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July 12, 2020 3:48 pm  #1


Disc Jockeys Who Became Recording Stars

Everyone here knows Kim Mitchell, a recording artist who became the long time afternoon drive jock for Q107. But how many singers went from radio to music? Some of them had pretty amazing success, while others shone brightly for a few years and then their stars faded. But for a while, they went from playing the hits to making them.
 
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Here are a few I can think of:
 
BB King

His stellar career, with his beloved guitar Lucille, included a stop at WDIA Memphis, the first radio station in North America to format for a totally Black audience. King worked there as a DJ, and his nickname of “Blues Boy” eventually lead to his celebrated initials, B.B. (His real first name was Riley.)


 
Sly Stone

Worked as a DJ for KSOL in San Francisco, before producing records for groups like The Beau Brummels (Laugh, Laugh) and playing on others. He eventually formed his own band, Sly & The Family Stone, one of the first fully integrated groups of its kind.
 
Jim Lowe
 
While working for WCBS in New York in 1956, he recorded the classic “Green Door.” Most of his career was spent behind a mic, with other gigs at WNEW and WNBC. I’ve often wondered about his huge hit. Some stations had rules that they wouldn’t play a song by someone who worked for them, fearing they would be accused of giving the record preferential treatment. But other stations in the market wouldn’t play it because they’d be giving one of the competition’s announcers free publicity. So I wondered who played this tune in The Big Apple?
 
Keith Hampshire
 
He started at pirate station “Radio Caroline” off the coast of England, before arriving in Canada, working in Calgary, and eventually joining CKFH Toronto for a short stint in the early 70s. (His bio says he turned down a similar offer from CHUM.) He then embarked on a string of big hits, including “The First Cut Is The Deepest” and “Daytime, Night Time.” He also leant his talents to dozens of commercial jingles and that’s his voice on the anthemic “OK Blue Jays.”
 
Rick Dees
 
A definite one-off, Dees was a star at WMPS-AM, Memphis when he recorded the novelty tune "Disco Duck." While it became #1 on Billboard for a week in 1976, it was barely heard in his home city. He couldn’t get his own station to play it because of a perceived conflict of interest and other stations in the city wouldn’t touch it because it promoted a competitor. By the time it topped the charts, it wound up costing him his job.
               
Tom Clay
 
He had a hit with a hybrid version of “What The World Needs Now Is Love", and worked a variety of markets, most notably Detroit (including CKLW) and Los Angeles.
 
Tom Shannon
 
The Buffalo native co-wrote the tune “Wild Weekend,” which became his theme song on air at WKBW and other stations, and a major Top 10 hit by the Rockin’ Rebels. You can hear the original – complete with the words – here.
 
Honourable Mentions:
 
Duff Roman
 
He never recorded a song, but his label, Roman Records, was responsible for a slew of early Can Con (before there was such a term) with artists like David Clayton-Thomas (later the lead singer of Blood, Sweat & Tears) and Levon & The Hawks, who would eventually become The Band.


 
Garry Ferrier
 
The CHUM DJ and promotions man hit the charts with a Beatles-inspired Christmas classic called “Ringo Deer.” (‘He’s with Santa Claus this year…’) A big hit, at least locally.
 
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That’s my list, but there are probably more. 

 

July 12, 2020 4:44 pm  #2


Re: Disc Jockeys Who Became Recording Stars

does former muchmusic veejay Christopher Ward count?  not much of an artist himself, but wrote hits for Alannah Myles and others.

 

July 12, 2020 4:55 pm  #3


Re: Disc Jockeys Who Became Recording Stars

Hey, if Tom Shannon makes the list for writing Wild Weekend, Christopher Ward should definitely be there. Black Velvet was a monster on the charts, reaching #1 on Billboard.

     Thread Starter
 

July 12, 2020 4:55 pm  #4


Re: Disc Jockeys Who Became Recording Stars

Also, there's Michael Bouyea, better known to 1050 CHUM listeners as Mike Holland. Although maybe not technically a 'star', he released an album in 1981 as Michael Holland that spawned the single "Do She Want Love," which (not surprisingly), charted on the CHUM 30. Also, he recorded the sports anthem "We Got the Blue Jays" under the moniker of Home Run four years later.


PJ


ClassicHitsOnline.com...If you enjoy hearing the same 200 songs over and over again...listen to the other guys!
 

July 12, 2020 5:31 pm  #5


Re: Disc Jockeys Who Became Recording Stars

The Big Bopper....Jiles P. Richardson

 

July 12, 2020 5:37 pm  #6


Re: Disc Jockeys Who Became Recording Stars

Ale Ont wrote:

The Big Bopper....Jiles P. Richardson

Yes, that's a classic example and one I missed! I wonder if his hits would have continued if he had lived or would he have gone back to radio?

And here's something I've often thought about: had he lived a long life, what would Buddy Holly be doing today - appearing on the oldies circuit or retired and partially forgotten? How much of his legend was his music or that he was the first rock and roll star to die so young and so tragically?

