Last March, ART WAY passed away.
The below is from Don Barrett's LARadio.com column today, Wednesday January 7, 2009, looking back on radio people who passed away in 2008.
Our consulting advisor, Bill Earl, is quoted in this obit.
Art Way, March 25 (76) Art jocked at the flame-thrower Top 40 station from just below the border at XEAK (690 AM) in the 1950s and early ‘60s.
Art was also a popular air personality at Crowell-Collier's KDWB-Minneapolis, sister-station to KFWB.
During the infamous KFWB strike in August 1961, KFWB needed several KDWB jocks to substitute on KFWB, according to Dream House author Bill Earl.
“Because Art had already been heard by Southern California listeners from his days on 690 AM, right before he joined KDWB earlier in 1961, it was a shocker that Way was passed over to be a KFWB substitute jock by KDWB brass. KDWB instead sent its two popular drive-timers Hal Murray (6 – 9 a.m.) and Bobby Dale (3 – 6 p.m.) to jock on Channel 98 during the KFWB strike, leaving the more "familiar" Art Way BACK in Minnesota.”
After leaving KDWB, Way was also heard on San Diego's 136/KGB, right before the 1964 flip to the "KGBeach Boys" Drake-format.
Only Bill Wade made the "cut" from pre-Drake KGB, again passing over Art, who left KGB in April 1964 upon the start of the KGBeach Boys format.
