A MCRFB NOTE: C-SPAN televised the J. P. McCarthy Morning Show in its entirety (4 hours) on April 6, 1994, 29 years ago today.
Throughout this entire show, you will hear the voices of Gene Fogel, Dan Streeter, Dick Heifner, Joel Alexander, Dennis Nuebacher, with the day’s news, traffic, weather and sports. And of course, J.P. speaking with guests and taking calls throughout the broadcast.
At time this broadcast was simulcast on C-SPAN, J. P. McCarthy was at WJR for 27 years. The WJR morning ‘voice of the Great Lakes’ passed away on August 16, 1995. J. P. was 62.
NEW!A special THANK YOU to the anonymous donor (from Allen Park, MI.) who expressed he remain as, ‘unnamed’. Thanks again for providing this rare J. P. McCarthy audio memory which aired — on this day — 29 years ago.
Audio recording was digitally enhanced by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
Number One Air Personality — 18 Months After Returning to WJR
DETROIT — J. P. McCarthy of WJR is the king of the air personalities in Detroit, according to the record industry.
McCarthy received 52 per cent of the votes of record dealers, distributors, one-stop operators, and local and national record company executives asbeingthe major influence on album sales. They also attributed himwith having vast influence in creatingsalesofEasyListening singles.
James H. Quello, program directorof the EasyListening format station, saidthatMcCarthy,“seems to beable to pick them. He practically made Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass in Detroit.” A lot of the credit, too, should go to music director Harold Lake, Quello said.
“We try to play the bright new beatsthataren’trock,”Quello said, “try to be cheerful and entertain and sensible. McCarthy practically dominates all morning ratings because of his warm personality an the fact that he keeps his show interesting. For instance, he has little gimmicks he calls winners andlosers -- sort of comments about topical matters. He also plays novelty records.”
WJR also scored as the major influenceon classicalrecord sales with 55 per cent of the votes. The programming of WJR hasgiventhe station tremendous billings. “Business in the last year and ahalf has been absolutelyfantastic,”Quello said. “We’ve definitely proved that there’s room in a market for all kinds of music - country music, our music, or rock ‘n’ roll.”
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Information, credit, and news source: Billboard; July 2, 1966
NEW!J. P. McCARTHY WJR aircheck date: unknown FEBRUARY 1991
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— BYRON MACGREGOR —
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In this brief interview, J. P. speaks with Byron about the current 1991 resurgence of his 1974 patriotic hit, “The Americans”.
NOTE: This WJR interview was conducted some days before the Gulf War came to a rapid close, ending this country’sdirect U.S. military involvement in the liberation of Kuwait. A military cease fire was declared by President George Herbert Walker Bush, formally ending the conflict on February 28, 1991.
Four years after this 1991 interview - 25 years ago - J. P. McCarthy passed away on August 16. Eight months and two weeks after we lost Byron MacGregor on January 3, 1995.
NEW! J. P. McCARTHY WJR aircheck date: Tuesday, March 2, 1965
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* THE PAUL URBAHNS COLLECTION *
BRACE BEEMER REMEMBERED
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Friday, March 20, 2015
Today’s story is a condensed version of an article written by Radio Historian and Troy resident, Larry Zdeb. Mr. Zdeb has provided many presentations on early radio and radio personalities, especially The Lone Ranger.
“On January 31st, 1933 the Lone Ranger radio show made its debut. After a few actors portrayed the Ranger, an audition turned up a 24-year-old Wayne State University student with a big voice, Earle Graser, who became the first long-running Lone Ranger! Brace Beemer was a station manager at WXYZ at that time. In station owner George W. Trendle’s mind, Earle Graser sounded great but did not look like the character Mr. Trendle envisioned as the Lone Ranger. Brace Beemer, however, looked the part! He was six foot three with rugged good looks. For all public appearances it was decided that Brace Beemer would appear as the Lone Ranger even though he did not play the character on the radio at the time.
The first public appearance of the Lone Ranger was on July 30th, 1933 on Belle Isle for the Detroit Parks and Recreation jamboree! During the intermission, atop a borrowed horse named “HEROâ€,Brace Beemer appeared as the Lone Ranger. When he rode out in front of the estimated 10,000 children assembled in front of the casino, the kids went wild with excitement and rushed the Masked Man! Brace was afraid someone might be injured in the crush and ordered the children back to their posts! The children obeyed the Lone Ranger, a disaster was prevented, and a new American hero was born.
