|
From the upcoming
Audio-Biography:
Sonny Side of the Street
By Sonny Melendrez
“Success is the distance from one’s origins to one’s
final achievement.” –Michael Korda
Sweet
Success.
Everyone in radio has a story about their young
fascination with this incredible medium. Some of us will
even tell you about the irony of our future as it
relates to our past. We’re the ones with the most pinch
marks on our arms. Looking back, we still can’t believe
we made it to the other side of that microphone.
We
were born to broadcast.
I’m
always amazed by the places young dreams can take those
who never thought they couldn’t. They each offer a story
of sweet success.
Take
the middle school kid that used to come to the window of
the KTSA-San Antonio studios every afternoon after
school to watch me on the air. The station stands in the
middle of the transmitter site and is surrounded by a
field of Bluebonnets. Every day, he’d show up on his
bike with a transistor radio taped to the handle bars
and just sit, listen, and imagine. This was his field of
dreams.
Several years later, I received a letter from him
telling me that he had become a broadcaster and was now
the manager of a radio station in upstate New York.
Sweet success.
Or, how about the kid that won a
car on KHJ in Los Angeles back when they gave away, “A
Maverick-A-Day On KHJ,” for an entire month. I can still
hear Charlie Tuna congratulating him over the intro of
Fat’s Domino’s Hello Josephine –“KHJ
congratulates the latest winner of new Ford Maverick,
Guy Zapoleon. Say hello Zapoleon…” (Yes, that same
Guy Zapoleon would go
on to be one of the most respected radio consultants in
the business programming stations from LA to New York.)
Sweet success.
My
own story begins at the concession stand of the Coliseum
in San Antonio. My mother had seen an article in the
paper about a Teen Fair of Texas that would
feature many of my favorite recording stars. I was just
out of high school and got a job making lemonade for the
10 days of the fair.
Money was not my motive.
I
knew there would be backstage press parties prior to
each performance. This job would be my ticket to get in.
I explained to the kind lady who hired me that I also
had a show on WSAC Radio and that I wanted to get some
interviews and pictures with the performers. Since she
was in charge of catering the affairs, she agreed to
make arrangements. (What I didn’t tell her was that WSAC
was the station at San Antonio College that broadcasted
to the cafeteria.)
My goal was to meet
Bobby Vee. He was
riding high on the charts at the time with hits like,
The Night Has A Thousand Eyes. As a young
comedian-impressionist, his was one the first singing
voices I learned to impersonate.
When
the day came for his matinee performance, like Clark
Kent, I quickly transformed from Lemonade Boy to Super
Radio Guy. Armed with my portable recorder and wearing
my graduation suit I went backstage and waited for the
star of the show to arrive.
What
I hadn’t bargained for was the opening act showing up
early.They were a group from England and so unknown to
US audiences that they were billed as “Friends of The
Beatles.”
The
press and the real DJ’s had not yet arrived. There I
was, trying to make conversation with the “blokes” in
this small backstage dressing room holding a microphone
and just enough tape, I thought, to interview Bobby Vee.
Finally, I broke down and pushed the record button to
ask a few formal questions.
“So
how do you like Texas?
”It’s hot.”
“Who’s your favorite Beatle?
”George.”
“Does that hamburger taste good?
”Yeh.”
Hey.
This was my first interview…ever.
Finally, Bobby and his entourage arrived and he was
about as gracious as an artist could be, given I was
just a kid in the middle of all the legitimate media. He
answered every question I asked with the same respect he
had given Dick Clark on American Bandstand. I handed him
a charcoal sketch I had drawn of one of his album
covers, got his autograph, and went back to making
lemonade.
A
short decade later my diligence and love for radio had
taken me to Los Angeles and KMPC. It was there that I
came across a new record by a “country” artist named
Robert Thomas Velline, AKA Bobby Vee. I immediately
called the record company to set up an interview. Bobby
had moved back to his hometown, Fargo, North Dakota, and
actually drove down to LA in his van for the interview.
The
kid to whom he had shown a little kindness only 10 years
earlier was now in a position help him. The interview we
recorded was produced into a two-hour radio special
featuring his new music and all his big hits.
After the session, as we lunched at Cyrano’s Restaurant
on the Sunset strip, I ordered lemonade and shared my
memory with a most appreciative veteran performer.
