WHITESTER RADIO
remembers......

---

Curtis Mayfield

(1942-1999)

Curtis Mayfield composed and sung some of the finest vocal group soul-music of the 1960s as the leader of the Impressions. He was among the first -- if not the very first -- to speak openly about African-American pride and the civil rights struggle in his compositions. Some of the Impressions biggest hits were "Gypsy Woman" (1961), "It's All Right" (1963), "People Get Ready" (1965), & "We're A Winner" (1968). As a solo artist in the 1970s, Curtis Mayfield helped pioneer funk and introduce hard-hitting urban commentary into soul music with hits like "Freddie's Dead"  and "Superfly" (both from the soundtrack to the 1972 movie "Superfly.")  Curtis wrote hits for others as well like "He Will Break Your Heart" (1960) for Jerry Butler; "Just Be True" (1964) for Gene Chandler, "Mama Didn't Lie" (1963) for Jan Bradley and Major Lance's "The Monkey Time" (1963).

On August 14, 1990, life changed dramatically for Curtis Mayfield. While he was performing at an outdoor concert in Brooklyn, New York; a gust of wind from a developing thunderstorm knocked a lighting rig down on him. As a result, Curtis was paralyzed from the neck down.  He would never play the guitar again. However, Curtis Mayfield recorded a new LP in 1996, on which he is only singing. In 1998, Doctors amputated his right leg because of diabetes.

Due to a decade of poor health; Curtis Mayfield passed away in Roswell, Georgia on December 26,1999. He was 57.

After the Beatles broke up, she began studying piano at Paul's insistence. The 1971 LP "Ram" was credited to both Paul and Linda, and later that year she was recruited to join his new band, Wings. Although the criticisms of her musical skills were often venomous, she continued recording and touring with her husband throughout the years which followed, serving as the inspiration behind many of Paul's solo hits as well.

Linda McCartney published a series of best-selling cookbooks (1989's "Home Cooking" and 1995's "Linda's Kitchen" among them) and also created her own highly profitable line of frozen vegetarian meals produced at ecologically-sensitive factories. Additionally, she published a series of photo collection books, including 1982's "Linda's Pictures" and 1992's "Sixties: Portrait of an Era", and even won an animation award at the Cannes Film Festival for her 1980 project Seaside Woman.

In 1995, Linda was diagnosed with breast cancer. The cancer eventually spread to her liver. Linda McCartney died on April 17, 1998 in Tucson, Arizona. She was 56.

The Real Don Steele was the original afternoon drive "Boss Jock" at Radio Station 93/KHJ in Los Angeles between 1965-1973. He was also one of the first to deliver the phrase "Boss Radio in Boss Angeles" on the air. The Real Don Steele was voted #2 out of 232 candidates in the Top 10 Los Angeles Radio Personalities between 1957-1997. His real name was Donald S. Revert from Hollywood, California. After serving in the Air Force after high school, Don studied at a local radio school before working at stations around L.A.

KBUC-Corona, California 1960
KEPR-Kennewick, Washington Sept, 1960
KIMA-Yakima, Washington  Late 1960 - July, 1961
KOIL-Omaha, Nebraska  1961 - 1963
KXLY-Spokane, Washington   1963 to 1963
KISN-Portland, Oregon  1963 - 1964
KEWB-San Francisco, California 1964 - 1965
KHJ-Los Angeles, California  1965-1973
KIQQ-Los Angeles, California 1973-1974
KTNQ-Los Angeles, California  1977-1978
KRLA-Los Angeles, California  1984-1989
KODJ/KCBS-FM, Los Angeles, California 1990 - 1992
K-EARTH 101-Los Angeles, California 1992-1997

The "Real" Don Steele made his acting debut on ABC-TV's "Bewitched", had his own weekly TV dance-party show and appeared in such movies as "Death Race 2000", "Grand Theft Auto", "Eating Raoul","Rock 'n' Roll High School","Gremlins" and  "Tales from the Crypt Presents: Bordello of Blood."

The "Real" Don Steele had a successful, nationally syndicated radio show in the late 1980's-early 1990's entitled "Live from the Sixties". Steele received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1995.

