My Memories of Bob Shannon (1948-2023) - He Was Radio Personality Extraordinaire

 

Bob Shannon at CBS Radio Day at Yankee Stadium in 2010

Yesterday, we heard from Connie Shannon that her husband Bob just passed away after a long illness.  If you are not familiar with Bob Shannon, there is a bio of him on the Wikipedia

 

I’d like for this journal entry to convey my personal experiences with Bob.  I wrote him many times in this journal   I had the pleasure of meeting him twice:

• In the mid-1990s he appeared at the opening of a Genovese Drug Store in Whitestone

• He appeared at the CBS Radio Day at Yankee Stadium in June 2010.

He came to WCBS-FM in the 1980s in its heyday as an oldies station.  For most of his early years there, he was on the air from 6 PM – 10 PM and hosted the Hall of Fame, which featured specialty programming.  The “Lost Hit” feature was my favorite.  There was Tuesday Night Trivia, when survey guy Tom Natoli answered most of the questions correctly.  Whenever I dialed in, I got a busy signal.

Very often, I sent requests for songs to Bob that he played.  My fondest memory of him was in March 1988 when he announced my son Lee’s birth over the air after he played What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong.

Bob worked at WCBS-FM until June 3, 2005, when the executives flipped the station to the dreadful Jack format.  At that time, Bob was very active in social media protesting that miserable format change.  At that time, he moderated the Oldies Message Board, now done by Mike Riccio.  In July 2007, WCBS-FM came back as a classic hits station, and Bob was rehired.  In early 2012 Bob did not appear on the station as Ron Parker or Joe Causi filled in for him.  Finally, in July 2012 it was stated on the New York Radio Message Board that Bob left the station due to an undisclosed health condition.

After that time, Bob was completely incommunicado. I believe that medical matters should be confidential.  During the last 11 years, everyone hoped that Bob was OK.  We got the bad news yesterday that he passed away.

Radio enthusiast Alan Seltzer said Bob was a great radio DJ demonstrating great timing, expertise in the music he played, and a warped sense of humor and concern about his audience, fitting it all in short song intros. Many had two of the three, but Bob Shannon had all three. There was nobody better.  I second his thought that he was concerned about his audience.

Art Vuolo, Radio’s Best Friend. Produced a video tribute to Bob that can be found at https://vimeo.com/840658230 

Rest in peace, Bob.  You are fondly remembered by all enthusiasts of oldies radio.

Thank You Tom Natoli for Your Wonderful Tribute to Bob Shannon

 

Tom is on the bottom left with the NASA shirt

The other men are his fellow Survey Guys including

Ken Kaiser, Alan Ross, Charlie Menut, and Joe Pergola

Bob Shannon at CBS Radio Day at Yankee Stadium in 2010

Radio personality Bob Shannon has appeared many times in this journal.  Oldies Radio enthusiast, trivia maven, and radio personality on Pop Gold Radio Tom Natoli has spent many hours preparing a tribute to Bob Shannon.  Charlie Menut (seen above) and Phil Meynis recorded 10 hours of this tribute.  Keep in mind that this is only Part 1 of 3.

The recordings may be found at:

PART 1A:

DROPBOX:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/lylgkdbm3qtdb2h9favyx/Tom-Natoli-Bob-Shannon-Tribute-PGR-Pt.1A-09-30-2023-FINAL.mp3?rlkey=cgd58zj6hh3j56emj6xj52zyb&dl=0

4-SHARE:

https://www.4shared.com/s/ffATjqYbBge

PART 1B:

DROPBOX:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/a4mhf1ym2tijt6lofm66i/Tom-Natoli-Bob-Shannon-Tribute-PGR-Pt.-1B-09-30-2023-FINAL.mp3?rlkey=spias4b3gdcn5o8bnbq4hh6js&dl=0

4-SHARE:

https://www.4shared.com/s/f8yyeTCqcku

There is a segment featuring yours truly on the tribute show.

Thinking About Bob Shannon on His 66th Birthday

Bob Shannon at the CBS Radio Expo at Yankee Stadium in June 2010

Bob Shannon was last heard on WCBS-FM in December 2011.  For several months Ron Parker or Joe Causi filled in for him on his 10 AM - 3 PM shift. At time he also appeared once a week on WLNG from Eastern Long Island.  It was said on the New York Radio Message Board and other places that Bob had  health issues.  In July 2012 it was unofficially reported that he left the station.  WCBS-FM did not say anything over the air or on their web site about Bob.