By
the way, I later found out that the English group I had
chatted with backstage was making their first trip to
the states and San Antonio had been their first stop.
With my little reel-to-reel tape recorder and without
knowing it, I had been the first American DJ to
interview the Rolling Stones.
Sweet.
|
Name That Toon.
I was in the fourth
grade when it dawned on me that cartoons are voiced by
grown ups that make their living having fun.
Watching Yogi Bear on
our family’s black & white Philco, one afternoon after
school, I decided that some day I would do just that.
While my friends were
collecting baseball cards and stamps, I was collecting
voices. One by one, I added to my repertoire. First
Yogi, then his little friend, Boo Boo. Quick Draw
McGraw, Augie Doggie, Popeye the Sailor, Mickey Mouse,
and others all became my close personal friends.
While others heard
words, I heard sounds and wanted find a way to recreate
them. Making characters and famous people say funny
things was about as much fun as I could imagine.
Eventually, I learned to imitate popular singers of the
day like Bobby Vee, Bobby Vinton, Johnny Mathis, Gene
Pitney, and others, taking my fun to another level.
On Saturday nights, my
little brother and I would go through our weekly ritual
in order to watch The Jackie Gleason Show – from Miami
Beach, the sun and fun capitol of the world! My father
would fall asleep by the 3rd round of the
Cavalcade of Sports Fight of the Week. We found that
nothing would wake him …except the sound of
changing the channel! So, I would sneeze and change the
channel at the same time. The Great One would have been
proud.
Jackie Gleason, Red
Skelton, Sid Caesar, and Milton Berle were all singing
my song.
It was the early 60’s
and America was laughing to Vaughn Meader’s First Family
album. I knew it by heart --the same heart that beat
faster when a DJ named Don Couser mentioned on his KONO
Radio afternoon-drive show that he was trying to reach
the President. Every attempt in this running bit ended
with the “White House secretary” hanging up on him. I
called the station and left word that “JFK” had called.
After the show, Mr. Couser called back and I answered as
Kennedy. He asked if I would play the part on the air.
Was the President a
Catholic?
My school mates didn’t
believe me when I told them I would be on the next
afternoon. Day after day, Don would call; we’d set up
bits and then deliver them to a thirsty audience.
Life could be a dream.
Story
within a story.
Hardly a decade later,
the kid with big dreams from San Antonio, was living
them in Los Angeles. During one of my radio shows on
KMPC, an agent called to inquire if I had voice-over
representation. He was particularly interested in my
cartoon and character voices. Within two weeks, I had
landed my first cartoon job as the little bug on the
Raid commercial who yelled, “Oh no! It’s Raaaaaaaaaaid!”
Many more fun-filled
opportunities have followed including providing the
voice of the infamous Fred the Cockatoo on the NBC
series, Baretta, and working with the late Walter Mathau
in the animated version of A Christmas Carol – “The
Stingiest Man In Town.” (Mr. Mathau was Scrooge. I
played Bob Cratchit.)
Then came something no
one could appreciate more.
I will never forget
driving into the employee parking lot of the Hanna-Barbera
Studios on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City. Was this
really happening? This was where Yogi Bear was born. The
elevator took me to the second floor where I met the
original cast members of a classic series that was being
revived with fresh stories and newer technology.
The series was The
Jetsons.
I was cast to play
different parts in every episode. One was as a TV game
show host who was phones Jane Jetson. She answers from a
kitchen filled with chaos, including a loud kids and a
barking dog. If she can answer one question, she gets
the big prize.The clue I give her is something like,
“What travels through space at speeds of thousands of
miles per hour?”
Just as she’s about to
give up, the dog barks and to quiet him down, she
shouts, “Astro!”
My character shouts
back, “Astro is right! You win!”
The icing on this
cartoon cake was meeting and working with the man who
played George Jetson’s boss, Mr. Spacely of the Spacely
Sprocket Company: Mel Blanc. Over the weeks and months
that followed, I was mesmerized by his talent and
willingness to mentor a most willing and thankful
student.
Not only had I made it
to Oz, I got to go behind the curtain.
www.sonnyradio.com
sonny@sonnyradio.com
|
Happy 2005!
I wanted to begin the fresh new year by sharing my
personal wish for the coming months.
