THE LATEST NEWS FROM JIM ROSE REMEMBERS RADIO June 21, 2013

ALL THE NEWS THAT IS NEWS

SOPRANO MEETS HIS WATERLOO The HBO series The Sopranos (1999-2007) brings its star James Gandolfini three Emmys as mobster boss Tony Soprano during its six-year run. Gandolfini gains fame as a hit man in the 1993 hit True Romance. In 1999, he quickly becomes a Hollywood legend as Tony Soprano. While on vacation in Italy James Gandolfini dies on Wednesday, June 19, 2013 at 51 from what some believe is a heart attack. Gandolfini is in Italy to attend the 59th Taormina Film Festival in Sicily. He is there to participate in a festival event this weekend with Italian director Gabriele Muccino. Joseph R. Gannascoli, who is Vito on The Sopranos, tells TMZ: James is one guy who never turned his back on me. He was the most humble and gifted actor and person I have ever worked with.

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FAMED MUSIC WRITER IS NO MORE After he graduates from the University of Texas in Austin, famed music journalist Chet Flippo begins his career with Rolling Stone magazine. In 1974 he becomes Rolling Stone’s New York bureau chief through the late 1970s. Over the years, Chet writes about singers and music in magazine articles from Rolling Stone to People. For more than a decade, Flippo writes several books about Rock and Country artists, which includes Hank Williams, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and Elvis Presley. For the past 10 years, Flippo is the editorial director of CMT TV and CMT.com. Chet Flippo also lectures at the University of Tennessee. He is the Nashville bureau chief of Billboard magazine. On Wednesday morning, June 19, 2013 Chet Flippo dies at 69.

I GUARANTEE IT NO LONGER ON TV For several years we see George Zimmer as a TV pitchman for his Men’s Wearhouse clothing stores. In 1971, right out of college, Zimmer enters the clothing industry in Hong Kong as a salesman at his father’s coat making business. In 1973, he opens the first Men’s Wearhouse in Houston, TX. In the 1970s, the Men’s Wearhouse airs its first TV commercial. In 1986, Zimmer stars in his first TV commercial with the now famous line You’re going to like the way you look. I guarantee it. George builds Men’s Wearhouse into one of North America’s largest specialty men’s clothiers with 1,143 locations and produces $2.48 billion in earnings. On Wednesday, June 19, 2013 Men’s Wearhouse board fires its founder and executive chairman, George Zimmer.

BIG SHAKE UP IN NASHVILLE In its first season, ABC TV’s Nashville is a hit with a 1.9 rating in the key adults 18-49 demographic. The show reaches a season-long average of 5.94 million total viewers per episode. In May 2013, the show experiences a massive crew shake-up. Line producer Loucas George and production supervisor Don Bensko, along with their team that runs the show on the ground in Nashville, contracts do not renew for the second season. And now, award-winning musician, songwriter and executive music producer T Bone Burnett will not be part of Nashville’s second season because of his heavy workload. Acclaimed Nashville Americana artist Buddy Miller who is another key musical force in the show’s first season takes T Bone Burnett’s place for Season 2.

TRIVIA QUESTION: How do producers set up Brenda Lee’s Christmas spirit in October 1958? The answer appears below.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

•HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Joel Raab Wednesday, June 19th. Chuck [Boom Boom] Cannon and Gary DeLaune’s odometers roll over on Thursday, June 20, 2013.

•STEVE SKLENAR exits Lincoln Financial San Diego, CA as new Market Manager of Cumulus’ 7 bases.

•MIKE ADDAMS retires after 19 Years as morning host on WMJX FM (106.7) Boston, MA on Friday, June 28, 2013.

•PHIL HARRIS exits middays on WLYT FM (106.7) Charlotte, NC since 2000 for mornings on WKQC FM (104.7) beginning July 1, 2013.

•CHERYL CHODUN reporter retires to teach journalism after 25 years on WXYZ TV ABC CH 7 Detroit, MI on July 26, 2013. 

ENTERTAINMENT AND NEWS MILESTONES

•1951 NILS LOFGREN guitarist/singer/songwriter with East Street Band born on June 21st in Chicago, IL.

•1964 PORTER HOWELL founder/guitarist with Little Texas (God Blessed Texas #4-1993, What Might Have Been #2-1993 and Kick A Little #5-1994) born on June 21st in Longview, TX.

•1975 Jaws by Steven Spielberg opens on June 20th.

•1983 KATHY MATTEA signs her first recording contract with Mercury Records on June 21st.

•1990 LITTLE RICHARD receives a star on Hollywood’s walk of fame on June 21st.

•2000 JO DEE MESSINA’s video That’s The Way debuts on June 21st on CMT TV.

EMAILS YES WE HAVE EMAIL

BRUCE ELROD [Cash Box & Record World owner/publisher] (Ridgeway, SC) Subject: obit for chet (Flippo). Chet was the ultimate reviewer and was my friend. The many years he worked at the Nashville office of Billboard he gave my record label Lost Gold Records several good reviews and wrote a piece on Lost Gold Records for Billboard in 1999. He was very supportive in me resurrecting the old Cashbox Magazine. I will miss you Chet. Say hi to Slim, you’re both arriving about the same time.

