Frankie Crocker

Crocker began his career in Buffalo at the AM Soul powerhouse WUFO before moving to Manhattan, where he first worked for Soul station WWRL and later top-40 WMCA in 1969.

Frankie at WMCA on August 6, 1969. [ LISTEN ] (21:34)

Crocker's on-air passion for the music was only matched by his flamboyance off it. He drove fast cars and wore his hair long. But the core of his life was music and radio...

He then worked for WBLS-FM as program director, taking that station to the top of the ratings during the late 1970s and pioneering the radio format now known as urban contemporary. He sometimes called himself the "Chief Rocker", and he was as well known for his boastful on-air patter as for his off-air flamboyance. Crocker’s format emphasized less jive talk, a cross blend of jazz, pop/rock, sophisticated soul, funk, and R&B. The sound is similar to late '90's jazz stations.

When Studio 54 was at the height of its popularity, Crocker rode in through the front entrance on a white stallion. In the studio, before he left for the day, Crocker would light a candle and invite female listeners to enjoy a candlelight bath with him. He signed off the air each night to the tune "Moody's Mood For Love" by vocalese crooner King Pleasure. Crocker, a native of Buffalo, coined the phrase "urban contemporary" in the 1970s, a label for the eclectic mix of songs that he played.

WMCA, Fast Frankie c.1970

He’d been the program director at WWRL-AM and felt held back by what he considered to be the narrow perspective of the station. Back then New York political and media don, Percy Sutton, had control of two soul stations on the dial, WLIB-AM, and WLIB-FM. The latter eventually became WBLS-FM 107.5, the call letters where Frankie changed the way people listened to the music played by black artists forever. He was not just breaking records but educating and breaking movements. WBLS was first to play all the soul music coming out of England. First station to play Soul II Soul, Loose Ends, Five Star, Level 42, Junior, Heaven 17, and Mica Paris to name a few.

THE CHIEF ROCKER:

FRANKIE CROCKER

The baddest man to ever dawn a pair of headphones. He captivated New York City in the 70’s & 80’s with his charm, whit and slickness.

He was PD at WBLS, MC’d shows at the Apollo Theater, was one of the first VJ’s at VH1, appeared in several movies, promoted concerts at Madison Square Garden and more.

If Frankie Crocker wasn’t on your radio, your radio wasn’t really on.

TOP TO BOTTOM: Frankie with Smokey Robinson, Bob Marley, Disco Queen Donner Summer, and Shaka Khan. Also Frankie's Disco LPs released in 1977 on Casablanca Records.

The station broke Blondie, Madonna, Shannon, D Train, all Arthur Baker records, The System, Colonel Abrams, Alicia Myers and supermodel Grace Jones. He made, “Love is the Message” by MSFB NYC’s unofficial anthem on the radio. WBLS airplay made “Ain’t No Stoppin Us Now” by McFadden and Whitehead a favorite cookout, church, wedding and graduation song.

The Frankie Crocker show made “Set It Off” by Strafe a club classic that people still play to this day. "The Magnificent Seven" by the Clash became a hot song in the Black Community. He gave America exposure to an obscure genre called "Reggae" and a little known Jamaican rocker named Bob Marley. Fatback Band frontman Bill Curtis credited Crocker with breaking the group in New York.

Friday afternoons in the city when the weather was warm and you could hear Frankie coming from every car, cab, UPS truck, or any boom-box that urbanites had set up while they worked getting pumped up for the weekend activities. If it was a cookout or in just the park, Frankie Crocker would set you straight. It was Urban Contemporary and it was the vibe of the city.

In addition to radio, Crocker was the master of ceremonies of shows at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, and was one of VH1’s original VJs, along with hosting both NBC’s Friday Night Videos and Solid Gold. As his formidable reputation grew, Crocker was offered different opportunities. He appeared in the movies

Cleopatra Jones, Five on the Black Hand Side, Darktown Strutters, Jimi Hendrix, Death Drug, Taking Heat and Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo.

He is credited with introducing as many as 30 new artists to the mainstream, including Manu Dibango's "Soul Makossa" to American audiences. While both Gary Byrd and Herb Hamlett were influenced by Crocker, it is only Hamlett who always attributes his success to his mentor in Buffalo, Frankie Crocker.

He released two disco albums on Casablanca Records as Frankie Crocker’s Heart and Soul Orchestra — The Heart and Soul Orchestra, Love in C Minor, and Disco Suite Symphony No. 1 in Rhythm and Excellence.

Later he hosted his own syndicated radio show, Classic Soul Countdown. The Intro on the Ike & Tina Turner Heart and Soul series was done by DJ Frankie Crocker and MC Eddie Burkes.

Frankie is captured at the "scene."

In the late 1970s, the Dead Road (located to the west of the Central Park Bandshell) became the venue for spontaneous disco roller dancing. To this day, the locale draws large weekend crowds, including many foreign tourists eager to see the latest moves of hip New Yorkers.

This aircheck was labeled April 14, 1977, but judging from the movie ads and the released date of the Isaac Hayes album, it's believed that this contains various segments from May 1973 and August 29, 1974.