As we watch images of the tragedy that continues to
unfold on the other side of the world, it is difficult
to have anything but gratitude for what we have. How
encouraging to see Americans generously give that others
may live.
|
|
Each of us has a reason for being here. We do what we
can, where we are, with what we have. I was born to
broadcast. Not being at a microphone every morning has
been extremely difficult. I patiently await His next
assignment.
This video will give you an idea of my mission through
broadcasting. It is a mission that calls to me daily.
|
|
Click
HERE to watch: My Spiritual Journey
My wish for you at the doorway of the new year is that
you do what you love, love what you do, and enjoy every
moment.
|
|
I hope to join you soon.
|
|
www.sonnyradio.com
sonny@sonnyradio.com
|
|
|
From the
upcoming Audio-Biography book:
Sonny Side of the
Street
By Sonny Melendrez
Chapter 17
The Clean of Comedy
Part One.
Before there was Comedy
Central, there was comedy.
It was the mid-seventies and on any given night you could catch
up and coming funny people honing their material and paying
their dues. The Comedy Store on Sunset, the Improv on Melrose,
the Ice House in Pasadena, and the Comedy and Magic Club in
Hermosa Beach were each a Gold’s Gym of comedy. All guaranteed a
full work out.
That's exactly what these comics did. They worked out; sometimes
shuttling to all four locations in one night. It wasn't about
the money. It was about the funny.
It was a time before CD burning and MP3 recording. Many comics
would bring a cassette recorder on stage with them and set it on
the stool. Later they would listen over and over in search of a
word that might be added or left out to “make the bit stronger.”
As a comedian myself, I watched and learned through osmosis. My
perspective was different from those who struggled to survive by
day and delivered laughs by night. I had a dream job. It was
radio.
My love for comedy allowed me to enjoy the company of some of
the most talented jesters in the stand up business. Often times,
they would drop by my late night radio show on KMPC. Elayne
Boosler, Murray Langston (The Unknown Comic), Richard Lewis,
Robert Klein, and many others came to play on the radio.
One night I received a call from Randy Kirby (one of the
funniest people I have ever met) pretending to be a Polish
immigrant who owned a motel in North Hollywood where different
stars would secretly rendezvous. He explained that because they
just wanted a discrete place to meet, there was no need for
furniture in the rooms. Hence the name: The No-Beds Motel.
The call was so funny, it became a regular feature on the show
and Randy and I
became good friends.
On another occasion, Steve Martin came directly from a recording
session to debut his “Let’s Get Small” album on my show.
Before he left, he got very serious and I truly thought we were
seeing another side of Steve Martin. He launched into a
monologue of what seemed like sincere words of friendship. It
took me by surprise given the hour of silliness that had just
taken place. Could this be the real Steve Martin, I thought?
What a treat for those listening, not to mention yours truly.
He concluded.
“Sonny, you know, I've listened to you for years and I really
feel like you've become my friend. I feel like I can ask you
this question.”
“Sure. Steve, you can ask me anything.”
“What time is it?”
All I could hear in my head were the closing notes of the Three
Stooges Theme.
Part Two.
Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to host countless events
from Los Angeles to Paris. One such affair was a charity gala at
the Beverly Hilton Hotel in LA. After dinner, I proceeded to the
podium to introduce the entertainment for the evening. It was an
unknown comedian who had been booked because his comedy was
clean. He was to do 25 minutes and no more. Many of these events
are more about staying on time, rather that having a good one.
I brought him on.
He proceeded to do 5 minutes on my tuxedo. Really good comedians
can write on stage, coming up with perfect lines at just the
right time. The audience was amused; I was flattered.
After a while, it was obvious that he had really connected with
the 1500 in attendance.
The laughs kept coming. Twenty-five minutes came and went. One
of the organizers of the event, who didn't really understand the
magic of comedy, asked me to get him to “finish up.”
“He’s almost done,” I reassured her. What I really wanted to say
was, “Can’t you see that he’s destroying the audience. They love
him and that's all that matters at this moment.” Instead I
courteously smiled and kept her at bay.
Finally, and at just the right time, he “finished up” and
received a standing ovation. For me to have gone out and brought
him off any sooner would have been like asking Josh Groban to
sing a little faster so we could stay on time.
This comic was special. Unlike many who weren't really happy in
real life, he truly enjoyed his craft and felt privileged to be
doing it for a living. Before the show I had asked him if he
ever got tired of being on the road. He turned to me and said,
“Sometimes, but I like my job. I love what I do.”
