There will never be another WLBS Mount Clemens/Detroit 102.7FM My favorite DJ was Terri McCormick. Can anyone tell me where I can find shirts and music from the WLBS era?
I cannot tell you where to find shirts or music, but I can concur with you about it being epic in its day. I remember Terri McCormick, but do you remember the voice of Francis Tinsley – a news reporter who also set the bar for reporting and delivering the news?
I remember … I went skydiving with you. What a great group we were. You all will never be forgotten. Not being able to get our signal strong enough into Detroit was our down fall … but it was fun while it lasted.
WLBS defined the term “CUTTING EDGE” in Metro Detroit.
With no announcement of its arrival, no advertisement of it presents, it brought a brand new type of welcome storm, to listeners ears in Metro Detroit.
With top 40 being the medium of what was being offered to hear during that time,we the listeners were accustomed; rather if we liked it or not, to what was on the radio. Hence forth, channel surfing was something that was normal.
WLBS brought a halt to that.
This station put into the innerds of our ears, artist and groups we had no knowledge that even existed, as a platform to gaining listenership.
It was New Years Eve 1977, when I became aware of this station.
So I have to thank the people at Pioneer Electronics for bringing a product to market, that I had to own, not to mention, Mickey Shorr’s on Woodward ave in Royal Oak, Mi for displaying it while I had money burning my pocket to be spent.
I was in transit to a house party, and was channel surfing a the time.
The Pioneer stopped surfing on 102.7
The song I first remember playing was: Supernature by Cerrone, although I didn’t know who the artist was.
I cranked up the volume on my stereo, and my IDI booster\ e.q did its job to send the power to my Blawpunt speakers…..all 4 of them.
My ears were in bliss.
After 1978 was ushered in, not only did I tell my friends, I took notice that I wasn’t the only person that had took notice of this station. Within a week, just about everyone I was in contact with was playing this station.
Pretty good for the new station on the airwaves to obtain this kind of listenership, and as fast as they did.
The following month, radio station WDRQ ( 93.1) radically changed is format, to match what LBS was doing, and I can recall a radio station WHYT just formulated out of the ashes of nothing.
A few years later, WJLB came to FM to compete with WLBS format of “Urban Contemporary” at the time.
WLBS was setting a trend.
A trend to be followed.
They set the trend of ” how to got people to to listen to you” the other stations followed, then came the…..lets change our format. Lets do cutting edge once more again.
Presto, change-o lets break with New Wave.
It was EPIC !
Charles Johnson; we here in Metro Detroit know him as: The Electrifying Mojo, up the dial at WGPR and I can’t remember what rock station but did, but give airplay to New Wave artist. WDET, if one knew about them at the time, and another college radio station in Windsor Canada, were giving airplay to New Wave artist.
Then, as suddenly as WLBS appeared, they disappeared.
WTF ?
Kiss FM ? There’s something wrong with my digital dial.
WTF ?
Left in the urban ghetto’s of limbo city.
I would have loved it if WLBS could have ushered in pre and industrial groups such as: Front 242, Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly, Single Gun Theory, Manufacture, Moev, The Severed Heads, Cyberaktif, just to name a few, not to mention the techno that was being spear headed here in Detroit, as well as the people from Chicago.
WLBS still would have been trend setting the trend, not the trip, as to what was the “WHAT” that needs be be put into the innerds of our ears.
Thank You, for your kind words… Pat Edwards, is not in FL, and I now reside in ATL, and both semi retired.. I did do a series of political TV ads for the Coleman Young Jr. campaign and a couple of local Detroit Judges. Thanks again, for mentioning us <3
WLBS, was one of the best R&B stations in Detroit. I was so disappointed when it went off of the air. Another treat to listening to this station was the news reporter Francis Tinsley, she had one of the most sexiest voices in radio news. Does anyone know where she is now? God I would love to hear one of her news broadcasts just for the listening pleasure! She was indeed one of a kind!
