Memorable radio personalities from Cleveland's past

From the birth of rock 'n' roll in the 1950s through just about the end of the 20th Century, Cleveland was a great town for radio. DJs like Alan Freed and Bill Randle spread the gospel of rock 'n' roll in the 1950s, the WIXY-AM/1260 Supermen carried the torch in the 1960s and Kid Leo and his WMMS-FM/100.7 Buzzard compatriots kept the flames blazing in the 1970s. The town has given rise to its share of notable talkers and sportscasters, too, from Don Imus, Gary Dee and Pete Franklin to Herb Score, Joe Tait and Tom Hamilton.

Here's a look at some of the most notable Cleveland radio DJs and radio personalities of the past 70 years. Some are still on the air. Did we miss anyone important or one of your favorites? Let us know in the comments section.

Don't Edit

Nancy Alden

Alden amassed a 37-year career in Ohio radio, 24 of them with easy-listening station WDOK-FM/102.1. In 2013, she started a classic-rock show on SiriusXM's Classic Vinyl Channel, broadcasting live from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. In late 2016, friends started a GoFundMe page for Alden, reporting that she was recovering from a brain aneurysm. (Photo -- Gus Chan, The Plain Dealer)

Don't Edit

Jack Armstrong

Armstrong, whose real name was John Charles Larsh, was one of the fast-talking "Supermen" of Top 40 radio giant WIXY-AM/1260 in the 1960s, along with Dick "The Wilde Childe" Kemp, Mike Reineri, Larry "The Duker" Morrow, Lou "King" Kirby and later Billy Bass and others. Armstrong worked evenings and got his name because the DJ in this timeslot was always called 'Jack Armstrong' after the 1930s radio serial, "Jack Armstrong the All-American Boy." He moved to WKYC-AM/1100 (now WTAM) in 1967. Larsh died in 2008 as a result of injuries sustained from a fall in his home. Armstrong is at far left in the photo above, along with fellow WIXY Supermen Lou Kirby, Jim LaBarbara, Billy Bass and Chuck Knapp at a WIXY reunion. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Ronnie Barrett

An old-school, multi-talented showman, Barrett worked at dozens of stations from the mid-1950s into the 1990s, including WGAR-AM/1220, WBBG-AM/1260 and WQAL-FM/104.1. A piano player, he used his keyboards frequently on the air, and even took gigs at nightclubs as a song-and-dance man. Barrett also worked in TV, leading the band on WEWS Channel 5's "One O'Clock Club" with Dorothy Fuldheim and working as a weatherman on old KYW Channel 3. Barrett moved to Cincinnati after his retirement. He died in 2005. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Billy Bass

Bass built one of the most versatile careers in the history of Cleveland radio. One of the first black DJs in Cleveland radio, he worked at WIXY-AM/1260, and became one of the WIXY Supermen. He helped launch progressive-rock radio as a DJ and programmer at both WMMS-FM/100.7 and WNCR-FM/99.5. During his time at WMMS, Bass coined the phrase, "Cleveland: The Rock 'n' Roll Capital of the World." He worked a variety of record-industry jobs after that, becoming senior vice president of marketing at Chrysalis Records during the 1980s. He also managed Grammy-winning R and B superstar Luther Vandross. He returned to Cleveland radio in 1997, working at both WMJO-FM/105.7 and WZJM-FM/92.3. He is now a professional photographer in Cleveland. (Billy Bass is at far left in the photo, kickin' it with the WHK crew, circa 1968. The other DJs in the photo are, from left: Doc Nemo, Vic Boc, Martin Perlich and Pat Mack. WHK later became WMMS) (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Victor "Uncle Vic" Blecman

Beginning in the late 1970s and running until the late 1980s, Victor "Uncle Vic" Blecman was a Sunday night staple for Northeast Ohio radio listeners on WGCL-FM/98.5. Over the years, Blecman also released several novelty songs, the most popular being "Space Invaders," which went to No. 64 on the Billboard's Hot 100 in June 1980. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Ruby Cheeks

Gained fame in local radio in the 1980s as part of "Jeff and Flash's Morning Zoo" on WMMS-FM/100.7. Eventually moved to WNCX-FM/98.5, where she was a popular afternoon-drive deejay for a number of years. Since leaving Cleveland in the 1990s, she has worked in radio in various big-city markets, including Philadelphia and Phoenix. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Howie Chizek

Chizek was among the most opinionated (and durable) radio personalities in local history. He was a conservative talk radio host at Akron's WNIR FM/100.1 for almost 40 years. He was also the longtime public-address announcer for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He died in 2012 at the age of 65. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Chuck Collier

Collier became a national figure as the longtime afternoon drive-time DJ of country station WGAR-FM/99.5. (He started at the station when it was on the FM dial and also worked at sister station WMJI-FM/105.7.) Collier was inducted into the Country Music Radio Hall of Fame in 2009. He died of a heart attack in 2011.

Don't Edit

Marty Conn

Entrepreneur and founder of Marty Conn Entertainment, he hosted a radio celebrity interview show – along with his wife, Norma - on WERE-AM/1490, and later WRMR-AM/850. Conn's entertainment company operates out of Beachwood, Ohio. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Robert Conrad

Widely regarded as the dean of Cleveland radio, Conrad was co-founder of Cleveland's classical music station, WCLV-FM, which started out at 95.5 on the FM dial in 1962. The station is now owned by Ideastream, the corporate umbrella over Cleveland's WVIZ Channel 25 and WCPN FM/90.3. WCLV moved to 104.9 on the FM spectrum in the early 2000s. In addition to on-air work at WCLV, Conrad was also the longtime voice of Cleveland Orchestra radio broadcasts. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Hugh Danaceau

An old-school radio newsman who began working in the 1950s, Danaceau was best known as the longtime news director at WCLV-FM. He also wrote a column for the Sun newspaper chain. He died in 2003. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Gary Dee

One of Cleveland's most controversial and popular radio show hosts, Dee pioneered the shock-jock format. He got his start locally at WERE-AM/1490, then moved to WHK as morning-show host. He loved to confront local politicians and had an ongoing on-air "battle" with Cleveland City Council's legendary George Forbes. Dee married WEWS-TV/Channel 5 "Morning Exchange" co-host Liz Richards, but the marriage ended in divorce after highly publicized incidents of domestic violence. In 1989, he was fired from WWWE-AM/1100 because of excessive use of foul language on the air. He did return to Cleveland radio in the early 1990s, working briefly again for WERE. Dee died in November 1995. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Lisa Dillon

Dillon got her start in Cleveland radio in 1988 on WMMS-FM/100.7, working on the morning show with Jeff and Flash. She remained with the station until 1995. In the early '90s, she started her own DJ and karaoke company, Amalon Entertainment, with husband Frank Amato, the lead singer for Beau Coup. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Chuck Dunaway

