RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, June 12, 2013 | 5:07pm CT
WDRQ’s Bill Bailey
30-year veteran personality and Oldies WGVU-FM/Grand Rapids Program Director and morning personality Bill Bailey has died. He passed away Wednesday while playing golf (his off-air passion) during a station promotion. Bailey began his career with Armed Forces Radio during the Vietnam war. Back in the U.S., he worked at WXTR/Washington DC, mornings at WDRQ/Detroit, PD/mornings, then VP/Programming at WIZF/Cincinnati and on-air at WLS-AM/Chicago before moving to Grand Rapids.
“Bill has been an integral part of building WGVU Real Oldies,” said WGVU GM Michael Walenta. “We will miss his smile, his style, and the contribution he has made to our station and our lives. His passion for music, golf, and the community are an inspiration. Please keep Bill’s family in your thoughts.” (06-12-13)
(Information source: http://news.radio-online.com; June 12, 2013).
T R I N I L O P E Z who really made it big in the United States during the last year, got his momentum from his acceptance of “If I Had A Hammer.”
As his manager Bullets Durgom explains, “Trini caught on fast in Europe because the people liked his sound and beat.” Durgom said he found it aggravating attempting to convince American booking agents that Trini had been a success on his own merit in Europe in 1964 and deserve showcasing here.
“They didn’t want to believe his European success,” Bullets said. “They thought it was manufactured.”
But in little over a year the 27 year-old Dallas singer had broken attendance marks, set the Europeans singing and dancing along with his infectious melodic style and traveled more than 100,000 miles to earn $480,000 dollars.
At the Olympic Music Hall in Paris, the Reprise artist reportedly stole the spotlight from the Beatles, earning more encores than the Fab Four. In berlin, 23,000 fans crammed inside an arena to hear him sing. In Buenos Aires he drew 60,000.
Trini Lopez opened for the Beatles while in Paris, 1964, to critic’s acclaim.
More of the same occurred in Holland, Spain, Italy, Puerto Rico, New Zealand, Australia, England, Germany, Monte Carlo, Beirut, Canada and Mexico.
In Mexico City, he broke the attendance record at the Terrazza Cassino and earned $80,000 for two weeks’ work.
Trini’s success in Europe can be directly traced to the single, “If I Had A Hammer,” culled from his debut LP for Reprise. This cut was recorded live at P.J.’s, a Los Angeles night spot.
A call by Pete Felderman, Reprise’s licensee in Holland, to Mo Ostin, Reprise general manager in Burbank, California, exclaiming that “Hammer” had everybody excited, alerted the record company of a developing enthusiasm for the rising star. Felderman said if Trini could appear on the Eurovision TV show “Grand Gala De Disc,” he felt the record could break wide open all over the Continent.
Trini Lopez performed with the Beatles while in Paris, France, 1964. (Click image for larger view)
Lopez did go to Europe after ending a two-year engagement at P.J.’s and his appearance on the TV show excited other European bookers.
Durgom relates it was “thrilling to hear European audiences, many of who couldn’t speak English, singing along with Trini on such singles as “If I Had A Hammer,” America,” “This Land Is Your Land” and “Kansas City.” “It reminded me of a revival meeting,” Durgom said. The effect worked and through advance radio exposure, audiences memorized the lyrics and came in person to see the young American with the Latin accent, the infectious rocking beat along with the happy voice. Accompanying Trini on his first European tour were David Shriver, bass guitar, and Micky Jones, drums, since replaced by Gene Riggio.
When Trini returned to the United States, his first East Coast breakthrough occurred at Basin St. East in New York, where he was paced on the bill with the Smothers Brothers. This appearance resulted in national television exposure at bookings at Harold’s, Reno; Mr. Kelly’s, Chicago; Blinstrub’s, Boston; Latin Casino, Philadelphia; Off-Broadway, San Francisco; Flamingo, Las Vegas (at $15,000 per week for three weeks).
Also scheduled bookings are slated at the Eden Roc, Miami Beach. Trini’s first major booking after P.J.’s was at Cal-Neva for $1,200. The club has him booked this year at $15,000. END
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(Information and news source; Billboard; May 15, 1965)
A MCRFB Note: Trini Lopez with the Beatles (above two photos) courtesy the official Trini Lopez website.
Trini Lopez signs an autograph for a fan during his tour across Europe in 1964.
HOLLYWOOD — Rick Nelson last week signed a 20-year contract with Decca Records which guarantees him more than a million dollars in disk revenue, Billboard has learned. The contract, after a month of intense negotiations, was officially in effect at 3 p.m., Thursday (January 3) when Decca signatures were affixed to the label’s contract paper in New York. A separate contract, providing for two films featuring Rick (for Decca’s sister firm, Universal Pictures), also was signed.