Francis Tinsley was her name! She was fun to work with as well! I was in the WLBS news room with her, Hank Williams (the lead newscaster), and Brad Bianchi!! There was a lot of fun and lots of love in that room at that time!! Miss those folks!!!
Small world…brief stint in sales at WLBS..back in 82′, actually Kim fired me, as i recalled, on the phone, late at night. Spent a few more years in radio, Miami, and then i did traffic for metro ( wwj, wjr and wxyt ) Left the business, altogether, and have been in mergers and acquisitions, Chicago, ever since.
Hello, my name is Ronald Walker Jr. Growing up, I would listen to WLBS 102.7 and I have memories of the certain soundbites that the radio would use. I wanted to know if there are any archives of the sound bites of radio shows that I could access and use for my own memories.
Hi Ronald, check out the website’s menu bar on the home face page. Click on Aircheck Library and you can access all the Detroit radio sound bytes and shows there.
I grew up in lansing, and during the heyday of WLBS,
I couldnt wait to get on the freeway to get down to Metro
Detroit so I could tune in 102.7! Working in
travel at the time, I was also frequenting NY a lot, and
discovered their sister station, WBLS! Alas,
BLS is still around today, but its not the same. I miss
the stations, their cool music, and the era.
W…L…B…S New Music 102.7 introduced me to some of the most obscure artists I’d ever heard. B-Movie. Freur. Yello. Blancmange. And many more. I remember the day they switched format. I called them up to express my disappointment. I wish I had kept the cassette tapes I had of the station, if only to hear their jingle again.
There will never be another WLBS Mount Clemens/Detroit 102.7FM My favorite DJ was Terri McCormick. Can anyone tell me where I can find shirts and music from the WLBS era?
I cannot tell you where to find shirts or music, but I can concur with you about it being epic in its day. I remember Terri McCormick, but do you remember the voice of Francis Tinsley – a news reporter who also set the bar for reporting and delivering the news?
There will NEVER be!!!!
Those were the best days of radio!!!!
Does anyone remember a dj at WLBS with the first name of Keith, during the same period that Terri McCormick was on?
BTW, Terri is working at 95.5 FM in Austin TX.
That would have been Keith Bell, formerly with WRIF-FM, and WJZZ-FM both Detroit powerhouses. Thanks for the kind words, about our fomer “funhouse”.
This is a flashback from the past.I worked with Kim Reed, Ken Patt ,you and Janie.I broke my ankle skydiving.Who am I
I remember … I went skydiving with you. What a great group we were. You all will never be forgotten. Not being able to get our signal strong enough into Detroit was our down fall … but it was fun while it lasted.
Keith Bell formerly of WJZZ
WLBS defined the term “CUTTING EDGE” in Metro Detroit.
With no announcement of its arrival, no advertisement of it presents, it brought a brand new type of welcome storm, to listeners ears in Metro Detroit.
With top 40 being the medium of what was being offered to hear during that time,we the listeners were accustomed; rather if we liked it or not, to what was on the radio. Hence forth, channel surfing was something that was normal.
WLBS brought a halt to that.
This station put into the innerds of our ears, artist and groups we had no knowledge that even existed, as a platform to gaining listenership.
It was New Years Eve 1977, when I became aware of this station.
So I have to thank the people at Pioneer Electronics for bringing a product to market, that I had to own, not to mention, Mickey Shorr’s on Woodward ave in Royal Oak, Mi for displaying it while I had money burning my pocket to be spent.
I was in transit to a house party, and was channel surfing a the time.
The Pioneer stopped surfing on 102.7
The song I first remember playing was: Supernature by Cerrone, although I didn’t know who the artist was.
I cranked up the volume on my stereo, and my IDI booster\ e.q did its job to send the power to my Blawpunt speakers…..all 4 of them.
My ears were in bliss.
After 1978 was ushered in, not only did I tell my friends, I took notice that I wasn’t the only person that had took notice of this station. Within a week, just about everyone I was in contact with was playing this station.
Pretty good for the new station on the airwaves to obtain this kind of listenership, and as fast as they did.