I wish him all the best on his 66th birthday and respect his privacy.  He was very active in protesting the hijacking of WCBS-FM in June 2005.  He really appreciated his listeners during his radio broadcasting career.  I fondly remember his announcing my son Lee's birth on his show in March 1988.

New York Radio is Not the Same Without Bob Shannon

Bob Shannon has appeared several times in Bruce's Journal over the years.  I would like to take the opportunity to wish him a very happy 67th birthday.  He left WCBS-FM in December 2011 for health reasons and since then New York radio has not been the same.

Don Tandler reported on Facebook that he spoke to Bob's wife Connie who said that Bob was most appreciative of the good wishes he received from his listeners.

I started listening to Bob in the mid 1980s when he did the evening shift on WCBS-FM.  I remember playing Tuesday Night Trivia and rarely got through first since I had a rotary dial phone back then.  Bob certainly is a "walking encyclopedia" of oldies artists and music.  For most of his time at WCBS-FM he was on the air from 3 PM - 7 PM.

In June 2005 after the oldies format was replaced by the dreaded Jack format Bob really stood up for his listeners.  When WCBS-FM came back with a classic hits formats Bob was hired back.  For a while Bob and Connie did an oldies show on WLNG from eastern Long Island.

Best wishes for good health, Bob.  New York radio is just not the same without you.

Bob Shannon is officially out at WCBS-FM

Allan Sniffen, the moderator of the New York Radio Message Board reports that Bob Shannon is officially out at WCBS-FM.  No official announcement was made by the station, but it presumed that health issues led to his leaving.  He has not been on the air since January.  It could be company policy, that if health prevents an employee from discharging his duties, he must be let go after a period of time.  I sincerely wish Bob a speedy and full recovery.

My fondest memory of Bob Shannon was in March 1988 when he announced the birth of my son Lee over the air.  Back in the mid 1980s I used to send him questions to use on his Tuesday night trivia shows.  Back in 2005 when WCBS-FM was hijacked, he stood up for the listeners and the oldies format.  He has certainly been an asset to the radio business, and hopefully he will return.

The Nice Thing about Tuesdays - A Double Dose of Bob Shannon

This semester I have been working late on Tuesday's at the NJIT Library. When I work late I bring my radio instead reading material for the train ride from Flushing to Newark. Since the #7 line is mostly above ground I listen to Bob Shannon on WCBS-FM. I have been listening to Bob since the mid 1980s. I remember back then he had Tuesday Night Trivia when he asked a question and listeners would phone in with the answer. Bob announced my son Lee's birth on the air in 1988. When I arrive at work I turn on my computer and listen to Bob on WLNG.com.
WLNG is an oldies station from eastern Long Island. Back in 1977-78 when I lived in New London, CT I was able to listen over the air, but with internet technology anyone can listen over the web.

The WCBS-FM show is done live while the WLNG show is pre-recorded. It is obvious that Bob really enjoys his jobs at both station. He really knows the music and the artists of the oldies genre. WLNG also plays more rarities and hits from the early days of rock n' roll. Connie T. Empress, his wife, is on the air with him at WLNG. Last summer my friend Alan Berman, the Dean of oldies radio listeners, was driving back to NYC from Newport, RI. While he was driving back through Connecticut he was able to hear Bob simultaneously on WLNG at 92.1 FM and at WCBS-FM at 101.1 FM.

Bob has certainly been an asset to the radio business for many years and hopefully he will continue with his two gigs for a very long time.

Thank You Bob Shannon

I certainly don't have to have to introduce Bob Shannon to my radio enthusiast friends.  For others you can check his bio at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Shannon_%28WCBS-FM%29 .  To make a long story short he has been with WCBS-FM since the mid 1980s except for the 2 years that the dreaded Jack-FM was heard on 101.1 FM in New York.  During that period he was active on New York radio message boards.  He initiated and moderated a board titled Behind the Hits where avid oldies enthusiasts talked about their favorite songs and artists.  Today Bob announced that he is stepping down as board moderator.  I must assume that his reasons are personal.  I do not  start rumors on my journal.  I do thank Bob for the time and effort he spent moderating that board and wish him well in his future endeavors as a radio personality.  My fondest memory of Bob was that Lee's birth was announced on his show in 1988.

