For an industry that seems to constantly be falling on hard times as of late, it\u2019s gratifying to know that so many still love radio and have so many great memories listening to it.<\/p>\n
Unlike television and even streaming services, radio creates an intimate relationship with listeners. Personalities are your friends, and they are talking and playing music just for you. The magic of radio persists even among the competing entertainment sources, and it is why, after almost four decades, I am still here writing about it.<\/p>\n
What makes radio relevant in our lives is not just the music. It\u2019s what\u2019s between the records that counts. I suppose for talk radio, it\u2019s what\u2019s between the commercials. Regardless, radio still thrives when personalities \u2014 especially local personalities \u2014 are given the freedom to shine. And that\u2019s partly why I am still here.<\/p>\n
What else can explain our strong memories for people who haven\u2019t been on the air for years \u2026 in some cases, decades?<\/p>\n
\u201cAhhh, those formative years \u2013 the \u201960s, \u201970s and \u201980s \u2013 mostly in the San Fernando Valley,\u201d writes John Francis, who describes installing back speakers in his car. \u201cToday\u2019s missive raised many memories of radio waves from the past. I enjoyed Rick Dees on KHJ and KIIS. OMG, the Heinie Winery commercials and more. Among the things I looked forward to were the temperature announcements. My 45-year-old son, who now lives in San Antonio, will often ask about the temperature here. My response always includes \u2018xx Dees-grees.\u2019 Thanks for the memories.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dees got me through my commute to UCLA during my first quarter there. Traffic on the 405 was no match for his show! And I used to install back speakers in my cars as well as my friends \u2026 my first job, so to speak!<\/p>\n
D.L. Zellers has similar memories, writing, \u201cI loved your piece on Dees, and the memories came laughing back. I remember Dees\u2019 face EVERYWHERE, changed my radio preset to KIIS-FM and never changed it until Rick moved on. Even today, I sometimes make reference to Chuy from LaPuente and the Heine Winery without remembering where I got it from until I read your excellent piece today.\u201d<\/p>\n
Craig Newnes has some Jim Healy memories. For the record, Craig is one of the reasons I did the Healy piece, suggesting it periodically over time. \u201cI have a ton of favorites,\u201d he writes of Healy\u2019s famous drop-ins used on the show. \u201cLike when Georgia Frontiere got married for the seventh time, and he`d play the \u201960s standard \u2018Love is Wonderful the Second Time Around,\u2019 saying \u2018seventh\u2019 over the\u00a0 song\u2019s original lyric.\u201d<\/p>\n
Two more quick facts from Newnes: \u201cHealy did boxing in the movies before Stu Nahan did, and that \u2018snicker\u2019 after almost every comment is actually former Angel Manager Norm Sherry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Herb Redholtz writes of Phil Hendrie, recognizing Hendrie\u2019s talent for making everything sound so real. \u201cThank you so much for today\u2019s article highlighting the genius of Phil Hendrie,\u201d he said. \u201cI loved listening to his nightly parade of zanies on KFI. His ability to literally talk to himself in different voices, expressing different opinions in varying emotions seamlessly, keeping all the balls in the air, is without peer.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe best part was the callers arguing with the characters on the air, I\u2019m surprised that I didn\u2019t drive into a ditch, I was laughing so hard! Phil\u2019s talent is beyond description.\u201d<\/p>\n
Doug Brooks agrees, writing, \u201cIt was pure radio theater! I remember when I first came across the show; after a couple of days, I thought to myself, \u2018He\u2019s doing all the voices!\u2019 I then did some research to verify that. It was so fun telling friends to listen and then watching their response when I told them the secret. Phil was gifted like no other when it came to changing voices in a nanosecond. It was some of the best radio entertainment EVER!\u201d<\/p>\n
The interesting thing was that you might have suspected it, but you still had to do your own research. Hendrie was so good, so smooth, there are some who never figured it out!<\/p>\n
Erik Orre has a better memory than I regarding some of Hendrie\u2019s shows, and he wrote in to share. \u201cNews one time was about seals taking over one of the Santa Barbara Islands, which was a known issue. The local government wanted to reduce the herd and was going to use hunters. This was the true story.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut Phil\u2019s \u2018guest\u2019 had a better, cheaper, and more \u2018organic\u2019 plan,\u201d he recalls. \u201cHave people dispatched to the island with baseball bats and just whack the seals on the back of the head to dispatch them. This, of course, caused the phone lines to light up with upset folks.<\/p>\n
\u201cOr the Citizens Auxiliary Police, who wanted to reduce injuries and deaths on busy LA freeways. Sounds credible. But how they would do that was to perform a \u2018flare drop\u2019 where if traffic was moving along too fast and too smooth, they would drive along and randomly throw out a lit flare, which would instantly reduce the speed of traffic.\u201d<\/p>\n
As you allude, the best part was that things could be made to sound somewhat credible, and if you were not paying attention, it might seem like the \u201cguests\u201d were truly serious.<\/p>\n
I have to agree with so many: Hendrie\u2019s show was like no other.<\/p>\n