It was Canadian, but sounded American - and folks on both sides of the border loved it. CKLW, the Big 8, was one of the most influential and popular Top 40 stations for both Canada and the U.S. at the same time. It was the BIG 8 !
After RKO General took over the station and its FM sister (93.9) in 1963, CKLW began to shed the variety-format approach and, as "Radio Eight-Oh", began focusing more aggressively on playing contemporary hits and issuing a record survey. Davies, Knowles, Dave Shafer, Tom Clay, Tom Shannon, Larry Morrow (as "Duke Windsor"), Terry Knight, and Don Zee were among the "Radio Eight-Oh" personalities during this time.
The station did well thanks to its huge signal, and beat the local competition in Cleveland, Ohio, though in the local Detroit ratings CKLW still lagged well behind competing hit outlet WKNR.
However, on April 4, 1967, CKLW got a drastic makeover with Bill Drake's "Boss Radio" format. Initially known as "Radio 8" with PAMS jingles, within a few months the station's final transformation into "The Big 8," with new jingles sung by the Johnny Mann Singers, was complete, and the station was on a rapid ratings upswing. In July 1967, CKLW claimed the number one spot in the Detroit ratings for the first time, and WKNR was left in the dust, switching to an easy listening format as WNIC less than five years later.
However, on April 4, 1967, CKLW got a drastic makeover with Bill Drake's "Boss Radio" format. Initially known as "Radio 8" with PAMS jingles, within a few months the station's final transformation into "The Big 8," with new jingles sung by the Johnny Mann Singers, was complete, and the station was on a rapid ratings upswing. In July 1967, CKLW claimed the number one spot in the Detroit ratings for the first time, and WKNR was left in the dust, switching to an easy listening format as WNIC less than five years later.
In addition to Dave Shafer and Tom Shannon, the lone holdouts from the "Radio Eight Oh" era, "Big 8" personalities during the late 1960s and through the mid-1970s included Gary "Morning Mouth" Burbank, "Big" Jim Edwards, "Brother" Bill Gable, Pat Holiday, Steve Hunter, "Super" Max Kinkel, Walt "Baby" Love, Charlie O'Brien, and Scott Regen.
Also, Ted "The Bear" Richards, Mike Rivers, Duke Roberts, Charlie Van Dyke, Johnny Williams, and newsmen Randall Carlisle, Grant Hudson, Byron MacGregor (who had a three and a half million-selling #1 hit single with his recording of Gordon Sinclair's commentary "The Americans" in 1973), and Dick Smyth.
Van DykeThe date is May 26, 1969. The station is CKLW. And the jock behind the mic is Charlie Van Dyke. [ LISTEN ] (34:11)
Includes Rhythm Of The Rain by Gary Lewis And The Playboys, It's In Your Power by Joe Odom, Every Day With You, Girl by Classics IV, Put Your Head On My Shoulder by Paul Anka, and more.
The station had behind the scenes talent too. Like Rosalie Trombley, who ascended to music director in 1968 after working as the station's music librarian for five years and became famous for her apparent hit record-spotting abilities.
Trombley consciously made an effort to choose the right R&B and soul songs (especially Motown product) to create a station that would appeal equally to black and white listeners.
RiversTom Rivers in for Johnny Williams on August 29, 1971 [ LISTEN ] (30:20)
The playlist includes It's Not Unusual by Tom Jones, Magic Bus, Uncle Albert, Bare Footin', The Story In Your Eyes by The Moody Blues, and more...
PAT ST. JOHN | November, 1969 | [ LISTEN ]
A native of Detroit, St. John started in Top 40 radio literally at the top, at the Big 8 CKLW in 1969. St. John left CKLW in 1971 for a one-year stint at Detroit rival WKNR, then moved on to Motown FM rocker WRIF for another year. He began a 14-year stay at New York's WPLJ in 1973, before moving over to WNEW-FM for 11 years until 1998.
A native of Detroit, St. John started in Top 40 radio literally at the top, at the Big 8 CKLW in 1969. St. John left CKLW in 1971 for a one-year stint at Detroit rival WKNR, then moved on to Motown FM rocker WRIF for another year. He began a 14-year stay at New York's WPLJ in 1973, before moving over to WNEW-FM for 11 years until 1998.
As a result, CKLW was sometimes referred to as "the blackest white station in America", and many believe the integrated music mix helped bring Detroiters closer together in racial harmony, especially after the riots of July 1967. The "Rosalie Trombley Award" honors women who have made their mark in broadcasting.
The Windsor-based station maintained a sales office in the Detroit suburb of Southfield, Michigan, where it picked up numerous sponsors for U.S. consumer products, some of which had to use the disclaimer and live announcer end-tag "Not available in Ontario".
