A Motor City Radio Flashbacks selection from the Aircheck Collection
_______________
Audio recording digitally remastered by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
The memorial for John O’Leary at the Token Lounge drew approximately 400 attendees and raised $3445 for the Oxford Community Memorial and Victims Fund. There are more donations still coming in.
The photos attached (in order; view below):
1. Louie Abraham, Charlie Martin guest vocalist, with Dave Edwards and the Look, Rick Zeldes Photo Credit: Marty Rickard
2. Rock Harley as Johnny Cash (representing when WWWW went country) Photo Credit: Richard Blondy
3. Vinnie Dombrowski (lead singer of Sponge) performing solo/acoustic ) Photo Credit: Richard Blondy
4. Roger Burghdoff, Doug Podell, Brian Major – Producers of the memorial. Photo Credit: Marty Rickard
5. Jim Edwards (Lead Singer – See Dick Run) Photo Credit: Marty Rickard
A big Thank You to the Motor City media and to everyone who came out Sunday night to pay tribute to John O’Leary!
Update #1: A local funeral director has stepped up to offer his services. He will be claiming John’s body and arranging the cremation. We will be scattering John’s ashes at all of his favorite haunts (no pun intended), Cobo Hall, Pine Knob, Bookies, Harpo’s, The Ritz, Wildwood Amphitheater, to name a few. This will be videotaped and posted for all to view.
Update #2: The entire memorial is being assembled for viewing by those who were unable to attend. A link will be posted soon – stay tuned.
Update #3: A preliminary examination for Sean Lamoureux is scheduled for Feb. 8. He was arraigned Nov. 24 in 30th District Court in Highland Park, three days after the discovery of John’s body.
Please do not hesitate to reach out with any requests for interviews or Memorial photos.
Making Entertainment Great Again,
BRIAN MAJOR
Executive Producer | 1-800-FILM-911 | 1-248-613-8322
Tuesday, February 1, 2022
Above article courtesy freep.com newspaper archive. Copyright 2022. Newspapers.com
The above featured Detroit Free Press article was digitally re-imaged by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
A special thank you to senior MCRFB consultant Greg Innis, of Livonia, MI., for contributing the Newspapers.com archives (Detroit radio related) articles, ads, and images we have featured on this site, since 2016.
Thank you, Greg Innis, for making these historic Detroit radio features possible. 🙂
_______________
Missed any of our previous ‘Detroit Radio Back-Pages‘ features? GO HERE
ON YOUR PC? You can read this entire newsprint article — the fine print — ENLARGED. For a larger detailed view click above image 2x and open to second window. Click image anytime to return to NORMAL image size.
Click your server’s back button to return to MCRFB.COM home page.
ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE? Tap on newsprint image. Open to second window. “Stretch” image across your device screen to magnify for largest print view.
Greetings to all (and friends of Motor City Radio Flashbacks),
We are finalizing our memorial for slain Motor City rock DJ John O’Leary.
We wanted to make certain that you are aware of John’s passing, and of the details for his memorial, scheduled for Sunday, January 30th.
If you are are unable to attend, please feel free to make a donation in John’s name to the Oxford Community Memorial and Victims Fund at https://www.oxfordbank.com/donations.
John was the broadcast voice for the Oxford High School hockey team for many years. We are planning to broadcast the memorial on Zoom and Facebook live, those details will be forwarded to you as soon as they become available.
You will find attached the press release for distribution – feel free to pass it forward. Copies of the photos are also attached.
DETAILS
RELEVANT LINKS
Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns, especially if you have a favorite photo or memory to share. My direct contact is 248-613-8322 or via e-mail at this address and we look forward to hearing from you either way.
Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter and continued success in the New Year.
Making Entertainment Great Again,
Executive Producer | 1-800-FILM-911 | 1-248-613-8322
January 19, 2022
The reason this site still exists is because of you.
It is you who made Motor City Radio Flashbacks what it has become today. Thank you for your visits here, words of encouragement, your comments and your show of support throughout the past ten years. Your dedication to this site has truly been my inspiration, that I should strive to carry on.
On June 24 last year, a new visitor counter was added to the site. Since then, as of this writing (1/26), the counter (see the numbers below left side of page) has recorded nearly 960,000 visitors within the past seven months alone. I must say, those are some respectable traffic numbers.
UPDATE: Motor City Radio Flashbacks surpassed the 1,000,000 visitor mark on Friday, February 4 2022 at 9:17 p.m. EST. Today, nearly 8 months after we installed a new Visitor’s Counter (June 24 2021) this update reflects 1014360 visitors having visited the site as of 9:48 a.m., Wednesday, February 9 2022.
While the site is going through several changes at the moment, as in years past, the central mission of the page has always remained the same. That is, in honoring the golden era of classic Detroit radio. Those golden voices, radio legends, those exciting DJ names we still recall having heard on the dial, from many years having passed, and, so long ago.
