Harry Harrison (radio)
Encyclopedia
Harry Harrison has been a popular American
radio personality
for over 50 years. Harrison is the only DJ to be a WMCA
“Good Guy,” a WABC
“All-American,” and on the WCBS-FM
line-up when the New York station flipped to the “Jack” format in June, 2005.
for a year. After his recovery, he approached Chicago station WJJD
, but was signed instead to a contact with an educational radio station, WBEZ.
as a “summer replacement,” yet remained there eight months, substituting for the permanent deejays.
, Peoria
and hosted the morning show as the "Morning Mayor of Peoria." In just six months, Harrison made WPEO the top station. WMCA, New York would come calling.
suburbs "home".
In 1959, Harrison joined WMCA
as the mid-day "Good Guy." Joe O'Brien (mornings) and Harrison gave WMCA a "one-two punch" for over eight years. Harrison told San Diego radio personality Gene Knight in an interview in 1994 that WMCA program director Ruth Meyer originally considered both Joe and Harry, separately, for the WMCA morning show.
Other WMCA "Good Guys" included Jack Spector, B. Mitchel Reed
, Dan Daniel and Johnny Dark, and talk show host Barry Gray
. Harrison became popular with his "Housewife Hall of Fame” feature, and participated in the 1966 WMCA Good Guy picnic. Often, he scored the highest ratings on WMCA. WABC program director Rick Sklar
took note.
morning man Herb Oscar Anderson
left the station, Rick Sklar
hired Harrison to replace him. Harrison was followed in the WABC day by Ron Lundy
.
Every year, Harrison played seasonal songs, such as his holiday greeting "May You Always” in the winter (the Amy records single of this song made the Billboard Christmas charts in 1965), and Allan Sherman's
summer camp novelty, "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh
", throughout the summer months.
WABC personalities included, along with Harrison, Charlie Greer
, Scott Muni
, Bob Lewis, Lundy, Johnny Donovan
, Dan Ingram
, "Cousin Brucie" Bruce Morrow
, Chuck Leonard
, Bob Cruz, Frank Kingston Smith
, and Roby Yonge
, and others.
Harrison had a number of "trademark" phrases, such as "Every brand new day should be opened like a precious gift", "Stay well, stay happy, stay right here" and "Harry Harrison wishing you the best... because that's exactly what you deserve!” Also, on the last day of every year, Harrison would bring his four children to work with him and at the end of his shift, he would join them in giving listeners New Year's wishes.
Harrison was let go from WABC as the station changed direction in November, 1979.
(101.1), playing oldies music. In 1984, with Lundy joining the station, they were once again heard back-to-back. Harrison would interact with Morning Crew engineer Al Vertucci, Phil Pepe, who reported sports, and joke about "wacky weather" and toupee warnings with Irv “Mr. “G” Gikofsky (weather), Mary Jane Royce, and Sue Evans. At 7:20 AM, Harrison opened the "birthday book" and announced listener and celebrity birthdays.
On April 25, 1997 New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani issued a proclamation, naming April 25 "Harry Harrison Day" in honor of the second "Mayor."
On March 19, 2003, after a 44-year career in New York radio, Harrison left WCBS-FM, saying “I am not retiring.” His farewell to his loyal radio friends (from 5:30 to 10 am) was held before a packed, live audience at the Museum of Television and Radio in New York City. It offered old airchecks, and guest appearances by WCBS-FM colleagues Don K. Reed, Bobby Jay, Steve O'Brien, Randy Davis and Dan Taylor, his replacement, as well as his son and daughter, Patti. Harrison took phone calls from Bob Shannon
, Mike Fitzgerald, Ed Baer and Ron Lundy
. Songs included Gladys Knight
's "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)" and the Little River Band's
"Reminiscing," before closing with "That's What Friends Are For."
Sadly, shortly after he left WCBS-FM, Harrison would lose his long-time wife, Patti, who he had always referred to as "Pretty Patti" on the air.
On Memorial Day
, May 30, 2005, Harry and Cousin Bruce Morrow
were guests on WABC Radio’s annual “Rewound” show. Four days later, on June 3, WCBS-FM ended its "oldies" format, in favor of the new “Jack” format. (Ironically, Harrison's voice was last heard on New York radio, not on WCBS-FM, but on WABC.)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
radio personality
Radio personality
A radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
for over 50 years. Harrison is the only DJ to be a WMCA
WMCA
WMCA, 570 AM, is a radio station in New York City, most known for its "Good Guys" Top 40 era in the 1960s. It is currently owned by Salem Communications and plays a Christian radio format...
“Good Guy,” a WABC
WABC (AM)
WABC , known as "NewsTalkRadio 77 WABC" is a radio station in New York City. Owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of Cumulus Media Networks...
“All-American,” and on the WCBS-FM
WCBS-FM
WCBS-FM is a CBS-owned radio station in New York City. The station's studios are in the combined CBS Radio facility at 345 Hudson Street in Manhattan, and its transmitter is located on the Empire State Building....
line-up when the New York station flipped to the “Jack” format in June, 2005.
