Rock Radio Scrapbook

Airchecks: 1957

Talent: ALAN FREED
Station: WINS New York
Date: January 25, 1957
Time: 17:57

Much has been written and said about Alan Freed, the pioneering deejay known as "The King of The Moondoggers". But here's a few interesting tidbits about Alan Freed that the casual fan may not be aware of:

- He was originally a classical music announcer, and in fact was quite knowledgeable about that genre of music.

- Freed was a tee-jay (we now call them vee-jays) at WXEL-TV in Cleveland for a short time in the late '40s.

- He played trombone, and once had his own band, the Sultans of Swing.

- At one time, his syndicated show was heard on Radio Luxembourg.

- Late in his career, Freed did an all-night jazz show at KNOB in Los Angeles.

- His middle name was James.

- He had three children, Lance, Al, Jr., and Alana.

- He was married three times.

- Studied engineering at Ohio State University, but didn't graduate.

- Served in the U.S. Army, in the Ski Patrol.

- He once applied for a job at CBS but they told him to "find a better profession."

In 1957, Freed was doing a "split-shift", that is working two separate airshifts in one day. It was a common practice at the time. Freed did his "After School Rock" from 3:30-4:25 p.m., then came back for the "Rock 'N' Roll Party" from 7-11 p.m. We can only assume his young listeners did their homework between 4:25 and 7:00 p.m.

To hear Alan Freed, click here.

(The Frank Quarantini Collection)

Talent: JOCKO HENDERSON
Station: WOV New York
Date: June 10, 1957
Time: 11:03

"Eee-tiddlee-dock, this is the Jock!"

"Oo-papa-doo, how do you do?"

Rhymin', jivin' and jockin' - that was Jocko Henderson, the fast-paced deejay often called the original rapper.

He was born Douglas Wendell Henderson Sr., on March 8, 1918 in Baltimore. His father wanted him to become a teacher, but he was bitten by the radio bug in his first radio job at WBAL Baltimore in 1950. Six months later, he was off to WHAT Philadelphia, where he took the on-air name Jocko. He soon moved to Philly station WDAS and never looked back.

Henderson was more than just a jock - he was also a music promoter and a stage performer in his own right in the way he introduced the acts. He would enter the stage on a rocket ship suspended by wires, accompanied by sound effects and smoke. Now that must have been be a sight to see!

After seven years at WDAS, he started doing a live morning show at WLIB New York. At the same time, he also continued his live afternoon show at 'DAS - commuting back-and-forth from New York and Philly. Later, he dropped the morning show at WLIB but added an evening gig at WOV (later WADO) while still doing afternoons at WDAS and commuting every day. Eventually, the travel got to be too much for him so he taped the New York show while adding several other cities to his network. He still did the WDAS gig live and continued there until 1974.

In the '80s and '90s, Henderson entertained a whole new generation of fans at New York oldies station WCBS-FM. He made several on-air appearances at the 'CBS deejay reunions and still sounded as fresh as ever playing the tunes he helped make famous so many years ago.

This popular and personable announcer died July 15, 2000 in Philadelphia after a long illness. He was 82.

Hear Jocko Henderson on WOV here.

(The Russ Horton Collection)

Talent: JOSH KING
Station: CHUM Toronto
Date: 1957
Time: 1:28

(Some deejay surveys from 1957/Credit: Jon Pearkins)

May 27, 1957 dawned like any other day in Toronto - except that for the first time it had a full-time Top 40 station. Phil Ladd (6-9 a.m.) was the first morning man, followed by Harvey Dobbs (9 a.m.-noon). Then it was Josh King (noon-1 p.m.), Phil Stone (1-5 p.m.), Pete Nordheimer (5-7 p.m. and again 9 p.m. to midnight). Hank Noble (midnight to 6 a.m.) rounded out the first-day schedule.

Oddly, no mention of the format change was made in that week's Toronto Star or Globe and Mail; and not a single advertisement appeared.

Rock Radio Scrapbook presents Josh King here.

(The Mark Panopoulos Collection)

Talent: BRIAN FORST
Station: CJOR Vancouver
Date: September 14, 1957
Time: 14:29

Brian Forst went from rock to talk in a career lasting nearly half a century.

After graduating from high school in 1956, Forst interned at CKWX then worked at CKPG Prince George, B.C. By 1957, he had moved to CJOR Vancouver where he was chosen as a "Teen Jock." After stops reading news at CKNW in 1958, and a gig at then-MOR-formatted CKLG in 1959, Forst returned to the Top 40 airwaves at CFUN in 1960, which switched to a rock format on March 10 of that year. It was there Forst acquired the nickname of "Frosty", and became a "Good Guy" along with the likes of Al Jordan, Brian Lord, Dave McCormick and Jerry Landa.

In 1964, on the advice of his father, Forst left the Top 40 wars forever for a spot at CKNW, then better known for orchestra music than rock 'n' roll. He spent the next 40 years at 'NW, the last 31 in mornings as the station became full-time news and talk. Forst did his final CKNW show May 20, 2005, ending a radio career of nearly half a century.

Hear Brian Forst on CJOR here.

(Courtesy Ted Wendland, radiowest.ca)

Be sure to visit radiowest.ca, a superb radio site hosted by Ted Wendland. Airchecks, jingles, photos, logos, history and forums - radiowest.ca has it all. Rock Radio Scrapbook says thanks Ted for sharing this aircheck.

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