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Claude Hall
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Columns
Gone
and Also...
- a work in progress -
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May
2003
by Claude Hall
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A sketch of Claude
Hall,
circa 1976, by Chuck Blore
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Considerable
discussion arose recently, followed by considerable thought.
Larry Shannon, larryshannon@radiodailynews.com,
was generous enough to offer me a website. Upon mention of
this, a lot of people immediately took it for granted that I was
going to do a Vox Jox. I had no intention of doing that.
As the late Harvey Glascock told John Kluge, then head of
Metromedia, "I've done Cleveland." I wanted to run
chapters of my novel. I've achieved most of my goals in
life with the exception of having a best-selling novel.
And, while it's rather late for that, I'd settle for a few good
readers. My lawyer son John, however, put it not-so-delicately
that no one would read my novel "Murder at the Busted Bird
Cafe." Nor care. Even if it was about radio.
Even if it mentioned some real things and real people
occasionally. My ego, thus, was slammed into the backseat
of life. My wife Barbara said my memories--and your
memories--would fare best, because so many have forgotten what
really happened...nor did they probably even know the real
story. Truth is, not even I know the real story in many
situations. On the other hand, I didn't want to compete
with people such as Warren Cosford, radiopro@cogeco.ca,
(even if I could) who does a great job with RadioPro as both a
voice and a megaphone of many fascinating aspects of radio and
music. Or Don Barrett, db@thevine.net,
with LARP.com, a phenomenal website by a phenomenal person. So,
in effect, I've reached an emotional and mental compromise.
Why have a set format? "Claude Hall Online" will
feature just about anything and everything that suits my fancy,
a potpourri of this and bucketpourri of that. This
includes your comments when you have something you'd like to
say--within the bounds of libel and good taste, of course--and
my own comments. And not necessarily about radio or even
media in general. This vast territorial topic range can
include politics and reflections on life, as long as they're
intriguing or pithy. I'm going to run my novel, too,
whether you read it or not. And the
pattern of appearance of "Claude Hall Online" will be
sporadic, i.e., the contents may change every three or four days
or may hang fire a week. You'll never know
nor will I ever know. And we'll do this "thang"
as long as I feel interested in doing it and as long as Larry
Shannon feels like giving you and me the channel. By libelous, I
speak of some recent personal e-mails between me and Jim Long, jim@onemusic.com,
about a mutual friend in radio. The man we discussed had a
troubled life. I remember that person well--and fondly so
(as does Jim)--for his good attributes and the many great
accomplishments he achieved, not the
troubles. None of us are perfect. Why should I
spread the negative aspects of anyone, lest I lump myself first
in the same caldron? I appreciate the truth and enjoy
knowing the truth and have always tried to tell the truth, but I
won't unnecessarily
write truth that hurts anyone here. Call what I do with
what you may send me from time to time compassionate editing
and, lord willing, I'll do the same with what I write, i.e., use
common sense. Radio has been great to me and for me and I
assume the same applies to you. Thus, if I do knock some
aspect of
radio, please realize that it's out of overwhelming and
unashamed love for all of radio. The response to my radio poem
"Gone and Also..." was pretty good, in my opinion, and
ranged from Shaune "Mrs. Real Don" Steele, Steele93@aol.com,
to nuclear physicist and Nevada State Assemblyman Harry
Mortenson as well as New York college professor Barry Goldfarb, Barry21@aol.com,
and old acquaintance Jerry Boulding, RadioDr1@aol.com,
now senior vice-president of entertainment programming for
American Urban Radio
Networks. Matter of fact, I received so many e-mails that
some will be featured next time, not this time, and maybe even
the time beyond. Sorry about that. I wondered
whether I should run everyone's e-mail address and decided that
most of the time I will when I have them. When it makes
sense anyway. I hope that you will not abuse these
addresses. For, although I have not met Shaune to the best
of my knowledge, I
still consider her a great and wonderful friend because of her
late husband. Thus, I do make strange assumptions from
time to time, but I feel to some extent that those of us who had
the great fortune to participate in radio in one form or another
during the 50s, the 60s, the 70s, and the 80s are a special
group and thus special friends. One very good
friend, Chuck Blore, BloreGroup@aol.com,
is the person that the late, great Bill Gavin always credited
with bringing show business to format radio. Blore
comments: "As much as I might question death as being
the way to begin...a website or anything else...I must tell you
I thought it was great...the love you had and have for radio
people who rise up out of the thousands to become one of the
ones...it's still beautiful, as are you. Although that
drawing might suggest otherwise. Congratulations.