Indeed he did.
Little did the organizer who booked him know that she had hired
a comedian for a pittance of what he would one day command for
the same material.
A comedian named Jerry Seinfeld.
©2004 Sonny Melendrez - All Rights Reserved.
From the upcoming Audio-Biography:
Sonny Side of the Street
By Sonny Melendrez
Chapter 15
A Dog Named Boy
The green grassy slopes in Griffith Park near downtown Los
Angeles were made for kids and dogs.
This is a story about both.
It was 1982. A young actor named Ricky Schroeder was filming a
movie scene one afternoon at Griffith Park. During a break in
the action, he noticed a very friendly dog who obviously wanted
to play. They did just that in between scenes for the rest of
the afternoon.
Just before it was time to finish up, Ricky noticed his furry
friend was limping. Upon closer examination, he realized the
mutt had cut his paw. Since the dog had no tags, one of the crew
members called the Los Angeles Humane Society. That’s when this
story took an unexpected turn.
“What’s going to happen to him?” Schroeder questioned the man
who lifted him into the caged truck.
“Oh, he’ll probably be dead by tomorrow.”
That was all the 12 year old needed to hear. He asked his
manager to do something.
Years later, Rick Schroder and Sonny share
their dog story and few laughs with listeners
Within a couple hours the story had hit the wires and was on
every evening newscast in LA.
The next morning, I sat having breakfast at my favorite coffee
shop on Ventura Boulevard in North Hollywood. The story in the
LA Times was accompanied by a picture of a lonely looking
Collie-Shepard peaking through a chain link fence. The caption
read, “Who will save this dog?”
Being single, I had been thinking about getting a dog. Perhaps
this was the dog I was supposed to adopt.
When I called to inquire if the dog was still available, I
didn’t expect what I heard: “The auction for the Schroder dog
will be held Saturday morning at 8 am. Thank you for calling.”
The dog’s instant notoriety had added to his value. Thinking
back, I’m surprised they didn’t refer me to his agent.
Was I supposed to have this dog?
When my alarm clock went off at 6 am Saturday morning, the last
thing I wanted to do was get up and drive to downtown Los
Angeles. I was still undecided. Finally, I did what I normally
do when I’m in need of spiritual guidance: Say a prayer and ask
for a sign. (I’ve found that God can send a sign, no matter
where you may be.)
No sooner had I said, “Amen,” when I heard my neighbor’s dog
bark.
“I hear you,” I said aloud as I looked upward.
In my car on the way down, I kept rehearsing my attitude as I
visualized outbidding the crowd with whom I’d surely be
competing.
One hundred. Two hundred. O.K., three hundred, but no higher, I
thought. Why couldn’t God have picked a lower priced best
friend?
At precisely 7:45, I arrived at the front door of the Humane
Society to find half a dozen others. No one said a word. I was
mentally ready for them and even wore a suit to give the
impression I meant business.
As the doors were unlocked we were asked, “Who is here for the
Schroeder dog?” I raised my hand and looked around the waiting
area. No one else had their hand up. They were all there for
other dogs and cats.
Could this be? Was I the only one who had come to save this
dog? Apparently so. No one else had gotten the sign.
Thirty minutes, later I walked out with one happy dog. I was an
even happier owner. The tab had come out to a whopping $11.50
(the normal fee for shots and tags.)
God had answered, both of my prayers.
But wait, there’s more to this tail…er, tale.
As my anxious new friend walked me to my car, I was confronted
by several TV news reporters following up on the story. One of
the reporters told me that Ricky wanted whoever adopted the dog
to know that he answers to the name of Boy.
Of course.
“I looked into the camera and said, “Ricky, his name will be
Boy. And you can visit him anytime.”
Two weeks later, a “wrap party” was held for the cast and crew
of the film at a beautiful home in the San Fernando Valley.
Boy The Wonder Dog was the guest of honor.
As part of the celebration, he was served a T-Bone steak on a
platter which he promptly proceeded to bury in the flower bed.
Better the steak, than the dog.
|
|
On The Sonny Side Of The
Street
An Audio-biography
by
Sonny Melendrez
Chapter 13
Air Surprise
It isn’t very often that those who play
the songs have a hand in changing the tune of its future. What
you’re about to hear is a story of a song serendipity as sweet
as its lyrics.
