My Dedication to Alan Berman on Cousin Brucie's Show

About 10 AM yesterday I sent the following request to Cousin Brucie:

Dear Cousin Brucie:

Oldies radio recently lost a very dear friend as Alan Berman was tragically killed in an automobile crash.  He had been one of your cousins since the WABC days in the 1960s.  Please dedicate I Remember You by Frank Ifield to honor Alan.  Thank you so much.

Bruce Slutsky
Flushing, NY

I turned on his show and was recording it on my computer.  As you know the Cuz is very popular as he receives tons on requests by email and phone.  When I didn't here my request by 10:20 PM, I felt I had to turn off my computer.  Perhaps the request "feel through the cracks."

Today was Alan's funeral at the Mount Hebron Cemetery.  I thank the people who actually came and those who were with us in spirit.  I am sure that Alan feels the same way and it appreciative of the support of his family and friends.   The rabbi said she heard my request at about 11 PM.  Thanks Cousin Brucie for coming through.  You are a Radio Mensch.

Rock Around the Clock - Oldie of the Day

You just don't hear this on terrestrial radio any more.

Random Thoughts of the Day

I was off from work today because I had to go a periodontist in Forest Hills for surgery on my gums.  She did the upper right quadrant of my teeth.  I survived the surgery, but for a week I will only be able to chew on my left side.  I will have to come back for three more surgeries.  I guess its better to go this than to lose my teeth.  This is what happens when we get older.

Back in the early 1980s I listened to WYNY when it was an adult contemporary station at 97.1 on the FM dial.  They played a good mix of oldies and currents.  For much of that time Bruce Bradley was the morning DJ.  I just found out that he recently passed away.  Jerry Barmash wrote a nice obituary.  Earlier in his career Bruce worked at WBZ in Boston and at country WHN in NYC.  He finished his radio career in St. Louis.

I found this interesting cover of I Shall be Released by Mama Cass Elliot, Joanie Mitchell, and Mary Travers from 1969:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aYAUE6is7I

Back to work tomorrow.

Harry Harrison is a Class Act on and off the Air

It is just over 10 years since Harry Harrison left the morning show at WCBS-FM.  In late 2004 and early 2005 he did a Saturday morning show on WCBS-FM just before the station was hijacked.  Morning radio just has not been the same since Harry retired.  My fondest memory of his show was in May 2001 when Harry announced Lee's Bar Mitzvah on the air the day before.  We played the tape at his reception.

Through Steve Gilinsky, Harry found about about the tragic passing of Alan Berman.  The following note was posted today on Facebook.  Harry really bonds with his listeners and is a real class act.

Another Tribute to Alan Berman

This very kind message was sent to me by B. J. Biro Wood.  She and Alan were alumni of Vernon Court College in Newport, Rhode Island.

With all my heart I send my deepest sympathy to you, Mary, and the few others I have grown to know just by reading the messages Alan would post.  In a way, I feel I have met you through Alan's almost every day postings and the pictures he would put up.

I didn't fully realize how much Alan's joy and enthusiasm grew on me.  I actually looked forward to his positive, fun, postings each day.  Just for a line or two, he made me smile when he was off to a game, or what he was listening to at the moment.  I loved his joy ~ like it was the greatest moment, and that moment became delightful for me too.  I laughed!  If was fun!

The tennis championships have started;  I was so looking forward to sharing my love (and Alan's) for tennis.  We had that in common, and our love for Newport, R. I.  He was looking forward to his "every year" trip to Newport this summer.

Alan and I got in touch when I was looking for alumni who went to Vernon Court Jr. College, and that's how I found him.  I was in the first graduating class, and he was there a few years later.  He was very enthusiastic when I posted a lot of pictures of our college on FB, and shared some of his experiences and his "dorm".  Our college was really extraordinarily beautiful mansions of Newport's wonderful  past history.  The rooms on the 2nd, 3rd floors were turned into dorm rooms, yet everything, even the furniture, chandeliers, etc. remained the same as it was when these buildings were homes.  Alan said some of these gorgeous buildings are now museums, and some we had as dorms are not even open to the public.

I apologize this is long.  I haven't really been able to let out my feelings to anyone how devastated and shocked I feel about this horrific tragedy.  I have cried often.  I miss him ~ his postings.  It's glares out at me... the missing,  the emptiness of him not being on Facebook, and here everyday... He was just here Father's Day with the wonderful picture of his dad. 

Besides his joy of the oldies, sports, Newport, he seemed very nice.  A warm, kind, and nice person.  I know you know him personally, yet this is how I found him on FB.  What fun you and all his friends must have had together!  What good and special memories for you!

Please know that you and Alan's friends are in my heart.  I have always looked at pictures and Alan's postings carefully.  I am recuperating (I hope!) from a broken back or you might have seen a stranger at Alan's memorial ~ me.  I would have really done all I could to come for it, if that would have been alright.  

Is there any way I can honor the memory of Alan with a donation to his favorite charity, or any place at all?

Thank you, Bruce, for listening.  

B. J. Biro Wood

Man of Steel Brings Superman to the Younger Generation

I have stated many times in this journal that the mainstream movies these days are for kids.  The Man of Steel is no exception as the Adventures of Superman which began as a comic book character in 1938 lives on.  The producers of this film have at least used an original story line.  Of course it has all the modern special effects, but this was a little too violent for me.  I chose to see the 2D version since it is my opinion that the enhancement of 3D is not worth the higher price.  I still would recommend this movie to my baby boomer friends including Joe Mercuri.  I was disappointed that there was no Jimmy Olsen character, but Lois Lane played by Amy Adams was real sexy.

My favorite Superman has to be George Reeves.

Here is another Superman.  It look likes Clark Kent forgot to take off his glasses.

Special Tribute to Alan Berman from Enza Ardan of Yonkers

Readers of blogs can make comments on entries.  Over the years with 2300 journal entries Bruce's Journal has received only a few comments.  My tribute to Alan received 12 comments.  Since many of my readers likely would not look at the comments, I would like to share this with everyone.  If Enza is reading this, please send me your e-mail so I can keep you in the loop about future arrangements.

Dear Bruce,

We do not know one another, but I wanted to extend my deepest condolences to you concerning your good friend Alan Berman. My husband is a Yonkers Firefighter and although his "house" is not Station 14, he has completed a number of shifts at that location. My husband was not working on Father's Day, but heard about the horrible crash from his fellow firemen.

I did not know Alan Berman, but ever since I have heard about his tragic passing, I have found myself drawn to learning more about him. Since Monday morning when news of the accident reached my husband, I have been on an endless search to find out as much as I can about Alan. I stumbled across your blog and was so happy to read a number of the posts in which you made reference to Alan and his love for the Mets and oldies radio. He seemed like such a wonderful, friendly man, especially from some of the photos you posted of him on your blog and from the beautiful words you shared with us about Alan in your most recent post. It really saddens me to think of the way he passed.

My husband and I and a good friend of ours, would love to see Alan honored and remembered in some way. In reading your blog, it appears that Alan was passionate about many things. Perhaps you and Alan's many friends are already thinking of ways to honor his memory by hosting an event celebrating the very special man he was. Please let us know if there is any way we may contribute to making such a tribute happen.

I continue to keep Alan in my thoughts and prayers as well as his closest friends and family as you all struggle to make sense of his untimely passing.

With warm regards,
Enza Ardan