Program director and afternoon-drive personality at WIXY-AM/1260 during its late 1960s heyday as one of the most popular Top 40 radio stations in the country. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Tommy Edwards

A popular WERE DJ during the 1950s, along with Bill Randle, Phil McLean and Carl Reese. Edwards is credited with being one of the first DJs to play an Elvis Presley record on Cleveland airwaves. He was also instrumental in bringing a young Presley to Cleveland for concerts at the Circle Theater. Edwards is at the far right in the above photo, along with fellow DJs Bill Randle and Chuck Young. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

"Trapper Jack" Elliot

A fixture as the morning man on WDOK-FM/102.1 for nearly two decades. He joined WDOK in 1995 after an eight-year run as morning-show host on WLTF-FM/106.5. He was let go from WDOK in 2012, along with longtime newsman Jim McIntyre. He now produces a podcast, “Blind Faith Live (at blindfaithlive.com), focusing on the spiritual healing practice of Issam Nemeh. He does the podcast under his real name, Philip Keller. (Photo by Marvin Fong/ The Plain Dealer)

Don't Edit

Maria Farina

Maria Farina landed at WMMS in 1986 fresh out of Ohio University and quickly gained popularity. She left in 1989 to work for Top 40 station WPHR-FM/107. She stayed on when the station switched formats to modern rock in 1992, becoming 107.9 The End. She worked there until 1999. According to her LinkedIn page, she now works as a freelance voice actor and author. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Joseph Albert (Joe) Finan

Finan came to Cleveland in 1950, working both as a weatherman on KYW-TV (now WKYC-TV Channel 3) and DJ on KYW radio (now WTAM-AM/1100). He was one of the radio station's top DJs when he got caught up in the payola scandal that rocked the radio business in the late 1950s. He was called to testify at congressional hearings and admitted accepting cash and gifts to play records. The practice wasn't illegal at the time, but he left Cleveland amid the scandal and ended up in Denver, where he worked in talk radio. He bounced between Denver and Cleveland for years, working locally at WIXY and WHK. He finally settled at WNIR in the 1980s and worked there until shortly before his death in 2006. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Brian Fowler and Joe Cronauer

Proud Parma natives, this longtime duo is better known as the affable hosts of "The Brian and Joe Show." They worked together on four different stations in the Cleveland/Akron area over the years: WONE-FM/97.5, WENZ-FM/107.9, WMMS-FM/100.7 and WMVX-FM/106.5. The two went their separate ways in 2011. Fowler works for country station WGAR-FM/99.5, and Cronauer is an on-air personality for The Fish, WFHM-FM/95.5. Brian and Joe were the first to broadcast from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's radio station in 1995. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Pete Franklin

Pete Franklin did his last regular broadcasts in 1998 and died in 2004, but he is still, in many ways, the best-known sports-talk radio host in Cleveland. He pioneered the sports-talk format here, starting in 1967 at WERE-AM/1300 and then moving to WWWE-AM/1100. His confrontational style – with fans and sports figures alike – made him controversial, but he was a consummate showman and listeners flocked to his program. One of those listeners – Mike Trivisonno, became such a popular caller that he eventually was given his own radio show. Franklin left Cleveland at the height of his fame in 1987 for New York, but he flopped there and was back in town by 1989. He tried two comeback attempts, but retired for good after a brief gig at WTAM-AM/1100 in 1998. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Alan Freed

The most famous radio personality in Cleveland history, and a pioneer of early rock 'n' roll. Contrary to popular opinion, Freed did not coin the phrase "rock'n' roll," but he was certainly instrumental in popularizing it and spreading the revolution around the world. He started his radio career at WAKR in Akron in 1945, playing jazz, pop and early rhythm and blues. He jumped to WJW in Cleveland in 1951, where his late-night program, "The Moondog House," became a phenomenon. The R and B records he played were a hit with black and white listeners alike, and Freed dubbed himself "The King of the Moondoggers." The flamboyant Freed was a showman who would growl, howl and pound phone books like drums when he was on the air. He presided over what many consider the first-ever rock concert, the Moondog Coronation Ball, held March 21, 1952, at the old Cleveland Arena. Freed left Cleveland for New York in 1954, where he became a national figure, hosting a nationally syndicated radio show and a weekly TV program on ABC. He was featured in several early rock 'n' roll movies and put together concerts that toured the nation. He got caught up in the payola scandals of the early 1960s, and left New York. He was trying to revive his career on the West Coast when he died, at age 43, in 1965. His ashes were brought back to Cleveland in 2002, where they were on display in an urn until 2014. They were moved to Lake View Cemetery in 2016. (Photo courtesy of Alan Freed family)

Don't Edit

Bill "BLF Bash" Freeman

The legendary gravel-voiced, graveyard-shift DJ at WMMS-FM/100.7, Bill Lionel Freeman, is best known in Cleveland by his initials, "BLF." His "BLF Bash" was an overnight mainstay at the Buzzard from 1976-1994. He briefly worked mid-days at the end of his career, but soon retired. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Shane "Rover" French

Host of "Rover's Morning Glory", a syndicated morning talk show that started at WXTM-FM/92.3 in 2003. The show is known for its outrageous stunts and banter. After a brief relocation to Chicago in 2006, the show returned to Cleveland in 2008 to become a part of the morning programming at WMMS-FM/100.7, where it remains today. The show's big following has spawned an annual summer festival, Roverfest, which has been held in Lorain for the past three years. In 2014, Rover pleaded guilty to four misdemeanors in relation to the illegal use of fireworks and a confrontation with an off-duty police officer at the Whiskey Island marina in downtown Cleveland. Rover is pictured in the middle in the 2009 WMMS promo photo above with partners Dieter and Duji.

Don't Edit

Jacqueline Gerber

Jacqueline Gerber, also known as "Queen of the Morning," has been entertaining listeners with her laid-back style and droll sense of humor at classical-music station WCLV FM/104.9 since 2001. Her traffic and weather reports are witty, too, with Gerber calling herself things like "the Pollyanna of the Pavement" and putting on her "traffic tiara" to report the day's tie-ups. If you hear her take about problems on "the hypotenuse," she's referring to I-70 between I-480 and Downtown. (Photo by Chuck Crow,The Plain Dealer)

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Len "Boom Boom" Goldberg

Goldberg started at WMMS-FM/100.7 in 1972 and remained there until 2004, longer than any other personality employed there during the Buzzard's heyday. His was the booming voice on the station's hourly IDs, music segues, sweepers, and commercials. He was also a member of "The Buzzard Morning Zoo" in the mid-1980s. He died in 2007. Goldberg is at right in the photo above, with Jeff Kinzbach in the WMMS studio. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

