Thursday, January 8, 2009

RIP:Harry Martin


Billboard advertising the "Martin and Howard" morning show on KYW-1100-It was number one for the better part of 6 years..


Photo of Martin and Howard "in Action.".This Photo and the one above courtesy Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts, via Ohio Media Watch..


Logo of WKYC-1100 around 1967-68

Harry Martin, Radio DJ in Cleveland, Detroit and San Diego passed away from Liver Cancer Monday..He was 81...

He was best known in Northeast Ohio as half of the legendary morning team from 1962-68 of "Martin and Howard" along with Specs Howard...On Westinghouse's KYW-AM 1100/NBC WKYC..After Martin and Howard went to Detroit at WXYZ-1270, Harry Martin then went out to San Diego, where he worked at KCBQ-1170 and KPOP-1360, among other stations.

Martin was one of the pioneers of San Diego Rock and Roll Radio in the 1950's before coming to Cleveland..Sadly, I never got to hear Martin as a dj in his prime, but when I did a blog series about the KYW/WKYC swap of 1965 in August 2007, he sent a kind email about my efforts..I then started linking to his blog, happyhareonline.com, where he told great stories about the crazy days of rock and roll in the 1960's..Including the time wheh he and Mr. Howard "saved" the Beatles Concert in Cleveland in 1964 and also getting the inside "scoop" on Jim Brown's retirement from the Cleveland Browns in 1965..He seemes a fun personality who had a passion for radio..There are fewer and fewer like him still around, sadly..

"Specs" Howard Biography, with more on Martin and Howard's Cleveland days..


http://www.specshoward.edu/aboutspecs.htm


San Diego Union-Tribune Obituary

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/jan/07/1m7martin232239-dj-happy-hare-grew-media/?metro

Tribute by San Diego Radio personality Chris Cantore..

http://www.chriscantore.com/?p=292


As long as Harry Martin's blog is still online, I will continue to link to it..Too many great stories there..Prayers to his family, and friends..

2 comments:

  1. Do you have any other WKYC 1100 or 3WE airchecks i would love to hear them,also would love to see more early fm posting like early WHK/WMMS ads or airchecks from 1968...also by any chance are there any surviving ads or aircheck of WHK OR WTAM when they first signed on the air

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  2. I listened to Martin and Howard in Cleveland as a teenager and then heard Harry Martin on the radio in San Diego around 1970 when my husband was stationed there. I called the radio station and talked with Harry. He was so gracious and spoke with me about Cleveland memories. What a great guy!

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