[ LISTEN ] (41:25)

The first part of the aircheck contains the great Frankie, who had also appeared on WWRL, WLIB and WMCA. Crocker became program director of WBLS-FM and for a time, it was the number one station in New York City. He also takes credit for coining the phrase "Urban Contemporary", a term used in radio broadcasting to this day, although when Crocker used the term meant to describe an eclectic mix of music appealing to urban residents.

At WBLS in the late 1970's.

Crocker was indicted in a 1976 payola investigation; he was convicted of lying about taking cash and drugs.

The station dropped him, and he moved to L.A., returning to school. The conviction was later overturned, but his notoriety and high life at his mansion had its downturns. He was charged in 1983 with hitting a girlfriend, Penthouse Pet Carmela Pope, but the charges were later dropped.

Air-checks of the 'Chief Rocker'

He also was mentioned as a paramour of, and suspect in the murder of, young Hollywood starlet Christa Helm. He suggested in the mid-'90s that his profile often made him a target. But, he said, he never lost confidence in himself, even when others called it arrogance. "If you mean do I know how good I am," he said in 1995, "I do. I know my value." After the payola charges were overturned he returned to New York radio in 1979, at the end of the disco era.

In October 2000, Crocker went into a Miami area hospital for several weeks. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and kept the illness a secret from his friends and even from his mother. He died on Saturday, October 21, 2000. His friend and former boss Bob Law, a onetime program director of WWRL, said Crocker understood how radio could go beyond music to reflect listeners' lives and culture. "He encompassed all of the urban sophistication," Law said in a NY Daily News article: "He appreciated the culture, the whole urban experience, and he wove it together.

Frankie was inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2002, and the New York State Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in 2005.

Some materials found on this page were originally published by the following: Museum of Uncut Funk, New York Radio Archive.

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Gary McKee

Gary Lee McKee, an Oklahoma native, discovered radio at the age of 16. Hearing a friend working on the local radio station, he decided to audition for a position. He failed.

However, Gary persisted in “hanging around,” since the owner/manager of this station was a family friend and conceded his request to “do anything” to learn this fascinating craft. One year later, almost to the day, he was hired!

Gary worked his way through Eastern Illinois University College, graduating with a BS in Business Management in 1968. Living in central Illinois afforded him the opportunity to hear the great jocks on WLS and WCFL in Chicago and KXOK in St. Louis.

Gary was inspired by his heroes on those legendary stations: Larry Lujack, Clarke Weber, Ron Britian and Ray Otis. Upon graduation, he was re-classified 1A in the draft and selected for service in the Army. After his term of duty, including a tour in Vietnam, Gary received a call from John Patton, a program director for whom he had worked in his first radio job. Patton asked if he wanted to join the staff at WKRC radio in Cincinnati, Ohio. Gary left immediately and started, as most rookie DJ’s do, on the all-night shift. In two weeks he was switched to the afternoon-drive shift. A friend told him about a morning opening at WQXI and he moved to Atlanta in September 1971.

Gary is working the turntable at WQXI in September, 1973. [ LISTEN] and another aircheck from WQXI c.1973 [ LISTEN ] John Leader also appears. The History of Bubblegum Weekend (50:48)

In August of 1974, WQXI General Manager, Jerry Blum, realized that Atlanta metro had grown so big that WQXI’s signal couldn’t cover it all. What better way to improve on the limited signal coverage of WQXI AM than to simulcast the Gary McKee Morning Show on both the AM and FM. Yetta Levitt was hired to be morning news anchor. Willis the Guard was placed on the show full time and WQXI’s morning ratings exploded to number one and remained at the top for eighteen years.

Gary went on to work at WSB AM and FM as well as WZGC before retiring in 1999.

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Rick Shaw

Rick Shaw was born James Harold Hummell III on October 24, 1938 in East St. Louis, Illinois.

WCKR 1962

He started in radio as a high school senior. In 1956, he got his first job in St. Louis. He followed that with gigs in Omaha, Denver and then WCKR in Miami in 1960. He started to build a following. And he became famous for wacky DJ promotional stunts. WCKR is also where the station manager tagged him with a new on-air name.

Shaw segued to Top 40 WQAM in 1963, where Tiger Radio’s air talent also included local legends like Charlie Murdock (afternoon guy after school), Jim Dunlap (daytimes and program director during much of the ’60s heyday) and a couple years later Roby Yonge (“The Big Kahuna,” who went on to even greater fame in New York City).

Rick and his wife Gigi 1964

WQAM airchecks 1962-1966

Shaw's job was brutal !

In 1964 Shaw had listeners tuning in to what he’d often call “The Ricky-Ticky Show” on WQAM from 7-11 each night, and a few years later from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., where he recorded a record-shattering 54 share — more than all the other local stations combined.

It wasn’t just because Shaw played the most popular hits. What endeared Shaw to young Miami audiences were the hits PLUS his one-liners, wacky soundbites - like the Lone Ranger and Tonto from the TV series: “Could mean trouble, Tonto!” “That right, Kimosabe!” - and his riffs on obnoxious spots, all delivered at a blistering pace, pumped up by tons of reverb and echo, and broadcast to listeners through WQAM’s “framistan” at 5,000 watts.