Mr. Steele was never one to analyze the evolution of rock radio. In a 1995 interview, he insisted, "Look, you take the Motown sound and the British Invasion and you throw in Elvis and Roy Orbison, and you have a music mix that's hard to beat at any time or any place."

In 1994, Los Angeles Radio Personality Rick Dees was quoted as saying about Steele, "Pure, raw energy and focus. And he still has it every day. That's amazing!"

The Real Don Steele died of lung cancer on August 5, 1997 at his home in the Hollywood Hills of California.  He was 61.

For millions, Wolfman Jack was the world's most famous DJ for the rock 'n' roll generation of the '60s on radio, and later on television during the '70s. In the 1970s, the Wolfman was heard on 2200 radio stations in over 42 countries worldwide.

While much of the airwaves were segregated in the early 1960's, Bob Smith (aka Wolfman Jack) created his shadowy wild man alter ego so that he could DJ on the radio the "rhythm and blues" race records that he loved so much. Many teens first discovered The Wolfman while scanning the AM radio band as they cruised Main Street USA. Out of the night came the howling voice of Wolfman Jack mixed in with a collection of rock 'n' roll, inner-city ethnic rhythm, and deep south blues records that wouldn't be found on any "legal" radio station.

Indeed, Wolfman Jack held Court over his young audience from XERF-AM, just south of Cuidad Acuna, Mexico, where the 250,000 watt signal -- five times more powerful than any U.S. radio station -- blanketed most of North America.  Without the benefit of traditional advertising, it was word of mouth that spread the news about the provocative Wolfman and his nonconformist style -- the kind of style that horrified parents, making it all the more appealing to a growing legion of young followers.
 

His first professional radio job was at WYOU-AM, Newport News, Virginia where Bob took his first air name -- Daddy Jules -- paying homage to the strong influence black DJs had on his early years. His natural style and energy led to a large following of listeners and soon, Daddy Jules was a popular attraction at local teen dances.

In 1962, Bob moved on to Shreveport. Louisiana where he quickly became a ratings success on KCIJ-AM as "Big Smith with the Records." Still, the potential of a local radio station couldn't begin to fulfill his dream of becoming a nationally-known DJ. Yet, it was here that The Wolfman Jack character actually first came to mind while Bob was playing records on KCIJ.

Afterwards, Wolfman Jack went south of the border to XERF-AM in 1964, a super powerful radio station in Mexico that was reaching millions of listeners across North America and filling its air time with U.S. based preachers selling all sorts of religion, on XERF and was making millions for the preachers who bought time on the station.

In 1965 Wolfman Jack had moved to XERB-AM, another power-pumping clear channel radio station located across the border on Mexico's Baja peninsula, at Rosarita Beach, near Tijuana. Beaming his now-trademark mix of rowdy rock, raw rhythm and blues, and verbal antics, the Wolfman quickly found a new legion of fans from Southern California, up through the Great Northwest, into the remote regions of Alaska and Canada.

At the same time, the national press was beginning to take notice, and stories began to surface in Time, Newsweek, Life and major newspapers around the world. Leading recording artists like Todd Rundgren, Leon Russell, Freddie King and the Guess Who wrote chart-making songs about The Wolfman, and his popularity spiraled upward.

One of the teens touched by Wolfman's radio programs was budding film maker, George Lucas, who remembered The Wolfman when he wrote a simple screenplay, a tale of four friends in a small northern California town -- graduates of the Class of '62 -- preparing to go their separate ways. The film was "American Graffiti" (1973) which earned four Academy Award nominations and $55 million at the box office, making it one of the most successful films of the year. The movie also, once and for all, removed the mystery behind Bob Smith's character, and Wolfman Jack was about to make a transition from a cult figure to a full-fledged media megastar.

Over the next few years Wolfman entered the media rnainstream, yet never losing his appeal as a spokesman for rock 'n' roll. During a eight-and-a-half-year run as host of NBC-TV's "The Midnight Special," and through his more than 80 network television appearances on other networks and in syndication, and more than 2,800 personal appearances, The Wolfman is part of rock history. Wolfman Jack continues to find new fans in a career that next year marks three decades as an entertainer.