John Gorman

As WMMS-FM/100.7 program director from 1973-86, Gorman led the Buzzard troops on a campaign of conquest that transformed an unknown, FM upstart into a rock 'n' roll powerhouse. In 1986, Gorman and 12 other staff members left WMMS to start classic-rock station WNCX-FM/98.5. During the 1990s, he applied the same, take-no-prisoners promotion, programming and marketing strategy as operations manager of WMJI-FM/105.7, pushing the oldies station to the top of the radio ratings. Gorman returned to the Buzzard for a second brief run from 1994-96, but has spent most of the past 20 years as a radio consultant. He briefly transformed WNWV-FM/107.3 into the adult album alternative station V 107.3. In 2015, he founded oWOW, a thriving Cleveland-based internet radio. Gorman has also written a book about his days at WMMS, "The Buzzard: Inside the Glory Days of WMMS and Cleveland Rock Radio." (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Lucy Grant

Lucy Grant and co-host Jim Mantel were the popular morning-drive team at country station WGAR-FM/99.5 in the early 1990s, regularly beating the syndicated Howard Stern in the ratings. In 1993, they were named "Broadcast Personalities of the Year" by the Country Music Association. After leaving WGAR and moving to Nashville in 1994, Grant landed a nationally syndicated country radio program. (Grant is at right in the photo above in the WGAR studios with Jim Mantel.) (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Donna Halper

Halper worked as a DJ and music director for WMMS-FM/100.7 from 1973-75 and was instrumental in helping the band Rush land a record deal. She was among the first DJs to put the group's seven-minute opus, "Working Man," into regular rotation. Halper left Cleveland in 1975 to work at Mercury Records in New York City, then spent years working in radio as a consultant and various other capacities. Today, she is an assistant professor of communication at Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass. She has written several books, including "Boston Radio: 1920-2010." She introduced Rush when they got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in June 2010. (Halper is at center in the photo above, with members of Rush and WMMS staffers. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Tom Hamilton

"A swing and a drive! Waaaaaay back! It's gone!" Tom Hamilton has been a radio announcer for the Cleveland Indians since 1990, and worked with Herb Score until 1997, when Score retired. He became a fan favorite during the Indians 1990s heyday, known for his baseball knowledge, enthusiasm and trademark calls. In 2008, the Indians honored him with a talking Tom Hamilton Bobblehead Night. In 2015, Hamilton received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 15th Annual Greater Cleveland Sports Awards. He remains the radio voice of the Indians, currently working with Jim Rosenhaus. In the baseball off-season, Hamilton calls college basketball games for the Big Ten Network. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

"Walkin Talkin" Bill Hawkins

One of the first black DJs in Cleveland radio, Hawkins broadcasted from the front of his record store on E. 105th between Cedar and Carnegie avenues in the late 1940s and early 1950s, before landing air time on WHK, WJW, WDOK, WABQ and WSRS, which later became WJMO. He was on the air when Alan Freed arrived in Cleveland and reportedly had influence on Freed's DJ style and musicals tastes. A jaw injury, suffered in a 1958 car accident, affected his speech and ended his radio career. His son, W. Allen Taylor, wrote and starred in play about him, "Walkin' Talkin' Bill Hawkins: In Search of My Father." It was presented in Cleveland in 2007 at Dobama Theatre. (Photo courtesy of Western Reserve Historical Society)

Don't Edit

Johnny Holliday

The fast-talking deejay was one of WHK's most popular rock jocks from 1959-64 helping take the station to No. 1 in the ratings. He broadcast from "the glass cage" at 5000 Euclid Ave., and dubbed the station's echo-chamber reverberation its "stratophonic sound." His signature sign-off in Cleveland was "Bye-bye. Buy bonds. Save chicken fat, and join the WACs." He made such an impact on writer Joe Eszterhas, who grew up in Cleveland, that Eszterhas based his 1997 movie, "Telling Lies in America" on him. Holliday moved to New York in 1964 and later worked in San Francisco and Washington, D.C. He eventually became a sports broadcaster, calling University of Maryland football and basketball games and working for the ABC radio network. He wrote a book about his career, "Johnny Holliday: From Rock to Jock" in 2002. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Mary Holt

Holt was the first African-American female radio personality on Cleveland airwaves, getting her start as an announcer on WSRS-AM/1490. She got the job after recording commercials for the record shop she co-owned with Hymie Kaye on 55th and Woodland. WSRS liked them so much, they hired her. She moved to WJMO in 1952. Over the course of a long career, she did everything from music to news. She even had a country radio show under the name "Cindy Lou." She was the news director at WABQ during the early 1970s She also ran for Cleveland City Council and led Black Political Women of Cleveland. She died in 2011 at the age of 89. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Wes Hopkins

One of the early jocks who put KYW-AM/1100 on the national rock 'n' roll map. Hopkins got caught up in the payola scandals of the late 1950s and early 1960s, along with many other DJs in Cleveland, including fellow KYW personality Joe Finan. He and Finan were called to testify at the 1960 congressional payola hearings. He worked at WAKR-AM/1590 from 1961-67 and at WCOL in Columbus from 1967-77. He died in 2008.

Don't Edit

Specs Howard

His real name was Jerry Liebman, and he made a name for himself as one half of the "Martin and Howard Show" on KYW in Cleveland during the mid-1950s and early '60s before moving to Detroit. In 1970, he founded the Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts in Detroit.The name of the school was changed in 2009 to Specs Howard School of Media Arts due to the addition of graphic design and film courses.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Scott Howitt

Berea native Scott Howitt started his radio career in 1970, working at WLYT-FM/92.3 in Cleveland, WKDD-FM/96.5 in Akron, and stations in three other states before making his real name during a long run as the popular afternoon-drive host on WMJI-FM/105.7 from 1991-2001. He was on air locally for a brief time in the early 2000s, on WELW-AM/1330, playing oldies with another WMJI vet Ravenna Miceli. Howitt is now retired and "hangs out with his basset hound, Louise," according to Miceli. Howitt is shown here with frequent radio partner Ravenna Miceli in 2004. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

"Spaceman Scott" Hughes

"Spaceman Scott" - Scott Hughes, better known as Spaceman Scott, was a member of WMMS-FM/100.7's top-rated "Buzzard Morning Zoo" in the 1980s, along with Jeff Kinzbach, Ed "Flash" Ferenc, and others. He left in the late '80s to become program director for WRQK-FM/106.9 in Canton. Hughes returned briefly to WMMS in the 1990s for short stints on a new "Morning Zoo" and as an overnight DJ. (Scott is far right in the photo above, in the WMMS studio with Ed Kinzbach, Ed "Flash" Ferenc and Kenny Clean.) (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Don Imus

