Robert W. Morgan

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Robert W. Morgan
Tarzana, California
Career
Station(s)KHJ (AM)
KMPC (AM)
KIQQ (FM)
KMGG (FM)
KRTH (FM)
StyleDisc Jockey

Robert Wilbur Morgan (July 23, 1937 – May 22, 1998) was an American radio personality best known for his work at several stations in Los Angeles, California, in particular KHJ-AM.

Morgan also did morning drive at KMPC-AM, KIQQ-FM and KMGG-FM, and finished his career at KRTH-FM, where he retired for health reasons in 1997. He died from lung cancer on May 22, 1998.

Biography

Early years

As a youth growing up in

top forty giant KYW (then on 1100 AM before they moved to Philadelphia) which would eventually lead to his first on-air job at College of Wooster
in 1955 on WWST & WWST-FM, for an initial salary of $1 per hour.

In 1959 Morgan moved from college radio to

Oakland-San Francisco. It was here that he met and worked with his lifelong friend "The Real" Don Steele
.

On April 27, 1965, the careers of Morgan, Steele and programmer Ron Jacobs would gain superstar status almost overnight when they joined the staff of

Gene Chenault would call it—that would stretch from the early 1950s to 1989.[1]

In 1969–70, Morgan hosted the final year of The Groovy Show on KHJ's sister television station KHJ, Channel 9, in Los Angeles.

In 1970 Morgan made a surprise move from Los Angeles to WIND Radio Chicago where he remained in the morning slot until finally being enticed back to his KHJ morning show in 1972.

Until his departure from KHJ in October 1970, Morgan had commanded unparalleled radio ratings in Los Angeles.[2] Morgan's return to his former time slot in L.A., saw a significant spike upward for KHJ until he departed just a year later.

Post-KHJ

In 1973, Morgan and Steele walked out of KHJ and joined Bill Drake six months later at KIQQ-FM, Los Angeles. The ratings were sub-par, though, causing Morgan to leave the morning slot a year and a half later for weekends and fill in slots at the prestigious KMPC Los Angeles. He did that for four years before legendary morning man Dick Whittinghill retired in 1980, allowing Morgan to go back to mornings. He stayed at KMPC until May 1984. After a short stint at KMGG from May 1984 until January 1986, Morgan returned to KMPC. Morgan also appeared on television as host of several variety shows, including Morgan's Alley, ABC’s In Concert, NBC’s The Helen Reddy Show, and KHJ-TV’s Groovy Show, which he co-hosted with teen model Kam Nelson. Morgan was also the announcer for Solid Gold throughout most of the 1980s.

Morgan was heard in 1973 on Saturday night segments of the long-running NBC Radio program Monitor, an attempt to freshen that program's image. During the mid to late 70s, Morgan also did his own one-hour radio weekly special highlighting one artist or group per show. "Robert W. Morgan's Special of the Week" was often played on radio stations that also carried Casey Kasem's American Top 40 as the same company, Watermark, distributed both. In fact, on the weekends of February 8, 1975, and September 29, 1979, he hosted both shows on the same weekend as he subbed for Casey on AT40 in addition to hosting his own SOTW. Morgan is one of only three substitute hosts to have filled in on both a three-hour and a four-hour AT40 (Bruce Phillip Miller and Morgan's ex-fellow KHJ jock Mark Elliott are the other two); in fact he recorded his 1979 AT40 episode in over 40 minutes, faster than any episode hosted by a regular or substitute host.

End of career

The year 1992 would signal the twilight years of Morgan's distinguished radio broadcast career when he signed on as morning show host of "oldies"

Bob Shannon, Morgan told his listeners, "It could have something to do with the two-packs-a-day cigarette habit I had for the last 35 years." In an emotional on-air statement, Morgan stated that he was taking some time off to fight the disease full-time.[3] His friend and colleague Don Steele died of lung cancer in August 1997.[4]
Morgan continued to do broadcasts from his home studio until 1998.

On January 9, 1998, K-EARTH 101 held a retirement tribute for Morgan at the

Hollywood Walk Of Fame, and a three-hour broadcast from the museum's theater, hosted by Gary Owens and Morgan's KRTH co-host, Joni Caryl.[5] It concluded with a thirty-minute retrospective on Morgan's career, narrated by Dick Clark. Morgan died on May 22, 1998. He was 60 years old.[6][7]
Morgan was married twice and was survived by a daughter.

Awards

In addition to receiving

Beverly Hills and the International Broadcasting Congress archives in Brussels. He also has a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, just outside the Dolby Theatre
complex on the corner of Hollywood and Highland.

References

  1. ^ "93/KHJ The History of Rock & Roll". 93khjhistoryofrockandroll.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2009. Retrieved June 4, 2009.
  2. ^ "Los Angeles Metro Area". The Pulse, Inc. October 10, 1966. Archived from the original on March 20, 2012. Retrieved February 22, 2011.
  3. ^ https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Other-Documments/LA-Radio-Guide/LA-Radio-Guide-1997-07.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  4. ^ https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Other-Documments/LA-Radio-Guide/LA-Radio-Guide-1997-10-11.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  5. ^ Zap! Morgan immortalized at the Museum of Television and Radio
  6. ^ Patrick J. McDonnel (May 24, 1998). "DJ Robert W. Morgan Dies". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
  7. ^ Richard Comelin (June 10, 2010). "Hollywood Star Walk". Los Angeles Times.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_W._Morgan&oldid=1214810919"