     Thread Starter
 

July 12, 2020 6:30 pm  #7


Re: Disc Jockeys Who Became Recording Stars

David Pritchard  released the album Nocturnal Earthworm Stew in between CHUM FM and CFNY. He would also play some of his electronic soundscapes on CHUM FM unaccredited.

This one is a even more obscure. Hal Harbour a DJ on CFNY in the late 80's, early 90's has been been involved in various recording projects as an artist. I remember one afternoon around 1992/3 he played a cover version of Do It Again by Beach Boys as recorded by his band and it was a nifty version.


Cool Airchecks and More:
http://www.lettheuniverseanswer.com/
 

July 12, 2020 6:42 pm  #8


Re: Disc Jockeys Who Became Recording Stars

RadioActive wrote:

  what would Buddy Holly be doing today - appearing on the oldies circuit or retired and partially forgotten? How much of his legend was his music or that he was the first rock and roll star to die so young and so tragically?

"Rock 'n roll's been goin' downhill ever since Buddy Holly died"   --- John Milner, 1973
 

 

July 12, 2020 8:38 pm  #9


Re: Disc Jockeys Who Became Recording Stars

Mike Darow and the CHUMingbirds!

http://ryono.net/xtra/oldies/1959/mikedarrow.htm


"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
 

July 12, 2020 8:47 pm  #10


Re: Disc Jockeys Who Became Recording Stars

Joey & Danny (Rats in My Room):

https://www.discogs.com/artist/3621567-Joey-Danny


"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
 

July 13, 2020 12:42 am  #11


Re: Disc Jockeys Who Became Recording Stars

Tardis wrote:

Dale...don't forget Joey with My Dog Sex... I think that was the name of it....

Right you are...

https://www.discogs.com/Joey-Reynolds-My-Dog-Sex/release/12042550


"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
 

July 13, 2020 5:24 am  #12


Re: Disc Jockeys Who Became Recording Stars

Didn’t Wink Martindale have one hit song?

 

July 13, 2020 7:50 am  #13


Re: Disc Jockeys Who Became Recording Stars

Radio111 wrote:

Didn’t Wink Martindale have one hit song?

Yes, it was called Deck of Cards, and was a spoken word story of a soldier, a chaplain and religion. It was a fairly big hit. Today, it sounds pretentious to these ears, but some still find it incredibly moving. To each, as they say, his own.

But it's another good example of a DJ who at one point put the "disc" in disc jockey. 

     Thread Starter
 

July 13, 2020 8:01 am  #14


Re: Disc Jockeys Who Became Recording Stars

=12px>> But it's another good example of a DJ who at one point put the "disc" in disc jockey. 

Very good. You've always had a way with words!


"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
 

July 13, 2020 8:36 am  #15


Re: Disc Jockeys Who Became Recording Stars

It's more like words have their way with me. But thanks, Dale, coming from a published author, that's very kind. (And just to shill for a second, I highly recommend Dale's Close But No Cigar, the fascinating stories of people who missed their shot at fame and wound up forgotten.)

     Thread Starter
 

July 13, 2020 9:43 am  #16


Re: Disc Jockeys Who Became Recording Stars

Peter Wolf
 
Does Byron MacGregor count?

Last edited by UnSub (July 13, 2020 10:01 am)

 

July 13, 2020 10:19 am  #17


Re: Disc Jockeys Who Became Recording Stars

UnSub wrote:

Peter Wolf
 
Does Byron MacGregor count?

oh yes Peter Wolf. He was on the great and mighty WBCN FM before The J Geils Band.


Cool Airchecks and More:
http://www.lettheuniverseanswer.com/
 

July 13, 2020 2:38 pm  #18


Re: Disc Jockeys Who Became Recording Stars

Les Crane's recording of Desiderata reached #8 on Billboard in 1971. And Al Boliska's The Ballad Of A Dying Cowboy got to #18 on CHUM in 1960.
 

 

July 13, 2020 3:24 pm  #19


Re: Disc Jockeys Who Became Recording Stars

UnSub wrote:

Peter Wolf
 
Does Byron MacGregor count?

In which case, you'd have to add Gordon Sinclair!

     Thread Starter
 

July 13, 2020 6:23 pm  #20


Re: Disc Jockeys Who Became Recording Stars

WMCA's Jack Spector had a "break-in" record as Vic Venus in 1969...

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATZU-dG9vIA


"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
 

July 13, 2020 6:47 pm  #21


Re: Disc Jockeys Who Became Recording Stars

Then of course there's Lorne Greene, who started his professional career as a radio broadcaster for the CBC in 1939 (although he was a newsreader, not a DJ). He recorded some music albums in the 1960s and scored a #1 hit with the song "Ringo" in 1964.

PJ

Last edited by Paul Jeffries (July 13, 2020 6:49 pm)


ClassicHitsOnline.com...If you enjoy hearing the same 200 songs over and over again...listen to the other guys!