One of the nation's original – and most notorious – shock jocks, Imus had two memorable stints in Cleveland. The first started in 1970 at WGAR-AM/1220 and lasted barely a year. It was a tumultuous year. WGAR shot to No. 1 in the ratings, as Imus peppered the airwaves with a seemingly drunken flurry of sexually and politically provocative material. When he left in 1971 for the big-time in New York, the headline in The Plain Dealer read: "Garbage mouth goes to Gotham." He shot to stardom in the Big Apple, serving up the same shock schtick. But drug and alcohol abuse, violent episodes and other bizarre behavior got him fired eventually and he headed back to Cleveland, this time to work as the afternoon-drive host at WHK. The even more vile Gary Dee did mornings. Imus was back to New York the following year and eventually built an "Imus in the Morning" media empire that had him syndicated across the country. He got fired from CBS from that gig in 2007 after making racist and insulting remarks about the Rutgers women's basketball team. But he was soon back on the air with a new deal, and currently broadcasts from a base at WABC in New York. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Jeff Kinzbach and Ed "Flash" Ferenc

One of Cleveland radio's most popular – and enduring -- morning teams, Jeff Kinzbach and Ed "Flash" Ferenc were a cornerstone of WMMS-FM/100.7 during its Buzzard heyday. The duo reigned over a zany – and revolving – supporting cast of characters on "Buzzard Morning Zoo" for 18 years from 1976-1994. The show was a blend of music, comedy, news and sports, all with a definitively Cleveland sensibility. Kinzbach left the station in 1994. He now does the morning show on WONE-FM/97.5 in Akron. Ferenc is now the public information officer at the Cleveland Municipal Court. He can still be heard on the radio, too. Since 1998, he's hosted "America's Workforce" a one-hour program sponsored by labor unions on WERE-AM/1490. His voice is also heard on a number of Cleveland area radio and TV commercials. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Casey Kasem

Kasem was the legendary host of the syndicated "American Top 40" countdown, and the voice of Shaggy on the "Scooby-Doo" cartoons. But one of his early broadcast gigs was at WJW-AM 850 in 1959, when the station was looking to replace Pete "Mad Daddy" Myers. He billed himself as "Casey at the Mike," and peppered his show with the comedy bits, trivia and teasers that became his trademark. He used his signature sign-off in Cleveland, too: "Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars." He died in 2014 at age 82. (Associaed Press photo)

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Dick "The Wilde Childe" Kemp

One of the fast-talking "Supermen" of WIXY-AM/1260. Kemp, a Texas native, may have been the fastest-talking of them all. Hired in 1966, he was known for his rapid-fire style, delivered in Southern drawl. He worked at the station until 1976.

Don't Edit

Lou "King" Kirby

Kirby was one of the fast-talking "Supermen" of Top 40 radio giant WIXY-AM/1260 in the 1960s, along with Dick "The Wilde Childe" Kemp, Mike Reineri, Larry "The Duker" Morrow, Jack Armstrong and later, Billy Bass. Kirby worked briefly for WMMS-FM/100.7 in 1970. Kirby is second from left in this photo from a WIXY Supermen reunion. Also pictured: Jack Armstrong, Jim LaBarbara, Billy Bass and Chuck Knapp. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Chuck Knapp

Known as "The Knapper," Chuck Knapp came to WIXY in 1969 from WRKO in Boston. He became one of the WIXY Supermen during his time there. Knapp left the station in 1971.

Don't Edit

Betty Korvan

Korvan was one of the notable rock jocks from the 1970s heyday of WMMS-FM/100.7. She started at the Buzzard in 1976, and stayed until 1983, working mostly the evening shift. Korvan now lives in South Dakota. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Jim LaBarbara

A popular DJ in Cleveland during the late 1960s who also went by the nickname "The Music Professor." LaBarbara had shows on KYC-AM 1100 and WIXY-AM/1260, where he was one of the Supermen. He is a member of the Ohio Radio/Television Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and currently hosts a country music show on WNKR-FM/106.7 in Kentucky.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

John Landecker

One of Chicago's most popular DJs during the late 1970s, Landecker took a job in Cleveland in 1989 with WPHR-FM/107.9 (Power 108). He left the station in July of 1991, just 19 months into his 3-year contract. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

John Lanigan

John Lanigan has amassed a 45-year broadcast career – most of them in Cleveland radio and TV. Lanigan came to Cleveland in 1970 to replace Don Imus at WGAR. He was soon a popular mainstay, doing double duty as the host of the "Prize Movie" on WUAB Channel 43. His WGAR show featured a morning segment called "The Flex Club." He left WGAR in 1984 for a radio job in Tampa, Fla., but returned in 1985 to work at WMJI-FM/105.7, co-hosting "The Lanigan and Webster Show" with newsman and sidekick John Webster. The show was a big hit and stayed atop the ratings for years. It became "Lanigan, Webster and Malone" in 1991, with the addition of comedian Jimmy Malone, then just "Lanigan and Malone" when Webster left in 1997. Lanigan was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2013. He retired from WMJI in 2014. In 2015, he became a co-host of WTAM's "The Spew," coupled with Mike Trivisonno, weekday mornings from 9-10 a.m. Lanigan calls in from his Florida home to hash out current events with Triv. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Les Levine

Veteran Cleveland sportscaster and sports-talk host Les Levine has worked just about every gig you can imagine in his four-plus decades in the radio and TV business. Frequently, he took a sales or sales manager job so that he could underwrite the shows he loved to do on radio. He got his first local job at WNIR-AM/100, working as a sales manager and sportscaster, calling high school and college games. He's done play-by-play and sports talk at myriad local radio stations since: WWWE/-AM/1100 (now WTAM), WERE-AM/1490, WHK-AM/1420 and more. He's done plenty of sports talk on TV, too, from Sports Channel Ohio (now Fox Sports Ohio) to Spectrum (formerly Time Warner Cable). His "More Sports and Les Levine" airs weeknights at 6 p.m. on Spectrum.

Don't Edit

Matt "The Cat" Lapczinski

Matt Lapczinski, better known as "Matt The Cat," started at WMMS-FM/100.7 in 1974, fresh out of Cleveland State University. He became one of the station's most popular jocks during its Buzzard heyday, and was perhaps best known as the host of the live Wednesday "Coffeebreak Concerts." He stayed at WMMS until 1992, moving then to WNCX-FM/98.5 and WDOK-FM/102.1. He now works for Progressive Insurance. (Lapczinski is at far right in this photo along with his Buzzword crewmates in the WMMS studios) (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

*'Kz

Kid Leo, whose real name is Lawrence James Travagilante, ruled the Buzzard roost at WMMS for 16 years from 1973-1988. He was the station's best-known personality and instrumental in breaking artists such as Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Pat Benatar and Mott the Hoople. He now runs his own music consulting business, LJT Entertainment, and is program director and an on-air host of "Underground Garage" on Sirius XM Radio. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Mr. Leonard

A comedic mainstay of the morning show at WMMS-FM/100.7 for years, the character is the creation of comedian John Carillo, a California native who uses John Rio as his stage name. Rio created the Mr. Leonard character over several years at stations in Houston, New York and Philadelphia before his Cleveland debut. Mr. Leonard supposedly worked at the Buzzard, as the assistant public service director, but he was never able to make it into the office. Each daily call-in would include an excuse that was crazier than the last. When WMMS program director John Gorman found out Rio was not under contract in Houston, he offered Rio a job, and the comedian eventually moved to Cleveland. He now lives in Texas and works at an addiction recovery center, but he still does the Mr. Leonard character on former WMMS DJ Jeff Kinzbach's morning show on Akron's WONE-FM/97.5.

