Radio Articles

When Columbus Gregory first walked through the doors of KATZ in St. Louis, his only goal was to sing on the air. In the half-century that followed, he did a lot more.

Gregory had been raised in the South and had been assigned to Korea for his military service. While he was there he heard a friend talking about this Negro disc jockey in St. Louis who had become a major celebrity. When he rejoined civilian life, Gregory headed toward St. Louis to hear the man everyone called “Spider.”

Spider Burks was, indeed, a celebrity, spinning jazz records on the radio and making personal appearances at local clubs almost every night of the week. Columbus Gregory got a job with the railroad, and, in his spare time, began singing gospel with a local quartet called the Victory Airs. In conversations with other gospel singers, he became convinced that their groups would draw better crowds to their performances if listeners could hear them on the radio.

Gregory organized eight of the groups and arranged to buy a half-hour time block on KATZ every Sunday morning. Two groups would sing each week and every group would put $5.00 in the pot to cover the $40 weekly charge. The process worked, but, one-by-one, the groups dropped out, leaving Columbus Gregory with the contract to purchase the time.

The railroad job was not working out, but Gregory’s skills at packaging radio time and at entertaining were developing. In 1959 he got word that the station was looking for a man who can handle engineering work for disc jockey remotes and promotions for the station and he jumped at the chance. Soon he found himself in local grocery stores during the day, promoting products advertised on KATZ, followed by late night work at local clubs supporting the DJs. It was a seven-day-a-week job.

“I did that for three years, “says Gregory. “I was Dave Dixon’s engineer at night. George Logan did some Saturday afternoon things and I was called in to do all his remotes. When Dave Dixon passed, his brother Jerome took over and I was his engineer. I was Spider Burks’ engineer over at the Blue Note Club. In 1963 I decided to try to become an announcer.”

It was a logical goal because the life of an engineer wasn’t particularly glamorous. “Back then we were playing 45s and lps and I had a remote mixer. I’d always sit in the store room of the club and they had a microphone in the front for the disc jockey. I had to work off their cues. Dave Dixon’s vocal cue was ‘Night Beat Down Rhythm Street.’ When I heard the word ‘street’ I let the record go.”

Things were different in those days, according to Columbus Gregory. “The radio announcers today aren’t nearly as popular as they were back then. In the ‘50s and ‘60s in the Black community, if a person wore a military uniform, they were looked up to as really being somebody special. Radio announcers then were held in the same high regard.

“Today’s disc jockeys are searching for popularity. Back then, they weren’t searching for it. They were popular just being themselves.”
Gregory has worked with many disc jockeys over the years, but his most fond memories are of Dave Dixon. “Dave was a real guy. He wasn’t phony. If you weren’t doing your job, he’d tell you, and that’s the way to help a person. You don’t help a person by telling him ‘Oh yeah. You’re doing great. You’re great.’ “Dave would take time to tell me how to do things better, and that made me a better engineer. He was one of the nicest guys I worked with.”

In 1963, Columbus Gregory went to KXLW as a gospel announcer. GM Richard Miller doubled his salary to bring him over. Before he knew it, Gregory was holding down a six-hour shift Monday through Friday mornings. “I always included the audience in the program. I’d even take requests from callers and let the callers talk on the air. Richard Miller loved that.”

KXLW played secular music as well as gospel, and Columbus Gregory says Miller really had a knack for getting the best talent. Guys like George Logan, Jimmy Bishop and Steve Byrd were on KXLW, but one day, they were all gone. A forward thinking programmer by the name of Bernie Hayes had hired all of them away to go to work on KWK.

In response, KXLW went gospel full time, and Gregory was appointed program director. “I brought in Leonard Morris, Louis Bates and Hosea Gales. That was back in 1968. I was with Richard from 1963 to 1979, even though I began working on WGNU-FM full-time in 1976. I’d do an hour or so at sign-on for Richard before going to the WGNU studio in Granite City.

“WGNU-FM had a lot of gospel music that I had overlooked. It had string sections and bands and I said ‘Wow!’ I was on from 10 – 2 Monday through Friday, and I had people calling the station to buy advertising time.”
He later worked for over 25 years as a gospel music on disc jockey on KIRL.

Columbus Gregory’s quest to minister through gospel music on the radio kept him on the air well past the standard retirement age of 65, and he prided himself in the fact that people who listened could never tell how old he was.

(Reprinted with permission of the St. Louis Journalism Review. Originally published 6/05)

Being brought into the world practically backstage and sleeping in a trunk there while his mother and father were on theatrical tours were Neil Norman’s first heritages to the stage and public life. He is now the chief commercial announcer at station WIL.