Best Wishes to Bob Shannon - Get Well Soon

WCBS-FM radio personality Bob Shannon has not been on the air for several weeks now.  On the New York Radio Message Board Allan Sniffen has just confirmed that Bob has been ill and after a stay in the hospital is now at home recovering.

I certainly wish Bob a speedy recovery and hopes he returns to the air shortly.  Bob has certainly been an asset to New York radio for over 30 years.  He announced Lee's birth on the air back in 1988.  I took the above photo of him at the CBS Radio Expo at Yankee Stadium in June 2010.

Happy 65th Birthday to Bob Shannon

I found out on Facebook that today is the 65th birthday of Bob Shannon formerly of WCBS-FM.  The photo above was taken at the CBS Radio Expo at Yankee Stadium in June 2010.  Bob has not been heard on WCBS-FM or WLNG since December 2011.  There was never a statement made by either station.  We heard from the various radio message boards that he left due to health reasons.  No specifics were given and I certainly want to respect his privacy.  He was an asset to WCBS-FM for the many years that he worked there.  I remember him fondly for announcing Lee's birth on his show in March 1988.  He played "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong and said "what a wonderful world it is that we can welcome a new listener."  Lee has been a loyal listener to WCBS-FM for all those years.

My best wishes for a happy and healthy birthday to you Bob.

Songs with the Same Title That are Different - A Feature of Bob Shannon's Show on WCBS-FM

 In the earlier days of WCBS-FM Bob Shannon was heard from 7 PM - 11 PM and later from 3 PM - 7 PM.  Bob left WCBS-FM about 10 years ago for health reasons.  I certainly hope he is doing well.  One of the features of his show was playing back-to-back songs with the same title that are different and done by different artists.  For this journal entry, I am showing Tell Me Why by the Belmonts from 1961 and Tell Me Why by the Beatles from 1964.

My Favorite Radio Shows

My Favorite Current Radio Shows (in no particular order)

Dan Taylor’s Morning Show on WCBS-FM
Claudia Marshall on WFUV
Gary Walker - WBGO
Bob Shannon - WCBS-FM
Bob Shannon WLNG
Ron Parker - WCBS-FM
Sue O’Neal - WCBS-FM
Pat St. John - Sirius/XM 50s on 5 and WCBS-FM
Pete Fornatale - WFUV
Don Tandler - WHTG AM and the Breeze
Bob Radil - WNHU New Haven
Dylanradio.com
Breakfast with the Beatles -Ken Dashow WAXQ
Breakfast with the Beatles - Dennis Mitchell (internet radio)
Sounds of the 60s with Brian Matthew BBC2
Lost 45s with Barry Scott - WODS Boston
Beatlesarama.com
Cousin Bruce Morrow Sirius/XM 60s on 6
Dick Biondi - WLS-FM Chicago
Broadway Bill Lee - WCBS-FM
Joe Causi - WCBS-FM

Retired radio personalities and shows that are no longer on the air are not included. I am generally not into talk radio, so those shows are not included.

Spotlight on WCBS-FM

This journal entry is not meant to be an exhaustive treatise on WCBS-FM.  Interested readers can look at the home page, tribute site and Wikipedia entry.

I did not listen to WCBS-FM in its early days. When I started in the early 1980s, I listened to Norm N. Nite's Top 20 Countdown and Jack Spector's Sock Hop. I started to listen  more often in 1984 after WYNY fired Dan Daniel and hired a couple of clowns called Harris and Harris to do the morning show. My fondest memories of the station include:

The Harry Harrison Birthday Book - on most years I sent in Lee's birthday to be read over the air  I taped Harry's announcing Lee's Bar Mitzvah in May 2001 and played it at the reception.  Lee did pick the music to be played with a little help from his Dad.  Only two Dylan songs and one Dylan cover were played.  Actually Lee's birth was announced by Bob Shannon with the dedication of It's A Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong.

