THE SUMMER OF '76; Growing up in the Bay Area a ripe, wide-eyed 14 year-old listening to KFRC; AM Radio with personalities galore; Dr. Don Rose in the morning drive; 6-10 AM. It was mandatory listening and appointment radio. Who could forget, "Sacra-tomato!" and …"San-RAQUEL!" --to this day, there is NO ONE, no one, who can even come close to Donald B. Rose (real name, Donald Rosenberg)Dr. Don was corny funny. He had great timing and great corny jokes, an AM staple. He was unique; he was original; he was hysterical. It wasn't an acquired taste because everyone loved the Doctor. In this case, sound drops worked because Rose played off them and developed a distinct cohesion between listener and host. It was, like I said, corny funny.
But insatiably original.
It's a good thing I was too young to drive back then because I may have driven off the road laughing my ass off. Rose had that aura with me and everyone else. It was a constant.
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| Dr. Don Rose |
I thought he would live forever but he battled several health issues and hard to believe Rose passed away over a decade ago.
How BIG was Dr. Don? He was one of the most highly-paid DJs in the country making over $400,000. That's big today but even bigger back in the 1970's. Only "Aku" (Hal Lewis) earned in the vicinity what Rose was making.
KFRC, like the old KGO, was a gigantic part of the Bay Area culture scene. It was the pop music equivalent of the old KGO; more than just a radio station and purveyor of bubblegum music, 70's hits--KFRC had a distinct line-up of individual personalities and was constantly on the social Bay Area radar, particularly music and teen culture. In association with Bill Graham, KFRC produced many "Days on the Green" at the Oakland Coliseum Stadium; its contests gave away tickets to lucky listeners trying to score freebies to see the Grateful Dead and Beach Boys (what a combo, eh?)Friday nights in Summer; listening to Bill Lee on KFRC. Don't forget, "Marvelous" Mark McKay and the always hilarious, Bobby Ocean. Your "Duke", Dave Sholin, was too good to be true. A funny, thought-provoking AM DJ with a gigantic personality and vibe to boot. Sholin would later in life be an editor of the influential industry newsletter, "Gavin Report."
They were all great.And as crazy as this sounds, the whole 70's/KFRC experience defined an era in Bay Area pop culture. It was distinct and brilliant. Cozy and authentic. It was emblematic of the times and chicken soup for those of us wanting an escape away from some not so cool things taking place in the 1970's miles from the music and culture scene.
We needed it. I needed it. And I loved it too.
It's a special part of Bay Area radio history that made for entertaining, nostalgic days and nights. It broke up boredom and created magical moments. Those of you that were fans of that era and like myself had an affinity for KFRC can relate to my enthusiasm.
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| Peter Frampton at a "Day on the Green" at Oakland Coliseum, 1976 |
*At 415 Media, I am passionate about vintage radio and TV and will occasionally venture back into a time when the appreciation of the electronic media meant something.
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#This column is dedicated to the life and memory of my mom, Anne Landau: 1922-2018.
