Rock Radio Heaven (G)
GARY GEARS
Died: February 17, 1991
Stations: KQV Pittsburgh, WCFL, WLS, WDIA, WIND, WJJD, WRQX Chicago, CHUM Toronto, AFVN Vietnam.
Notes: Did voice-overs for ABC-TV and many commercials (he was the voice of the "ho-ho-hos" in the Jolly Green Giant commercial. Inducted into the Nebraska Radio Personalities Hall of Fame as a Legendary Performer in 2001. Died of a heart attack at age 46.
JOHN GILBERT
Died: September 14, 1998, Streetsville, Ont.
Stations: CHEX Peterborough, Ont., CFBC Saint John, N.B., CJCH Halifax, CHUM, CKFH, CKEY, CKO Toronto, CKTB St. Catharines, Ont., CKOY Ottawa, CFCN Calgary, CKGL Kitchener, Ont., CKSF Cornwall, Ont.
Notes: Succeeded Larry Solway as talk show host at CHUM in 1977. Died on his 68th birthday.
PAUL GODFREY
Died: September 25, 2007
Also known as: Full name was Robert Paul Godfrey
Stations: CFTR Toronto, CHAM Hamilton, CHEX Peterborough, Ont., CKLY Lindsay, Ont., CKWS Kingston, Ont., CFCO Chatham, Ont., CHYM Kitchener, Ont., CKJD, CHOK Sarnia, Ont. (the latter as operations manager), CHCH Halifax, CFBC Saint John, N.B.
Notes: Hosted CITY-TV's Boogie Dance Show and was a popular M.C. Referred to himself on-air at CFTR as "Your Metro Music Chairman" (the Toronto chairman of the time had the same name). The native of Peterborough, Ont., was 61 when he died.
ROCKIN' RAY GOODEN
Died: May 13, 2007
Stations: WGIV, WBT, WWMG (Magic 96.1) Charlotte, N.C.
Notes: Influential in the South Carolina Beach Music movement. Did the "Sunday Night Hall of Fame" for two decades on WBT then did the "Sunday Night Memory Lane" at Magic 96.1, ending in 2004.
GUS GOSSERT
Born: June 14, 1943
Died: August 10, 1976
Also known as: Full name was Robert Charles Gossert III
Stations: WCBS-FM, WNEW-FM, WPIX New York, KMPX San Francisco, KKUA Honolulu, WOKI-FM Knoxville, Tn.
Notes: His oldies show on WCBS-FM in the early '70s was a forerunner of that station's oldies format. Victim of a shooting.
LEE GRAY
Born: March 17, 1936, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Died: March 8, 1996, Houston
Also known as: Birth name was Royce Lee Darling; used Lee Darling at KGOL and KSBJ
Stations: Armed Forces Network, WKRG Mobile, Ala., WOKY Milwaukee, WIND Chicago, WTRY Albany, WHK Cleveland, WMCA New York, WAKY, WKLO Louisville, Ky., KGOL Houston, KSBJ Houston-Humble, Tex.
Notes: A Korean War veteran, also served as a Military Policeman in Germany.
CHARLIE GREER
Born: August 21, 1923
Died: September 30, 1996, Akron, Ohio
Stations: WAKR Akron, Ohio, WABC, WRKL, WCBS-FM New York, WHAM Rochester, N.Y., WIP Philadelphia
Notes: Legendary overnight man at WABC in the late '60s, he actually started on midday shift (a reverse of the norm). When Greer died in October, 1996 (aged 73), he became the fifth former WABC all-night man to pass away, following Jay Reynolds (1996), Bob Cruz and Bob Dayton (1995) and Bob Lewis (1987). Died of lung cancer.
MICHAEL GREEN
Died: July 1, 1989
Also known as: His real name was Joseph Jorgensen
Stations: WTIX New Orleans
ENOCH GREGORY
Born: December 13, 1936, Hertford, N.C.
Died: April 29, 2000
Also known as: The Dixie Drifter
Stations: WWRL New York, WNJR Newark, N.J.
Notes: Did morning show at WWRL in the 1970s. Died of diabetes and liver failure. Ended show with phrase "walk tall and stay loose."
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