Sad to report, the legendary jock, passed away June 13.
Erectus, (real name: Dennis Netto), was a real character. He worked at KOME, 98.5 FM. His signature ID: Don't touch that dial, it's got cum on it, garnered quite a bit of local commotion and buzz. For good reason.
Erectus was a one-of-a-kind performer. He pre-dated Howard Stern and elevated the phrase, "shock jock." Sure, Dennis was shocking. Shockingly good. Funny, irreverant, and master of his craft even if it appeared at times, that he was busy, man.
Even long after he left the station and KOME closed, selling its frequency to KUFX, people in the area still talk of him, and remember his remarkable style. He was must-listen appointment radio on his Saturday night show. And KOME was the definitive FM rocker. It catered well to DE's free-form shtick that made its niche all the way from the city to Fremont, San Jose, Santa Rosa and beyond.
Erectus often talked about his personal life on the air. He was dead on in mocking celebrity life, both local and national. He made fun of radio people and the various bufoon program directors, some of whom had fired him. He was so good many had to hire him back.
Erectus had a few re-stints back at KOME in the late 80's and early 90's before moving on. We offer our deepest sympathies to his family and friends.
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Sad news. I loved listening to him on KSJO ans he held a phone-in program for those of us that slept in past the morning show. Last I heard, he was teaching media classes in the South Bay?
ReplyDeleteHe had been ill for quite some time. Something major like a stroke in the early 2000s. Believe he was living in the North Bay...
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Rich. You managed to pay tribute to a San Jose radio personality without ever once mentioning that KOME was a San Jose (408 not 415) station!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the obit to Dennis. (Amazing that Ben Fong-Torres has yet to write anything about it)
ReplyDeleteI caught his show a bunch even though my station of choice was the old "jive 95" KSAN. BTW, not only did he tell everybody to not touch their dial because it had KOME on it, he also told listener they had KOME in their ears. LOL.
He apparently spent his last days in the Burlingame convalescent hospital.
Well, Dennis was always at his irreverent best with the KOME spot on your radio dial. Thanks, Rich, for responding relatively rapidly to my comment a few daze back about Dennis' passing. Perhaps my similar comment made after last Sunday's BF-T "column" will precipitate a few 'random notes' the next time around. There, but for fortune, goes BF-T, you, or yours truly... "Sometimes I wonder, other times I'm sure"
Delete> He had been ill for quite some time. Something major like a stroke in the early 2000s.
ReplyDeleteActually, Dennis was working in production at KBAY and KEZR in San Jose when he suffered a massive heart attack on Thanksgiving 2006. He had regained the ability to walk and talk, but required fulltime assistance. He was living in a care facility in Castro Valley when he suffered the fatal heart attack.
Well, David, it's truly a shame that Dennis wasn't recognized with a BARHOF nomination! Maybe you could 'broadcast' the need to have Richard Gossett rightfully nominated the next time around? Better late than never... "Sometimes I wonder, other times I'm sure."
DeleteHe had a heart attack which led to brain damage in the mid 2000's per a link someone posted in the comments section here a few days ago. I remember him for his "Affairrrr on the airrr" segments myself. I remember the way they would say it, altho I don't remember exactly what it was about. On a funny side note, the "club" KSJO and KOME would always live remote from in the late 80's/early 90's, The Cabaret as I believe it was called, has say empty since that club closed down in the early 90's at the intersection of Kiely and Saratoga Ave. in San Jose.
ReplyDeleteSome people should never get old. There's a good reason why Rock stars and Athletes die young. They know all that they were good at has passed. The look,the expertise,the fans..leave or become irrelevant.
ReplyDelete12:38-that's an idiotic post, a man died had nothing to do with being famous or a rock star. If you didn't smoke your weight in pot all day you might have stated something relevant. I'm sure Dennis was looking forward to getting old, but didn't have the opportunity sadly.
DeleteYes Rich, thanks for sparing some moments to recognize Dennis. As written in some earlier posts.. Dennis was a true pioneer and creative spirit. Many imitated his style, and reaped far greater material rewards. Off-air, he was a sweet, kind of quiet, nice man. Will always remember him with a smile..
ReplyDeleteRIP Dennis.
ReplyDeletegreatest ever.....and don't forget the F Nancy Reagan call in show......."i've got her over the hood of my firebird Dennis" ... i didn't perticularly dislike her but that was still good for a laugh...
ReplyDeleteI wonder how old he was and if he had a family. He was a funny guy. It's sad that his health had failed so that he had difficulty functioning doing day to day things and had to live in a care facility. I don't think he was all that old, but I don't really know. I guess we never know how it will end so RIP Dennis. This is a reminder to appreciate and enjoy our lives and our health.
ReplyDeleteHe was 61...but might as well have died at 40..such is the rock world life..
DeleteI remember meeting him at a leather event in SF many yrs ago. He'd been invited to it by some mutual friends. He clearly was uncomfortable there which seems ironic given his so-called shock jock background. Clearly his on-air persona was much different than his off-air one. Seemed like a nice guy.
ReplyDeleteI was saddened to hear about his massive heart attack. I believe when he had it he was working as a board op doing the all-night shift at some South Bay station and had no health insurance. There was some kind of benefit held to help pay his medical expenses.
RIP Dennis and thanks for all the great shows back in the day.
A terrible loss. Who was he?
ReplyDeleteI met dennis at Cheers in sunnyvale he used to do part of his show there or anyway he was sitting by himself at a table,and I said whats up,and he says go fuck yurslf,so every time I saw him there he allways would talk shit,it was great!
ReplyDeleteIf you wanted real rock, then, you listened to KOME and not KRQR nor KSJO.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely right, although there was a time--even with KOME on your dial--when KSJO circa 1968-1969 was pure free form pragmatic, thematic, relevant rock! "The Light from Below" was their "brand" at the time--a "southern" connection to what was happening "north" up on KMPX and KSAN-FM.
DeleteDennis was a huge part of my high school's culture(think fast times at Ridgemont high)back in the late 70's. Everybody would listen on saturday night, talk about his bits all week, then do it all next week. I hope he enjoyed himself half as much as we did.
ReplyDeleteThe stuff he did wouldn't fly with the pussies that call the shots these days, but I have the memories of his hilarious stuff. A great talent during a great period of bay area radio.
Via condios compadre, a job well done.