WOGL is reporting Don Cannon passed away this morning at age 74. Cannon came to Philadelphia in the early 1970's to host mornings on WIBG as "Dirty Don" Cannon for the double-meaning jokes he told. When the station tweaked the format to AC he ended up doing afternoons, then began a long string of successful morning shows: WFIL, WIFI, WSNI AM-FM & WOGL. He was also known for charity work & in his early retirement was an avid golfer. And it was Cannon who dreamed up one of the most unusual local formats, WSNI-AM 1540 "All Beatles & Motown" back in 1983 alternating a Beatles & a Motown song from 10 am to sign off (after simulcasting his WSNI-FM morning show & weekends). He also did the WIBG voiceovers in the movie Rocky although by the time it was released he was on WFIL.
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Don Cannon
- Thread starter John1
- Start date
One of the good guys.
T
Thomps2525
Guest
Early reports said that Cannon had died after bacteria from an abscessed tooth spread to his brain. I'm not a doctor---I don't even play one on tv---but I don't think such a thing is possible. Bacteria in the mouth can eat into bone and tissue.....but spread to the brain? Nope. Don Cannon was heard on Philadelphia radio from 1969 to 2004. Here is the story from Philly magazine:
http://www.phillymag.com/news/2014/08/22/don-cannon-philadelphia-radio-legend-passed/
http://www.phillymag.com/news/2014/08/22/don-cannon-philadelphia-radio-legend-passed/
He went into the hospital with a blood infection that spread to his vital organs, after a courageous battle he died due to complications of a blood infection. He was in the hospital since July 27th and actually had a good week this week right up to his passing.
As a jock who was hired by him when I was still a relative kid, and who almost worked for Cannon the PD a second time some 17 years later in Philadelphia, my one lasting impression of him is that he quite possibly was the original Fonz -- for all his career.
I'd heard him described, if you'll pardon the ethnicity, as 'that egotistical ginney f*** who has the arrogance of talent'. The description was said with respect.
* * * * * * *
........ Memories include he and Dennis Molloy and a gal sidekick -- I forget her name -- on the morning show at WSNI. It was Cannon's show, but he let those two have a lot of deserved laughs ......
....... And there was the time he filled in at WNEW-AM 1130 for William B. Williams, doing something somewhat unheard-of at staid, conservative, posh, ermine-lined WNEW:
Not only talking up, but NAILING the intro to 'People' by Barbra Streisand.
....... One morning at a Long Island radio station, he called up some gal for a contest and put her on the air -- a blind phone call out of the Suffolk County directory. He introduced himself as being 'a famous disc jockey from Long Island, Don Cannon'.
The gal, dryly, said, 'Oh. I've never heard of you.'
Cannon tells her, 'Well, that's all right. Up until I found your name in the phone book, I'd never heard of you either.'
Wow, did Cannon strut. Even seated in a studio chair, he could sound like he was swaggering around on some Bronx streetcorner, giving tips on 'cool' to Dion, and the Regents, or the Chiffons, or anyone else within range of those great radio pipes.
I'd heard him described, if you'll pardon the ethnicity, as 'that egotistical ginney f*** who has the arrogance of talent'. The description was said with respect.
* * * * * * *
........ Memories include he and Dennis Molloy and a gal sidekick -- I forget her name -- on the morning show at WSNI. It was Cannon's show, but he let those two have a lot of deserved laughs ......
....... And there was the time he filled in at WNEW-AM 1130 for William B. Williams, doing something somewhat unheard-of at staid, conservative, posh, ermine-lined WNEW:
Not only talking up, but NAILING the intro to 'People' by Barbra Streisand.
....... One morning at a Long Island radio station, he called up some gal for a contest and put her on the air -- a blind phone call out of the Suffolk County directory. He introduced himself as being 'a famous disc jockey from Long Island, Don Cannon'.
The gal, dryly, said, 'Oh. I've never heard of you.'
Cannon tells her, 'Well, that's all right. Up until I found your name in the phone book, I'd never heard of you either.'
Wow, did Cannon strut. Even seated in a studio chair, he could sound like he was swaggering around on some Bronx streetcorner, giving tips on 'cool' to Dion, and the Regents, or the Chiffons, or anyone else within range of those great radio pipes.
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