Don't Edit

Bill Louis

Cleveland native Bill Louis has been with WNCX since 1987, and is the host of the midday show, "Classic Café." He has also been the station's program director since 1996. He took a leave of absence in December 2016 for prostate cancer, and resumed his duties the first week of January.

Don't Edit

Howie Lund

Howie Lund got his Cleveland radio start at WJW in the 1940s. By 1947, he had moved to WJMO and was nicknamed the Sinatra of the city's DJs. In the early 1950s, he moved to WDOK-AM, which later became WIXY-AM/1260. Lund died in 1974.

Don't Edit

Jimmy Malone

A stand-up comedian, Malone partnered with John Lanigan and John Webster for the weekly "Knuckleheads in the News" segment on Magic 105.7 WMJI. He joined the program full time in 1991, and eventually became a co-host of the "Lanigan and Malone" show when Webster left the station in 1997. Lanigan retired in 2014, but Malone is still on WMJI as co-host of the "Nolan, Malone and Kullik" morning show, featuring Mark Nolan, Chip Kullik and Tracey Carroll. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Jim Mantel

Jim Mantel was the longtime morning man at country station WGAR-FM/99.5 - nearly 20 years before being cut in 2010 after his contract was not renewed. He currently hosts "Mantel in the Morning" on country station WRNS-FM/95.1 in Kinston, North Carolina. (He is pictured here with WGAR partner Michelle Maloney in 2005.) (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Jim McIntyre

A veteran radio newsman, McIntyre got his start locally in the 1980s with WERE-AM/1300. But he is best known for his long run (1994-2012) on WDOK-FM/102.1's morning show, most of which was spent as news sidekick to Trapper Jack Elliot. He briefly worked for WHK-AM/1420 after leaving WDOK. McIntyre is now the communications manager at the American Red Cross of Greater Cleveland. McIntyre is at far right in this 2009 photo, pictured with WDOK co-hosts Trapper Jack and Terry Moir. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Michael K. McIntyre

Longtime Plain Dealer columnist and comedy reporter Michael K. McIntyre has been the host of "The Sound of Ideas," a weekday public affairs call-in show on Cleveland NPR affiliate, WCPN-FM/90.3 since 2010. He is the younger brother of longtime Cleveland radio newsman Jim McIntyre. (Photo by Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com)

Don't Edit

Phil McLean

One of the most distinctive voices in Cleveland radio history, McLean combined a smooth baritone, mastery of language and a deep knowledge of music to become one of the top DJs in the country during the 1950s. He got his start in Cleveland in 1951 at WERE-AM/1330, where he became a close friend of legendary DJ Bill Randle. The two were national tastemakers, breaking many acts of the day. "He was a brilliant performer," Randle told The Plain Dealer in 1993. "He had one of the great voices. He could have been a much higher paid broadcaster, but he wouldn't pander to the public taste. He only liked the best in everything – the best jazz, the best country, the best rock 'n' roll, the best classical music." McLean left WERE after a format change in 1961, heading to New York where he had an overnight show for many years. He returned to Cleveland in 1971, working at WHK-AM/1420 and WWW-AM/1100. He later worked for WHHR in Hilton Head, S.C. He died in 1993 at the age of 70. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Ravenna Miceli

Best known for her long run at WMJI-FM/105.7 in the 1990s, Miceli is laid-back and old-school with a deep love – and knowledge – of popular music. She is also the wife of legendary WMMS programmer John Gorman. After leaving WMJI, she worked on-air at WELW-AM, a low-power station based in Willoughby then playing oldies. She moved to WNWV-FM/107.3 when Gorman briefly transformed it into the adult album alternative station V 107.3. She is now an on-air personality for oWOW, a thriving Cleveland-based Internet radio station created by Gorman in 2015. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Photo courtesy of Gray and Company

Larry Morrow

Morrow started out locally at WIXY-AM/1260 in 1966, becoming one of the Top 40 station's "Supermen." He was a smooth-talking, friendly voice and a good interviewer. He left WIXY in 1973 for WWWE-AM/1100, then worked at WERE-AM/1490. But many listeners are more familiar with his last gig as co-host, with Sally Spitz, of the morning show on WQAL-FM/104.1 That lasted from 1985 until 1999. In 2008, he did a brief stint on Sirius satellite radio. He published his memoirs, "This is Larry Morrow: My Life On and Off the Air" in 2010. He now does consulting and public speaking.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Pete "Mad Daddy" Myers

He was only in town from 1956-59, with gigs at WJW and WHK, but the "Mad Daddy" remains a Cleveland radio legend. Myers, a trained actor, had a wild and theatrical on-air style, full of rhymes and shouts that bordered on manic poetry. He played the cutting-edge rock and R&B that felt dangerous for the times. His friend and radio colleague Ernie Anderson drew inspiration for Ghoulardi from "Shock Theater," a monster-movie bash Myers, wearing a hooded cape and talking like a beatnik, hosted on WJW Channel 8. He left town at the top of his game for New York. But he committed suicide nine years later as his popularity waned. A CD of his most outrageous broadcasts, "The Mad Daddy Wavy Gravy!," was released in 2003. (Photo courtesy of Norton Records)

Don't Edit

Cuzin Dave Newman

Was a fixture with his country music radio show, "Will the Roses Bloom Again," on WRUW-FM at Case Western Reserve University for more than 40 years. He died in 2010. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Norm N. Nite

Longtime DJ, rock historian and ultimate Cleveland booster Norm N. Nite got his start more than four decades ago as host of the "Nite Train" show on the old WHK and WGAR-AM. He moved to New York in the 1970s and became a national star there, mainly with gigs at WCBS-FM. He is a noted rock historian and prolific writer, having published numerous books, including three volumes of "Rock On: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock 'n' Roll." His nickname is "Mr. Music." Even when he worked in New York, he kept a home here and was a frequent visitor to Cleveland, staging local concerts and staying involved in Cleveland music scene. He played a pivotal role in bringing the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to town, acting as a bridge between New York-based music industry executives and civic leaders here. He returned to Cleveland radio briefly in the 1990s with a gig on WMJI-FM, but was soon lured back to host shows on WCBS. He commuted to New York for a time, then did WCBS shows remotely from Cleveland. He left WCBS for good in 2005 when it dropped its oldies format, moving to Sirius Satellite Radio (now SiriusXM Radio) for an oldies show broadcast live from the Rock Hall. He kept that gig until 2014. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Eddie O'Jay

A pioneering African-American DJ, Eddie O'Jay worked in Cleveland for WABQ-AM/1460 in the late 1950s and early 1960s. An influential figure in the black community, he inspired many, including a group of Canton, Ohio, musicians and future Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, The O'Jays, who took his name. O'Jay moved to Buffalo in 1961 and had a long career in radio and music. He died in 1998.