Really wonderful." Just FYI, Blore drew that drawing
and I've always liked it and still do, though it is actually of
a person that may have existed long ago and doesn't really exist
anymore. Ego causes me to use it here. At least for a
while. Scott Burton, sgb831@cox.net:
"WOW!!!!! I just read you website. How many I
knew, worked with or worked for! It really got to me.
Tears flowed freely. I
had no idea so many were gone. My memories kicked in with
each name. Jack Thayer, my mentor. I carried his
records to his record hops while in high school in
Minneapolis. He took me with him to San Francisco to
program RKO's KFRC when I was 21, then I went with him to
Cleveland and WHK. I was there when his son Todd was born.
I forgot about Chuck Blore doing the drawings. Thanks
again for the memories." From Burt Sherwood, bohica1@comcast.net:
"You gave me big lumps in my throat...I knew too many of
them, worked with them and for them, loved them madly. I just
heard this morning that my engineer, who ultimately became the
director of engineering for NBC Radio, John Bailie, died.
He was the developer of Westwood One for NBC and was the genius
of his field that had few peers. I am heartbroken...we
were friends and business partners and our families were close.
I have much to talk to you about in the next few weeks...have a
new project...very exciting." Speaking of radio engineers,
I also heard from Bruce
Miller Earle, brucemillerearle@yahoo.com.
Bruce is the engineer who went down to Costa Rica and turned on
the million-watt transmitter that had been originally
planned as the fountainhead of a religious network to span the
globe conceived, as I recall, by the Hunts. Bruce said a
lightning bolt dropped off the transmitter and he thought for a
moment he was dead. That test transmission was heard as
far away as
Seattle. Bruce and Jay Blackburn worked a great deal under
the aegis of Art Holt, HoltMedia@aol.com,
and some of the work was south of the border. Bruce,
actually a Texan, spent so much time down there that one day
when he came back across the border the guard on the Mexican
side remarked that he spoke English pretty good. Lee Bayley, Lee.radio@verizon.net,
probably thinks I've ignored him over the years. He wrote:
"I never look for my name because the majority of my
big-time years were working for Bill Drake (vice president of
programming for RKO Radio) and he got credit for everything we
did. After 22 years of my Dallas-based consulting company,
I wrapped it up and moved to a golf course in East Texas.
There is life after radio. Keep cookin', Claude...and one
day maybe, after having worked and consulted over 600 stations
in my career, I may find my name in something." Lee, you
should have tried the stunt of Lee Baby Simms. Simms came
to see me one day and pleaded for one of the steins we'd given
out at the International
Radio Programming Forum in San Francisco. He'd lost
his, he said. I found an extra stein and presented it to
him. In return, he offered me a gift. It was a
50-cent tire air pressure gauge. Now how could I ever
forget Lee Baby Simms, eh? On the other hand, maybe he was
trying to tell me something! John Barger, Barger Broadcast
Brokerage, San Antonio (I think): "Claude, for gosh
shakes write about Texas and the great performers (hah!) that
came through the
various mills before Bill Drake and Paul Drew killed attempted
personalization amongst budding disc jockeys." I think the
Texas Radio Hall of Fame,
larry@texasradiohalloffame.com,
is doing a pretty good job bringing attention to some of the
wonderful disc jockies who've worked in Texas radio.