Everything ran successfully at WXYZ until Monday, April 7th, 1941 when Earle Graser fell asleep at the wheel while driving home and was killed when his car struck another vehicle.The Lone Ranger was broadcast every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Graser died on early Tuesday morning and WXYZ needed a Lone Ranger for the next evening’s broadcast.
Brace Beemer was chosen by Mr. Trendle to become the new Lone Ranger. Not wanting to shock the listeners with a new voice immediately,Trendle had the next few episodes rewritten with a story-line that the Lone Ranger was severely injured and could barely talk. Beemer played the part brilliantly and turned out to be the longest running Lone Ranger in history, playing the role from 1941 until the last live broadcast on September 3rd, 1954.
In 1949, in addition to radio, the Lone Ranger began as a television show. From 1949 to 1954 the program was broadcast simultaneously on television and radio. Brace wanted to play both parts but Clayton Moore was chosen to be the television Lone Ranger.He got the part partially because he sounded like Brace Beemer. After the final Lone Ranger live radio broadcast in 1954, Beemer became Sergeant Preston of the Yukon for a short time. After that show ended, Beemer dabbled in radio commercials and was an entertainment promoter. Even in retirement, he still received fan mail.
Brace Beemer died on Monday, March 1st, 1965. As many as two hundred cars were in the funeral procession to the White Chapel Cemetery in Troy. His grave is near the World War I Polar Bear statue which is fitting because Brace was the youngest World War I American volunteer at 14 years old.”
Source: ‘The Story of the Lone Ranger‘ c/o The 365 Project; March 20, 2015
THANK YOU!
A special THANK YOU to Paul Urbahns of Radcliffe, Kentucky, for recently sharing this special WJR ‘Bruce Beemer Tribute’ as aired on WJR radio, Tuesday, March 2, 1965. Hosted by J. P. McCarthy.
DETROIT FREE PRESS March 2, 1965DETROIT FREE PRESS March 2, 1965
Tuesday, March 2, 1965
A DETROIT RADIO BACK-PAGE
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DETROIT FREE PRESS: BRACE BEEMER
Above article is courtesy freep.com newspaper archive. Copyright 2019. Newspapers.com.
The above featured article was �clipped,’ saved, and imaged from the credited source by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
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Brace Beemer as the Lone Ranger. A WXYZ radio Lone Ranger publicity shot from 1942
NEW! A special THANK YOU to Jason Chase, of Lake Orion, MI, for recently donating this WJR radio aircheck to the Motor City Radio Flashbacks aircheck repository.
J. P. McCARTHY speaks with DR. J. ALLEN HYNEK
41 YEARS AGO
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Tonight, Tuesday, January 8 (10/9c) the History Channel premieres the anticipated and much acclaimed new drama series, ‘Project Blue Book’, described by the network as having been “based on the true, top-secret investigations into Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) and related phenomena conducted by the United States Air Force from 1952 to 1969.
Dr. J. Allen Hynek (Aiden Gillen), a brilliant yet underappreciated professor, is recruited by the U. S. Air Force to spearhead a clandestine operation called Project Blue Book. Along with his partner, the debonair Air Force Captain Michael Quinn (Michael Malarkey), he is summoned to investigate UFO sightings around the country and use science to discover what really happened.” . . . (Quoted source: History.com)
Above article is courtesy freep.com newspaper archive. Copyright 2018. Newspapers.com.
The above featured WJR-related article was �clipped,’ saved, and imaged from the credited source by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
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DETROIT FREE PRESS: WJR-AM “Detroit Radio Legend Falls Silent”
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(Above WJR related article is courtesy freep.com newspaper archive. Copyright 2017. Newspapers.com).
A MCRFB viewing tip: On your PC? You can read the entire 1965 article! For a larger detailed view click above image 2x and open to second window. Click image anytime to return to NORMAL image size.
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On your mobile device? Tap on image. Open to second window. “Stretch†image across your device screen to magnify for largest print view.
Missed any of our previous �Detroit Radio Back-Pages� features?GO HERE.
A MCRFB NOTE: C-SPAN televised the J. P. McCarthy Morning Show in its entirety (4 hours) on April 6, 1994, 29 years ago today. 
NEW! A special THANK YOU to the anonymous donor (from Allen Park, MI.) who expressed he remain as, ‘unnamed’. Thanks again for providing this rare J. P. McCarthy audio memory which aired — on this day — 29 years ago. 
