Ed Baer

The genial, personable jock known as The Big Bad Bear spent 12 years at the legendary WMCA. Baer was what is known in radio as a "swing announcer", filling in for other jocks.

He and his WMCA colleagues — Joe O’Brien, Harry Harrison, Dan Daniel, B. Mitchel Reid, Gary Stevens and the rest — were the Good Guys. They battled WABC (the All-Americans), Dan Ingram, Cousin Brucie…) for radio supremacy. It was a legendary time in music history, and Ed Baer was part of some of its most exciting moments.

Ed’s parents moved to Westport in 1945. He was 9 years old. His father opened a candy store and soda fountain at Desi’s Corner, across from the train station. Ed worked there during high school. CBS newsman Douglas Edwards, a Weston resident was a regular customer.

Ed discovered broadcasting at the University of Connecticut. When his father had a heart attack, Ed transferred to the University of Bridgeport. Win Elliot — a legendary New York Rangers broadcaster, and fellow Westporter — gave Ed’s career an early boost.

The Big Bad Baer is in for B. Mitchell Reed at WMCA on July 31, 1964 [ LISTEN ]

Listen for the announcement of the Beatles arriving in a few days at Kennedy Airport. WMCA had hoped to be the exclusive Beatles station, but as history records, WABC got most of the attention. WMCA is playing “Name It And Claim It”, & the WMCA countdown.

WMCA was a New York station, but he grew up in Westport — and lived there when he was a Good Guy.

Here is Ed during his stay at WMCA on October 11, 1966. [ LISTEN ] (48:28)

Ed with The Who.

He eventually got the morning show, just in time to see the station jump to a talk format in 1970. He stayed on, doing news in addition to talk before moving to country-formatted WHN in 1973. After 10 years there, Baer moved to easy-listening WYNY, while also doing sports for NBC.

Ed served at Fort Dix, then got a job at 50,000-watt KRAK in Sacramento. When his father died, he returned home. Dan Ingram — who had worked with Ed at WICC — helped him land a job at Dan’s WABC’s rival, WMCA.

The Good Guys.

Ed was there as the station moved from Paul Anka and Bobby Darin to the Stones, Supremes and Doors. He was in the broadcast booth when the Beatles played at She Stadium. And he was there when FM knocked AM stations out of the rock ‘n’ roll ballpark. WMCA became all-talk.

A WMCA montage with on air personalities heard from 1963 until 1970. [ LISTEN ]

Listen for the voices of Joe O'Brien, B. Mitchel Reed, Ed Baer, Jack Spector, Dan Daniel, Gary Stevens (first and last shows), Dean Anthony, Lee Gray, Harry Harrison, Murray "The K" Kaufman, Frankie Crocker, Alex Bennett, and Johnny Michaels.

Ed spent the next 40-plus years at a variety of stations, playing all kinds of formats. He was a country DJ at WHN. At WYNY, it was adult hits. He played everything at WHUD in Peekskill north of New York City, doing mornings for 14 years and then continuing on weekends with his retro show "Pop Rewind" until 2015. He went back to his rock roots at oldies station WCBS-FM. He was also heard on several of the WCBS-FM reunion weekends.

Ed relaxing at his home studio in 2016.

“I love local radio,” Baer remarked when he retired from the WHUD in 2000. “But I think that’s what all good radio is: a personal conversation with the person on the other side of the microphone. Ed Baer passed away on January 1, 2019, from complications of pneumonia. He was 82 years old.

He wasn't just a “Good Guy” he was a great guy.

Some materials found on this page were originally published by the following: Rock Radio Scrapbook, Airchexx.

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Jim Hampton

A native of Michigan, Jim Hampton grew up in Farmington and attended Farmington High School. Hampton honed in on his deejay skills early on by emceeing record hops at Farmington High, as added entertainment right after the school’s basketball games.

Immediately after graduating high school, Hampton was hired at WXYZ as a ‘record spinner,’ spinning records and filling in commercials while assisting as board-op for Paul Winter, Lee Alan, Joel Sabastian and Dave Prince. According to Jim Hampton, that given opportunity ultimately became “such an amazing experience having to work with some of the best talents in broadcasting. All of them became my mentors, particular Dave, Joel and Lee.”

While greatly appreciative of his limited capacity in radio at WXYZ with a sense of purpose and desire to go well beyond, he landed his next radio job as a deejay “weekender,” which Jim described was located “in the middle of a cow pasture,” at Top 40 station WYSI.

Having gained further radio fortitude and experience while at WYSI, Hampton’s next stop will be Flint’s own WTRX. In November of 1963, he ultimately was hired as a full-time deejay there by the station GM, who was also responsible giving him the name Jim Taylor as well.

