up a Big D Late Late Show bit that involved puns on show biz celebrities appearing in mythical movies on Channel 1360; these were punctuated by whacky sound effects from engineer Bob Coe (who also appeared from time to time as man-on-the-street reporter Humble Harvey Humble).
Among the tools of Dick's trade was a never-ending supply of Lone Ranger and Tonto jokes. Dick regularly greeted Funline request-makers with "Hey Keemosabee." In January 1965 Dick began hosting a weekly Saturday Night House Party and in April he instituted a nightly Big D Shindig every night from 8 till 9, keying on the popular ABC-TV show of the same name.
Here's Dick during a lively session at WDRC on October 21, 1965. [ LISTEN ]
Robinson spent 13 years at WDRC, first as the station's evening jock, and later as vice-president, and station manager. (9:20)
Even though he was on the air six nights a week, Dick hosted hundreds of record hops. He often started the dances then left part-time assistants to play the records as he scurried to WDRC's studios in Bloomfield. For years he did a regular Friday night gig in Windsor.
With Tom Jones, the Supremes, Cher, and radio personality Dick Clark c.1964.But just before the grand opening, Dick lost his voice. Doctors told him the 1956 tracheotomy had seriously damaged his vocal cords and the only cure was coming off the air. Station manager Bill Crawford gave him a leave of absence. CSB opened under watchful eyes of fellow Big D jocks Ron Landry and Long John Wade while Dick and Sally flew to Nassau for six weeks.
Upon returning to his nightly show, Dick never lost a beat, and was marked by the release of a 45 rpm single called "Beatnik DJ."
In 1965 Dick released another single on Fun Records, called "Fraze Craze" after a popular phone-in festure on his show. All proceeds went to the Children's Museum of West Hartford.
One of his strengths was sounding like a friend to the legions of teenagers who tuned in every night. Much of his show depended on telephone interaction with the listeners.
1967 brought several changes to WDRC and Dick Robinson. Big D had successfully raided WPOP and installed its nighttime host, Ken Griffin, in Dick's old slot. The legendary Joey Reynolds began a new early-evening shift and Dick settled into afternoon drive. In May WDRC moved from its Bloomfield headquarters to brand new studios at 750 Main Street in Hartford, and the station responded to FCC dictates by seperating AM and FM programming 50% of the time. In August Dick was appointed chief announcer. He also began working part-time in sales.
By 1968 Dick was only on the air Saturday afternoons and Sunday evenings. In November 1969 he was named WDRC's sales manager and one of his CSB graduates, Joe Sherwood, took over weekends.
Dick was still regularly heard, though, on countless commercials for clients like Pat's Tire Center and Railroad Salvage. In mid 1974 Dick was appointed Vice President and Station Manager of WDRC.
All good things come to an end, so in February 1976 Dick Robinson resigned from WDRC to devote full attention to CSB. In April 1977 he became a partner in the purchase of WRCH A/F Farmington. The FM maintained its beautiful music format for a time, but the AM simulcast switched to an oldies format and was known as WRCQ, Golden 91Q.
As the Connecticut School of Broadcasting grew to twelve campuses, Dick found himself spending more and more time in Florida. His on-air and sales success made him a wealthy man and Dick launched a new endeavor in January 2000. American Standards By the Sea is a weekly, two-hour program featuring music and interviews from an era not reflected by contemporary radio stations. One of his first affiliate stations was WDRC AM.
The show originates from Robinson Media's motor yacht Airwaves and may come from a port between Maine and the Bahamas in any given week.
Some materials found on this page were originally published by the following: Rock Radio Scrapbook.