In the 1970’s, KMPC in Los Angeles was one of America’s great
personality radio stations. The label on all outgoing stationary
boasted, “KMPC has more personalities hosting national
television shows than any radio station in America.”
As the new kid on the block, I was surrounded by the likes of
Dick Wittinghill, Geoff Edwards, Wink Martindale, Gary Owens,
Roger Carroll, and Clark Race. The programming philosophy was
simple -- Hire the greatest talent around and let them do what
they do best: entertain.
Every show was a format unto itself. Each of us had our own
office and personal secretary to help us, “do what we did best.”
Air personality meetings, (held no more than once a year),
emphasized that what listeners wanted most was what the
personality had to say. Music, news, weather, and sports took a
back seat to the name on the studio marquee.
It was radio utopia.
On Mondays, the record promotion people would visit individually
with every personality hoping to get their music played. Under
one umbrella of good taste, we each had our flavor of music from
jazz to contemporary. It was one of those Mondays in 1971 that a
record by an unknown talent on caught my ear.
The singer had been captivated by another artist at the
Troubador, (a club on Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood that
has given birth to many superstars).
"I didn’t know who he was, but from the moment he walked on
stage, I was spellbound. I felt as if he knew me and his songs
were about my life. I felt like he sang into my soul," she would
relate years later.
She was so mesmerized that she returned every night during his
week long engagement. Her experience so moved her that she
jotted down her feelings on a napkin at the club and later
translated them into a song. Eventually, she took the rhyme to
her record company, where a well respected songwriting team
finished the song.
The release, included in her debut album and as a single
recording in 1971, resulted in yet another song lost in the
shuffle of hundreds that came out weekly.
I phoned the record company to let them know I would be playing
it on KMPC.
They were surprised.
After sharing the story and the song with my KMPC listeners, I
received a call from a company that produced music programs for
the airlines. They wanted information about the recording that
it might be included in one of their programs.
It was.
Fast forward a couple of years.
A well known artist was traveling from New York to Los Angeles
and happened to hear the airline program with the song by the
unknown artist. By the time her American Airlines flight touched
down at LAX, she was convinced she should record it as soon as
possible.
Days later, after contacting the songwriters, she was in the
studio interpreting the haunting lyrics in her own inimitable
style. Almost as quickly, it seemed, it became the number one
song in the nation and remained atop the Billboard charts for
over a month. It would later become the Song of the Year.
Who can really say how one event will lead to another?
Who knew that what Lori Lieberman felt when she saw Don McLean
at the Troubador that week in 1971 and eventually described to
Norm Gimble and Charles Fox at Capitol Records would lead to
Roberta’s Flack smash recording, “Killing Me Softly With His
Song.”
Surprise, surprise, surprise.
|
|
From the upcoming
book: ON THE SONNY SIDE OF THE STREET
By
Sonny Melendrez
Chapter 8
A Date With Faith
It was a long way from the KTFM Radio
studios in San Antonio, Texas to The Vatican in Rome, Italy, but
the events of May 8, 1987 would offer a direct connection.
I had just delivered a motivational presentation to the students
of St. Francis Academy in the Alamo City. This was one of
hundreds of programs, (designed to encourage students to stay in
school and follow their dreams), I’ve given over the last three
decades. After the show, I visited with Sister Jo, who headed
the art department at St. Francis. We were talking about
personal life long dreams. I offered that one of mine had always
been to travel to Rome and see the Pope.
Sister Jo happened to mention that if I ever made it to Rome,
she might be able to arrange an audience with the Pope since her
order of sisters took care of the Vatican. The words, “might be
able to” were all I needed. At that moment, I began to think of
every way to get there as soon as possible.
Driving back to the radio station, I remembered reading in the
San Antonio Express-News about a group of children in Seattle
who were preparing for the Pope’s upcoming visit to America by
writing letters to him, that he might address their questions
when he came in September. Why not invite our city’s children to
do the same, I thought. And why not make sure the letters were
delivered personally to His Holiness, John Paul II.
Three hours later, I found myself at a grand opening of a local
travel agency. One of those attending was the marketing director
for Trans World Airways. For some reason, he mentioned that TWA
wanted to promote its new direct flight from New York to Rome. I
couldn’t believe my ears when he continued, “…and if there is
any you can do to help us get the word out…” I told him about my
idea to deliver the letters from San Antonio children. He asked
me to submit it in writing as soon as possible.
