Saturday, March 19, 1955
A DETROIT RADIO BACK-PAGE
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DETROIT FREE PRESS
Above article is courtesy freep.com newspaper archive. Copyright 2019. Newspapers.com.
The above CKLW newspaper feature was ‘clipped,’ saved, and imaged from the credited source by Motor City Radio Flashbacks.
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A WORD ON THE ABOVE ARTICLE —
THE YOUNG MAN IN PHOTO’S CENTER? . . . JIM SANDERS!
A few days ago, in search for materials on Eddie Chase (CKLW) in the Detroit Free Press newspaper archives, I inadvertently came across the featured article above.
Looking closely, I noticed the young man centered in the photograph, identified as Jim Beasley. To me, the photo bore a striking likeness to a Jim Sanders (whose real name, by the way, was Jim Beasley), a Detroit radio personality on WKMH in 1963.
But I really wasn’t sure.
Looking for some confirmation, I reached out to Jim, who recently wrote —
“Yup. That was me.
I was 18 there. I was attending Wayne State University then. I sang on WJR as Jim Beasley, was on air and student PD at WDET in 1957 and was the Jim Sanders on WKMH.
We recorded two sides as a quartet. I recording one duet with Jack Costello, “My Little Fool” and I did a single, “Caught, Roped and Tied.” The latter was released in 1959. Under Jim Beasley and the Charmers.
The Classmates were active in 1956-1957. Dick Allman and I left the group in 1958 when it was picked up by Dot Records. He and I did not want to leave college to travel and promote.
Two other singers replaced us for one release on Dot, “Who’s Gonna Take You To The Prom.” The record company put the group on the shelf, and consequently, disbanded before 1960.
Insofar as (former members of) The Classmates, Kris Dorjath is now deceased. I lost contact with Jack Costello. Dick Allman became an ABC TV engineer in New York. He did a lot pioneering graphics for ABC sports. Allman is now retired, living in New York. His mother was an actress on the Lone Ranger radio shows.
“Caught, Rope And Tied” was me recording as Jim Beasley, not the Classmates. “Gotta Go See My Baby” was the Classmates single that did the best in Detroit and throughout the Midwest.
My solo record did best in the South and Europe. It is still streamed in Denmark on rockabilly channels. It was re-released later as part of a rockabilly collection.”
Jim Beasley was a WKMH radio personality and was part of the first original lineup as Jim Sanders when WKNR launched on October 31, 1963. Jim is actively involved in the entertainment field as an actor, singer, dancer, and musician.
He currently resides with his family in Nashville, Tennessee.