He has come to the radio from the stage and his so doing is the first break in a long line of theatrical family. He is the third generation to follow the stage. In fact he was so sold on the triumphant virtues of the stage over the radio that he almost missed going on the air altogether.

Back in 1923 when radio was a very small “pup”, he was leader of an orchestra and master of ceremonies in a theater in Sioux City, Iowa. He was offered a job as an announcer but he thought that radio was still very much of a toy and might never amount to very much so he continued his dramatic career. He thinks that is a rather good story on himself.

About four years later, he was again convinced of the possibilities of radio for entertainment and expressive purposes and went on the air again in Billings, Montana. He went thence to Salt Lake and to Waterloo, Iowa stations before coming here.

He and Franklyn MacCormack, program director at WIL, trouped together one time about three years ago and when MacCormack came here, he came to St. Louis to work with him.

Versatility seems rather a weak word to describe his attributes for he has been an orchestra leader, really broke into the air by singing baritone solos, has played in dramatic and humorous plays all over the country.

He is now designated as commercial announcer because he has that persuasive note in his voice which presents selling talks with the least possible emphasis on the selling points and the maximum of entertainment qualities. He has written continuities and provided sound effects during his radio career and has thus filled every known capacity about the station.

Claire Lunden, soprano, heard frequently over WIL is his wife.

(Originally published in Radio & Entertainment 5/28/1932)

When Viola Jeanne Chassels graduated from Salem High School in Illinois in 1931, she may have had the typical high school dreams of the time: get married, settle down, raise a family. Instead she became a well-known radio singer.

Three girls from Salem decided to cast their lot in the big city to the West. Jean, as she was known, was the lead singer in the group, which had been known around Salem as The Chassels Trio. Her mother apparently managed the group, and documentation shows Julia Chassels set her sights high for the girls.

Woody Klose, one of the popular announcers on KMOX, sent her a letter inviting the trio to an audition at 8:30 on the morning of May 28, 1932:

“This audition will make you eligible to appear on the broadcast of the KMOX Public Audition Program, which goes on the air at 9:30 o’clock, a.m…You are only allowed two minutes at the most.”

The three girls, Jean, Vivian Griffin, and Marie Hamilton had a chance to appear on KMOX, provided they made the cut at the audition.

Julia’s effort paid off. The Harmonettes, as the group was now known, were regularly featured on several KMOX short-form variety shows, which usually lasted fifteen minutes. They’d sing three selections with a piano or organ accompaniment. Most of these shows were “sustaining” at first, meaning there was no sponsor.

Later, as the economy improved and The Depression began to fade, their shows acquired a sponsor. That was due, in part, to the backing of Ted Straeter, a KMOX programmer who had a successful side business as a producer of talent for KMOX shows.

In early December of 1932, another letter came to Salem from St. Louis.

Dear Mrs. Chassels: I should like to have you and the girls come to my studio on Thursday, December the eighth at eleven in the morning, at which time I should like to discuss plans for work with the girls trio. Kindly let me know immediately if this will be satisfactory.
Ted Straeter #2 Studio Building, Taylor and Olive

Straeter and his partner Myles Hasgall were so well-known for their work that they were credited at the beginning and end of the shows that featured talent they had discovered, as found on this KMOX script from 1933: “Myles Hasgall and Ted Straeter, maestros of music in St. Louis present their regular Wednesday evening program. Tonight Hasgall and Straeter present The Harmonettes.”

A newspaper clipping of the era noted, “Union Electric Light and Power Company signed them for its KMOX Thursday night show after their first audition.”

Back in Salem, the town was proud of its radio stars. An ad in the local paper read: “Dorothy Perkins radio program over KMOX St. Louis, each Tuesday night 7:45…Three Salem girls who have made good in big time radio broadcasting. Tune in next Tuesday night and enjoy the program.”

As their popularity increased, two of the original members of the Harmonettes married and moved on, but Jean was the one constant, and it’s safe to assume there were a lot of proud people in Salem when the CBS Radio Network began national broadcasts from the KMOX studios featuring the group.

There must have been something in the air in the 1930s at KMOX. Jean Chassels met a guy at the station who was also interested in music. He was single, and he spent a lot of time working as staff arranger and pianist for the Karl Hohengarten and Al Roth big bands, even finding time for his own musical show of piano selections seven times a week. He also did some arranging for the Harmonettes.

In 1938, Jean Chassels gave up her singing career on KMOX. She married that music man, who by that time had moved to a job at KSD, and became Mrs. Russ David.