WHERE DO YOU READ JRRR? Tell us how far away from Houston, TX that you read JRRR. Got a news tip or a question? Send your full Name, City, State and Country of residence to Rosekkkj@earthlink.net.

DON SUNDEEN [former Hi Records promotion] (Dallas, TX) Subject: Thanks for your kind note. It was so nice hearing from you the other day, I’m just catching up with email. Couple of things about me, I transferred from radio to records when I left KCOH, Houston, in April of 1968, following the assassination of Martin Luther King. It didn’t take Kreskin to realize that the days of a white Ops. Manager/P.D. were coming to an end, and for good reason. Anyway, I was hired by Liberty/UA to do promotion in Houston and South Texas, one of the first such jobs on the street. In 1969 they sent me to San Francisco, because that’s where the music was. I then joined Mercury in Los Angeles for a couple of years and finally was hired by Polydor to set up promotion in Texas out of Dallas in 72. The ‘Hi Records,’ thing came near the end of my career when I worked with the late, great producer Willie Mitchell, Al Green and others on that wonderful Memphis label, some of the fondest memories of my life. Transitioned into Television commercial production in the mid-80’s when disco took over and spent the last years of my career in marketing and eventually serving as Executive Producer at Apollo Films. Best to you and Lacy, I think it’s wonderful what you are doing.

BREAKING NEWS! JRRR IS NOW IN THE ALL NEW RECORD WORLD MAGAZINE! Click on the links page www.recordworldmagazine.com/Links.html and go right to Jim Rose. CASH BOX MAGAZINE FEATURES JRRR EVERYDAY ALL WEEK LONG http://cashboxmagazine.com/ Click the Jim Rose Remembers Radio Banner on the Home Page. Send Your Radio News And Comments To Rosekkkj@earthlink.net.

BUD BUSCHARDT [previous WFAA TV Director/WFAA-570 Oldies show] (Dallas, TX) Subject: Belo spins off WFAA radio. Jim, You got me. I was out of FAA by August of 1981 and really did not keep up with the daily workings. I do know that before they sold WFAA Radio, the board of directors was very careful to change the call letters so they could keep those treasured letters for the TV station which was a bigger cash cow than the radio stations. For that short time period AM was an oldies station…can’t even remember those call letters. Senior moments are happening more frequently, unfortunately. You might already be familiar with these sites, if not, you might check Mike Shannon’s www.KNUS99Dallas.com; Steve Eberhart’s www.KLIFhistory.com, or Chris Huff’s www.dfwradioarchives.info If you are unable to find out, I still know some people who worked there back then. Let me know. Take care Bud

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S RADIO? WHERE IS RADIO HEADED? We want to know what is on your mind. Let’s start a radio revolution.  Give us your opinion about today’s radio or whatever is on your mind at Rosekkkj@earthlink.net.

MIKE BRAUN (Ft. Worth, TX) Subject: More about Goodson McKee, W-A-C-O. Jim, Here’s a little more information about the life of former W-A-C-O announcer Goodson McKee, who passed away May 29 in Waco. Terri Jo Ryan wrote a nice story about Goodson for her weekly “Brazos Past” column about Waco history in the Waco Tribune-Herald. Here’s the link: www.wacotrib.com/news/waco_history/ Mike Braun, Fort Worth (KWTX-AM/FM, Waco, 1975-1979)

TRIVIA ANSWER: Pop/Country singer Brenda Lee is born Brenda Mae Tarpley on December 11, 1944 in Lithonia, GA. She begins her professional singer career at 6. When Brenda signs a record contract with Decca in 1956 she is known as Little Miss Dynamite. Joel Whitburn’s Pop Annual lists Brenda as #1 female singer of the 1960s. Brenda’s summer 1960 recording of I’m Sorry is #1 on the Pop charts for three weeks. On October 19, 1958, to set the stage for her to record Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, Decca producers chill the studio with an air conditioner. To get the musicians in the holiday spirit they set up a Christmas tree. From 1957-73 she charts 55 Pop hit tunes. From 1971-85 Brenda is a successful Country singer. In 1997, Brenda Lee inducts into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

JIM TRAVIS [KBUC DJ] (Hot Springs, AR) Subject: Bill Bailey. Back in the mid 70’s I did mornings at WWOL in Buffalo New York. Bill Bailey was doing mornings on # 1 WKBW. We meet at some function, I asked Bill how long did it take him to get to be the top jock in town. He told me, ”About 15 minutes after he got off the bus. I don’t know if this was the same Bill Bailey you were talking about or not. Either way this one was indeed one great DJ.

WOLFMAN JACK [on Top 40 radio] It stays with you, and it makes life feel so good!

Jim Rose and Lacy
Houston, Texas – Laus Deo