Jim on WXYZ.

According to “Jim Taylor,” eventually, Hampton’s tenure “at night was the number one” show during the evening hours he was on WTRX. Ever so popular in the Flint area, Terry Knight was already there at the Top 40 station at the time Hampton was hired. Hampton’s and Knight’s popularity came to full prominence during the times they both shared together on WTRX.

In 1964, Jimmy prematurely left WTRX, having quit by having thought he had a new position lined up with his former first radio love, WXYZ in Detroit. The position open at WXYZ was granted to someone else instead, and Jim found himself without work. WTRX immediately filled his position there with Larry Morrow, who later would come to prominence as Duke Windsor on CKLW.

Moving on to Jackson, Michigan. Jimmy applied and was offered a radio position with WKHM, another Knorr Broadcasting station in Michigan at the time. According to Jim, that was short-lived, as he decided to make that daily long travel there from Farmington to Jackson, a travel prospect having proved difficult.

And so it’s back to Flint one more time. But this time it’s on WAMM with the afternoon drive. Now with dual duties there, Jim accepted the initial offer to be the station’s music director as well.

Here's what Jim Taylor (Hampton) sounded like on WAMM in 1966. [ LISTEN ] (11:42)

Jim again on Wonderful WAMM in 1966, this time with Stevie Wonder.
[ LISTEN ] (53:33)

Stevie is in the studio playing and singing along with his own records.

A year goes by, and by early 1966, Jimmy Hampton finally gets that call he was waiting for. Lee Alan, program director at WXYZ radio at the time, was on the horn with Jim. That call, as Hampton related, for him, “it was a dream come true.” And Jim Hampton was only every bit nineteen-years of age.

WXYZ c.1966, Dave Prince, Danny Taylor, Pat Murphy, Jim Hampton, Lee Alan, and Marc Avery.

Hampton at WXYZ in August of 1966. [ LISTEN ] (10:58) And another 1966 segment from WXYZ. [ LISTEN ] (12:10)

When that call was made, the ABC-owned radio station was the gold standard for broadcasting in Detroit. Very prestigious in the field, WXYZ was also a television-affiliate and the pay was above respectable for those who were hired to work for “Broadcast House,” located in Southfield.

Hampton disclosed his pay in 1966 at $165.00 a week, roughly $60,000 in today’s inflated money standards. In contrast, Joey Reynolds, the anticipated radio star WXYZ also hired in 1966, earned roughly “$325.00 per week” during the few months he was briefly there.

But unfortunately, the “good times” would suddenly come to an abrupt end at “Wixie” radio. While still serving in the U.S. Army reserves, Hampton was called for active duty in late 1966, and would serve into the early months of 1967. During the six months he was away, changes were on the horizon that year for WXYZ. By the time he returned from the reserves, WXYZ dumped the Top 40 format for middle-of-the-road “beautiful music” instead, aptly christened as “The Good Life.”

Lee Alan was gone by then, and while Joe Bacarella was now at the helms, Johnny Randall was hired to fill the void Hampton had left open. In the meantime, Jim filled the rest of his time on WXYZ-FM for the “obligatory six months after doing service.”

Once again in search for higher ground, in late 1967, Hampton was introduced by a fellow radio acquaintance to John Detz at underground-rocker WABX-FM.

He was hired for the afternoon drive. About the same time, Jim recalled he got a call from KQV in Pittsburgh. He was offered an on-air position from program director Mike McCormick, at the ABC-owned Top 40 station there. Jim couldn’t see himself in Pittsburgh, and he ultimately got off the air, and instead became co-manager of sales at WABX-FM.

WABX, Larry Miller, Jim, and Dave Dixon.
Dave Prince, Danny Taylor, Pat Murphy, Jim, Lee Alan, and Marc Avery, 1966.

Jim and Marc Avery, WXYZ, 1969.

Having set up the new sales department for WABX, Hampton was instrumental in hiring Jim Irrer and Richard Golden for the sales team. They became legends and made the station very successful...through advertising.

During his stay at WABX, another radio opportunity was left open for Jim. Late in 1968, there had been talk in the trade that WJBK was soon dropping it’s “beautiful music” format, planning it’s return to Top 40 radio in 1969 for the 50,000-watt daytimer (WJBK’s transmitted-power dropped down to 10,000 watts at night).