There's no way I could mention them all. But three I'd
like to mention for fun. Record producer Snuffy Garrett,
who worked in Wichita Falls and Lubbock; country music artist
Don Bowman, who worked in Lubbock and probably elsewhere.
And program director Jonathan Fricke, who worked in Lubbock
before moving on to markets such as Los Angeles. Jonathan,
studio2812@msn.com, and
his wife Nancy, incidentally, are currently rambling around this
ocean and that ocean on cruise ships. Don't know where Don is,
but Snuffy now lives in Sonoita, AZ. I will never forget a
party at Snuffy's home in Beverly Hills, a very expensive area
of Los Angeles where he once lived. He had the chilli
catered by Chasen's. Those who once dined at Chasen's will
know what that really means. It's called dollars. In
those days, Snuffy had a car that was custom made in Italy and I
once asked him how many miles he got to the gallon and he said,
"Claude, if you've got to ask, you don't buy this
car." Rollye Cornell, ROLLYE@rollye.net:
"Nice thoughts. I think there's a typo though - -Todd Storz
was 39 when he died (just shy of 40, not 29 as you state).
Laughed out loud about Gordon's comments regarding suing the NAB
to get them to spell McLendon correctly. All good
memories." Guess I'm at fault, Rollye, regarding Todd's
age. It's absolute true that college professors get absent
minded and I guess I've acquired that mental motif. But it seems
to me that Bonnie Campbell, who worked at Todd's radio station
in Miami, told me he was 29 when he died. I don't do much
phone, but I heard from (continued
at the top of the page, next column) |
(Continued
from left column)
...Tom Campbell, tc@tomc.org,
the other day; I suppose it's been more than 20 years since we
talked last. Bonnie's dead. Tom remarried and has three
kids, the oldest studying at Princeton. Wouldn't it have
been interesting, though, if Todd Storz had lived to be at least
59? Radio would have been jumping through its britches all
of the 60s and 70s! Of course, Todd had some pretty good
talent around him at times, including Bill Stewart and Kent
Burkhart, RADIOKENT@aol.com.
Just FYI: Rollye and I have something in common. We were
both radio-TV editors of Billboard. But so was legendary
record producer Jerry Wexler, Atlantic Records, and music
publisher Joe Carlton. Jerry wrote a pretty darn good Vox
Jox in his day. Don Keyes, keynote@attbi.com,
notes: "I was simply delighted to hear of your
website and I have just finished reading your poignant
reflections. You and I are among the few left who still
have a pulse and I'm delighted to still be here. After leaving
Gordon in 1966 I went out on my own via ownership of two
stations in Canton, Ohio, and Tallahassee, Florida. Came back
home to the Metroplex 10 years ago and have been employed as a
freelance voice talent ever since. I wish I'd done it earlier.
My dear wife of 41 years
died seven years ago and a year ago I married again. Betty and I
are living happily ever after and my days are spent waiting for
my agent to call with a gig or responding to interview requests
from folks who want to hear all about life with Gordon whom I
love to this day." Gordon once told me that Don Keyes was
one of the best radio men he'd ever met. To me, that
represents extremely high praise! Jerry Atchley, jerry@southernskies.com,
says, "You
know, the guys I listened to as a boy in Arkansas late at night
on the skip were John R, "Hossman" Bill Allen and the
rest of the WLAC crew, along with Dick Biondi at WLS, and
various jocks from KOMA. It was the magic they spun which
stirred an interest in music and radio that forged a
career for me. The worst--in my opinion--but life changes,
and we all do, too." Joel Denver, jdenver@allaccess.com,
copied Perry Simon, psimon@allaccess.com,
and Paul Cartellone, pcartellone@allaccess.com,
re "Claude Hall Online" and said: "See how your
AllAccess.com will also LINK to you as well!" A lot of
people forwarded my note to their friends, including Dene Hallam,
DENEHALLAM@aol.com.