Did you know we have over 1,000 Detroit radio airchecks in the Aircheck Library? Their names and their radio memories live here.
During the ten year span, we’ve amassed 628 PAGES of daily posts and features alone. All told, at 10 posts and exhibits allowed per each page, that amounts to 6,280 posts having been published on this site, since January 27, 2012.
And there is more good things planned for Motor City Radio Flashbacks as we move forward in the new year.
In closing, this site would not have been possible without our friend, Scott Westerman. It was his encouragement early on — which gave life to his idea — our friend George Griggs and I should pursue making a Detroit radio website into the reality it has become on the web. And that was how this story began.
In memory of our late-founder, George Griggs, thank you again. You made this happen. It’s been ten years. And so here we are.
Last, a special thank you to Mrs. Patti Griggs.
The site’s domain legally became hers in wake of her husband’s passing in 2014. Because I had asked her for it, she fully relinquished site’s ownership from her husband’s name over to me in February 2016. To this day, her continued support and her contributions to the site has been more than just invaluable.
And one final thank you to all our Detroit radio friends who generously contributed from their own collection throughout the past decade.
Whether great or small, your gifts and contributions will always be appreciated. While the names and credits are numerous to mention here, you know who you are. Allow me this moment to thank you everyone of you from the bottom of my heart.
Another ten years, perhaps? Why not. Let’s go for it.
Jim Feliciano
January 26, 2022
Detroit Awash With Concert Billings and Venue Headliners Highlighting The Motor City Entertainment World, January ’68
DETROIT — Bill Cosby will appeared in concert at Cobo Arena, Friday (26). With him will be the Pair Extraordinaire . . . Clay MacMurray, formerly with Jay Kay Distributors here, has been appointed Midwest promotion manager for Venture Records . . . Solid Hitbound Productions announces the release of four new singles this week on The Parliaments, J. J. Barnes, Steve Mancha and Little Sonny . . . Paul Anka headlined for one week, Jan.8-14, at the Roostertail supper club. Other acts during that week included the Lazy Eggs and the Utopias. Two Motown acts, The Monitors and Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers appeared in a Motown Revue at the 20 Grand Driftwood Lounge Jan.12-18. Nina Simone and Detroit’s Gerald Wilson and his band are booked into the Masonic Auditorium for Saturday (27). The Sam and Dave Revue will come through here Feb.2 at Cobo Hall, presented by LBJ Productions . . . Aretha Franklin is scheduled to appear in concert early next month, also at Cobo Hall. Sharing the bill with her will be the Young-Holt Unlimited and Erma Franklin, backed by an orchestra with strings . . .
The Fantastic Four will make their 20 Grand debut with the Detroit Emeralds Friday (26) . . . The entertainment line-up for the annual Autorama at Cobo Hall, Friday-Sunday (19-21) include the Bob Seger System, The Rationals, The Scott Richard Case, The Camel Drivers, The Amboy Dukes and The Tallasmen . . . Pianist Seymour Bernstein played a series of concerts at the Detroit Institute of Arts during the week of Jan.12, after Kaebi Laretel had to cancel because of illness. Bernstein per formed unnamed selections, then called for children in the audience to suggest titles. Their impressions of the music were surprisingly close to those of the composers’ . . . On Friday Jan.12, Al Hirt and Pee-Wee and The Young Set appeared in concert with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sixten Ehrling. The concert took place at the Ford Auditorium, and was a benefit performance for the Symphony’s pension and maintenance funds . . . CKLW jockey Tom Shannon will do his second TV production with WJBK Channel 2. Shannon will discuss the record business with other disk jockeys. A Sonny and Cher movie feature will be included as part of the program. END
_______________
Information, credit and source source: Billboard January 27, 1968
THIRTEEN WEEKS overall on the singles pop charts, “Walk Right In” by The Rooftop Singers peaks this week at #1 (2 weeks) on the Billboard Hot 100. Peaked beginning January 20, 1963 through week ending, February 2, 1963. (Source: Joel Whitburn’s Pop Annual)
_______________
For our previous Billboard Number One 1963 U.S.A. Hits go HERE
Tony Hatch and Petula Clark have had a lot of hits together but none have been bigger than their current smash, “Downtown”
She liked it. “Petula Clark was more knocked out with ‘Downtown’ than I was,” said Tony Hatch. “I’d only written the first three lines and the bridge, but she told me to go home, put some lyrics to it, and then she would fly to London and record it.”
Tony Hatch, at 25, is the brilliant young man behind the success of “Downtown“.
He’s a writer, producer and arranger, and has been associated with Pye Records and Pet Clark for the past four years. Quiet, modest and unassuming, he played drums with the Queen’s Royal Guards before signing with Pye, and eventually became one of Britain’s most important personalities in the music industry. Among his credits, he can list the British lyrics to Peggy March’s “I Will Follow Him,” as well as composing, arranging and producing Bobby Rydell’s “Forget Him.” In fact, in the latter part of his term with Cameo, Bobby refused to record with anyone but Hatch, and made several trips to London purely for this purpose.