(Reprinted with permission of the St. Louis Journalism Review. Originally published 10/05)

(unsigned article)

Seven o’clock in the morning and the early risers turn on their radios – softly comes the crooning waltz – “Way Down in Missouri” – and then the cheery voice of the announcer, “Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen, your station is WIL.”

As the “Missouri Waltz” fades away, we hear the whistle of the Breakfast Club Express, the train is coming near, it rounds the bend and stops before your home. The Conductor calls “All Aboard” and we are off in a flurry down the rails of music and song. The Breakfast Club Express is never late – at eight sharp it discharges its passengers and its parting whistle never fails to remind us to be at the gate tomorrow morning.

Father has gone to work and now children must be dressed for school, we hear a friendly voice say – “Children this is your Don’t Be Late For School Program and it is now exactly one minute after eight.” Children are hustled along with songs, music and stories which appeal to them, – but ever before their minds is kept the passing of the minutes. Do you know that teachers claim there were less tardy marks last year than ever before? 8:15 and the Birthday Man greets you, and to the merry tingle of birthday bells the names of boys and girls who record a birthday that day are read. Over 15,000 children have been wished “Happy Birthday” during the past twelve months. 8:30 and off to school go the children and now we settle down for a little neighborhood news, such as church socials, gatherings and reunions.

All through the day from one program to another “The Friendly Station” caters to the varied tastes of St. Louisians (sic) and their many nearby friends.

When the station found that there were many problems which needed solving, Mr. Fixit came forward to explain matters of civic interest, and during this Depression, Mr. Fixit is gladly broadcasting jobs which are offered for the unemployed.

Stage and screen stars are introduced into your homes when they appear at the St. Louis or Fox Theatre through “The Friendly Station,” and on Sunday morning one of the largest churches in St. Louis broadcasts its services over WIL.

Within the last few months WIL was voted the third most popular station in Missouri. “

Originally published in Radio and Entertainment 9/26/31).

It’s hard to imagine baseball fans pledging their loyalty to a radio play-by-play man named “Jerome,” but they loved him. To the listeners, and everyone else who was a baseball fan, he was better known as “Dizzy.”

Jerome Herman “Dizzy” Dean took to the airwaves as the announcer for the Cardinals and Browns during the 1941 season, with his broadcasts carried on KWK and KXOK. Truth be known, his given name was Jay Hanna Dean, but changed it to Jerome Herman Dean near the beginning of his career on the diamond. He had retired from playing the game May 14, 1941, and told the press of his plans to visit the Falstaff Brewery the next day. Falstaff sponsored the St. Louis teams’ broadcasts and, according to Curt Smith in his book “Stars of the Game,” Dean said, “Think I’m going to like this here play-by-play.”
Dizzy Dean began his first broadcast telling listeners, “I hope I’m as good a sports announcer as I was a pitcher…Now I know how a prisoner feels walking to his death.”

The listeners loved him, and Dean played his hillbilly persona for all it was worth. In Smith’s description of Dean’s grammar, “Runners ‘slud’…batters ‘swang,’…pitchers ‘throwed’ the ball with great ‘spart’ [spirit]…a hitter could look ‘mighty hitterish’ or stand ‘confidentially’ at the plate.”

The grammatical ruse worked. Within a year, the Globe-Democrat ran a lengthy article by Paul Tredway headlined, “That Eminent Linguist, That Noted Grammarian, That Grand and Dodier Orator – Dizzy Dean.”

Patrick Huber and David Anderson told the October 2001 Missouri Conference on History that Dizzy Dean’s Ozarkian slang even prompted Falstaff to issue a booklet titled “The Dizzy Dean Dictionary and What’s What in Baseball.” Included in the ghostwritten introduction was the explanation that the booklet was intended to “clear up a lot of misunderstandings that people has about my baseball lingo.”

In 1946, in a publicity manager’s dream, word got out that the English Teachers Association of Missouri had complained to the Federal Communications Commission that Dean’s way of talking had a “bad influence” on their pupils. The nation’s print journalists had a field day with the story. The Globe-Democrat took the teachers to task in an editorial. Both national wire services carried regular updates. Telegrams poured in to radio stations. Huber and Anderson noted Dean received 150 supportive telegrams one night during one of his broadcasts.

There were articles published all over the country. One woman chastised the “intolerant” teachers. Similar support came from The Baltimore Sun and The Sporting News. Dean’s legions of fans sprang to his defense. The “Saturday Review of Literature” wrote a two-page editorial supporting Dean, concluding with “Our private hunch is that the teachers won’t get to first base.”

