Wednesday, September 22, 2010

ROCK TALK DJ TRIVIA

OK rock’n’roll trivia fans, we’re gonna put you to the test this time. Rock’n‘roll wouldn’t have become as popular as it did without radio DJ’s. Back in the late 50’s, all through the 1960’s, 70’s and even well into the 1980’s the disc jockey was king. In some cities, the DJ was as popular as the artists whose records he or she spun. So, this time, 10 questions about famous DJ’s. This quiz will be limited to North American disc jockeys ONLY for the time being. Like always, score yourself 10 points for each correct answer – see how close you can come to 100%. Answers are below the final question – here we go.

1. This influential New York DJ became even more famous
when The Beatles hit big in North America. He became
friends with ‘the Boys’ and even began calling himself ‘the 5th
Beatle’. He appeared in several movies, often as himself.
His ‘Holiday Revues’ at the Brooklyn Fox theatre were
legendary and he and his listeners shared their own unique
language. He was the official leader of the ‘swingin’ soiree’.
Who was this pioneering DJ?

2. This LA DJ was as ‘real’ as they get. His fast talking, hip style
was beloved by Los Angeles radio listeners. He appeared in
many TV shows and movies, including “The Monkees”. Who
was he?

3. There are several examples of DJ’s who become recording
stars. This guy may have been one of the first. He was a ‘big’
DJ in Texas who also wrote songs for other artists. He was
killed in 1959 in a very famous plane crash. Who was this
DJ?

4. Here’s another example of a San Francisco DJ who went on
to become the leader of a very successful group in the
1960’s. He brought ‘sly’ soul to the radio, then formed the
group that went on to have nearly a dozen Top 40 hits in the
late 1960’s and ‘70’s. Three of their songs went to number
one on the Billboard charts. Who was this former DJ and
musical superstar?

5. He probably wasn’t really related to you, but this New York DJ
had a very special connection to his listeners, treating them
like family. Over the years, he worked for New York City radio
stations WINS, WABC, WNBC, WCBS-FM and later, Sirius XM
Satellite Radio, where he can still be heard today. Can you
name him?

6. This famous DJ is much better known as an actor, who had
successful roles in 2 TV series. One series co-starred two other
actors who had several hit records between them, including at least
one number one. On his biggest TV series, he played the leader
of a group of POW’s during WWII. His Hollywood morning radio
show on KNX was highly rated, but he gave up radio for TV and
never looked back. His life story was made into a movie in 2002
with Greg Kinnear playing the lead role. This former DJ has a
star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Who was he?

7. He was the very first DJ to play an Elvis Presley record.
Naturally, he worked in Memphis, Tennessee and was friends
with Sun Records President and Elvis’ producer, Sam Phillips.
In fact, a lot of people thought the two were related, although
they weren’t. Elvis’ first radio interview was with this DJ in
1954, the same night he played “That’s All Right” for the first
time. He’s been mentioned in nearly every book written about
Elvis since. Can you name this DJ?

8. This DJ first made a name for himself in Buffalo, New York, and
has worked on stations in Boston, Los Angeles, Cincinnati and
Chicago, where he can still be heard on the radio. He says he’s
been fired 23 times. His nickname is the ‘Wild I-tralian’. Who
is this pioneering fast talking, super hip, ‘wild and crazy’ DJ?

9. This famous DJ started as a child actor in Detroit radio and
eventually made it to Hollywood where he became a star on
radio, TV and in the movies. He was a programming pioneer
with his nationally syndicated weekly ‘countdown’ radio show
and became famous for his ‘long distance dedications’. He
was the voice of NBC TV for several years, has voiced
thousands of commercials and is the voice of a character on
a long running TV cartoon show about a famous dog. So,
who is this ‘Scoob-a-licious’ DJ/actor?

10. This superstar DJ is credited with coining the phrase ‘rock’n’roll’. He became famous in Cleveland, then New York and later all over the world for his love of rhythm & blues and rock. He starred in several ‘rock’n’roll’ movies in the late 1950’s. The 1978 movie, “American Hot Wax” was a fictionalized version of his life and career. Unfortunately, he became caught up in a radio related scandal and died a broken man. Who is this DJ?


ANSWERS

1. Submarine race watchers from the New York area will
remember Murray the K. Murray Kaufman was a major radio
influence from 1958 when he began at WINS New York until
well into the mid 1970’s. The language he invented and often
used on the air was called “Meusurrsay’. Murray appeared as
himself in the film, “I Want To Hold Your Hand” and played
opposite Harvey Keitel in 1975’s “That’s The Way Of The
World”. Murray died of cancer in February of 1982, not long
after celebrating his 60th birthday.

2. The Real Don Steele (Don Revert), who was actually born in
Hollywood, California was revered by not only Los Angeles
radio listeners, but also the TV and movie industry. He was
a disc jockey on LA radio stations KHJ, KIQQ, KTNQ, KRLA,
KODJ, KCBS-Fm and KRTH. Don’s TV and movie credits
include TV appearances on “The Monkees” and “Bewitched”
as well as movies such as “Death Race 2000”. His voice was
heard, as a disc jockey naturally, in the films, “Gremlins”,
“Rock’n’Roll High School” and “Grand Theft Auto”. The Real
Don Steele received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in
1995. Don died two years later on August 5, 1997.