After my morning show the next day I presented the idea to KTFM
Program Director, Bill Thorman, and insisted that he join me. He
loved the idea and that afternoon we received the go ahead from
TWA.
Within 24 hours from my conversation with Sister Jo I was
officially going to Rome! Once I made the announcement on my
show, the letters began to pour in. I even received word that
the Archbishop of San Antonio, Patrick Flores, would write a
personal letter on my behalf to the Pope.
I expected to wake up at any moment.
Two months and several hundred letters from children later, we
arrived in Rome. My inner sense told me that something very
special was about to happen. Even when we called the Vatican
from the gift shop in St. Peter’s Square and were told they knew
nothing about our visit or the Archbishop’s letter, I wasn’t
worried.
A nun who spoke English overheard my conversation and contacted
an American cardinal who called back an hour later saying there
would be tickets sent to our hotel for the Pope’s appearance the
following day.
On the tickets were the words, “Prima Fila.” When we arrived at
the Casa Pontifica we found out what that meant: Front Row. And
so, on July 8, 1987, (exactly 2 months to the day since my
conversation with Sister Jo), for 2 ½ hours we sat several feet
away from His Holiness. One by one, in a different language,
seven cardinals introduced special groups in attendance—a group
of Hopi Indians from Arizona, nuns from Poland, faithful from
China, etc. It was as close as I could ever come to “being with
the world.” Many had saved all their lives to make the
pilgrimage. Together, we were mesmerized by Pope John Paul’s
message which he delivered in 7 languages. At one point, a group
of young singers and musicians from Mexico City were introduced
and as they sang a few bars of the Spanish classics, Cielito
Lindo and La Bamba, the Pope tapped his feet and kept time with
his hand. Faces, filled with tears of laughter and joy, told the
story of our common bond of faith and love.
As the service ended, the Pope stood and slowly walked down
several steps to personally greet those on the “Prima Fila.” As
I accepted his blessing, I relayed the origin of the letters
that I was delivering. He smiled and sighed, “Ah, San Antonio!”
All was recorded for me to share with the young letter writers
and my audience back home.
Vision accomplished.
It has been said that when you make a “visual” commitment toward
a dream, all the people who can help you achieve it will
suddenly begin to appear. I know Who sends them.
|
BIENVENIDOS!
To the members of the Texas
Radio Hall of Fame visiting San Antonio, Texas, USA
this weekend, "Welcome
to the Alamo City!" As San Antonio's Ambassador of Good
Will, may I officially welcome you to “every Texan’s second
home” for the Texas Radio Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies.
Many of you
have not visited for some time. Much has changed, and yet
so much remains the same. San Antonio is a city rich in
tradition and a myriad of cultures.
My role
presents me with the opportunity to host many of the major
events throughout the year that celebrate our heritage.
Recently, San Antonio held its first birthday party. While
most everyone is familiar with the Battle of the Alamo and
other historical happenings in Texas history, few know when
our city began.
On May 1,
1718, Father Antonio Olivares founded Mission San Antonio de
Valero on San Pedro Creek, not far from today’s downtown
area. He was there with the Governor of the state of
Coahuila and Texas, 72 soldiers and other men and women
settlers. On the fifth of May, Governor Martin de Alarcon
established Villa de Bexar and a presidio of soldiers to
protect them in the name of King Phillip the Fifth of Spain.
Lucky for
us, those settlers didn’t mind the humidity. By the way,
the forecast for the weekend calls for lows in the low 70’s
and highs in the low 80’s. You’re sure to find warm
hospitality to match our temperatures.
I would like
to personally offer any effort that will make your stay more
pleasant. Please call my office at 210-340-9232 if there is
anything I can do for you during your visit.
It will be
my pleasure to welcome you officially at the Radisson Hill
Country on Saturday evening. In the meantime, as we say in
San Antonio, “ A su servicio!” – We are at your service.
No matter
what part of the world you may live, we're always ready to
make you an honorary member of the Lone Star State.
Viva, Texas
Radio Hall of Famers! Viva, San Antonio!
|
|
Once Upon A
Time Slot
Want a multimedia shot in the arm that
will remind you of why you got in this business to begin with?