WBEZ, Chicago, Illinois—1953
At age 23, Harrison listened to a lot of radio while he was confined to bed for rheumatic feverRheumatic fever
Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that occurs following a Streptococcus pyogenes infection, such as strep throat or scarlet fever. Believed to be caused by antibody cross-reactivity that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain, the illness typically develops two to three weeks after...
for a year. After his recovery, he approached Chicago station WJJD
WYLL
WYLL 1160 is a "Christian Talk & Teaching" radio station located in Chicago and owned by Salem Communications. The station runs features, preaching, and other religious programs. Ministries may also buy time for programming. WYLL additionally produces a couple hours of local call-in shows every...
, but was signed instead to a contact with an educational radio station, WBEZ.
WCFL, Chicago, Illinois—1953–1954
Harrison worked at WCFLWMVP
WMVP is the callsign of a commercial radio station in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is owned by ABC. Its transmitter is located in Downers Grove. The station broadcasts live sports talk, both locally and nationally. Daily programming consists of talk shows that are both national and local...
as a “summer replacement,” yet remained there eight months, substituting for the permanent deejays.
WPEO, Peoria, Illinois—1954–1959
Harrison became program director at WPEOWPEO
WPEO is a daytime-only AM radio station licensed for Peoria, Illinois. One of the oldest stations in Peoria, it was once a top 40 radio station before switching to Christian radio...
, Peoria
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
and hosted the morning show as the "Morning Mayor of Peoria." In just six months, Harrison made WPEO the top station. WMCA, New York would come calling.
WMCA, New York—1959–1968
Harrison, along with wife Patti, and children Brian Joseph ["B.J." taken from them much too soon], Patti, Patrick, and Michael would soon call the New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
suburbs "home".
In 1959, Harrison joined WMCA
WMCA
WMCA, 570 AM, is a radio station in New York City, most known for its "Good Guys" Top 40 era in the 1960s. It is currently owned by Salem Communications and plays a Christian radio format...
as the mid-day "Good Guy." Joe O'Brien (mornings) and Harrison gave WMCA a "one-two punch" for over eight years. Harrison told San Diego radio personality Gene Knight in an interview in 1994 that WMCA program director Ruth Meyer originally considered both Joe and Harry, separately, for the WMCA morning show.
Other WMCA "Good Guys" included Jack Spector, B. Mitchel Reed
B. Mitchel Reed
B. Mitchel Reed was a successful American disc Jockey for both Top 40 and album-oriented rock radio, who worked in New York and Los Angeles in a career spanning 25 years.-Career:...
, Dan Daniel and Johnny Dark, and talk show host Barry Gray
Barry Gray (radio)
Barry Gray was an influential American radio personality, often labeled as "The father of Talk Radio"....
. Harrison became popular with his "Housewife Hall of Fame” feature, and participated in the 1966 WMCA Good Guy picnic. Often, he scored the highest ratings on WMCA. WABC program director Rick Sklar
Rick Sklar
Rick Sklar was an American radio program director, who while at New York City's WABC was one of the originators of the Top 40 radio format....
took note.
WABC (AM), New York, New York—1968–1979
In 1968, when WABCWABC (AM)
WABC , known as "NewsTalkRadio 77 WABC" is a radio station in New York City. Owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of Cumulus Media Networks...
morning man Herb Oscar Anderson
Herb Oscar Anderson
Herb Oscar Anderson was the morning drive-time personality on WABC Radio in New York City December 1960 to September 1968.He is the father of actor John James.-Timeline:1950s—WDGY, Minneapolis1958–WMCA, New York1959—WMGM, New York...
left the station, Rick Sklar
Rick Sklar
Rick Sklar was an American radio program director, who while at New York City's WABC was one of the originators of the Top 40 radio format....
hired Harrison to replace him. Harrison was followed in the WABC day by Ron Lundy
Ron Lundy
Fred Ronald "Ron" Lundy was a popular radio announcer in New York City from the early-1960s to his retirement from WCBS-FM in 1997...
.
Every year, Harrison played seasonal songs, such as his holiday greeting "May You Always” in the winter (the Amy records single of this song made the Billboard Christmas charts in 1965), and Allan Sherman's
Allan Sherman
Allan Sherman was an American comedy writer and television producer who became famous as a song parodist in the early 1960s. His first album, My Son, the Folk Singer , became the fastest-selling record album up to that time...
summer camp novelty, "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh
Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh
"Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh " is a Grammy Award-winning novelty song by Allan Sherman, based on letters of complaint he received from his son Robert while Robert attended Camp Champlain in Westport, New York. The song is a parody that complains about the fictional "Camp Granada" and is set to the...
", throughout the summer months.
WABC personalities included, along with Harrison, Charlie Greer
Charlie Greer
Charlie Greer was an American radio personality at WAKR in Akron, Ohio. At New York City's WABC Greer did middays and overnight. Given WABC's 50 thousand watt clear channel signal, Greer became a popular all-night disc jockey heard on more than 38 states punching his way through famous tongue...