Don't Edit

Mike Olszewski

Longtime radio newsman, Mike Olszewski worked over the years for WERE, WMMS, WNCX and WCLV. He's a history buff and writer, too. Among his books: "Radio Daze: Stories from the Front in Cleveland's FM Air Wars." He is also the curator and archivist for the Ohio Broadcast Archive and Museum, and now teaches media communications classes at Kent State University and the University of Akron. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Matt Patrick

Patrick, whose real name is Michael Ryan, was a staple at Akron station WKDD-FM/96.5 from 1981-1995. In 2011, he left Akron to become a conservative talk-radio host in Houston. He appears on KTRH-AM/740 and KPRC-AM/950. in Houston. In 2015, Patrick announced that he is suffering from esophageal cancer.

Don't Edit

Plain Dealer file photo

Martin Perlich

A true radio renaissance man, Perlich got his start in the 1960s as host of syndicated Cleveland Orchestra radio broadcasts, interviewing everyone from Aaron Copland to Isaac Stern. He had that gig for seven years and parlayed it into a regular show on WCLV-FM-95.5 called the "Perlich Project," featuring everything from classical music to jazz to progressive rock. He later took his groundbreaking progressive rock show to WNCR FM/95.5, working alongside pioneering Cleveland rock deejays Billy Bass and David Spero. The trio moved to WMMS in 1971, laying the groundwork for the station's Buzzard heyday. Perlich moved to Los Angeles in 1972 and became a radio legend in that town, too, working at KMET and later KFAC and KCSN, where he hosted acclaimed interview shows. Perlich is second from right in the photo above, kickin' it with the WHK crew, circa 1968. The other DJs in the photo are, from left: Billy Bass, Doc Nemo, Vic Boc and Pat Mack. WHK later became WMMS (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Dee Perry

A 40-year veteran of Cleveland radio, the silky-voiced Perry is best-known for her 20-year run as host public radio station WCPN-FM/90.3's "Around Noon" and "Sound of Applause" arts-and-culture interview shows. (Photo by John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer)

Don't Edit

Ralph Poole

Poole was part of the No. 1-rated WZAK-FM/93.1 "Three's Company" morning team in the 1990s with Lynn Tolliver Jr. and Kym Sellers. He also co-hosted the Saturday "Just the Two of Us" program with Tolliver for many years. The "Three's Company" morning show was cancelled in 1997 to make way for the syndicated Tom Joyner show. Poole was moved to WZAK's low-powered sister station, WJMO-AM/1490, where he hosted a morning show. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Bill Randle

Randle is perhaps the most successful and notable radio personality in Cleveland history, even more so than Alan Freed. He started at WERE-AM/1300 in 1949, making $100 a week. By 1955, he was making more than $100,000 a year, owned a piece of the station, and was dubbed the top DJ in America by Time magazine. He was high-energy, likely a genius, and he had an impeccable ear for music. He helped make Johnny Ray, Bill Haley, the Four Lads, Fats Domino, the Crew-Cuts, the Diamonds and many other early 1950s acts stars. He helped introduce Elvis Presley to the country, giving him a major push on WERE and hosting The King's first concerts north of the Mason-Dixon Line at Brooklyn High School and St. Michael's Hall in Cleveland. He introduced Presley on his first national TV appearance on CBS' "Stage Show" in 1956. He was lured to New York and became a star on WCBS, but still flew back to Cleveland in his own plane to host his Cleveland shows. He walked away from it all in 1961 at the height of his fame, putting radio behind him to go to college. In the end, he earned six degrees, even becoming a lawyer in 1987 at the age of 64. He had a law practice in Lakewood for years. He came back to radio for fun in the 1990s and 2000s, hosting a show on oldies station WRMR. But Randle being Randle, he inserted artists like Jewel and 'N Sync into the mix. He died in 2004 at the age of 81. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Captain" Carl Reese

Reese was blessed with a warm baritone and a genial nature that served him well during more than 50 years on Cleveland radio. He got his start locally in 1952 at WTAM radio and its TV partner WNBK. But his popularity soared in 1954 when he took over as overnight host on WERE-AM/1300, the pop juggernaut whose DJs included Bill Randle, Tommy Edwards and Phil McLean. He also worked at WHK and KYW, but is perhaps best known for his 18-year run on WJW starting in 1964. He later spun standards on WBBG, WRMR and WCLV-AM. He died in 2014 at the age of 83. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Mike Reineri

One of the WIXY-AM/1260 "Supermen" in the 1960s and '70s. He is credited with creating one of the first morning drive-time radio shows in Cleveland by combining Top 40 tunes with phone-ins from teenagers, housewives, office workers and Cleveland mayors, including Carl Stokes and Ralph Perk. Renieri left WIXY in 1975 for a job in Florida. He was inducted into the Radio and Television Broadcasters Hall of Fame in Akron in 2001. He died in 2003 at age 60. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Kenny Roda

A veteran of Cleveland sports-talk radio for more than 25 years, with high-profile gigs on both WKNR-AM/850 and WKNR-AM/1220. Roda is currently co-host of "Kenny and JT," with Jeff Turk WHBC-AM/1480.

Don't Edit

Wilburn "Wil" Rudd

One of Cleveland's first African-American DJs, Rudd hosted all-night record shows on WJMO, when it was an AM station at 1490 on the dial. He also was the DJ for the Call and Post newspaper's ballroom dances and booked acts at the Play-Mor. He left Cleveland in the 1970s, and died in 1999 in Grand Haven, Michigan.