Visit
www.ChuckBlore.com . It is a most
impressive offering from one of the most creative human beings
ever to come near a microphone.
Chuck Blore has always been
ahead of his time and a few steps ahead of mine. You see, we
were both program directors and on the air at KELP-El Paso and
KTSA-San Antonio, some 20 years apart. In the 1970’s I had the
good fortune to work for Chuck as his Program Director at KIIS
in Los Angeles. It was the most enlightening year of my
career. This was the man who turned KFWB-Los Angeles into Color
Channel 98 and made it the highest rated major market station
ever in the 1960’s when radio was bigger than life.
Chuck’s creative approach to
radio has always been from a listener’s perspective. As he puts
it, “What’s in it for them?” Every element of programming, from
music to spoken material, and even commercials, has had to “earn
it’s right to be there.” He’s always believed in throwing out
all the clichés synonymous with radio. A simple element like
the weather forecast over a 15 second intro would perk any
listener’s ear if Chuck was directing. The talented people he’s
surrounded himself with have always been the better for having
known and worked with him.
A major part of Chuck’s charm
and disarming style is his inimitable sense of humor. I can
remember one night at Martoni’s Restaurant in Hollywood, (a
popular industry hangout at the time) Chuck was standing at the
bar next to one of his best friends, the late Roger Miller.
People had always commented that Chuck and Roger looked so much
alike. A beautiful girl spotted Chuck and adoringly asked,
“Excuse me, but aren’t you Roger Miller?” Chuck nonchalantly
replied, “Nah. Try the next guy.” Classic.
You’ll notice that there is a
twinkle in Chuck’s eye. It’s been there from the day his mother
asked her 10 year old son what he wanted to be when he grew up.
Chuck was intrigued with all the fun a man named Al Jarvis was
having in that little box. His answer was, “I want to talk on
the radio!” For the last several decades, Chuck Blore has made
the radio talk to our hearts.
He continues to this day with the debut of his new web site. It
will delight, inspire, inform, and make you believe in radio
again. Leave it to Chuck to take one more medium and make it
his own. Be sure you visit a section entitled, Other Fine
Adventures. It features some of the classic TV spots that
resulted in many of the over 500 major advertising awards
bestowed on The Chuck Blore Company over the years.
On October 30th in San
Antonio, Chuck Blore will be inducted into the Texas Radio Hall
of Fame. It’s only fitting that Chuck receive the honor in the
city where another radio pioneer, Gordon McLendon gave him his
start. If anyone has “earned his right to be there,” it’s
radio’s friend, Chuck Blore.
(click here for
Texas Radio Hall of Fame information)
Sonny Melendrez
www.sonnyradio.com
sonny@sonnyradio.com |
|
|
|
Formats come and formats go.
Some say there is nothing new in radio.
I disagree. What if you built a radio
station that went against all the
rules? A station that presented the
largest segment of the audience,
Baby Boomers, with the greatest
music of their generation. And what if
you appealed to their children and
their parents? Imagine seniors enjoying
the same songs as their grandchildren or
30 something's grooving to that music at
the office. And, visualize teenagers
fascinated by the kind of radio they
have never heard. That's right, at least
3 generations connected by good clean
radio and the "greatest music of
all-time." What a concept. This is what
I am proud to say we built on KLUP Radio
in San Antonio, Texas, USA.
It worked. We knew it would. What we
didn't know is how much our listeners
had grown to depend on their daily dose
of fun. It wasn't until it was all
taken away that we found out.
What follows is my
newsletter to listeners after announcing
on my KLUP morning show that the format
was to be replaced by syndicated talk.
It was the most difficult show of my
career. Yet, it rejuvenates my belief
that listeners still want to be
entertained, comforted, and treated with
respect. Something very big is about to
come back...
The Sonny Melendrez Show Newsletter
To The Greatest Listeners Of All
Time
Recently, on my KLUP Radio show in San Antonio, I
had the extremely difficult task of announcing that
the format known as “The Greatest Music Of All Time”
had come to an end. For almost 3 years I had the
pleasure and honor of sharing my mornings with
you. I have been down this road before, so I am not
surprised. Radio is a business and those who own
the airwaves are certainly entitled to create their
own vision. It was a real pleasure to work with
such good people at Salem Broadcasting.
Let me say that I am truly blessed. In all my years
as a broadcaster, I have never experienced such an
outpouring of love and encouragement following the
announcement.
