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Art Lobo killer oldies going to KDAY

And don't forget Charles Daniel Hanks, who began working at KOMA in Oklahoma City as "Chuck Dann." Then he became "Charlie Tuna." When Hanks left the station, Art Ferguson became the new Charlie Tuna. Forever. I wonder if KOMA's listeners wondered why "Charlie" suddenly had a different voice. Hanks later changed his own on-air name to Chuck Riley. He worked at KZLA in 1979-80.
 
This sort of thing goes back even further than the DJ era in radio. Josephine Cottle, a Texas gal, literally won the name "Gale Storm" as part of the prize in a radio talent contest, along with a contract with RKO Radio Pictures. (Lousy stage name, really...so phony, sounds more like a stripper...) She did OK in movies, but became a star in early TV as "My Little Margie." And after losing popular singing regular Kenny Baker to another show, Jack Benny and his writers decided that no matter who they hired next, his character would be called "Dennis Day." Enter one Owen Patrick McNulty, who cracked up Jack and Mary Benny at his audition, and was given a two-week trial contract...that ended up lasting 25 years.
 
I can't find this clip online. That's too bad, even though it would mean we'd be getting even farther off topic. On the April 9 1963 Jack Benny Program, Dennis Day and Don Wilson impersonated Laurel and Hardy trying to change a flat tire on their Model A. It was hilarious!

Marion Morrison went to Wilson Junior High and Glendale High School. Randy Roberts' and James Olson's 1995 book John Wayne: American explains the origin of his professional name. When he became a Western actor, he was initially billed as Duke Morrison. Then director Raoul Walsh came up with "John Wayne," combining a good ol' American first name with the last name of Revolutionary War brigadier general "Mad" Anthony Wayne. Morrison
had no say in the matter. He was now John Wayne and that was final!
 
You're right about that; we're both farther and further off topic. Actors have changed their professional names, or had their names changed for them, for probably as long as the theatre has existed. But (as far as I know) only a handful have stepped into names that were pre-selected by their employers; that is, whoever got the job would have to take the name with it. (Jim McKay, Gale Storm, Dennis Day, Charlie Tuna, and probably Art Laboe; I wonder who else?)

In the case of David Seville, whom I mentioned earlier; I read that Ross Bagdasarian was told by the execs of Liberty Records that he would have a weekend to come up with a new name for himself, or they would choose a name for him the following Monday. At least he came up with a pretty good one; Neil Diamond was asked the same question in his early days, and he came up with a choice between Noah Kaminsky and...Ice Charry?! (ref: http://www.billboard.com/neil-diamond-almost-became-noah-kaminsky ) He stuck with his real name, and just as well.
 
JeffM said:
You're right about that; we're both farther and further off topic.
Click to expand...

I have an idea. Let's figure out how many threads Steve has taken off topic with his apparently insatiable desire to post history tidbits.

Then let's figure out why he hasn't posted those in ABB.
 
Probably not as many, though, as certain other posters have by their equally insatiable desire to politicize everything.
 
I can't respond because I don't know what ABB is. But, since I don't know what ABB is, that would explain why I haven't posted anything there.
 
LARadioRewind said:
I can't respond because I don't know what ABB is.
Click to expand...

Scroll to the top of this page and click on the word "Forum" above the yellow welcome message box. This will take you to a master list of all discussion categories.

Scroll down that list to the very last category.

You're welcome.
 
"Anything But Broadcasting." I've never paid any attention to that forum. Thank you. I will try to stay more on-topic on these threads. I was wondering what ABB meant. For a while, I thought that maybe three of the four members of ABBA had decided to reunite. :)
 
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