Tuesday Night Trivia with Bob Shannon - He had this contest in the mid 1980s when his show aired in the evening.  The questions were tough, but there were no prizes.  Back then I had a rotary dial phone and usually lost out to some of the contest nuts.

Like thousands of other loyal listeners, I was aghast at the format change to the dreaded Jack on June 3, 2005.  There is no sense to talk about it further.  Lee used to boo when he saw buses with the ad for Jack-FM.  Fortunately, the new management at CBS radio came to their senses and restored a modified version of the oldies station.  It was re-branded as the greatest hits of the 60s, 70s, and 80s.

No radio station is perfect nor can please all of its listeners all of the time.  Like many others I prefere the 50s and early 60s to the 70s and 80s music that predominated their playlist now.  Regular readers of this journal must know that I listen to many radio stations.  Karen listens to WCBS-FM a lot more than I.

My favorite Internet Radio

Since CBS radio flipped WCBS-FM to the Jack format I've had to look for oldies radio on the Internet.  REgular readers of this blog should hotice these on the header of each entry, but let me take this opportunity to summarize my favorites:

Breakfast with the Beatles http://www.bwtb.net - Dennis Mitchell plays Beatles songs not usually heard on the radio.

Sounds of the Sixties with Brian Matthew http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2  This show is played live on Saturday morning, but I listened to the archived version.  I only wish that I could have listened to Brian back in the 60s.  He plays a good mixture of British and American hits of that era.

WLNG http://www.wlng.com This station comes out of extreme Eastern Long Island.  Back in 1977-78 when I lived in New London CT I was able to pick it up over the air.  This is oldies radio the way it ought to be even though there are many announcements of lost pets.  Former WCBS-FM DJ Bob Shannon appears Tuesday from 11 AM - 3 PM.

Chicago's True Oldies Channel WZZN 94.7 FM http://www.947thezone.com/  If Chicago has an over the air oldies station on FM, why can't New York?  I like to listen to oldies legend Dick Biondi who can be heard for 10 PM - 1 PM EDT

WODS Boston http://www.oldies1033.com  The CBS radio jackasses who killed WCBS-FM kept the oldies station in Boston.  I especially like to listen to the Lost 45s on Sunday night with Barry Scott.  This show was syndicated for a while and was heard over the years on several stations.  This show features more 70s and 80s hits.

WOGL - Philadelphia http://www.wogl.com  Greater Media flipped their station in Philadelphia before Joel Hollander and the other CBS executives could kill WOGL.  I like the Elvis and Friends show heard on Sunday mornings.

WMTR - Morristown, NJ http://www.wmtram.com  I can pull in this station over the air from my GE Supperradio during the day.  Reception is poor overnight since the pattern changes after sunset.  Before WCBS-FM flipped, they played only pre-1964 hits.  Now they play oldies from 1955-72.

WNNJ-AM Newton, NJ which is in the Northwest corner of the state.  http://www.oldies1360.com  Former WCBS-FM personality Max Kinkel does the mornings there but he has been out since his automobile accident.

Breeze Radio Long Branch, NJ  http://breezeradio.com  Thie is an Adult Contemporary station which does play oldies.  Former WCBS-FM personality Mike Fitzgerald does morning drive while Bob Shannon has a weekend gig there.

WMGQ-FM - New Brunswick, NJ http://www.wmgqfm.com This too is an Adult Contmporary Station, but I listen mornings to hear former WABC and WCBS-FM personality Steve O'Brien.

XM radio - AOL subscribers can get 70 music stations.  I like the 60s on 6 especially on Friday evenings when they recreate a top 40 station of the 1960s.  I sample several other XM stations as well.

I am not counting Saturday Night Oldies with Mark Simone on WABC since I listen over the air.

 

 

 

Scott Shannon's Retirement from WCBS-FM Does Not Affect Me

 

For at least 25 years I was an avid listener to WCBS-FM as they were America's premier oldies station with fantastic personalities including Harry Harrison, Ron Lundy, Bill Brown, Bobby Jay, Bob Shannon, and Max Kinkel among others.  I don't want to discuss the Jack fiasco, but WCBS-FM has used a strategy to attract younger listeners by playing hits from the 1980s and later.  As many of the DJs retired or passed away, they were succeeded by personalities who left WPLJ.  This is part of their strategy to attract younger listeners.