Rick Nelson(Click image for larger view)
Thus was ended one of the hottest bidding battles by record labels of recent years trying to get a top-selling artist. As exclusively reported by Billboard (October 27), bids for Nelson started flying last fall when it was learned that the young singer’s contract with Lew Chudd’s Imperial Records was expiring December 31. Labels seeking Nelson were Capitol, Challenge, Columbia, Dot, Everest and RCA Victor.
Decca was a late entry in the bidding. It opened its negotiations the last week of November.
Ozzie Bargains
Throughout the hot scramble for Rick, the singer’s father, Ozzie Nelson, who has guided his son’s career, held out for a guaranteed $1,000 a week over a 25-year period. The reported Universal Pictures’ deal may more than make up for the remaining five years a t $1,000 a week previously demanded.
Actually, the $1,000-per-week guaranteed payment is not unparalleled for Nelson. This was the basis with Chudd during Nelson’s six-year with Imperial. Including that guarantee, Nelson had earned in excess of $700,000 in the six-year period he had been under Chudd’s Imperial label.
Surplus royalties earned beyond the guaranteed $1,000 a week were accumulated by Imperial in a special royalty reserve account. Now that Rick and Imperial had parted ways, Imperial will pay the singer a lump sum of more than $400,000 in accumulated excess royalties.
Six-Year Climb
Rick’s meteoric rise as a disk seller occurred little more than six years ago when he launched his recording career as an adjunct to his TV acting (ABC TV’s “Ozzie And Harriet Show) with a single on Verve Records.
His first disk release, ironically, was Fats Domino’s “I’m Walkin.” His second release found him rising on Imperial Records’ artist roster, and it was there that Nelson climbed into his present top status as a best selling recording artist.
During his six years with Imperial, Nelson scored with approximately 10 top sellers, of which six passed the million mark in disk sales.
Decca can be expected to hit the market early in the year with its first Rick Nelson releases in the new year 1963.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRr7fZQicM8
Before Elvis, Rick Nelson was considered to be the first teen-idol in the early Rock and Roll era
(Information and news source: Billboard; January 12, 1963).
A SPECIAL NOTE FROM WXYZ 1270 DETROIT RADIO LEGEND LEE ALAN
THANK YOU . . . Motor City Radio Flashbacks appreciates every single comment from everyone we have received from your visits here, on our website.
Today we forwarded this one particular comment we received last evening to Lee Alan, regarding him specifically and WXYZ radio. In kind, and in sharing with you, we received something special from the ’60s WXYZ Detroit radio legend today.
His response to Lynn Rougeau, below:
I’d like to hear a recording of Lee Alan saying goodnight on his WXYZ show from the 60′s. He said something like, “If I made you smile …” . Can’t remember the rest. He always played “I Can’t Get Started With You,” by Frank Sinatra. I almost cried every time I heard that. I miss Lee Alan and the radio show.
Of all the comments from all the years and all the shows, those about the closing with Mister Sinatra are the most frequent. So many thousands seem to recall…even the words.
There was then, and still remains a love affair between us. Please see that Lynn and others are made aware of this site:
The entire closing is there plus a little more. This is very special. I have never posted this before now.
Just as a thank you to all those who remember. . . .
Kindest Regards,
Lee Alan
“On The Horn”
”If we don’t remember who we were, we won’t know who we are.” — Ronald Wilson Reagan
Thank you, Lee Alan, for all those unforgettable, special memories you gave us all during the years you were on WXYZ. We Detroiters love those special Lee Alan unforgettable moments you shared with us on the radio, yet today, still here in our hearts . . . and so in saying, Lee Alan, Detroit remembers, “The Horn.”
WXYZ 1270 Detroit Sound Survey; No. 08 issued June 6, 1966 under Lee Alan, Program Director; WXYZ
(WXYZ 1270 Detroit Sound Survey for June 6, this date 1966; survey courtesy the Jim Heddle Collection. For the previous weekly WXYZ May 30, 1966 survey click here).
‘BEATLES ’65’ GOES FROM 98 TO NO. 1 ON BILLBOARD CHARTS
NEW YORK — The recently released “Beatles ’65” on Capitol which was No. 98 on Billboard’s LP charts two weeks ago, soared to top position in the album charts last week. No album in the history of Billboard’s charts has ever scored such an advance in a single week. The LP has just been certified by RIAA as a million-selling LP. “The Beatles Story,” on Capitol, also was certified. Their current single is a winner on the singles chart, as well.
To solidify their position in the pop record field, the Beatles also are holding down the top spot in the singles charts for the second consecutive week with “I Fell Fine.”
This isn’t the first time an album hit the top spot within a week after getting on the chart. “The Beatles Second Album” hit at No. 16 and jumped to No. 1 the following week. Another Beatles’ album, the United Artists “Hard Days Night” album soundtrack, hit at No. 12 and topped the list a week later.
