Rock Radio Scrapbook
AIRCHECK OF THE WEEK
For week of
September 7, 2008
Weekly issue #495
Talent:
DAN INGRAM
Station: WABC New York
Date: November 11, 1961
Time: 17:46
"Big Dan here, laughin' and scratchin'"
Dan Ingram used words like a musician uses notes. For nearly a half-century, the Oceanside, N.Y., native weaved double entendres, satire and wit and into a fast-paced Top 40 radio patter unmatched in the industry. When he was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2007, it was a long overdue honour for one of the giants of the industry.
Daniel Trombley Ingram was born September 7, 1934 in Oceanside, N.Y. Both of his parents were musicians, and he was inspired to go into radio after attending music sessions with his father. With Al "Jazzbeaux" Collins and Alan Freed as his influences, Ingram began his broadcasting career at WHCH at Hofstra College in Hempstead, N.Y. Early professional stops were WNRC New Rochelle, N.Y., and WALK Patchogue, N.Y. By 1958, he was on WNHC New Haven, Conn., under his real name and also at WICC Bridgeport, Conn. as Rae Taylor.
Ingram got his first major market big at KBOX Dallas in 1959, and helped that station dramatically improve its competitive position against rival KLIF. He moved to WIL St. Louis in 1960 where he increased ratings in his morning time slot from a zero to a 48 share, and also met his lifelong friend Ron Lundy. By 1961 he had left radio briefly to work at a company that created promos for radio stations. After turning down an offer to do afternoon drive at WMCA, Ingram applied at WABC and started there in the summer of 1961.
Except for a short stint in morning drive in 1979-80, Ingram held down the coveted afternoon drive spot at WABC for 21 years. It was at WABC Ingram uttered many of the patented lines, like "Hi Kemosabe", "Roll your bod", "You're in the honour group of the day", "On the Ingram Flingram" and "Zay gezunt", a Yiddish expression meaning "be well." When WABC switched to a talk format, it was Ingram who along with long-time friend and long-time WABC midday jock Ron Ingram who signed off the music era on May 10, 1982.
In 1984 and 1985, Ingram did CBS Radio's Top 40 Satellite Survey, while also holding down a regular shift at WKTU New York. From October 1991 to June 2003, Ingram joined many other legendary New York jocks at WCBS-FM, where he did early afternoon weekend shifts. He continued as one of North America's leading voice-over personalities well into the 2000s.
Enjoy an early WABC show with Dan Ingram here.
(The Bill Dulmage Collection)
More 1961 airchecks here!
Talent: DAN INGRAM
Station: WKTU New York
Date: 1985
Time: 3:12
It was a New York radio tradition spanning four decades.
Throughout his 21 years at WABC, from 1961 to 1982, Dan Ingram regularly signed off his show an edited version of "Tri-Fi Drums" by Billy May. He continued that custom at WKTU, where he jocked in 1984 and 1985, and later at WCBS-FM from 1991 until 2003.
"Tri-Fi Drums' was on a 1961 album called "Wild Stereo Drums (Tambores en Stereo)" (Capitol T926). The piece features drummers Stan Levy, Alvin Stoller and Irv Cotter, and was written by Bill Hollman. A native of Pittsburgh, May died in 2004 at the age of 87.
Hear two Dan Ingram closings here.
(The Chris Rogers Collection)
More 1985 airchecks here!
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