Later inn 1964, at WQAM, Shaw was the first radio disc jockey in South Florida to play Beatles songs. He met them later that year in Jacksonville.

Shaw was just in his mid-to-late 20s then – old enough to be a heroic figure to junior high school and high school kids.

Shaw’s show-opening jingle ended with the singers chirping, in ascending tones: “Wonderful…W-Q-A-M!” And as that rang out he would yell “SWINGS!” from inside his “echo chamber,” then launch into introducing the evening’s first record. Over time, “SWINGS!” morphed into “Suuuu-WOP!”

All genders, even some parents, dug the music. Shaw and his entourage were a constant presence at high school events like pep rallies and football games.

Shaw had a bunch of high school kids, (mostly girls), from all over Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, interning with him at WQAM. They’d answer phones for the nightly Top 10 survey, and screen callers with special requests from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

During the last hour, Shaw would count down the Top 10 requests, which usually reflected the Fabulous 56, but at times leaned heavily toward Beatles and Stones.

“Boys”

There was one stretch where The Beatles’ version of “Boys” with Ringo singing lead was the No. 1 song for months, because all the girls taking the calls were Beatlemaniacs and stuffed the ballots, no doubt. At that point, you could tune in about 10:45 and always hear “Boys.”

“Goodnight My Love”

Whatever the night’s fave, it segued into Shaw’s signature sign-off song, teen idol crooner Ray Peterson’s 1959 single version of “Good Night, My Love” which got all the high school girls squishy!

Shaw’s brand soon extended beyond radio to print; he wrote columns in local teen-targeted music papers and hawked Stridex acne cream in print and on the radio.

Rick is on WQAM and rocking the holiday season on December 20, 1967. [ LISTEN ] (24:07)

WQAM has a jingle for nearly everything. Since this is just days away from Christmas, there are numerous WQAM Christmas jingles. Much of the holiday music heard on WQAM is of the classical/church choir style.

The Rick Shaw Show

By the mid-’60s he was also on local TV, hosting “The Rick Shaw Show” weekday mornings and “Saturday Hop” weekends on Miami’s WLBW Channel 10.

Partly inspired by Dick Clark’s “American Bandstand” and The Beatles’ “A Hard Day’s Night,” the show featured local teen cheerleaders, bikini babes and mini-skirted Mod birds, filmed on location at beaches, pools, and schools, including go-go dancing and gyrating to current hit records and behind guest performers.

Young guys had their eyes glued on the “Rick Shaw Dancers”. The girls watching picked up on the latest gear fashions and dance moves while wishing they could be on the show. Shaw’s TV show was must viewing for Miami kids while getting ready for school. It predated Clark’s similarly formatted “Where the Action Is,” which started airing in 1965.

The WQAM Tiger Team during the summer of 1968. Here's Rick on the left, Dan Chandler, Jan Kantor, Jim Dunlap in back, Ronnie Grant in front row, Johnny Knox, John Paul Roberts, and the overnight DJ Clark Moore.

In early 1968, Shaw and a few partners opened The World, a teen nightclub hidden away in a light industrial area of North Miami.

Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights, The World was the place to be for high school kids to see the hottest local bands and visiting acts.

In late 1967 or early ’68, Shaw introduced a segment of his radio show called “Ug,” short for “underground,” where he stepped away from the frenzy and played heavier, psychedelic stuff that Top 40 radio wouldn’t play.

Rick doing the Morning Show with co-host Donna Davis.

After 50 years in radio, Rick Shaw hangs up his headphones at WMXJ.

He almost single-handedly broke the group Spirit in Miami in the spring 1968. The band from L.A.’s Topanga Canyon hippie musician enclave had just released their first album. Shaw played tracks like “Fresh Garbage” and “Mechanical World” and created a huge demand for the band to come to Miami to play live. He booked Spirit for a weekend at The World, and they sold out all four shows. So he kept the group in town for six more sold-out shows through the next weekend.

When FM stations began to overtake AM stations, WAXY-FM 106, later known as WAXY 105.9 and WBGG 105.9, hired him as program director. His last on-air job before retiring in 2007 was at WMXJ-FM "Majic 102.7." He remained involved with the Majic Children's Fund.

On May 11, 2007, Shaw surprised listeners by announcing his retirement midway through a broadcast. Shaw spent his retirement doing charity work and hosting events. He video-recorded weddings. He loved ocean cruises and cars, buying a 1957 Thunderbird convertible after he retired.

SHAW TRIBUTE

In a 1996 interview with the Sun Sentinel, Shaw was modest about his successes. "I'm fortunate that the radio stations I've been associated with have been a success," he said. "I've had stability in an industry not known for stability. I've been in the right place at the right time doing the right thing."

Rick Shaw died on September 22, 2017, at his home in Cooper City, Florida.

WHERE DID RICK WORK? Here is the list: KICN, WIOD, WCKR, WQAM, WAXY, and WMXJ.

Some materials found on this page were originally published by the following: Miami Herald, Neil Rogers, YouTube, Rick Shaw Tribute, Stephen K. Peeples.

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