And in 1962, “The First Family” (JFK parody LP; Vaughn Meader) made its debut at No. 11 and was No. 1 seven days later.
The Beatles now have six albums on the charts, three in the top 10. Five of the six disks are on the Capitol label; one is on United Artists. During 1964, the Beatles held the top album position for 30 of 52 weeks. “A Hard Day’s Night” held the top position 14 of these weeks, and “Meet The Beatles” led for 11 weeks. “The Beatles Second Album” was No. 1 for five weeks.
The album charts showed relatively few changes in the top positions. Only eight LP’s during the course of the year held the No. 1 position overall.
In addition o the Beatles’ album, other top LP’s were the “Hello Dolly” original cast version on RCA Victor, Louis Armstrong’s “Hello Dolly” on Kapp Records, Barbara Streisand’s “People” on Columbia,“The Beach Boy’s Concert” on Capitol, and “The Singing Nun” on the Philips label. END
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(Information and news source: Billboard; January 16, 1965)
LONDON — From songwriting alone, Beatles John Lennon and Paul McCartney earned around $4,000,000 last year, their publisher Dick James has confirmed. Thirty of their compositions were published in 1964, of which they recorded 22 themselves.
James has added to his fast growing organization the talents of Dennis Berger who quit his job as assistant to Philips recording manager Johnny Franz at the end of 1964.
According to James, Berger will be seeking out songwriters and artists for the company’s small roster, but it is generally expected that he will handle independent production or records for the publisher. END
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(Information and news source: Billboard; January 16, 1965)
Beatles songwriting team Lennon and McCartney earned millions from their hits in 1964.
DEANO DAY OF WCXI DETROIT IS BILLBOARD’S COUNTRY AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR FOR 1983 — MAJOR MARKET OUTLET
DEANO DAY IS HONORED
DETROIT / NEW YORK — Not long after he took his first radio job in 1957 at tiny KROX Crockston, Minnesota, Deano Day got a chance to move in a slightly larger station in Fargo, North Dakota. The reigning jock at the station over there was not encouraging, however. “I don’t think you should come to Fargo,” he told the young hopeful. “It’s a big town, and you don’t have the voice for it.” Day’s 26-year career in radio — including his present stint in Detroit’s WCXI — suggests a glaring deficiency in that particular comment assessment.
Deano Day, formerly of WDEE-AM, seen here at WCXI, Detroit
In an age where personality has left much of radio, “Uncle Deano” continues to be a slightly larger-than-life figure in every market he works. He achieves this not just by programming words and talking well, but by applying himself as the personality that he is which in turn, the station serves it listeners.
During his 11 years in Detroit, for example, he has visited his listeners in hospitals, acted as best man at some of their weddings and even occasionally served as pallbearer at their request. He estimates that he has autographed more than 200,000 pictures for his fans in the Motor City alone.
Day tells his listeners that there is a country song for every situation in life. So when listeners call him (or he in turn calls them) on this or that matter, he tapes the calls and replays them — linked to the “right” country song.
“Sometimes the calls (are delayed) for replay for three minutes — sometimes for a day.,” he explains. Ultimately, they all get played on the air, accompanied by the music they inspire on Day’s encyclopedia (music) memory.
Although he does not have a set playlist to follow, Day says he tries to get at least four of the current “hot hits” on his show each hour. “Management gives me pretty much of a free hand,” he notes.
Growing up on a small Minnesota farm, Day came of age listening to country music. But he says he had to work as a rock and pop DJ to make a living until he was offered a country post at KLAC in Los Angeles. He admits his own musical taste is for “harder country,” but adds even modern country sits fairly well with him compared to the rock and pop he used to play. He says he doesn’t believe that any jock has to alter his or her personality when moving from one format to another. “I do basically the same in country as I did in rock.”
Day explains that he got his “Uncle Deano” tag as a result of filling in at a father-and-son banquet for a young listener whose father had recently died. “I told him he could just introduce me as his uncle, and eventually it just stuck.”
Day’s reputation and enthusiasm for his work has also stuck. In spite of the fact that he lives 60 miles from Detroit, he swears he enjoys getting up in the morning and making that long daily drive into Detroit. END.
Addendum: Former Detroit jock Deano Day dies at age 70 —
Detroit country great and radio legend Deano Day passed away, Friday, April 10, 2009. For more on this story, see Mike Austerman’s obit reference at michiguide.com.
A WCXI 1130 FLASHBACK: Deano Day photographed in studio, 1986
(Information and news source: Billboard; February 19, 1983).
WXYZ 1270 Detroit Sound Survey; No. 07 issued May 30, 1966 under Lee Alan, Program Director; WXYZ
(WXYZ 1270 Detroit Sound Survey for May 30, this date 1966; survey courtesy the Jim Heddle Collection. For the previous weekly WXYZ May 23, 1966 survey click here).