I'm
grateful. Joey Reynolds, G1boney@aol.com
and WOR, New
York, wrote: "Jack Raymond (Fitchburg, MA) is already
on line about you being in action again; you have a lot of fans
who owe you a lot and I am one of them." I will never
forget the first thing I wrote in detail about Joey Reynolds.
Billboard decided to do a consumer music magazine (the only one
around at the time was the phenomenal Crawdaddy written, edited
and published by Paul Williams and distributed mostly in
Greenwich Village of Manhattan. Williams, to the best of
my knowledge, was the first person to write about rock music as
serious music. Paul Ackerman, the late music editor of
Billboard, and I were second to the best of my knowledge.
Paul wrote a great article, mostly about the roots of blues, for
this new magazine called SoundMakers. I wrote just about
everything else and even shot a couple of the photographs.
I put the magazine together in three weeks in my spare time.
Hal Cook, the publisher of Billboard, forced me to write a
couple of articles about MOR acts, but my intention was to go
strictly toward the rock genre
because I'd been hanging out in those small clubs of New York
City at the time and knew what was going on in music. I
was there the night the Cream first played in America, I was
there the night the Blues Project were unveiled and the night
the Paupers wiped out the Jefferson Starship in the Cafe au Go
Go and when Blood, Sweat, and Tears first performed a long time
before the group was reinvented with David Clayton Thomas (I saw
the opening night with Thomas, too). And I was at Forest
Hills the night Bob Dylan went electric and was boo'd. I
thought we had a decent publication in spite of time and
forceplay. I received more than 200 letters of praise in
the next couple of months, some from as far away as Africa. But
Billboard decided not to run with the magazine because you had
to turn a magazine over fast on those street stands in Manhattan
to get noticed by the ad agencies. Then, along came
Rolling Stone. Anyway, the point of this particular commentary
is that I thought Joey would sue even though what I wrote in
SoundMakers was probably true at the time. Instead, the first
time we met, he thanked me. We've been friends since the
60s. And, just FYI, it is me who owes Joey. But, I
guess when you get right down to it, I owe a lot of people.
Allan Hotlen, Hotlen@aol.com,
wrote: "Since my career (if that's what it is) has spanned
more than 40 years, I'd be happy to contribute...if you think my
recollections, opinions, etc., might be useful (let alone
valid)." Good lord, yes! Extremely valid. And
generous of you, old friend, to share your wealth of knowledge
and experience with those of us left and yet to come in mass
communication. I would grateful for anything you wish to
share, Allan, whether serious or humorous or
mere anecdotal. But the same goes for all of you who
chance by this website. Including Roger Carroll, rckcr@yahoo.com,
who wrote:
"Do me a favor stay away from the politics. At our
ages, with our different views on politics, you being way way
out of line to the left (GGG), let us remember our blood
pressure. If you would like I'll send you a resume of my
career in radio, it was a wonderful time of my life, all the
great talents I had the pleasure to work with...it was a good
life and in those days we didn't talk about our political
views."
No promises, Roger, regarding politics. Or whatever, for
that matter. I realize you said the above partially in
jest, somewhat from ideals. But you'll just have to go buy
a another bottle of pills because raising ire is about the only
fun left to me in life. I'm a liberal (liberals believe we're
all together on this earth and must help each other and learn to
live with each) and proud of it; however, I think all views are
important and have the right to be voiced. I might lament
and maybe even daunt your views, as following, but I shall
never, I hope, refuse them their chance to be said. I
don't think I'm a Democrat; but, hell, I don't know. My
first-ever vote was this past election when I voted for Al Gore.
Logically and philosophically, he was not only the better
choice, but the only choice. And still is. Yet, I've
mingled amidst iron-clad Republicans in the hallowed halls of
the so-called Silk Stocking District of Manhattan and I've also
been welcome at the home of staunch Socialist Sam Freedman, six
times vice presidential candidate for Eugene V. Debs (to wit,
WEVD, New York) and Sam has, to my honor, supped in my own
abode. Just FYI: I've never confused political thought
with nationality, which I think afflicts America at the moment.