3. Jiles Perry Richardson, aka The Big Bopper was a DJ on
KTRM in Beaumont Texas. He later became the station’s
program director. While still a DJ, he wrote several hit songs,
including “White Lightning”, which was the first number one
country hit for co-writer, and later country music legend,
George Jones. JP also wrote “Running Bear”, which was
another number one in 1959 for Johnny Preston. He was
a touring member of the Winter Dance Party on the success
of his own hit, “Chantilly Lace” when he died in the plane
crash that also killed Richie Valens and Buddy Holly on
February 3rd, 1959, a date that singer, songwriter Don McLean
declared ‘the day the music died’ in his song “American Pie”.

4. Sylvester Stone, better known to music lovers as Sly Stone,
was a DJ on KSOL in San Francisco. He was a musical
prodigy and was deeply involved in the San Francisco music
scene of the mid 1960’s. He formed Sly & The Family Stone
and went on to have hits such as “Dance To The Music”, “Hot
Fun In The Summertime” and “I Want To Take You Higher”.
Sly & The Family Stone songs hit number one. They were
“Everyday People”, “Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin”
and “Family Affair”. Sly has only occasionally performed
over the past twenty or so years, but in 2009, he signed a new
recording contract and his latest CD might come out
sometime this year.

5. Cousin Brucie or Bruce Morrow (real name Bruce Meyerowitz)
was the nighttime DJ to listen to in the New York, New Jersey
and Connecticut area. He was born in Brooklyn and started
his radio career at ZBM in Bermuda. Cousin Brucie was
heard all over the eastern seaboard on WINS, but most
famously from 1960 until 1974 on 77WABC. He also had
shows on WNBC and WCBS-FM. His “Crusin’ America”
syndicated radio series was heard all over the world. He’s
wrote his autobiography in 1987 and has co-authored several
books on rock’n’roll. He’s still on the air on the ‘60’s on 6’
channel on Sirius XM.

6. Remember Bob Crane? Robert Edward ‘Bob’ Crane was born
in Waterbury Connecticut in 1928. After WWII, he began his
radio career in Hornell, New York and worked at several
station in his home state of Connecticut before CBS wisked
him out to Hollywood to be the morning star on KNX. Many
Hollywood stars guested on Cran’e radio show, including
Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe and Bob Hope. After a guest
Spot on the “Dick Van Dyke Show”, Crane was cast as the
dentist neighbour on “The Donna Reed Show”. In 1965 and
for six successful seasons, Crane played Colonel Hogan on
the CBS TV series “Hogans Heroes”. In June of 1978, after
performing in a play in Scottsdale, Arizona, Bob Crane was
murdered. Although an associate of Crane’s was charged
and eventually stood trial, he was found not guilty. The 2002
movie, ”Auto Focus”, starring Greg Kinnear was about
Crane’s life and death.

7. Memphis DJ Dewey Phillips started on that city’s WHBQ
in 1949 and his ‘Red, Hot & Blue” radio show later became a local
Memphis television show. In June of 1954, Sun Records Sam
Phillips brought Dewey an acetate (test pressing) of Elvis’ first
recording “That’s All Right”. Dewey loved it and continued to play
it until Elvis himself came down to the station for an interview.
Dewey was fired from WHBQ when they changed format in 1958
and subsequently worked for smaller stations for the rest of his
life. Dewey Phillips died of heart failure on September 28, 1968.
He was 42 years old.

8. That ‘wild I-tralian’ is Dick Biondi. While at KRLA in Los
Angeles, he was one of the DJ’s who introduced The Beatles
at the Hollywood Bowl (and that was because fellow KRLA
disc jockey Bob Eubanks was the promoter of the concert).
In 1961, when Dick was a DJ at WLS in Chicago, he won the
Bill Gavin “Top 40 Disc Jockey Of The Year” award. While at
KRLA in ’66, he won a Billboard magazine award. Dick was
inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1998 and in May of
2010, he was honoured by the Governor of Illinois with a ‘Dick
Biondi Day’. Chicago City Council named a street “Dick
Biondi Way” in tribute as Biondi has been on radio in
Chicago for many decades.

9. Casey Kasem launched American Top 40 in 1970 and
continued to ‘count them down’ until 1988. He returned to his
radio creation in 1998 and carried on until 2004 when Ryan
Seacrest took over. Casey also hosted “America’s Top 10”
as a regular series on TV from 1980 until 1989 and then again
from 1991 to 1992. He’s been the voice on dozens of cartoon
shows, including his most famous creation – Shaggy on the
“Scooby-Doo” series. Sirius XM radio carries Casey’s AT40
shows from various decades and even though he’s now 78
years old and is in semi-retirement, Casey Kasem shows no
sign of slowing down.

10. Alan Freed is the legendary DJ we’re looking for. He’s sometimes known as ‘the father of rock’n’roll’ and was the first non performer inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of Fame in 1986, its first year of existance. Freed was in early rock movies such as “Rock Around The Clock”, “Rock Rock Rock”, “Mr. Rock and Roll” and “Don’t Knock The Rock”. Alan Freed died at the age of 43 in a Palm Springs California hospital in 1965. His ashes are now in a place of honour at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame building in Cleveland, where it all began.