Here are some of the sentiments I've received:
I guess I'll have to get out my old 33s (10" and
12") and 45s. My grandson, Shane, is 5, and he has
been listening to you and KLUP for as far back as he
can remember. And that's truly a lifetime. He
always has an answer to the "almost impossible"
question, and wonders "where does Bono The Duck
live?" So, he'll be interested in my old records,
and I hope that he will associate those sounds with
the former sounds of KLUP and your program. I grew
up with those sounds in the 40's, and now he is
also. Please let Shane and "Paw Paw" know when we
can listen again. I know that time will come.
–John C.
We have "converted" so many friends and family to
the "Sonny side of the street" because of the music,
but mainly because of you and your show! The music
format is, well I can't think of a superlative that
is strong enough! You have brought us all so much
joy and a gentleness, an innocence, if you will,
that is just not on the air anywhere any
more. –Luke and Liz L.
This change has actually felt like the loss of a
good friend or a family member who shared a major
portion of my daily life. –D. Gallegos
I especially enjoyed you not being afraid to speak
about God and your faith on the air. --C.A. Garcia
Rest assured that you will be in my prayers that the
Good Lord will
bless you with a great, new assignment so that we
will be able to continue
enjoying your presence on radio each day. –Joyce
You put smiles on our faces. We never have to worry
about our children hearing something they
shouldn't. –Mary M.
I wish that I was Oprah so I would be able to afford
to find and buy that permanent home and we would
never have to move. --L. Perez
I just told my boss that my world had just been
turned upside down because I won't have Sonny to
listen to, to make me feel happy to go to work. If I
would miss one of the shows, because we would be too
busy at work, the rest of the day I would feel like
something was missing from my life. –Amelia G.
I can't wait to hear where you and our format are
going to move to. I look forward to hearing our
music again! -- One more thing... I want to keep
hearing "Sunny Side of the Street" in the
morning. Can you arrange that??? --Nina R.
We love the format that you have. The music is
wonderful to listen to all day long. We love Bono
and the guessing games that you have on the
program. They are thought-provoking, cute and
exiting. But most important of all is the wonderful
feeling of kinship--expressing love, kindness and
concern for one another. –Yolanda F.
And all the laughs! The kindness! The spirit! The
bringing of old and young people together through
listening...I will miss hearing Bob's jokes, and
many of the regular voices I hear answering the
impossible questions. The products you have shared
and we have bought because it was you who
recommended them... –Cherise Z.
I have never called, written or E-mailed a radio
personality before, but was compelled to do so this
morning when I heard the sad news that KLUP is
changing it's format. You have been the sunshine of
my day and I will truly miss you. Where ever you go,
and whatever radio station is smart enough to snap
you up, will be my new favorite station. I will miss
your bright, positive attitude each day, and the
good music you play. I'm even going to miss "Bono ,"
so please take him with you where ever you go. God
has only good things in store for you, Sonny, and
you will be in my prayers. –M. Hess
All I talked to, from the parish priest to the noted
author to the building contractor to the retirees,
said they eagerly await your success at finding a
new station that will support this valued part of
our daily life. Good music. Good friendship. Good
thoughts. Good values. Good outlook. And on, and
on, and on. –J. Geyer
These are but a handful of the literally thousands
of emails, letters, and calls I've received.
My dear friends, please know that I feel as you do
about what we most need at this time in our
lives….comfort and kindness. I've tried my best to
deliver this in a package that includes great music,
playful humor, inspirational guests, and, most of
all, fun. I’d like to think that I serve as a
reminder that there is a child in us all that wants
so desperately to come out and play.
KLUP is more than a format. It is a validation that
people like you want to listen to good clean
radio. The music and attitude crosses many
generations. You will be interested to know that
more and more stations across the country are
enjoying success with this kind of programming.
Please know that the wheels are in motion to bring
us all together again. The stage is set for what
radio stain owners dream of: Thousands of listeners
waiting to listen. Imagine the possibilities.
If you haven’t already, you can log on to
www.SonnyRadio.com and sign up for our listener
newsletter. You’ll be among the first to know the
latest on our progress. I am very excited about
what the future holds and blessed to be supported by
listeners of all ages who still believe it's a
wonderful world.
In God's hands,
www.sonnyradio.com
sonny@sonnyradio.com |
|