Produces Searchers. A more integral part of Tony’s recent activities has been The Searchers. He’s produced every one of their sessions, and works closely with the group in their selection of material, in addition to helping them arrange it. They, in turn, don’t feel happy unless he’s at the controls, and having attended several of their sessions, take it from me that Hatch and the group augur very well together.
In the past four years, Tony Hatch and Petula Clark have come up with several British and Continental smashes.
“It’s really since Pet moved to Paris and expanded both her activities and
talent,” says Tony. “She’s improved tremendously in that time, and today, can turn her hand to anything and still come up with a great sound. We recorded Downtown’ on October 23.”
Trips to Paris. “I go to France every three or four months armed with a selection of material for Pet to run over. She makes her choice, and then comes to London to record. We always cut at least three or four songs, which we keep in the can for future releases, and she generally records in both French and English.
“On my most recent trip I went to Paris with three songs. We tried them out, but Pet wasn’t terribly happy. She asked if I had anything else, but I was a bit loath to mention ‘Downtown’ as it wasn’t completed. Anyway, she persuaded me to play it, and when she heard what little there was, she made up her mind to record it.”
Double rhyme lyrics. “I returned to London and began work on the lyrics. It took three weeks to complete the song. Anyone who knows the words will see that they rhyme in the middle as well as the end. When it was finished, I arranged it, and Pet flew into London to record it. “Its entirely different from anything else Pet has ever recorded. It does have a little rhythm and blues in it, but more so in the arrangement than the actual song. It’s established Pet in a new groove, and of course we were both delighted when it became an American hit, especially as it had been a smash all over Europe.
Worried about covers. “Without trying to sound self important, I think ‘Downtown’ would have been an American hit anyway. At the time of release, my big problem was the fear of an American artist covering it, as I feel it would have been a good song for a group like the Drifters.
“Personally, though, I think the British boom is coming to an end there. America went through a phase of accepting everything and anything that was British, and for a time, I thought the market had no discernment. It seems to be tailing off now, and I think ‘Downtown’ made it on its merit.”
Both due here. Tony is naturally delighted with the long standing success of The Searchers in this country, particularly when he learned that “Love Potion #9” is their biggest hit to date. He was due to arrive here on Friday (January 15), for talks with both Kapp and Warner Brothers, and at the same time will attend sessions, even though he doesn’t intend to produce anything himself.
Petula Clark arrives this coming week from Canada, for talks with Warner Brothers about the follow up to “Downtown,” which has already been recorded, but remains on the secret list until the green light is given. She will also do a few promotional shots during her stay here, including a scheduled “Hullabaloo” TV appearance.
Three language lass. Pet is a singer of rare fine quality and performance, and is able to tackle any song in at least three languages. She is in tremendous demand all over Europe for top drawer night club, television and gala performances. Because she was accepted as a child star in England, she found it tough to crack the adult market, and finally moved to Paris about four years ago, where through a succession of breaks she became one of Europe’s leading stars. Eventually England accepted her talents on an adult basis and she is in constant demand for such shows as “Sunday Night at the London Palladium.”
A number one with “Downtown” is the greatest welcome she could receive in America. END
_______________
Information, credit and news source: Music Business; January 23, 1965
The Honor Roll of Hits comprises the nation’s top tunes according to record sales and sheet sales, disk jockey and jukebox performances as determined by The Billboard’s weekly nationwide sales.
_______________
The above Honor Roll Of Hits was digitally restored by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
ON YOUR PC? You can view this entire Billboard 01/18/1960 chart ENLARGED. For a larger detailed view click above chart image 2x and open to second window.
Click image anytime to return to NORMAL image size.
ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE? Tap over chart image. Open to second window. “Stretch”chart across your device screen to magnify for larger print view.
Above article courtesy freep.com newspaper archive. Copyright 2022. Newspapers.com
The above featured Detroit Free Press article was digitally re-imaged by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
A special THANK YOU to senior MCRFB consultant Greg Innis, of Livonia, MI., for contributing the Newspapers.com archives (Detroit radio related) articles, ads, and images we have featured on this site, since 2016.
Thank you, Greg Innis, for making these historic Detroit radio features possible. 🙂
_______________
Missed any of our previous ‘Detroit Radio Back-Pages‘ features? GO HERE
ON YOUR PC? You can read this entire newsprint article — the fine print — ENLARGED. For a larger detailed view click above image 2x and open to second window. Click image anytime to return to NORMAL image size.
Click your server’s back button to return to MCRFB.COM home page.
ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE? Tap on newsprint image. Open to second window. “Stretch” image across your device screen to magnify for largest print view.