The following month, radio station WDRQ ( 93.1) radically changed is format, to match what LBS was doing, and I can recall a radio station WHYT just formulated out of the ashes of nothing.
A few years later, WJLB came to FM to compete with WLBS format of “Urban Contemporary” at the time.
WLBS was setting a trend.
A trend to be followed.
They set the trend of ” how to got people to to listen to you” the other stations followed, then came the…..lets change our format. Lets do cutting edge once more again.
Presto, change-o lets break with New Wave.
It was EPIC !
Charles Johnson; we here in Metro Detroit know him as: The Electrifying Mojo, up the dial at WGPR and I can’t remember what rock station but did, but give airplay to New Wave artist. WDET, if one knew about them at the time, and another college radio station in Windsor Canada, were giving airplay to New Wave artist.
Then, as suddenly as WLBS appeared, they disappeared.
WTF ?
Kiss FM ? There’s something wrong with my digital dial.
WTF ?
Left in the urban ghetto’s of limbo city.
I would have loved it if WLBS could have ushered in pre and industrial groups such as: Front 242, Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly, Single Gun Theory, Manufacture, Moev, The Severed Heads, Cyberaktif, just to name a few, not to mention the techno that was being spear headed here in Detroit, as well as the people from Chicago.
WLBS still would have been trend setting the trend, not the trip, as to what was the “WHAT” that needs be be put into the innerds of our ears.
The innovators of ear candy.
But I guess we’ll never know.
That would have been Keith Bell, formerly with WRIF-FM, and WJZZ-FM both Detroit powerhouses. Thanks for the kind words, about our fomer “funhouse”.
there is at least an hour of WJZZ recordings on the web, but I would give blood to here WLBS especially Pat Edwards, and Dennis Rice
Thank You, for your kind words… Pat Edwards, is not in FL, and I now reside in ATL, and both semi retired.. I did do a series of political TV ads for the Coleman Young Jr. campaign and a couple of local Detroit Judges. Thanks again, for mentioning us <3
WLBS, was one of the best R&B stations in Detroit. I was so disappointed when it went off of the air. Another treat to listening to this station was the news reporter Francis Tinsley, she had one of the most sexiest voices in radio news. Does anyone know where she is now? God I would love to hear one of her news broadcasts just for the listening pleasure! She was indeed one of a kind!
Does anyone remember a female on-air personality on WLBS back in the early 80s? I think her first name was Francine or Francis.
Mz. Fransis’ last name was Tendsley
Francis Tinsley was her name! She was fun to work with as well! I was in the WLBS news room with her, Hank Williams (the lead newscaster), and Brad Bianchi!! There was a lot of fun and lots of love in that room at that time!! Miss those folks!!!
Small world…brief stint in sales at WLBS..back in 82′, actually Kim fired me, as i recalled, on the phone, late at night. Spent a few more years in radio, Miami, and then i did traffic for metro ( wwj, wjr and wxyt ) Left the business, altogether, and have been in mergers and acquisitions, Chicago, ever since.
Mz. Fransis’ last name was Tendsley
Hello, my name is Ronald Walker Jr. Growing up, I would listen to WLBS 102.7 and I have memories of the certain soundbites that the radio would use. I wanted to know if there are any archives of the sound bites of radio shows that I could access and use for my own memories.
Hi Ronald, check out the website’s menu bar on the home face page. Click on Aircheck Library and you can access all the Detroit radio sound bytes and shows there.
I grew up in lansing, and during the heyday of WLBS,
I couldnt wait to get on the freeway to get down to Metro
Detroit so I could tune in 102.7! Working in
travel at the time, I was also frequenting NY a lot, and
discovered their sister station, WBLS! Alas,
BLS is still around today, but its not the same. I miss
the stations, their cool music, and the era.
W…L…B…S New Music 102.7 introduced me to some of the most obscure artists I’d ever heard. B-Movie. Freur. Yello. Blancmange. And many more. I remember the day they switched format. I called them up to express my disappointment. I wish I had kept the cassette tapes I had of the station, if only to hear their jingle again.
Whatever happened to Keith Bell? Is he still around?