In 2014 Scott Shannon became the morning personality and brought the "Morning Zoo" style with him. At that point in time, I all but abandoned the station, since I prefer a music-intensive show in morning drive.  Also, 80s music is not my cup of tea.  WFUV, WABC (for Cousin Brucie) and WBGO are the only terrestrial stations I listen for music.  I listen to Pop Gold Radio and Rewound Radio for oldies.  I listen to several stations on SiriusXM.  I only listen to WCBS-FM on Sunday mornings for Scott Shannon's "America's Greatest Hits".

Scott says he will continue on the radio with his Sunday show and with his True Oldie Channel. There was an interview with Scott on Fox 5 this morning.  John Foxx will succeed him.  There is speculation about whether his leaving the morning gig at WCBS-FM was voluntary or not.  Audacy, the parent company of WCBS-FM is having financial problems and may have wanted to cut a large salary.

I wish Scott all the best in his future endeavors.

Starting the Countdown to the Big Bob Dylan Concert

The concert at the United Palace Theater is now 9 days away. I started by printing out the set listing from last nights concert at Temple University. Dylan fan Bill Pagel has compiled set lists of his concerts for years at http://www.boblinks.org . Since Bob changes the set list for each concert, I like to look at those for concerts leading up to mine to try to predict what he will play when I am there. This concert will feature Dion as the opening act. Yesterday on my way to work Bob Shannon on WCBS-FM stated this and played Runaround Sue and Knockin' on Heaven's Door back to back. He later speculated on whether they would play a few numbers together. Yes, Dion has covered song Dylan songs. The results may be found from this Dylan covers database. I am hoping that Dion will play Tomorrow is a Long Time. I am also wondering if Dion will play some early hits that I used to hear on WCBS-FM. Later in his career Dion did a lot of Christian music.

I am now scratching my head thinking of some of the opening acts I have seen with Dylan:

• Paul Simon
• Pattie Smyth
• Merle Haggard
• Amos Lee
• Van Morrison
• Joni Mitchell
• Ani DiFranco
• Santana

He did several numbers with Paul Simon at Jones Beach. Patty Smyth did Dark Eyes at the Beacon Theater. Bob and Van collaborated on Blue Suede shoes since that concert at the Madison Square Garden Theater was shortly after the passing of Carl Perkins.

Theme Sets on the Radio

 

Over the years I have listened to many theme sets on radio shows.  My favorite has to be the Theme Time Radio Hour with Bob Dylan as the host. Some of the themes were:

• Baseball
• Mother
• Weather
• Drinking
• Jail

I assume that Dylan picked the songs.

Bob Radil had his 60s 70s show which unfortunately has been on hiatus for over four years.  Hopefully, it will return soon.  Bob always featured a fourth-hour theme with suggestions offered by listeners.

Back in the day, there was a WCBS-FM Hall of Fame show hosted by Bob Shannon in the evening.

WFUV in radio industry jargon is described as an Adult Album Alternative (AAA) station.  They play many genres of current and older music.  There is a feature on Corny O'Connell's morning show called Question of the Day.  He suggests many themes, as listeners make suggestions on social media. Only 4 or 5 are played at 9:15. Obviously, listeners are frustrated when their suggestion is not selected.  I suggest expanding this feature to include 8-10 songs.  Some of the recent  themes were:

• Good Riddance
• The End
• Boxes or Boxing
• Winter 
• Harmony Singing
• Wishes
• Lists

Some Personal Radio Memories

I hope that nobody is disappointed because this post is not about j---- d---- . I have recalled several memorable personal moments from the radio over the years and would like to share them with readers of Bruce’s Journal. Some of them were recorded on tape while a few are available digitally. I am listing them in no particular order.

1. Harry Harrision on WCBS-FM announced Lee’s Bar Mitzvah in 2001. We played the tape at his reception. Every year Harry announced Lee’s birthday.

2. Lee’s birth was announced on Bob Shannon’s show on WCBS-FM after What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong. Bob said “what a wonder world when we can welcome a brand new listener.” Lee has listened to the station since then except for the Jack years.