Helicopter traffic reporter Jo Jo Shutty c.1971
Another female employee of CKLW who helped break down gender barriers was reporter Jo-Jo Shutty-MacGregor (the wife of Byron MacGregor), the first female helicopter traffic/news reporter in North America. Possibly the best known sponsor on the station was Merollis Chevrolet, known for its comedic 30-second spots and the campy Al Jolson-styled jingle "Gene Merollis what a great great guy!"
[ LISTEN ] to a 1967 commercial for Merollis Chevrolet.
LOOK! It's Mike Kelly playing the hits on Saturday, February 17, 1973. [ LISTEN ] (1:19:59)
Another feature of the "Big 8" was its "20/20 News", so called because it was delivered at 20 minutes after the hour and 20 minutes before the hour - scheduling that allowed CKLW to be playing music while other stations were airing newscasts at the top of the hour or on the quarter-hour.
12 consecutive hours on-the-air from Friday June 29, 1973 featuring various CKLW jocks. [ LISTEN ] and another 12 straight hours of programming on December 31, 1973. [ LISTEN ]
The CKLW newscasters - including Byron MacGregor, Jon Belmont (later ABC), Bob Losure (CNN), Dick Smyth (who would later become the first newscast voice heard on Canada's first all-news station, Toronto's CFTR, in 1993), Grant Hudson, Joe Donovan (sports), Mark Dailey (CityNews), Randall Carlisle, Keith Radford, and Lee Marshall — delivered imagery-laden news stories in a rapid-fire, excited manner.
This was an attempt to make the news sound as exciting and gripping as the music. The "blood and guts" style began with Byron MacGregor's promotion to news director (replacing Smyth) in 1969. Another memorable feature of the 20/20 newscasts was the incessant clacking of the teletype in the background, which gave the newscasts a unique sound.
Johnny Williams (not to be confused with the KHJ jock of the same name) was a Michigan radio mainstay. Here's Johnny on October 22, 1968. [ LISTEN ] (49:53)
Frank Brodie, September 17, 1969. Part [ 1 ] (30:11) & [ 2 ] (27:35)
Dave Shafer on CKLW in Windsor, Ontario July 7, 1965 [ LISTEN ] (29:34) and again on June 7, 1967. [ LISTEN ] (39:34)
While it had already been playing hit music, CKLW really rose to the fore when it adopted the Drake format as the Big 8 in April 1967. Paul Drew came up from WQXI Atlanta to assume the reins of program director. He was a perfect choice being both a Michigan native and former neighbour of Bill Drake in Georgia.
For next decade-and-a-half - under Drew and other PDs like Ted Atkins and Alden Diehl - CKLW ruled as one of Canada's most listened to radio stations. The format was clean, mean and streamlined. Everything about it was tight and a bit raunchy, including the news. Among the leading personalities to grace the airwaves there were Tom Shannon, Dave Shafer, Charlie Van Dyke, Frank Brodie, Terry Knight, Walt "Baby" Love, Bill Gable, Tom Rivers, Ted Richards, Scott Regen, Gary Burbank, Charlie O'Brien, Dick Purtan, Gary Burbank, Byron McGregor and Dick Smyth. It was an unforgettable era.
CKLW began tightening its format in the spring of 1967, but it wasn't the Big 8 yet. It was called "Fun Radio" then and many of the Drake-style elements were in play, including less jock talk, more rock and a smoother, tighter, less-cluttered sound. In mid-July, CKLW changed its branding to "The Big 8" and the Drake era officially began. Epochal ratings would follow.
(Front to back): "Fast Eddie" Russell, Gary Hart, Daryl B., Steve Hunter, Frank Brodie, Duke Roberts, and in the back is Big Jim Edwards.
Dave Shafer was a mainstay at CKLW, working at the station on-and-off for some 30 years. He also had the rare privilege of deejaying on 'CK in both the pre-Big 8 and Big 8 days.
Shafer arrived in Detroit radio in 1961 after previous stops in Dover, Delaware, and Tucson, Arizona. His first Motown gig was record librarian at WJBK. But by the fall of '61, Shafer was the nighttime jock at WJBK as Jack the Bellboy. His mixture of comedy, drop-ins, voices and on-air friendliness helped make his show a smash hit. He also became known for his fabulous record hops, which featured future superstars Stevie Wonder, theSupremes and Martha and The Vandellas.
DJs are presenting the Keener "WORDS" Contest in 1970. [ LISTEN ] (12:00)
The prize was $1,000 dollars and the opportunity for the winner to have his/her words put to music and recorded by a Motown great. The winner ended up having her words put to music with the Funk Brothers and Stevie Wonder.
December 30, 1968
[ LISTEN ] (47:29)
PAT HOLIDAY
PAT ST. JOHN
TED RICHARDS
MIKE RIVERS
STEVE HUNTER
[ LISTEN ] (31:37)
Tom Shannon got his start in broadcasting at the dawn of the rock era, in 1955. His first station was Buffalo's WXRA (later WUFO), but his big break came in 1957 when he was hired by 50,000-watt WKBW. One can just imagine the thrill working alongside rock 'n' roll radio greats like Hound Dog Lorenz, Perry Allen, Russ Syracuse, Art Roberts, Dick Biondi and Jay Nelson. But 'KB was just the beginning for Shannon.