Politics should remain a methodology for doing business and
improving life. To assume otherwise not only abuses
reality, but obfuscates human progress. In my opinion
George W.
Bush Jr. was a mistake, just like his father, and I hope he gets
kicked out like his father so America can get back to being
America. It is something else at the moment and I lament
that muchly and I lament most feverishly the fact that those who
dare to criticize the hard-core right (Susan Sharandon, Tim
Robbins, Dixie Chicks, etc.) are not only ridiculed but made to
suffer for it. My feelings have nothing to do with
supporting troops, who should never have been sent to war in
search of a mythical weapon of mass destruction or because we
didn't like the way a ruler rules (by invading Iraq, we became
the Hitler of the world and we are guilty as charged and Bush is
more guilty and probably the most-hated human being in the world
at the moment and rightly so), or not supporting troops (which,
by the way, included me at one point in my life). It has
to do strictly with hope for humanity. And George W. Bush Jr.
portends absolutely nothing in this regard. We suffered
bad times under senior and we are suffering worse times under
junior. You cannot continue to ignore this fact.
Further worse, I see no rectification at this particular time.
I only see increasing alienation not only in the world, but
between elements in the United States; I see only increasing
shortfall of rights of the American people, rights not merely
eroding as much as being stolen, I see only increasing
deprivation of ideals, dreams, lifestyle, health, future. Yet,
above all, the so-called open mind must be a primary advocation
of me, of you, as well as the open voice that originally made
the United States a great nation. I must defend your right
to have any opinion you wish and even more must defend your
right to voice this opinion though it conflicts with my own and
most especially because it conflicts with my own. Yes, I'm
against the extremist, regardless of the guise this extremism
may take. We best exist in the middle ground or not at
all. The water is too wet, the mountains too high.
Coming soon to a website near me: "Murder at the
Busted Bird Cafe." A tidbit: If I'd worn sunshades,
stone-washed Levis and a KMET radio station teeshirt, there
might have been a different reaction. Of course, the punk
may have been too young to remember KMET. He probably
listened to KROQ or something similar these days, poor kid.
K-Oldies had no teeshirt. They were thinking about it.
Until then, out of uniform, out of mind. So much for the
fame and fortune of being a radio disc jockey and ARB audience
ratings that in the last sweep had finally been good enough to
be considered "ho, hum."
My job was good for another month or so. Maybe. You
probably know what radio's like. Ed Hider once showed up
at KFI for his regular shift only to find someone else sitting
in the studio with headphones on. It's that kind of
business. On stage, Bobby Vee finished his encore with an
up-dated version of his 1950s million-selling "Take Good
Care of My Baby" and the crowd in the nightclub showed
their appreciation for an outstanding performance as well as
paid tribute to a career that pre-dated the Beatles.
Several people at some tables down near the stage gave him a
standing ovation. They'd also applauded long and loud when he'd
finished the set and faked leaving the stage and then ran back
with a guitar in hand to do his planned encore. Every act
does it that way.
The club, packed with a mixture of adults who probably had heard
that song when it was first aired coast to coast on Top 40 AM
radio stations, and curious college students who were just
discovering that rock music wasn't invented by Madonna, relaxed
and started talking. Some milled toward the door, a few
shoved up toward the bar, some toward the edge of the stage to
get Bobby's autograph. I already had his autograph on an
original copy of his very first record--"Baby Sue" on
the original Soma Records label. It was worth perhaps a
couple of hundred dollars, depending on who was interested.
An advertisement in Goldmine magazine had listed the 45 rpm
single--not on the original label--at $75 recently. I'd
had my copy for several years and Bobby had signed it yesterday
when he visited the radio station studios over on Wilshire
Boulevard. We'd interrupted regular programming to do an
on-air interview. (Chapter 1 soon!)
e-mail claude@claudehallonline.com |
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