Wolfman Jack died on July 1, 1995 of a heart attack in Belvidere, North Carolina. He was 56.

Tommy Boyce

(1939-1994)

Tommy Boyce along with Bobby Hart were 2 of the most prolific songwriters in the 1960's. Boyce and Hart were successful rock-and-roll performers in the 60's as well. According to Rolling Stone Magazine, they wrote more than 300 songs and sold more than 42 million records.

Tommy Boyce (born Sidney T. Boyce) experienced his first success as a songwriter when Fats Domino took his composition "Be My Guest" to #8 in 1959. In 1961, Tommy teamed up with a new singer Curtis Lee to wrote "Pretty Little Angel Eyes." Curtis Lee recorded "Pretty Little Angel Eyes" under legendary producer Phil Spector and took the song to #7 that same year. In 1962, Tommy Boyce recorded his single "I'll Remember Carol" for RCA Records, which peaked at #80. The first hit for the songwriting duo of Boyce and Hart was "Lazy Elsie Molly" by Chubby Checker (#40 single in 1964), followed by Jay and the Americans' "Come A Little Bit Closer", which was a #3 single later that same year. Boyce & Hart also wrote "Peaches and Creme" for the Ikettes (#36 single in 1965), "Action" for Freddie Cannon (#13 single in 1965), and Bobby Hart helped co-write "Hurt So Bad" for Little Anthony & the Imperials (#10 in 1965.)

In 1965, television producers Bert Schneider and Bob Rafelson came up with the idea of casting a rock-and-roll band that could star in its own televison series on NBC. They ran an ad in Variety and selected four young men to serve as members of the band: Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork, Davy Jones, and Micky Dolenz. They produced a pilot and called the group & the show: "The Monkees." It was Boyce and Hart who did the songs for the pilot in 1966, including the singing. When rock impressario Don Kirschner was brought in to handle the music for the show, he told Boyce and Hart they didn't have a proven track record as producers and they were off the project, except as songwriters. As the show's first air date loomed, one music producer after another was acquired and then rejected for the project, while Tommy Boyce kept telling Kirschner that he and Bobby could handle it. Kirschner finally gave them a chance, Boyce and Hart recorded vocals and backing tracks for the first album, and then the Monkees recorded lead vocals.

The first big hit for the Monkees was "Last Train to Clarksville", written by Boyce and Hart.  "Last Train to Clarksville" went all the way to #1 on the singles charts shortly after the premiere of the TV show in the Fall of 1966. It was aided by exposure on national televison and an advertising blitz. The songwriting duo came up with more hits for the Monkees -- songs that were sung by the Monkees themselves and produced using studio musicians. As their popularity increased, the Monkees began to talk about writing and producing their own songs. The response of Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart was to become recording artists themselves.

Boyce and Hart recorded their own songs including "Out & About"(#39 in 1967), I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight (#8 in 1968), and "Alice Long (You're Still My Favorite Girlfriend)" (#27 in 1968).

In 1968, NBC cancelled "The Monkees" TV show, and the group disbanded the following year. Things started to change for Boyce and Hart. The music scene itself was changing in the late 60's, as their bouncy pop tunes were overtaken by what was known as progressive rock.

In the mid-70's, Boyce and Hart joined forces with former-Monkees Micky Dolenz and Davey Jones. They began to tour as a show called Golden Greats of the Monkees, and recorded an album "Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart."

Boyce eventually moved to England and worked on songs with Richard Hartley and with artists such as the Darts, Iggy Pop, and Meatloaf. He later came back to the United States.

The 1990's had not been kind to Tommy Boyce. He suffered a brain aneurysm which caused him to change his diet and his drinking habits. He was also depressed over the 1990 suicide of his good pal Del Shannon (whose song "Runaway" went to #1 in 1961), Elvis Presley's 1977 death, and the death of his mother. On November 23,1994, Tommy Boyce was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his home in Nashville, Tennessee . He was 55.