After a short stint at Buffalo's WGR in 1963, Shannon moved to Detroit - a city he would be identified with as much as Buffalo. His first stop was CKLW, where he established himself as one of the Detroit area's top night-time jocks during his five-year stay (1964-1969). He also did a morning show at WXYZ-TV in Detroit.
In 1969, Shannon moved to WXYZ radio in Detroit, then in 1972 it was on to Denver for TV work at KWGN-TV and radio at KHOW and KLZ. Shannon returned to 'CK in 1975, moving across the river to WTWR Detroit in 1980. He was back in Buffalo in 1982, with his "Pure Gold" midday show on WKBW.
In 1969, Shannon moved to WXYZ radio in Detroit, then in 1972 it was on to Denver for TV work at KWGN-TV and radio at KHOW and KLZ. Shannon returned to 'CK in 1975, moving across the river to WTWR Detroit in 1980. He was back in Buffalo in 1982, with his "Pure Gold" midday show on WKBW.
Ted RichardsReturning to Detroit in 1986 at WMJC, Shannon came back to Buffalo for a brief stay as WGR's morning man in 1988. But in 1989, he was back in Windsor-Detroit at CKLW-FM.
BurbankThe date is April 23, 1975 and Gary Burbank is on the air. [ LISTEN ] (1:02:30)
BILL DRAKE. The producer, the voice behind the landmark rockumentary, ‘The History of Rock & Roll.’ 1969.CKLW presented ‘The History Of Rock & Roll‘ in 1969. This seminal, historic rockumentary comprised of 48 hours of programming from start to finish. Covering the first and second generation of rock, the program traced the early roots of rock ‘n’ roll from its origins in the early ’50s, of its influence impacting the hits of the ’60s.
For four days, CKLW aired the program in 12-hour blocks, 12 noon to 12 midnight, beginning Sunday, February 28 through Wednesday, March 3, 1969.
For four days, CKLW aired the program in 12-hour blocks, 12 noon to 12 midnight, beginning Sunday, February 28 through Wednesday, March 3, 1969.
From the smooth "World famous Pat Holiday". Highlights are "The Morning After" by Maureen McGovern, "Uneasy Rider" by Charlie Daniels, the fun "Bongo Rock" by the Incredible Bongo Band, "Saturday Nights alright for Fighting" by Elton John.
And a song that Rosalie Trombley helped break nationwide, "Daddy don't you walk so Fast" by Wayne Newton. She had her reasons. Also, Clint Holmes with his hit "Playground in my Mind".
And a song that Rosalie Trombley helped break nationwide, "Daddy don't you walk so Fast" by Wayne Newton. She had her reasons. Also, Clint Holmes with his hit "Playground in my Mind".
CKLW DJ STAFF ON 50TH ANNIVERSARY, 1982: Johnny Williams (10 am – 2 pm) Jack London (2 pm – 6 pm) Joe Evans (swing) Charlie O’Brien (10 pm – 2 am) Ted Richards (6 pm – 10 pm) Scott Miller (2 am – 6 am) Doug Rollins (weekends) and sitting Dick Purtan and Tom Ryan (6 am – 10 am).
The "Big 8" was finally laid to rest on January 1, 1985, and the station soon dropped stereo since most of the big-band and Jazz standards music in its new format was in mono anyway. CKLW's FM sister adopted a beautiful music format with the callsign CKEZ. Briefly, it attempted to resurrect the glory years of the "Big 8" by playing oldies and the jingles from the AM legend's peak years in the late 1960s.
Ratings improved dramatically, as the station shot back into the Top 10, although the demographics of the station's audience were now substantially older. Longtime CKLW jock and Detroit radio veteran Dave Shafer was the K-800 program director during this time.
WHO WORKED AT CKLW? Here is the list: Jim Brady, Chuck Browning, Jerry Butler, Charlie Fox, Lee Gillette, J.J. Jackson, Mike Kelly, Billy Mack, Lee Marshall, Hal Martin, Scott Miller, "Cosmic" Bob Moody, Charlie O'Brien, Jim O'Brien, Dave Prince (David L.), Dick Purtan, Scott Regen, Dusty Rhodes, Ted "The Bear" Richards, Tom Rivers, Duke Roberts, Eddie Rogers, Dean Scott, SJB III, Mike Shannon, Tommy Shannon, Pat St. John, Bob Todd, Charlie Van Dyke, Todd Wallace and Bill Winters
Some materials found on this page were originally published by the following: Motor City Radio Flashbacks, Rock Radio Scrapbook, Videoholic.
