Rock Radio Scrapbook

Airchecks: 1981

Talent: LARRY NORTON
Station: WGRQ Buffalo, N.Y.
Date: April 8, 1981
Time: 8:09

(Logo courtesy Bill Dulmage)

Stunts and contests were a mainstay of Top 40 broadcasting, with stay-awake marathons among the most popular. Peter Tripp did a 206-hour marathon for WMGM in 1958 (supposedly it affected his health in the long term). But in 1981, Larry "Snortin'" Norton - then the midday jock at Buffalo's 97 Rock WGRF) - set out to stay on the air for 484 consecutive hours. Under the rules set by the Guinness Book of World Records, Norton could take a five-minute break every hour, or save up those breaks and take a two-hour rest every day. That's what he did, sleeping from 2-4 a.m. and broadcasting for 22 consecutive hours for 20 straight days. When it was over, Norton got a well-deserved trip to the Virgin Islands and yes, some sleep.

To hear how Larry Norton's marathon ended, click here.

(Scrapbook archives)

Talent: JOHN MAJHOR
Station: CHUM Toronto
Date: April, 1981
Time: 8:37

Whether behind the mike, in the lens of a TV camera or in cyberspace, John Majhor was always on the cutting edge of the electronic media.

The San Bernadino, Calif., native first came to the attention of Toronto radio fans in 1975, as a deejay at 1050 CHUM. For the better part of 11 years, Majhor enjoyed killer ratings with his energetic show at Canada's legendary Top 40 station.

In 1983, Majhor broke new ground in television with "Video Singles", a daily 4 p.m. music video show that pre-dated Much Music and earned an astounding 23 rating. That led to another popular video show, "Toronto Rocks" on CITY-TV.

After a stop in the much-desired CHUM morning show in 1985-86, Majhor headed west for a groundbreaking talk and country music show at KLAC Los Angeles. That was followed by gigs on the widely-syndicated After Hours TV show and a role as anchor and producer on the newly-launched E! Television. Then it was back to radio as a deejay at KCBS-FM alongside legends such as Charlie Tuna and the Real Don Steele.

In 1990, Majhor returned to Toronto for the morning show at CJEZ-FM followed by a talk show at CFRB and two-year run as host of the popular Lunch Television at CITY-TV.  He was also the promo voice for 680 News from 1993 to 1999.

After a year at Q101 in Santa Fe, N.M. (1999-2000), Majhor co-created and programmed Quickradio.com, a streaming Internet radio station.

Majhor died of cancer January 23, 2007. He was 53.

Rock Radio Scrapbook presents John Majhor on CHUM here.

(Scrapbook archives)

Subject: JIM BRADY
Station: CFTR Toronto
Date: August 12, 1981 (last show)
Time: 15:39

Jim Brady's 1981 move from CFTR to CJCL was big news at the time

(Description and graphic courtesy Dale Johnson)

Jim Brady was CFTR's morning man from 1973 to 1981. "Brady in the Morning" eventually overtook the legendary Jay Nelson at CHUM.

Brady left CFTR briefly in 1978 for a stint at KOPA Phoenix, returning two months later. His final show at CFTR the second time around was on Wednesday, August 12, 1981.

Brady left for CJCL Metro 1430, the former CKFH, where he was morning man and program director. After a brief stay there, Brady had stints in Calgary and Winnipeg before returning to the Toronto market at country station CFGM. Brady later worked in Los Angeles and Ford Worth, Texas. His career began in his hometown of Toledo, Ohio in 1964, and included a stop at CKLW Windsor/Detroit in 1968. He retired from radio in June, 2008 after returning to Toledo at WRQN-FM.

We have Jim Brady's final CFTR show (the second time around). You'll also hear the voices of newscaster Mike Robbins and deejay George Hamberger, who came on each day at 10:00 a.m., right after Brady signed off with "come get me mother, I'm through!"

Hear Jim Brady's final CFTR show (the second time around) here.

(The Dale Johnson Collection)

Talent: JIM BRADY
Station: CJCL Toronto
Date: August 21, 1981 (first show)
Time: 20:05

(Description by Dale Johnson)

After eight years as morning DJ at rock station CJCL, Jim Brady left in 1981 to become morning DJ and program director at Metro 1430 CJCL.

The former CKFH has sunk low in the ratings, and the new owners, Telemedia, bought the station and rebranded it. The programming was a mix of information and music aimed at 25- to 49-year-olds - those too young for CFRB and CKEY, but too old for CHUM or CFTR. "We're 17th in a 16-station market," Brady said in the Toronto Star. Brady kept many of the popular features from his CFTR days, including the "who-haw it's Friday" jingles and the weather fairy.

Brady wasn't at CJCL very long, leaving in 1983. He moved to stations in Calgary and Winnipeg before returning to the Toronto market for a few months in 1990 with CFGM.

CJCL tried a variety of formats, including talk, oldies and sports. In 1995, CJCL swapped frequencies with the former CKEY, moving down to 590, and it's now all-sports, and known as The Fan 590. Meanwhile, 1430 began broadcasting multi-cultural programming under the new call letters CHKT.

This aircheck also features the voices of Mike Marshall, newscasters Glen Stone and J. Michael Philips, Pam Kioti on traffic and sportscaster Scott Ferguson.

Hear Brady during his first day on the air at Metro 1430 CJCL here.

(The Dale Johnson Collection)

Subject: DADDY COOL
Station: CFNY Brampton, Ont.
Date: Winter 1981-1982
Time: 6:00

To borrow from the title of the Poni-Tail's 1958 hit, Dave Booth was born too late.

In the early '80s, Booth brought a style to Toronto radio that literally had not been heard in a generation. He played 1950s and '60s blues and did it in a style that seemed straight out the '50s. He called himself Daddy Cool, the "Daddio of the Radio", and he was ever so cool, ya dig!

Booth got his start in radio when he agreed to do janitorial work at a Kitchener radio station in exchange for a late-night on-air shift. During his long career in music, he has assembled a collection of over 10,000 vinyl records and another 135,000 on his computer. He has been promotional manager for groups like "Battered Wives" and "Bob Segarini" and has managed "Bop Cats" and the "Stray Cats." Booth has also done a series of R&B compilations called "Blowing the Fuse", which won a best vintage release of the year award in Germany.

Had Booth been born 30 years earlier, he would have been a 1950's legend. As it is, he became a 1980's (and beyond) legend. As of 2009, he was doing a weekly blues show on WhiStle radio (CIWS) in Stouffville, Ont.

Enjoy Daddy Cool here.

(The Tim Sykes Collection)

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