GARY MACK & Drake's "Winkiepoo" Recipe

Gary Mack said...

It's good to see so many of Bill's friends and RKO/DC alumni (remembering him) tonight -- et al. He would have loved (the) gathering.

And Bill Earl, he would have hoisted a bourbon and coke.

There are some people who are supposed to live forever, and Bill Drake was one.

11/30/2008 4:56 PM

Thank you, Gary. You were always one of MY favorites going back to 1964 on KRLA. And you were ALWAYS a CLASS ACT.

Bill E. (Advisor to this site)

We Get E-Mail: VIC GEE & Italian Name Changes

Many Italian-American air talents had to change their names...Russ Siragusa had to be "Russ Syracuse", Almondo Fiori became "Al Anthony", Angelo Firrovanti became "Bill Angel", Joe Dazzo had to be "Joe Daniels", Johnny Laurello became "Johnny Michaels" before flipping to "Johnny Laurello" on KRLA in 1973, and Vic Gruppie had to call himself something OTHER than that, so "Vic Gee" (pictured here) was a simple solution.

Vic may hold the record for the most name changes (3) in one market, i.e. L.A./Burbank....Vic Gee, Vic Grayson, and finally Jim Carson, which he still uses today on KRTH 101.1 FM in Los Angeles...which CAN be heard in San Diego.

The only other two I can think of is Johnny Yount who was "Spanky Elliott" at Oxnard's KACY, "Big John Carter" at San Diego's KGB, and "Johnny Yount" at Car Radio KHJ in 1984, and Jay Stevens at KRLA, Steve Jay at K-Earth, and Steve Janwick at KFXM...THREE different names in the Southern CA region.

But Gee used THREE names in ONE market. I think THAT is the record.

Sunday, November 30, 2008 10:53:00 AM PST

Memories Of BILL DRAKE

(Pictured: Bill Drake, 1962)

Hodges said...

I am in complete shock. It was Bill Drake and "Boss Radio" that led me to a long career in radio. A highlight came in 1973 when I got to work for him at KIQQ (K100) in Los Angeles. His voice will forever be heard...He was number one then....and will be number one now in rock and roll heaven. I'm sure that he's already been in touch with Morgan and Steele.
Rest in peace...
You were one of kind, Bill.
Jeffrey Leonard

Saturday, November 29, 2008 11:49:00 PM PST

Bill Earl said...

Late last summer and early fall, I used the name "PHIL HERON" on Manteca's KXOK...Phil Heron was a name I made up in 1966, as a tribute to Mr. Drake, in a play I wrote back in high school. "Phil Heron" is currently on the beach, but we know Bill Drake is in radio heaven downing his famous "winkiepoos." Sad that we lost Morgan, Steele, and now Drake to lung cancer. They all smoked non-filters back in the day. Here's a winkiepoo toast to the man who changed the face of L.A. radio, and I just happened to be home from school on April 28th, 1965 (with a broken collarbone) to hear it... the birth of Boss Radio 93/KHJ.

Sunday, November 30, 2008 6:24:00 AM PST

Anonymous said...

(In regard to Drake's death from lung cancer)

I smoked unfiltered Lucky Strikes for about 30 years. I quit 22 years ago.
When I was hanging out with Drake trying to get on at KHJ, and technically did for about 24 hours,
he was smoking unfiltered Pall Malls. Don Steele (years ago) smoked Alpine cigarettes which were filtered menthols. I don't know what he smoked later. Don did quit smoking but Robert W. Morgan never did.
I read that Drake had quit several years ago but it appears the damage was done.
So many in our generation smoked and it sure has taken its toll. I also think smoking in the confinement of the small on air studios, where your "own" second had smoke stayed in the air and the sound proofing acoustical tiles containing asbestos didn't help the situation.
Time and "bad habits" are catching up I guess."

Sunday, November 30, 2008 8:02:00 AM PST

KRLA's JIMMY RABBITT (1969)

The Death Of BILL DRAKE

CDJ&RSB has just been notified that the "Father of Boss Radio" (93/KHJ, etc.) BILL DRAKE (real name: Phil Yarbrough) passed away today (11/29/08) at the age of 71.

We recommend you log onto LARadio.com for more details.

R.I.P. Mr. Drake.

136/KGB's VIC GEE ?

VIC GEE played "The Big Room" in Los Angeles (from 1965 to July 1967) at 1500 AM, first as "Vic Gee" on KBLA (his real name was "Vic Gruppi") and then "Vic Grayson" on KBBQ, after KBLA flipped to Country.

Because he was best known to Southern CA Top 40 audiences as "Vic Gee", it would be a no-brainer to once again be "Vic Gee" on 136/KGB, which he joined in the summer of 1967, right?

Never happened.