Jim is playing records at WTRX on August 30, 1968.
[ LISTEN ] (19:20) and a little over a year later he's in classic form again during his afternoon show at WJBK on December 7, 1969. [ LISTEN ] (17:41)

The new 1969 WJBK lineup were to include Marc Avery, Conrad Patrick, Hank O’Neil, K.O. Bailey and Tom Dean. Jim Hampton was asked to join the team. He became the music director while doing the all-night show once again. But the format would bomb within a few months after its inception on WJBK. Instead, WJBK decided to go with country. As the rest the lineup goes, Jim found himself out of radio one more time.

Recorded during Jim's stop at WJBK. This is an aircheck that aired in 1969.
[ LISTEN ] (10:07) Now it's 1970 and Jim finds himself sitting behind the mic at WCAR. [ LISTEN ] (19:11)

But Jim’s radio career was far from over. Ken Draper, the legendary radio programmer who created WCFL in Chicago, was coming to Detroit’s WCAR. Jim’s meeting with Draper went well, and he was hired as WCAR’s PD. WCAR was an amazing station at the time with names like Ray Otis, Specs Howard, Dave Prince, H.B. Phillips, Dan O’Shea, Warren Pierce, and Edward Alan Busch.

Now nearing the end of 1969, Jim was getting a little restless with the Detroit radio market. The news director at WLS in Chicago, Phil Hayes, an old friend of Jim’s, decided to give him a call. He said Mike McCormick, the new PD, who previously invited Jim over to Pittsburgh’s KQV a few years back, was now looking for a new Production Director for the legendary Windy City station. Jim and his wife decided to leave Detroit that weekend and headed straight for Chicago. After having met Mr. McCormick during an outdoor social event, and “after a few drinks,” that same night, Jim agreed to accept the offered opportunity to work for WLS.

In the ensuing years after his last radio stint at WLS in Chicago, Jim Hampton’s career in broadcasting excelled to greater heights with syndication marketing. While in LA perfecting his craft in production writing and radio syndication, Jim produced over 1,000 specials for ABC Radio and has interviewed many musical stars for radio affiliates across the nation and around the globe as well.

Many would include various recorded specials for national distribution home and abroad, including The John Lennon Story, The Bob Seger Story, The Beach Boys Story, The Eagles Story, Michael Jackson, Super ’70s and much more.

Jim Hampton's Radio Recall at WOMC-FM on August 16, 2014. [ LISTEN ] (48:52)

DJs, Cars, and Cruisin' is the theme in this installment of Jim's look back at everything cool back in the 50s and 60s on Radio Recall, celebrating 50 years of Pop, Rock and Roll. Chuck Berry, Beach Boys, The Hondells, and classic airchecks of DJs too.

At this writing (2019), Jim Hampton resides in the Los Angeles area. But his heart never abated no less the love he always held for the city he affectionately still calls home. A winner of the Aegis and Telly Awards, currently he is CEO of Greenhouse Marketing Group, a marketing and sponsorship sales company that represent many organizations, events and broadcast properties across the United States and worldwide.

WHERE DID JIM WORK? Here is the list: WTRX, WKHM, WAMM, WXYZ, WABX, WJBK, WCAR, and WLS.

Some materials found on this page were originally published by the following: Motor City Radio Flashbacks, Airchexx.

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Jerry Blavat

"The last bastion of doo-wop culture in a McDonald's world." These words were written about Philadelphia, but they apply equally to Philadelphia's legendary radio personality Jerry Blavat - The "Geator with the Heater," the "Boss with the Hot Sauce."

Since 1961 the Geator has done it his way, playing a different kind of music - different from what was playing in other cities and even from what other DJs were playing in Philadelphia. Over the years that approach has maintained its consistency and the purity of its focus.

Decades after other stations shackled their DJ's to a limited playlist and a tight, canned format, Blavat plays what sounds good to him from the Geator Gold Vault of classic doo-wop, acapella, motown and Philadelphia area dance hits of the fifties, sixties and seventies, interspersed with his encyclopedic knowledge of the music, its writers and the performers. What holds it all together is the unique on-air personality of the man himself.

On radio for decades, Jerry Blavat long ago transcended the medium. Describing him as a "radio DJ" is like describing Abraham Lincoln as a politician from Illinois. Today he's a true cultural icon of the City of Brotherly Love, as recognizable a symbol as Independence Hall or the Liberty Bell.

Born on July 3, 1940, and raised in South Philadelphia, Jerry Blavat started in show business at the age of 13, jitterbugging on the original Bandstand show on WFIL-TV, hosted by Bob Horn (Dick Clark's predecessor).

His foundation has been radio. He got his start on January 15, 1961. Scheduled for an hour broadcast on WCAM from a local club, a snowstorm shut down the club and the city. Jerry made his way to the WCAM studio in Camden with the rock & roll records he had danced to as a teenager and played them on the air as the snow fell.