Don't Edit

Dean Rufus

Dean was a tastemaker on the local dance music scene thanks to gigs at several stations that included Program and Music Director at WDMT FM 108 (1979-87) and DJ at WZJM FM Jammin' 92 (1989-2001). In addition to doing nights at many of Cleveland's legendary clubs over the years, along with studio, voice and remix work in New York and Cleveland, Rufus was primarily known as one of the hosts of WDMT's extremely popular "Club Style" show, which gave local street and club jocks an opportunity to spin live on the radio ever night. After his run on WDMT, Rufus continued with another hugely popular live mix and specialty show, "Club Jamz" on Jammin' 92.3. Today, he's out of radio and has been the owner of The Dean Rufus House Of Fun retail boutique on West 29th Street in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood for the past 12 years. (Photo courtesy of Dean Rufus, Facebook)

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Jim Runyon

One of the golden-agers of Cleveland radio in the 1960s, Runyon spun at KYW from 1961-65, then left for a job in Chicago. He returned to the station, which had become WKYC, in 1969. By the time he left in 1973, for health reasons, it had changed call letters again to WWWE. Runyon was also the early host of the WVIZ Auction. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Denny Sanders

From 1971-1986, Sanders was the nighttime DJ at WMMS-FM/100.7, part of the original Buzzard crew that made the station a national rock 'n' roll legend. Sanders was instrumental in WMMS' rise. He came to Cleveland as both a DJ and the Buzzard's program director. But after a few years, he wanted to concentrate on being a DJ, so he reached out to an old friend, John Gorman, to come Cleveland as the station's music director. Sanders eventually turned over the program director job to Gorman, too, and they were close partners in building the station into a powerhouse. Sanders also booked the acts for WMMS' fame "Coffeebreak Concerts." After leaving WMMS, he moved to WMJI-FM/105.7, as program and operations director. He also did a nightly oldies show there from 1988-2001. He now works as Senior Marketing and Sales Strategist for Telos Alliance, a local technology firm that designs and manufactures audio equipment. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Lou Santini

Santini came to WMMS-FM/100.7 in 1994 after a stint at Canton's WRQK-FM/106.9. He worked the afternoon-drive shift until 1997 when he headed to Los Angeles. He now works as a stand-up comedian, actor and writer. (Photo courtesy Lou Santini)

Don't Edit

Murray Saul

Saul is best known the "Get Down Man," whose Friday afternoon riffs and rants on WMMS-FM/100.7 made him a local celebrity in the 1970s. Saul joined WMMS as a salesman after the station switched to a rock format. He became a part of the heyday of WMMS, which included on-air personalities like Kid Leo, Denny Sanders, Matt the Cat, Betty Korvan, Len Goldberg and the BLF Bash. His iconic rants have been preserved for posterity on the CD "Murray Saul: The Get Downs, Vol. 1," released in 1999. He died in 2014 at the age of 86. (Photo by Gus Chain, The Plain Dealer)

Don't Edit

Herb Score

For most of his 34-year broadcast career, Herb Score was just about the best thing about Cleveland Indians baseball. The former All-Star Indians pitcher got his start in broadcasting in 1964 a few years after retiring from baseball. At first, he was on TV, working with Bob Neal, and then Harry Jones. He switched to radio in 1968 and became a local legend, working over the years with partners like Joe Tait, Nev Chandler, Steve Lamar, Paul Olden and, finally, Tom Hamilton. He began every broadcast with his trademark, "Hi again everybody." He sometimes flubbed his calls, but that seemed to endear him to fans, who loved his folksy style. He holds the record for the longest career for an Indians play-by-play announcer. Score died in 2008 at age 75 after a lengthy illness. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Kym Sellers

Affectionately nicknamed "Cleveland's Girlfriend," Kym Sellers was the host of WZAK/FM-93.1's popular "Quiet Storm" broadcast for 21 year years. She's also known for her very public battle with multiple sclerosis. Diagnosed with the disease in 1992, she formed the Kym Sellers Foundation in 2000 to help raise money for research into a cure for MS and to provide outreach and education for people with MS and their families. Her annual Kym Sellers Foundation Multiple Sclerosis Benefit remains a major event on Cleveland’s social calendar. Her last "Quiet Storm" broadcast was in 2015. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Gib Shanley

Shanley was a fixture on TV, working as the sports anchor for WEWS Channel 5 for 20 years. But he was also a legend on radio, the voice of the Cleveland Browns for a generation of fans, starting in 1961. He still holds the honor of being the last broadcaster to call the most recent Browns world championship, having been at the mic for the team's 27-0 victory over Baltimore in the 1964 NFL title game. He was in the booth for every Browns season through 1984. Over the years, he was heard on WGAR-AM/1220, WERE-AM/1300 and WHK-AM/1420. Shanley left Cleveland in early 1985 to take a sportscasting job in Los Angeles, but he returned in three years and resumed his career, this time at WUAB-TV/Channel 43. He stayed at the station until 1996. Shanley died of pneumonia in 2008 at the age of 76. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Jerry Shirley

An original member of the British rock group Humble Pie, Shirley moved to Cleveland in the late 1980s to be near his girlfriend. From 1989 to 1997, he was a DJ at WNCX-FM/98.5, first with a weekend show, "The British Invasion," then later with a morning-drive program, "Mad Dogs and Englishmen." He was fired in 1997 amid a police investigation into money that went missing at his annual "30 Days in the Hole" Salvation Army charity event. Shirley later admitted that he had hired exotic dancers to entertain him during the event and had passed out in a trailer after taking prescription drugs. He later pleaded guilty to a drug abuse charge and the dancers agreed to make a $600 contribution to the Salvation Army. He eventually returned to England and resumed touring with Humble Pie. In 2011, he published his memoir, "Best Seat in the House." (Shirley, right, is pictured in the photo above with rocker John Mellencamp.) (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Geoff Sindelar

Sindelar, nicknamed "The Professor" because of his knowledge of sports, was a frequent caller to local sports shows. So frequent, in fact, that he eventually ended up hosting his own show. He started in 1987 at WWWE-AM/1100, filling in for the departed Pete Franklin. He later moved to WKNR. Among other jobs, he teamed with Dennis Goulden on North Coast Cable for "Sports 101," a weekly series aired nationally for four years in the 1990s. He died in 2010 at the age of 62 of a cerebral hemorrhage. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

"Lady Skill"

A popular DJ for urban-contemporary stations FM-108 WDMT and WZAK-FM 93.1 in the 1980s and '90s. Now works as an independent contractor doing marketing, promotion, public relations and voice overs. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

David Spero

The affable Spero was born into rock 'n' roll. His father, Herman, created Cleveland's legendary "Upbeat," an "American Bandstand"-style TV musical variety show which aired from 1964-71 and featured live performances of many of the great rock and pop acts of the era, from Simon and Garfunkel to Otis Redding. Spero would go on to become one of Cleveland's early progressive-rock DJs, working first at WNCR and then at WMMS. He soon left radio and became an artist manager, working with the likes of Joe Walsh, Michael Stanley, Ian Hunter, Harry Nilsson, Yusuf (Cat) Stevens, Eric Carmen and others. He was vice president of education and public programs at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum from 2000-2003. Spero is still active as an artist manager. His current roster includes Kenny Loggins, Marc Cohn, Dicky Betts, Simon Kirke, Richie Furay and others. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Sally Spitz