, Scott Muni
Scott Muni
Scott Muni was an American disc jockey, who worked at the heyday of the AM Top 40 format and then was a pioneer of FM progressive rock radio.-Biography:...
, Bob Lewis, Lundy, Johnny Donovan
Johnny Donovan
Johnny Donovan is an American radio announcer and producer at New York's WABC .He grew up in Poughkeepsie, New York, nicknamed "Sarge," after his father's former rank in the United States Army...
, Dan Ingram
Dan Ingram
Daniel Trombley "Dan" Ingram is an American Top 40 radio disc jockey with a forty-year career on radio stations such as WABC and WCBS-FM in New York...
, "Cousin Brucie" Bruce Morrow
Bruce Morrow
Bruce Morrow is an American radio personality known to many listeners as Cousin Brucie.-Radio work:...
, Chuck Leonard
Chuck Leonard
Charles Wesley "Chuck" Leonard was an American radio personality at WABC in New York City during the 1960s and 1970s. His deep voice and smoothness resonated across 38 states for 14 years at ABC...
, Bob Cruz, Frank Kingston Smith
Frank Kingston Smith
Frank Kingston Smith is an American radio personality who worked extensively in Top 40 and oldies formatted AM and FM stations in major Northeastern United States markets for almost three decades....
, and Roby Yonge
Roby Yonge
Roby Yonge was an American radio DJ, most notable in the 1960s. He was best known for being fired from New York station WABC-AM in 1969, after he reported over the air that the singer Paul McCartney of The Beatles might be dead....
, and others.
Harrison had a number of "trademark" phrases, such as "Every brand new day should be opened like a precious gift", "Stay well, stay happy, stay right here" and "Harry Harrison wishing you the best... because that's exactly what you deserve!” Also, on the last day of every year, Harrison would bring his four children to work with him and at the end of his shift, he would join them in giving listeners New Year's wishes.
Harrison was let go from WABC as the station changed direction in November, 1979.
WCBS-FM, New York—1980–2003
In March 1980, Harrison became the morning personality at WCBS-FMWCBS-FM
WCBS-FM is a CBS-owned radio station in New York City. The station's studios are in the combined CBS Radio facility at 345 Hudson Street in Manhattan, and its transmitter is located on the Empire State Building....
(101.1), playing oldies music. In 1984, with Lundy joining the station, they were once again heard back-to-back. Harrison would interact with Morning Crew engineer Al Vertucci, Phil Pepe, who reported sports, and joke about "wacky weather" and toupee warnings with Irv “Mr. “G” Gikofsky (weather), Mary Jane Royce, and Sue Evans. At 7:20 AM, Harrison opened the "birthday book" and announced listener and celebrity birthdays.
On April 25, 1997 New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani issued a proclamation, naming April 25 "Harry Harrison Day" in honor of the second "Mayor."
On March 19, 2003, after a 44-year career in New York radio, Harrison left WCBS-FM, saying “I am not retiring.” His farewell to his loyal radio friends (from 5:30 to 10 am) was held before a packed, live audience at the Museum of Television and Radio in New York City. It offered old airchecks, and guest appearances by WCBS-FM colleagues Don K. Reed, Bobby Jay, Steve O'Brien, Randy Davis and Dan Taylor, his replacement, as well as his son and daughter, Patti. Harrison took phone calls from Bob Shannon
Bob Shannon (WCBS-FM)
Don Bombard , more widely known under the air name Bob Shannon, is an American radio disc jockey best known for his work on WCBS-FM in New York City...
, Mike Fitzgerald, Ed Baer and Ron Lundy
Ron Lundy
Fred Ronald "Ron" Lundy was a popular radio announcer in New York City from the early-1960s to his retirement from WCBS-FM in 1997...
. Songs included Gladys Knight
Gladys Knight
Gladys Maria Knight , known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author...
's "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)" and the Little River Band's
Little River Band
Little River Band is an Australian rock band, formed in Melbourne in early 1975.The group chose the name after passing a road sign leading to the Victorian township of Little River, near Geelong, on the way to a performance. Little River Band enjoyed sustained commercial success in not only...
"Reminiscing," before closing with "That's What Friends Are For."
Sadly, shortly after he left WCBS-FM, Harrison would lose his long-time wife, Patti, who he had always referred to as "Pretty Patti" on the air.
WCBS-FM, New York—2004–2005
Harrison returned to WCBS-FM, to the delight of his fans, with a Saturday morning show (6–10 AM) in 2004. It offered two hours of variety and two hours of Beatles music and memories.On Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
, May 30, 2005, Harry and Cousin Bruce Morrow
Bruce Morrow
Bruce Morrow is an American radio personality known to many listeners as Cousin Brucie.-Radio work:...
were guests on WABC Radio’s annual “Rewound” show. Four days later, on June 3, WCBS-FM ended its "oldies" format, in favor of the new “Jack” format. (Ironically, Harrison's voice was last heard on New York radio, not on WCBS-FM, but on WABC.)