Jerry Goodwin

Jerry Goodwin began his 40-year span broadcasting in radio, beginning in 1959, as Sam Hill in Amarillo, Texas on KFDA-AM. By 1961, Jerry moved over to Dallas’ own KBOX doing evening-drive under a new name while there, as Danny Preston.

But by 1962, it was on to Florida. Jerry found his place in the Sunshine State with the legendary WQAM-AM, the Storer Broadcasting-owned affiliate in Miami. By February 2, 1963, Jerry Goodwin was doing noon to 3 on the famous AM-560 and within three weeks time, he became the new morning man (6-9 a.m. time), replacing Charlie Murdock for that spot on February 23, 1963.

During that time, Jerry Goodwin found himself in good company with some of the greatest 560 voices while there, some very familiar — Ted Clark, 9-12; Bob Green, 12-3; Charlie Murdock, 3-6; Tom Campbell, 6-10; Jim Dunlap; 1-6 a.m.

But by mid-November in 1963, Jerry was no longer at WQAM. By then, Goodwin, along with WQAM’s Bob Green, had made the switch going north to Detroit on “the new Keener 13.”

From late 1963 through the early part of ’68, Jerry Goodwin rode the entire radio success story that was WKNR while residing in Detroit.

Jerry on the air at WKNR on August 23, 1966. [ LISTEN ] (13:39)

"People who live in glass houses, shouldn't get stoned." This aircheck features loads of jingles, scoped news, commercials, and records by artists including The Four Seasons, Lee Dorsey, The Association, Love, Alvin Cash & The Registers, Nino Tempo & April Stevens, ? and the Mysterians, Johnny Rivers, Jimmy Ruffin, and more. Also includes a nice Danny Thomas public service announcement for the St. Jude's Children Hospital campaign.

But by early 1967, the market was beginning to see some drastic changes across the Detroit radio landscape. The advent of FM radio was on the rise, coupled with the fact there was a new radio station, CKLW, which was starting to dominate the Detroit airways with its massive 50,000-watts of transmitted-power located

By the end of 1967 WKNR dropped in ratings at No. 2 radio for the very first time. Along with it’s deficient night-time signal, it was by then the station was beginning to lose of their appeal, no longer retainer of the largest audience share WKNR once had embraced in the market the year prior when the station was still hot on top at No. 1. By April 1968 more changes became evident at WKNR-AM, both in staff and the management level. By that time ‘The Miami Four’ Bob Green, Ted Clark, Scott Regen (from WFUN in Miami) and Jerry Goodwin were no longer on board on AM Keener 13.

As WKNR-FM began experimenting with an album-rock format in 1968, Jerry Goodwin would instead take to the new “underground” movement in radio by crossing over to the WKNR FM side. At the time, WKNR-FM music director Paul Cannon decided they would compete going against WABX-FM. But the station’s “free-form” run would be entirely short-lived. As changes were on-going at WKNR both on the AM and FM sides, the “album-rock” format was soon dropped on 100.3 FM. It was replaced with an “easy-listening,” MOR music format the station dubbed as “Stereo Island.”

Jerry Goodwin at WABX in Detroit on March 28, 1969. [ LISTEN ] (14:25)

By year’s end 1969, and no longer at WKNR-FM, Jerry found himself with a new home with “album rocker” WABX-FM in Detroit. He was given the 7-11 a.m. time slot and, immediately found his niche there with the station both in popularity and with management personnel. In May 1971, Tim Powell, music director at WABX, had left the station for KLOS in Los Angeles. With that move, Jerry Goodwin, who was chief of creative productions for the station, became the new music director at ‘ABX up until 1972, when thereafter he would leave WABX for his next venture in radio, this time it was on to Toledo’s WIOT-FM. Historically, WIOT became Toledo’s first FM rock station. According to various sources, it went on the air on December 25, 1972.

By early 1973, and having left WABX the previous year, Jerry had moved his family to Onsted, MI., a small township located just outside of Adrian. At the time, WCAR-AM in Detroit was still doing top 40 radio. Jerry Goodwin was hired at WCAR, though briefly, by Paul Christy as a ‘filler’ deejay for the station — a relief man. WCAR luminaries Dave Prince and Dave Shafer were also there, as well as Jim Harper, Kevin Sanderson and Tom Ingram. While at WIOT and while briefly at WCAR, Jerry went on to complete his academics by enrolling at Siena Heights College (today it is a university), where he graduated cum laude in 1974.

In the WKNR studio.

Later that same year, in late 1974, Goodwin was back in the Motor City. He was hired by station program director Paul Christy once again, but this time on WWWW-FM.

WWWW was a progressive rock station with a unique format, with program emphasis on rock-oriented LP stop-sets they would play (albums in their entirety) during the evenings — well into the all-night hours. All during the time he was at WWWW, Jerry attended the University of Detroit. By 1975, within a year’s time there, he would graduate from the university with honors earning his Masters.

After a brief stay on W4 in Detroit, it was back east in 1976 to his hometown in Boston, where he would do PhD. work at Boston University. It was also during this time Jerry Goodwin would find himself back in radio, one more time, on WCOZ. He would remain in broadcasting in the Boston area for the remainder of his illustrious radio career while there. Stops would include Boston’s WBCN (as the Duke of Madness) from 1979-1982, WCGY (as the Duke of Madness) in 1985, and then it was off to Boston’s WROL from 1994 through 1999, thus capping off a very successful 40-year span in the radio business.

While doing radio in Boston, Jerry Goodwin was teaching radio courses and television performances at the Northeast School of Broadcasting where he taught for 20 years, until 2008. Today, the very same institution where Jerry had taught courses in the arts, the school has since evolved into an accredited four-year college course as the New England Institute of Arts.

At WQAM in 1963.

Retired from radio since 1999, Jerry Goodwin today invests quality time in the art of theater, film and television. He is an award-winning actor in the New England area, and is a registered member of the New England Actors Guild.

Demand for his professional “voice over” production work has earned him such clients as Perrier, American Airlines and Goodyear, to name a few, and he also “characterized” his voice-talents with multiple commercial CD-ROM game productions as well.

(As of this writing), Jerry Goodwin enjoys the comforts of home in Boston with his family. He is the proud grandfather, “of two amazingly beautiful grand-daughters, Jesse and Mimi Goodwin,” daughters of his son Jason Goodwin.

WHERE DID JERRY WORK? Here is the list: KFDA as Sam Hill, KBOX as Danny Preston, WQAM, WKNR, WKNR-FM, WABX, WIOT, WWWW, WCOZ, WBCN and WCGY as The Duke of Madness, and WROL.

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