Kids started phoning in. No one else could make it to the studio, so Blavat played his favorites, rapped and reminisced all night until relief arrived in the morning. The station's general manager, Bud Hibbs, proclaimed it a smash.

Saturday Evening Post

September 24, 1966

[ JUMP ] to the article.

Calling himself "The Geator with the Heater," Blavat began broadcasting regularly, first from WCAM (1310 AM) and later from WHAT (1340 AM) in Philadelphia. By 1963 his show was also heard in Atlantic City and Trenton, while off the air his "record hops" attracted thousands every week to venues like Wagner's Ballroom and the Chez-Vous.

Hear the Geator, circa 1966, introducing his Guess What? LP record.
[ LISTEN ] (Realaudio)

In 1966 Jerry returned to WCAM while hosting TV's Discophonic Scene, which increasingly occupied him through the late sixties. In April 1972 he became one of the first on-air personalities on oldies WCAU-FM (today's WOGL), doing a Sunday night show from 7 to 10. In the mid-seventies he was heard on WFIL (560AM) on occasions like New Year's Eve. He returned there as a regular in the fall of 1983, hosting Sunday nights and weeknights Monday through Thursday, when WFIL returned as "Famous 56" (after a disastrous experiment as a country station). About 1987 Jerry moved to "Philly Gold Radio" WPGR (1540AM), which became "Geator Gold Radio" in April 1992.

WCAU-FM 1972

Following the demise of WPGR in 1995, Jerry brought Geator Gold Radio to WSSJ (1310) in Camden, then in January 1999 to WNJC (1360) after 'SSJ changed to a Spanish-language format. In the mid '90s the Geator Gold network also included WTTM (then 920 AM) in Trenton and WQVL (1600 AM) in Dover, Delaware, serving Cape May County, NJ.

WPGR PHILADELPHIA

February 15, 1993
[ LISTEN ] (9:30)

Through the years Jerry has continued (as of 2019) his club appearances around the Philadelphia area. He appears at his own club, Memories, in Margate, NJ, every weekend during the summer.

The wildest aspects of his patter and performance have mellowed since the early days of the Chez Vous and Wagners, but they retain the distinctive Geator character.

Still rockin'

Jerry Blavat was one of the radio greats honored by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in April, 1998.

WHERE DID JERRY WORK? Here is the list: WCAM 1961, WHAT 1962, WCAM 1966, WCAU 1972, WFIL 1983, WPGR 1987, WSSJ 1995, and WNJC 1999.

Some materials found on this page were originally published by the following: Rock Radio Scrapbook, Ellis Feaster.

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Bobby Ocean

Bobby Ocean was the one constant in a sea of jock changes at KHJ between 1975 and 1980. Having come from KFRC in San Francisco, his first appearance on the survey was in May 1975. He worked the Noon - 3PM shift until 1979 when he moved into the afternoon drive slot. His final appearance on the survey came in January 1980.

KYNO

as Johnny Scott

Bobby at KCBQ in San Diego on May 26, 1971. [ LISTEN ] (10:19)

This is fairly early in Bobby Ocean’s career, before he went on to stardom at KFRC San Francisco, and all the talent is there...

...and this one finds Bobby at KGB on April 12, 1972. [ LISTEN ] (28:21).

Bobby as Johnny Scott at KYNO

At KHJ in the late 1970s, the music, especially during Bobby Ocean’s show, was mostly slow, Adult Contemporary fare – although that format name didn’t yet actually exist. Osh is… well, himself. Perfect timing, that voice smooth as glass, but something wa missing. Perhaps the indicator of how dreadfully boring KHJ became under this ‘new format’ is exposed in how they presented their station I.D. Just a singular, “KHJ” was spoken. Nothing else, no song intro. No jingles, either. Nothing.

Bobby Ocean (& John Sebastian), “Position 93” at KHJ in Los Angeles on April 14, 1978. [ LISTEN ] (16:14)

So much has been written all over the web and this site about the possible reasons why KHJ removed the personality approach and went to less talk, more music. And still, we have few concrete answers. Its easy to look back and come up with reasons in our own mind, but then, we’re reminded that the programmers at RKO General didn’t have the benefit of over thirty years of history to look back and make an informed decision. In 1978, there was stiff competition from no less than three other AM stations, notably the one station with the most momentum at the time, 1020 KTNQ.

Mucho Morales and Bobby Ocean, at KHJ in December, 1978. [ LISTEN ]

Deejay Morales starts things off, and Bobby comes in about halfway through this 8-minute scoped aircheck.