We were told that the KGB PD (Les Turpin?) just didn't like the name "Vic Gee", so when VIC GEE joined KGB his new manufacted-by-management air name would be "JIM CARSON."

Pictured here is "demo" artwork NEVER PUBLISHED by KGB showcasing just HOW a summer 1967 survey cover might look like IF they HAD allowed Vic Gee to use his Los Angeles Top 40 airname...VIC GEE.

KPPC "Credibility Gap" Capitol Records PROMO AD

KPPC's "The Credibility Gap" Capitol LP

"The Credibility Gap" satirical "news" team left KRLA in 1970, and went "across the street" to KPPC AM & FM (106.7 FM, 1240 AM.)

It was at KPPC that the "news team" released a Capitol Records LP that featured some of their best material from their last days at KRLA, including their 1969 "Woodstock" festival spoof, "Woodschtick."

KRUX (12/6-12/12/64) (Outside)

KRUX (12/6-12/12/64) (Inside)

KRUX (11/29-12/5/64) (Outside)

KRUX (11/29-12/5/64) (Inside)

KRUX (11/8-11/14/64) (Outside)

KRUX (11/8-11/14/64) (Inside)

KRUX (7/19-7/25/64) (Inside)

KRUX (7/19-7/25/64) (Outside)

KRUX Folders? You Can't FIND Them Anywhere...

...but HERE.

We'll display ALL KRUX survey folders that we have, from 1964 thru 1966, beginnning this Thansgving weekend!

Just ANOTHER reason to make CDJ&RSB your daily "hit" !

KRUX Folders Here Soon!

You won't find these anywhere else on the internet.

We've checked.

We'll be displaying "an interrupted run" of very rare KRUX (Phoenix AZ) survey folders (all sides) from 1964 theu 1966 starting as early as this weekend.

EXCLUSIVE to this site.

If anyone else had them, they would have displayed them by now on the internet.

WATCH for the first one this weekend!

KFWB's B. MITCHEL REED (1965)

KHJ's JOHNNY MITCHELL (1965)

KCBQ's THE MAGIC CHRISTIAN (1970)

136/KGB's JOHNNIE DARIN (December 1968)

When JOHNNY WILLIAMS Was 9-Noon On 93/KHJ

From approx February thu June of 1967, JOHNNY WILLIAMS jocked the 9-Noon shift on 93/KHJ.

XEPRS 1090 AM (Rosarito) 1 of 15

XEPRS (formerly XERB featuring Wolfman Jack) was known as "The Soul Express" in 1971, featuring big name air talent as Roger Christian (pictured) and Brad Edwards (both jumped over from KGBS) and playing "oldies but goodies" from Midnight to 3am (brokered) was Art Laboe (pictured).

Ted Quillin also was part of "XEPRS" during the soul format in 1972, after leaving country KFOX.

The XEPRS transmitter was in Rosarito, south of Tijuana in Baja California, Mexico.

Some jocking indeed took place from Rosarito from their ocean-view "board."

(Edwards, Christian, and Quillin mostly jocked from the 6th and Western in Los Angeles studios)

Sometimes pre-recorded taped shows (such as Laboe) were played from that site, too, on the reels seen in these photos.

The powerful "border radio blaster" could be heard in 7 states, we were told.

XEPRS 1090 AM (Rosarito) 2 of 15

XEPRS 1090 AM (Rosarito) 3 of 15

XEPRS 1090 AM (Rosarito) 4 of 15

XEPRS 1090 AM (Rosarito) 5 of 15

XEPRS 1090 AM (Rosarito) 6 of 15

XEPRS 1090 AM (Rosarito) 7 of 15

XEPRS 1090 AM (Rosarito) 8 of 15

XEPRS 1090 AM (Rosarito) 9 of 15

XEPRS 1090 AM (Rosarito) 10 of 15

XEPRS 1090 AM (Rosarito) 11 of 15

XEPRS 1090 AM (Rosarito) 12 of 15

XEPRS 1090 AM (Rosarito) 13 of 15

XEPRS 1090 AM (Rosarito) 14 of 15

XEPRS 1090 AM (Rosarito) 15 of 15

KKHJ 930 AM Bumper Sticker, 1990s

KKHJ 930 AM (Los Angeles CA)

Simulcast (w/ their FM sister-station on 101.1 FM) KRTH-AM flipped to all-Spanish in the early 1990s.

The call letters on 930 AM were then changed to "KKHJ."

KHJ Charlie Tuna "THIS DATE IN HISTORY"

This was arguably one of the more popular features of Charlie Tuna's morning drive show on 93/KHJ.

93/KHJ's JOHNNY WILLIAMS (1974)

93/KHJ's MARK ELLIOTT (1975)

93/KHJ's GARY MACK (1965)

93/KHJ's JOHNNY MITCHELL (1966)