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Photos & Memorabilia

[Just for fun...]

Me, Frank X. Feller and Dick Clark at a 1980 Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia dinner to honor Clark.  Feller, one of the original WIBG rock & roll DJs, was General Manager of WYSP at the time.

Mick Jagger meets the Philly press at the old JFK Stadium in Philadelphia to announce details of a Rolling Stones tour in support of their album, "Tattoo You."  The tour opened at JFK.  I never got to the mic during the network broadcast, but later got to ask Jagger if the Stones planned to do a related video...all the new rage at that time.  They were "still debating."

                                                             

Former Yes vocalist Jon Anderson visited The Rock Report to promote his 1981 collaboration album with Greek keyboardist Vangelis, "The Friends of Mr. Cairo."    

Then Vice President George H.W. Bush had to stand in for this White House news conference shortly after the 1981 assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan.  The administration had chosen to release its new budget proposal to groups of local news people, rather than the national media.

Hank Aaron was touring as spokesperson for a charity when I met him. He also very graciously recorded a voicemail announcement for me. (Aaron)

  

During the 1999 Philadelphia mayoral campaign, both John Street and Sam Katz appeared at WHYY for televised debates and town hall meetings. 

WHYY-FM fund raiser, 1999.

Charlie Daniels made a few visits to WIOQ, WYSP and The Rock Report.  It was always fun to chat with the big guy.  This time was in support of his 1982 album, "Windows."

The Rock Report was visited by Jefferson Airplane/Starship vocalist Grace Slick, on tour to promote her 1981 solo album, "Welcome to the Wrecking Ball."

Keeping it local...among the visitors on the 'YSP Morning Show: then-Philadelphia 76er Doug Collins came by to chat with McKay & The Bear and me. A truly sweet, down-to-earth guy, he doesn't look that tall here. Still, I don't remember the rest of us standing on boxes.

The WYSP news studio, 1978-83 / Cigarettes, ashtray, coffee … absolute essentials for the morning show.

Air studio at the Wall Street Journal Radio Network.  It is a fairly simple setup...the most significant feature being the screen from which current numbers for the indexes and selected stock quotes were read.

ABC Radio Net newsroom.  Judging from the typewriter, mid-late 80s

Interviewed Little Steven VanZant at the ABC studios in New York about his 1985 album, "Sun City: Artists Against Apartied."

Sept. 15, 1965 -

OK, I can stand to give you only a few seconds of my radio debut ... JazzologyClip.mp3

  

Interviewed Richard Simmons at my home in Bala Cynwyd, PA, in 1983 to discuss his book, Never Say Diet. 

Among others who sat at the mic at my home studio...

One very interesting aspect of Timothy Leary's visit was the newspaper photographer who spent the day trailing him and took full advantage of the setting in my front yard to snap several shots of him.  The whole time she was clicking pix, she rambled on a mile a minute with, "Do you still do acid?  I've never done acid, but I love cocaine...do you do cocaine?  How about 'ludes? ..."  Leary remained gracious throughout.

This autograph was obtained from Sledge at the conclusion of what was my second interview ever...conducted "backstage" at the St. Bernard College field house, where Sledge performed in 1968.

‘YSP Softball Team - Circa 1982.  It was the type of league where keeping a Bloody Mary nearby while in the outfield was OK.   [front l-r] R.D.Steele, Joe Madden, Laurie Johnson, Patti Gandolfini, Bill Banasiewicz, Stephen Johnson, Sean & Barb McKay.  [standing] me & the lovely Shirley Fantini, Gus Compson, Jeff ?, Denny Stomach, unknown, Chuck Varesko, Katherine Creamer, unknown, David ?, Ron Ruggiero, Pam Tramatuolo, Denise Steele

From the pages of the Cullman Times.

Seventeen years before my wife Shirley and I met, we spent every Friday night in 1973 not more than 10 feet from each other at Jerry Blavat's hop at Chez Vous in suburban Philly.  

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Here are some fun “audiographs”…voicemail announcements and promos that were done for me by Hank Aaron, Eddie Money, Rodney Dangerfield, Dougie Thomson of Supertramp, Cheech & Chong, Mark Mothersbaughs of Devo, Steve Perry of Journey, Doug Collins of the 76ers, Billy Powell of the Rossington-Collins Band, Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues, The B-52s, John Cougar (Mellencamp), Frank LeMaster of the Philadelphia Eagles, Billy Thorpe, and the Rev. Vince (Gerald) Casales of Devo.

audiographs.mp3

And ... some other memorable events:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the best press I ever got.  From the Haverford High "Fordian" '65.

Teeny Fantini Fan Rosalind Quirk launched my campaign in 1976 when I was making a promotional appearance at a WIOQ event at Penns Landing in Philadelphia. In my last stint as a Rock Jock, I used to end my show with a Beatles tune every afternoon. And so, instead of a chicken in every pot, my promise to voters at the time was "A collection of Beatles albums in every stereo cabinet." I since have added the campaign pledge, "A vote for Bill is a vote for 100% blue agave tequila!"  Amazingly, Rosalind still has the T-shirt today...modeled here by her niece, Madelyn Spicer.

 

Well, I never got to be president, but I did get to play the Pope on TV...portraying Leo III in the 2018 CNN series, "Pope - The Most Powerful Man In History."