Ten-Q had The Real Don Steele, Machine Gun Kelly and others, an exciting, rapid format and plenty of personality. KMPC had the older audience.

KFI was Top 40 and just sitting there, waiting to pounce. But KHJ still had Bobby Ocean, and many others, echoing over the airwaves. But KHJ's heydays were winding down.

Bobby Ocean's Career Timeline: WDLP, Panama City, FL; 1963: Position - DJ, mid day; name used - Ray Farrell. KMBY, Monterey, CA; 1963 - 1965: As night jock using the name, "Radio Ray" Farrell. KKIS, Pittsburg, CA, from approx 1965 to 1967: Mornings, mid day, as "Captain Turntable."

PHOTO LEFT: Bobby with Shaune Steele, (The Real Don Steele's much better half.)

First Drake-consulted station: KYNO, in Fresno. CA: as 1968 began. He was sent "to school," as Mr. Drake referred to KYNO; as night jock, Johnny Scott. Next, KGB, in San Diego, CA: he worked there twice begining in 1968, returning in Fall of '73. He used the name Bobby Ocean and assumed Production and Image duties. KCBQ, San Diego (Santee, CA): The other station he worked while down south. 1971, for a halk a year, during which time we soared to number one ratings. In addition to mid-day DJ duties as Bobby Ocean, he was in charge of station Image.

KFRC: Bobby sitting in with Dr. Don 1986

KFRC, San Francisco: Bobby arrived in 1973, and worked off and on, hired and either fired or left for another offer, eight different times, through 2004.

Bobby at KFRC in San Francisco on August 8, 1986. [ LISTEN ] (1:03:03)

Its a Friday afternoon and Bobby helps close out the Top 40 era at KFRC, as he airs his final afternoon drive show.

Started as fill-in, but they put him in mid days permanently. KOIT-FM and HD-1, San Francisco; 2005-present: He's a part timer at this number-one rated light Rock station, doing all shifts - from mornings, mid days and nights to weekends.

In 2008, having stuck with his youthful choice to be an all-California jock after over 5 decades, Ocean was winding down, less DJ stuff, more voice image work - and still living in Northern California about 25 minutes north of San Francisco.

He's known as one of the few Boss Jocks that worked all four of the Golden State's Drake consulted stations (KYNO, KGB, KFRC and KHJ). Ocean formed his own Broadcast Image Voice and Production company over 30 years ago, still thriving. He has stated that he found most satisfaction as Station Spokesman, telling a station or person's story, and helping others get their act refined.

As of 2020 Bobby is still very much active and producing incredible voice work for many radio stations including Classic Hits JFRC.

Some materials found on this page were originally published by the following: Airchexx, Ellis Easter.

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Bob Dayton

Hired from WIL in St. Louis where he had worked with Dan Ingram under the air name of "Rockin' Robin Scott"...

...Bob arrived at WABC in 1963. He was known for his acerbic wit which ultimately resulted in his firing on August 6, 1965 after his "Happy Birthday Hiroshima" introduction to the Crests "16 Candles". Bob might have gotten away with that comment had not the wife of ABC Chairman Leonard Goldenson been listening while she was in her office receiving the "Hiroshima Maidens" who were ladies horribly burned in the bombing.

YOU'RE FIRED!

Needless to say, she was furious and that was it for Bob Dayton on WABC. He was fired immediately after his show that day.

Dayton awkwardly tried to defend his stunt—which had already made headlines across the country (and, no doubt, in Japan, too) by saying he was trying to alleviate the sadness of his listeners during a difficult time - an odd explanation given that his audience was made up of teenagers on summer vacation.

KBLA December 27, 1965. [ LISTEN ] (21:03)
Bob plays the Beatles, Herman's Hermits, and more.

He shifted to Los Angeles' KBLA. Bob later returned to New York and worked at two New York radio stations; WPIX-FM and WCBS-FM. In an ironic twist, Bob was supposed to be part of ABC's "SuperRadio" satellite format which was initiated by Rick Sklar (who, along with General Manager Wally Schwartz, was forced to fire Bob from WABC).

WPIX-FM July 27 1972

SuperRadio never debuted so, unfortunately, Bob was never reunited with his old WABC boss. Bob Dayton passed away on April 28, 1995.

Bob at 101.1 WCBS-FM, New York in 1978 [ LISTEN ] (5:42) playing the great songs from the 50s, 60s and 70s.

WHERE DID BOB WORK? Here is the list: KLIF, KBOX, WIL, WABC, KBLA, KRLA, WPIX, WCBS, WGBB, ABC Super Radio, and WGLI.

Some materials found on this page were originally published by the following: Airchexx, Rock Radio Scrapbook.

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