Spitz was an on-air personality on WPHR-FM/107.9 (Power 108) from 1988-1990, but she is best known for her 1993-1999 run as Larry Morrow's co-host on WQAL-FM/104. She left WQAL in 2000. She is now the sales director at WNWV-FM/107.3. Spitz is at right in the photo above just after taking the ice bucket challenge with 107.3 colleague Lynn Yuronich. (Photo by Lyn Ischay, The Plain Dealer)

Don't Edit

Michael Stanley

One of Cleveland's rock legends, Michael Stanley has been the afternoon-drive DJ at WNCX-FM/98.5. since the early 1990s. That kind of longevity is almost unheard of in today's radio business. But the heartland rocker continues to draw good ratings and is a hometown favorite. (Photo: Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer)

Don't Edit

Dia Stein

A DJ at WMMS-FM/100.7 in the 1980s, Stein went on to work in programming at Westwood One and Launch Radio Networks. Her LinkedIn Profile says she is now an independent radio professional in New York. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Shelly Stile

A DJ and music director at WMMS-FM/100.7 from 1974-78. She later worked in radio promotion and sales in Chicago and New York. From 2007-2014, she was owner and CEO of Life After Your Divorce, a company that worked with people going through divorce. She now lives in Santa Monica, Calif. (Stile is pictured here, sitting next to Bruce Springsteen during his 1976 visit to the WMMS studios. Photo: Courtesy of John Gorman)

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Joe Tait

Joe Tait is a Cleveland radio legend and the voice of the Cleveland Cavaliers from the team's inception in 1970 (with the exception of two seasons in the early 1980s) until he retired in 2011. He also did play-by-play for the Cleveland Indians on radio from 1973-79 and on TV from 1980-87. Late in his career, he called Mount Union College football games for the cable network SportsTimeOhio. He was inducted into the Radio/Television Broadcasters Hall of Fame of Ohio in 1993. In 2011, released his memoir, which he co-authored with Plain Dealer sports writer Terry Pluto, titled "Joe Tait: It's Been a Real Ball." (Photo: Plain Dealer file)

Don't Edit

Paul Tapie

Paul Tapie was a radio personality for 12 years in Cleveland during the 1980s and 1990s, working for WGAR-AM, WNCX-FM and WKNR-AM. He was also co-host of the Ohio Lottery's Cash Explosion show. Since leaving radio, he has worked as a voice-over artist and as an independent advertising consultant. (Photo: Plain Dealer file)

Don't Edit

Lynn Tolliver

One of the city's legendary DJs, Tolliver made his mark during a long run at WZAK-FM/93.1. He joined the station in 1982 when it first switched to an urban format aimed at black audiences. He built it into a ratings powerhouse with national influence. Tolliver, who was let go by WZAK in 2000 after the station was sold. He currently hosts two Internet radio shows: "Just the 2 of Us and Friends" on voiceitradio.com, based out of Cleveland, and The Lynn Tolliver Show on 1067thebridge.com, based out of Houston Texas, where former Clevelander John Hairston serves as Program Director. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Mike Trivisonno

He first gained radio exposure as a frequent caller to Pete Franklin's sports radio talk show on WWWE-AM/1100 (now WTAM). Impressed with Trivisonno's sports knowledge, Franklin gave him leeway and often referred to him as "Mr. Know It All." Trivisonno started working part-time at WNCX-FM/98.5 in 1987, becoming a full-time personality 1989. His profile skyrocketed in 1994 when he began hosting "Sportsline" on WTAM. He was so popular that the station renamed the program, "The Mike Trivisonno Show" in 1998. Over time, the show's focus has shifted from sports to political issues and current events, with Triv as the irascible ringmaster. (Photo by John Kuntz, cleveland.com)

Don't Edit

Norman Wain

A DJ in Cleveland in the 1950s, Norman Wain was a salesman at WHK-AM/1420 when he helped bring the Beatles to Cleveland for the first time in 1964. Seeing the potential of pop music and radio, he quit his job and teamed up with partners Bob Weis and Joe Zingale to purchase WDOK-AM/1260 in 1965. They changed the call letters to WIXY 1260 and went on to build one of the most popular radio stations in Cleveland history. He eventually became one of the main players in Metroplex Communications, which owned radio stations nationwide, including WNCX-FM/98.5 in Cleveland. He was the first to syndicate Howard Stern in Cleveland. He sold off his radio interests in 1994. He now works as a consultant and on various philanthropic projects. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

John Webster

John Webster worked from 1984-1997 with John Lanigan and Jimmy Malone at WMJI FM/105.7, as part newsman, part comic sidekick on the perennially top-rated "Lanigan and Webster" show. Later, he moved to WTAM's "Wills, Webster and Coleman" morning show. He was laid off in 2001. He is now retired. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Barry Weingart

Barry Weingart is best known as co-host with Steve "Doc Nemo" of an early progressive rock show in the late 1960s on WZAK-FM/106.5. He's shown at left in this photo with a partner in a night club he operated in the late 1970s. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Malcom "Big" Wilson

Big Wilson, who stood 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighed more than 300 pounds, worked at KYW-TV and radio in Cleveland in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He hosted a morning radio show and afternoon movie show and did weather in the evenings. He moved to New York in the early 1960's and joined WNBC as a disk jockey. He moved to Miami in 1975 and worked as a disk jockey on radio station WIOD and as a late-night movie host for WCIX-TV. He died in 1989.

Don't Edit

"Dancing" Danny Wright

Known as "Dancing" Danny Wright, he rose to prominence in Cleveland starting in 1983 on the old WGCL (now WNCX FM/98.5). He also worked at WWWE, and at Akron stations WKDD and WQMX before becoming the afternoon host at WGAR in November 1994. He was voted the Country Music Association's Major Market Personality of the year in 2000, but was laid off in a cost-cutting move in 2001. He then worked in syndicated radio, first with a show called "All Night With Danny Wright" and then with "The Live Ride With Danny Wright." According to his LinkedIn profile, he's now based in Seattle, Washington, and working as a freelance producer, voice over talent and management consultant (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Jennifer Wylde

One of the young DJs legendary WMMS program director John Gorman brought to the Buzzard when he took over again as WMMS chief in the early 1990s. She was on-air from 1993-1997, and had a popular 7-midnight show. She left Cleveland to take a radio job in Florida. (Plain Dealer file photo)

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Shauna Zurbrugg

First woman on radio in Cleveland as a morning-drive time DJ at WNCR-FM/99.5 and WMMS-FM/100.7. Named herself "The Screaming Queen Bitch." She worked in radio in Los Angeles from 1973-76 at KLOS and KMET. She also worked in TV production in LA, including at "Entertainment Tonight," and as a freelance producer, editor and writer for an audio book abridger. Two of her audiobook projects were nominated for Grammy awards in the Best Spoken Word category. (Photo courtesy of Shauna Zurbrugg)

Don't Edit

cleveland.com is a partner of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. Every dollar buys four meals for the hungry. Click HERE to donate.