That hunch was correct. In fact, it seems there never was a formal complaint filed with the F.C.C. The entire vociferation may have been based on a ruse perpetrated by a very smart publicist.

Whoever was responsible had not considered the reaction of Sam Breadon, the Cardinals’ owner. Shortly after the dust settled, Breadon announced his intention to create a six-station Cards’ radio network and said he wanted “dignified” and “conventional” announcers. The play-by-play team didn’t include Dizzy Dean, despite his huge popularity among the fans. Former Cardinals’ manager Gabby Street would be joined in the booth by an up-and-coming young announcer named Harry Caray.

For the next five baseball seasons, Dizzy Dean was heard broadcasting the games of the hapless St. Louis Browns, but he had the last laugh.

In 1953, Falstaff hired Dizzy Dean to broadcast their Saturday “Game of the Week” on ABC-TV. He later moved to CBS-TV for the same assignment. His Ozarkian way of broadcasting baseball had propelled him to the top spot among broadcasters.

Insiders knew about his schtick. Quoted in “Voices of the Game,” Mel Allen remembered, “Once he took off solo, doing what passed for play-by-play, it was show biz time.” Allen even told author Curt Smith about a Dean misstep: “Once he said ‘slid’ correctly, by mistake, and he corrected himself. He wanted to goof up – it was part of the vaudeville.”

Later, Dean even admitted being a showman. “Naturally, I play around with my stuff on the radio, but I ain’t dumb. I know most of the folks listening are from my part of the country – mostly from the Ozarks. They like it. A guy’s got to do that sort of thing in this business.”

(Reprinted with permission of the St. Louis Journalism Review. Originally published 12/05)

by Nancy Frazer
Giving a complete picture of the news events of the world as it rotates and wabbles (sic) upon its axis to move uncertainly on each day is the objective of Harlan Eugene Read, news commentator, heard on KMOX nightly at 9:45 p.m. Ambitious objective it is, but done in fifteen minutes, it is an incomparable achievement.

Not content with merely telling the events that transpire each day, Mr. Read sums them up with happenings that have gone before and relates the world wide developments as to their effect upon this country and upon each other.

Mr. Read (and we can’t help but wonder if there is any significance in the name Read and reading) is well equipped to analyze the news and present it, as he is a lecturer of note, a novelist, teacher, and has long been connected with newspaper work. He knows news and he knows the significance of happenings in both this country and in Europe because of his widely traveled experience and background.

It is not a mere fifteen minute program of newspaper reading which it would seem to be as his voice comes out easily over the air each night, but one that involved eight hours daily of concentration and study. He reads the newspapers throughout the country and gleans from them all of the information which he deems of an instructive and interesting nature to his listeners. He essays to present a balanced account of the news so that it will be interesting, helpful and entertaining.

Although Mr. Read, who was once the author and participator in a comic skit on KMOX known as “Mike and Mary,” gossipers with a Democratic leaning, is a Democrat himself (an out and out one he says), he presents his news without any partisan leaning. He says that the only complaints that he has had have come from three Democrats who claimed that he was Republican in his news giving, so he has attained his aim.

It is difficult to maintain a balance throughout this period of high tension but Mr. Read leaves out his own leanings on the subject and gives the news merely as he sees it, whether it be of one party or the other.

Radio is not a new field for this commentator for he was the first person to attempt to broadcast lessons over the air from a station in Peoria, Illinois some ten years ago. He was at that time owner of business colleges throughout this section, and he presented lessons in typing, spelling and bookkeeping in a light, comprehensive way over the air. He was a pointer in that usage of radio.

His comments upon radio and the future as one who has his finger so constantly upon the trend of events and developments are most enthusiastic for he foresees radio as the paramount means of communication of education and entertainment in the years that are to come.

“You can present any form of material in an interesting talking program,” says Mr. Read. “It but needs to have a lightness of touch, interjected with plenty of humor to make it comprehensive and entertaining. I try to make all of my programs with the understanding and interest of every person.

“Since I am dealing with the two types of persons; those who read the news avidly and look to me for interpretation, and those who are too busy to read the papers and expect me to give the trend of events in a nutshell, I try to make it lightly interesting.”

Mr. Read, who is a graduate of Oxford University in England, came to St. Louis from Illinois some twenty years ago and has carried on his literary work from here. He is the author of the novel “Thurman Lucas” and numerous books of a business nature.

(Originally published in Radio and Entertainment, 9/10/1932)