By Union-Tribune
January 7, 2009
His radio name was “Happy Hare,” and during his long career as one of San Diego's most memorable disc jockeys, Harry Martin did a fabulous job of living up to it.
Best known for his years as the zany morning-drive DJ for KCBQ/AM 1170, he was a larger-than-life presence on the local airwaves. More than 50 years after making his San Diego radio debut, Mr. Martin died of liver cancer Monday in his Point Loma home. He was 81.
“Harry was a guy who genuinely cared about people,” said Mike Glickenhaus, a former Clear Channel executive who worked with Mr. Martin at KPOP/AM 1360, where “Hare” did a morning-drive show from 2002 until 2004.
“He had the ability to communicate his enthusiasm and passion for everything he did with everyone around him, and he made everyone feel important. It takes an amazing talent to light up a room or light up a microphone the way he did.”
Mr. Martin, born and raised in Galveston, Texas, where he developed the folksy tone that made him such a hit with listeners, was a longtime radio rat. But while he was a hit at stations in Los Angeles, Cleveland and Detroit, he spent the bulk of his career in San Diego, where he was a big voice at one of the biggest stations in town.
He was hired in 1955 to help KCBQ move into the rock 'n' roll age, and he was part of a powerhouse lineup that came to include Shadoe Jackson and Jerry Walker. He stayed with KCBQ through 1960, returning to the station in 1969 after stints in Cleveland and Detroit.
“He was probably in the Top 5 radio personalities in San Diego,” said David Leonard, author of “Aircheck: The Story of Top 40 Radio in San Diego.”
“He bucked trends. In the mid-'60s, it was all about (playing) the most number of songs you could. But he wanted his show to be theater. His timing was impeccable. He had sound effects. It was great stuff.”
In addition to his on-air work, Mr. Martin spent more than 20 years selling air time for various stations. He was an avid tennis player, a devoted fan of the San Diego Chargers, a tireless e-mailer and an enthusiastic blogger. His Web site – happyhareonline.com – is stuffed with his thoughts on everything from Frank Sinatra to John McCain.
He also had a cameo role in “No Brainer,” the latest film by KGB/101.5 FM morning-show hosts Dave, Shelly & Chainsaw. Naturally, he played himself.
“For someone his age, he was so hip it was ridiculous,” said former 91X morning show host Chris Cantore. “He was up on blogs and the Internet. He was really into all of that.”
In 2008, he hosted a weekly radio show at signonsandiego.com for six months.
Mr. Martin is survived by his wife, Carole, and their five children and five grandchildren. Memorial donations can be made to San Diego Hospice and the Institute for Palliative Medicine. A private memorial service is planned.