3. Cousin Bruce Morrow thanked me over the air on his Sirius/XM show for starting a Facebook fan club for him.

4. Sue O’Neal on WCBS-FM read the 3 songs that I voted in the Top 500 survey. Radio enthusiast Andrea Wiener sent me the recording. She unfriended me on Facebook since I am not in the radio business.

5. Brian Matthew on BBC2 played my dedication of I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love by Petula Clark for our mutual birthdays a few years ago.

6. Some years ago I requested Nikki Hoeky by PJ Proby on Brian Matthew’s show. NJIT Professor Reg Tomkins heard it in England.

7. I phoned WABC and sang the Car 54 Where are You Theme. I no longer listen to this show.

8. I regularly listen to sports talk on WFAN, but was never a fan of Imus either when he was on WFAN or now on WABC. One May 23rd my clock radio was on WFAN in the evening. The next morning just as the radio went on Imus said “Today is Bob Dylan’s birthday.” Karen and I laughed as we woke up.

Songs with the Same Title That are Almost Different - I Remember You - Frank Ifield and I'll Remember You Bob Dylan

 

Back in the day the late Bob Shannon on WCBS-FM had a feature "Songs with the same title that are different".  I just read that British singer  Frank Ifield passed away at age 86.  In the 1960s he had a hit called I Remember You.  Bob Dylan recorded I'll Remember You on his album Empire Burlesque.  The titles are almost different.

WCBS-FM Hall of Fame March 13, 1986

For about 20 years starting in the mid 1980s I regularly taped specialty radio shows. Back then Bob Shannon hosted the WCBS-FM Hall of Fame show from 6 - 10 PM. Each show would feature a single recording artist. Bob often played records that didn't reach high chart positions and were not usually heard on the station. Today I pulled out a tape featuring Neil Sedaka on March 13, 1986. It is a shame that Neil has not yet been elected to the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame. Today I had the pleasure of listening to Bob 3 times:

• WCBS-FM today
• WLNG today
• WCBS-FM 24 years ago

Below is a recording of Calendar Girl by Neil. Facebook friends can see it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUlOyj9F5gM

Facebook Friends on the Radio

Bob Radil of  the 60s 70s Show on Rewound Radio featured above is one of many of my Facebook friends.  I just looked at my friend list and found so many who have been on the radio now or in the past.  I have decided to compile a list limited to those radio personalities whom I have met.  I will obviously not give their entire radio resume, but just say how I met them and my radio experience with them.  The list is in no particular order:

• Don Tandler - met at a few of the oldies meets and greets.  Pop Gold Radio and NJ 101.5
• Cousin Bruce Morrow - met at the Rewound Cruise in 2007.  SiriusXM, WCBS-FM, WABC
• Rich Appel - the only person who ever gave me a ticket to a Bob Dylan concert.  That Thing with Rich Appel on Rewound Radio
• Gary Brefini - I have never met him, but spoke to him once on the phone. He is a reader of this journal, Radio XL5
• Bobby Backman - Cool Bobby B - Another regular person at the oldies meets and greets.  The Doo Wop Stop on SiriusXM
• Alan Seltzer - oldies meet and greet - WCWP
• Scott Fybush - I last saw him at the Decalcomania convention in East Brunswick, NJ in July 1995.  WXXI Rochester and publisher of the North East Radio Watch
• Russ DiBello aka Famous Amos - Oldies Meet and Greet.  WCBS-FM and Jammin 105
• Tom Lawler - I just heard him today on WLNG.  I met him at the Long Island Radio Day at CW Post.
• Ron Parker - Met him at a WCBS-FM picnic in Staten Island some years ago.  Work at WCBS-FM.  I think he does part time work on NASH-Fm
• Jerry Barmash - Long Island Radio Day - WABC
• Broadway Bill Lee - Came to one oldies meet and greet - WCBS-FM
• Jim Kerr - Two oldies meets and greets - Q-104.3
• Pat St, John - oldies meet and greet. WCBS-FM and WPLJ
• Scott Lowe - oldies meet and greet - WBUX, Bucks County PA
• Kristen LaBar - oldies meet and greet - Fresh 102.7
• Joe Causi - WCBS-FM promotion at a Verizon cell phone store
• Bob Shannon - CBS Radio day at Yankee Stadium - WCBS-FM and WLNG
• Teddy Smith - the most recent oldies meet and greet - WPAT (AM)