Dick Kernen’s on-going star-studded roster of success stories that came from Specs Howard never cease to amaze me! With Uncle Dick’s blog in full swing, I realized I myself wouldn’t be where I am today had I not rubbed elbows with or at least taken serious notes from those TYPE of people.
By the way, if you don’t know Mr. Kernen, he’s an important dude at Specs Howard that I get to work in the same building with. You can read his latest comments here: www.unclekernen.com/ but don’t forget to finish reading mine!
There are some Specs Howard graduates on my list as well, but many had their roots in the business long before the school existed. Many of the names are familiar, and very obvious choices. Others are not so familiar – except maybe to me, or the people who were part of that era. This list is also not all-inclusive. I tried to focus on those who left the most positive impression on my mind – looking back today retrospectively.
For anyone who wonders how I know what I know today about radio and related areas, here’s the collection of people who lit the spark of interest and/or passed on their wisdom.
Specs Howard is also staffed by these TYPE of people, so you don’t have to spend your whole life being in the right place at the right time to get started!
- Bob Burnham
Radio legends I grew up LISTENING to:
Warren Pierce – on the “original” WCAR 1130 AM, long before his arrival at WJR
Ernie Harwell – Detroit Tigers Baseball – WJR, WXYT
The entire 1970s WXYZ-AM line-up before their switch to talk radio:
Dick Purtan – mornings
Johnny Randall – middays
Joe Sasso - afternoons
Dave Lockhart – overnights
Mike Whorf - WJR
Ted Richards - CKLW
Johnny Williams - CKLW
Scott Miller - CKLW
Andy Stoffa WQRS
Overnight talk show hosts of the 1970s:
Bill Corsair – WCAU Philadelphia
Larry Glick – WBZ Boston
People I actually worked with who were important to me…
From WSHJ Southfield
Bob Sneddon
Lee Knyte
Don Phillips
Fred Sharp
Shelly Sherman
At WBRB Mt. Clemens:
Bob Stone
Larry O’Brien
Some of the talent line-up at WAAM Ann Arbor when I was part of it:
Jack Hood
Art Versnick
“Fat Bob” Taylor
Fred Heller
Dave Dugan
Paul Chapman
Jeff Defran
Ken Kal
Mike Radzik
From WCAR 1090 during the 1990s:
Jack Bailey
Susan McGraw
Jerome Lott
Scott Greenberg
Richard Piet
Dave Shank
My stint as Chief Engineer for the Cumulus Ann Arbor group.
Lucy Ann Lance
John O’Leary
Dennis Fithian
Mark Thompson
From many side projects from the 1990s to present:
Lowell Homburger
Engineering:
Tom Fitzek
Ed Cole
Dr. Frank Berry
Bill Mullen
Bernie Segal and Al Rosner of (then) Jules Cohen Associates
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Whether they still walk this planet or not, thanks to everyone here, as well as the numerous people who were also there as well who didn’t make the list.
And of course, we’ll save the cool people I work with at the school today for another time.