A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z | Index
WPOP's Ron Lake (aka Jim Hicks)
RON LAKE
August, 1974 - April, 1975
 

From 1971-74 this individual worked at WLAP Lexington and WKLO Louisville. As Ron Lake, The Rock and Roll Pig, he joined WPOP for its final year of music on the night shift. But he wasn't there at the very end; he resigned two months before the axe fell and was replaced by The Real Neal Steele.

His career has featured shows at WIFI FM Philadelphia; WLAV A/F Grand Rapids; WLAC/ WKQB, WKDA/WKDF, and WMAK Nashville. He also had cable television experience there and consulted WWCR International Short Wave Radio on its live International Country Music Programing to Europe. His experience is diverse in other entertainment media. He is one of two WPOP alumni whose real name was Jim Hicks, though neither used that on the air. Click here for details about the other.

Jim lives in Nashville (e-mail). (10/31/10)

audio: September, 1974
WPOP's T.J. Lambert
T.J. LAMBERT
June 3, 1972 - July, 1975
 

Pennsylvania is where Ted Lambert gained his radio experience. He worked at WAEB Allentown; WARM Scranton and WIBG Philadelphia before joining WPOP for 7:00PM to midnight (later 6:00-10:00PM). T.J. was there at the end when WPOP dumped music and installed an all-news format; he briefly joined the sales department.

After leaving Hartford, T.J. returned to the City of Brotherly Love where he jocked at WIFI. His next stop was in record promotion at Casablanca Records. T.J. then joined the radio syndication firm, Drake-Chenault, based in Albuquerque, NM. He later held an executive position at Jones Satellite Radio Network in Denver. In September 2008, T.J. was released after 16 years as senior vice president of affiliate relations for ESPN/ABC Radio Networks in Dallas. In December 2008, T.J. was named executive vice president and chief operating officer of Radiolicious, a native iPhone application available through the iTunes App Store. From his base near Albuquerque, NM, he opened the T.J. Lambert Company in 2011 specializing in the introduction of new media revenue platforms. In April 2013 T.J. was appointed executive vice president and general manager of Radio Ink magazine.

In August 2016 T.J. became the team leader for Europe, the Middle East & Africa for BMG Global/S-One Holdings Corporation based in Barcelona, Spain; see his note (7/17/23) (e-mail ).

audio: December 21, 1972
WPOP's Sal LaRosa
SAL LaROSA
April-December, 1964
 

Sal was born in New Britain on August 10, 1943. While a high school student in New Britain, Sal hired Don Blair to host record hops. That ignited a love for radio.

He graduated from the Cambridge School of Broadcasting in Boston in 1962 and was hired at WDEE in Hamden.

Sal was hired for a brief stay as WPOP's all-night man (midnight to 6:00 a.m.), though he also worked part-time in the WPOP newsroom. Sal drove to work in a brand new Ford Mustang and enjoyed boating on Long Island Sound and bowling in his off-hours.

Sal worked in public relations for a San Francisco hospital; he died on June 26, 1991 at the age of 47.

audio: 1964 promo
WPOP's Mike Lawless
MICHAEL LAWLESS
January 30, 1956-March 1960 & January-April, 1964
 

A graduate of Emerson College in Boston, acase could be made that Mike Lawless was the grand 'ol man of WPOP. When WGTH was sold in July 1956, and renamed WPOP, Mike had already worked there for at least a year and a half. Mike grew up near Canton, MA and attended Thayer Academy, Stonehill College and Emerson College. An avid jazz and sports fan, he roomed with WTIC-competitor (and former Emerson colleague Bill Hennessey) when he first got to Hartford.

It was announced that WGTH would become the first 24-hour station in Hartford effective January 30, 1956. Mike was the host of the all night show, Night Beat, from midnight to 6:00 a.m. It is believed Mike and Del Raycee were the only personalities to survive the ownership change at WGTH; Raycee left WPOP in 1962.

In January, 1959 Mike hosted the 7:00PM-midnight music show on WPOP. By June the hours had changed to 9:00PM-midnight. By July 1959 he was hosting 6:00-9:00PM. In October 1960 Mike was the manager of WJZZ in Bridgeport when the renowned Dave Brubeck was music director! By early 1964 he was back working in the WPOP news department, followed by a stint at WEXT in West Hartford.

His obituary said he was the co-narrator of the Newport Jazz Festival in 1962. His resume also included stops at WBET in Brockton, MA and WIKE in Newport, VT. Later in his career he spent 23 years as a Sears automotive salesman in Braintree, MA.

Robert Cleaves "Mike" Lawless died in Duxbury, MA on April 17, 1996 after years of complications from diabetes. He was 63.

audio: January 15, 1964
WGTH's Bob E. Lloyd
BOB E. LLOYD
prior to October 8, 1955 - March 1956
 

Born in Norwich on October 28, 1924, Robert Lloyd Silverberg studied at the University of Connecticut, where he got his first exposure to radio. After a stint in the Navy, he liked radio enough to return to his hometown as program director of WICH. Then it was on to WAVZ in New Haven, before the former WTHT in Hartford called. For a while he hosted two music shows a day while also holding down a shift at WSPR in Springfield. Known on the air as Bob E. Lloyd, he was a popular disc jockey - so much so that WPOP's predecessor, WGTH 1410, stole him away for a few months in 1955-56. He hosted the afternoon Waxworks program at WGTH, where he was billed as the devilment director. Just months before WGTH changed call letters to WPOP, Bob left Connecticut for WHEC AM/TV in Rochester, NY where he had a long run. He served a short time at WNEW FM in New York City before setting in for another long run at WFAS in White Plains. He retired from a 50-year broadcast career on June 26, 1998.

After retirement, Bob and his wife moved to Cape Cod. Ethel died in June 2021; nine days later Bob passed away. Read a note from their daughter (10-15-22).

 
PAUL LOCKWOOD
January 1 - December, 1970
 

Born December 2, 1938, Paul Donald Lockwood was a native of Rockville Centre, Long Island and a graduate of Oceanside High School and Hobart College, where he began his broadcast career. He was a sportscaster at WGVA in Geneva, NY. He was hired as WPOP's news director. He came from New York City where he worked for WPIX-FM, WNEW, WHN and WINS.

After his year in Hartford he returned to New York at WPIX FM and later spent 15 years with the CBS Radio Network. He was also news director at WBAZ FM in Southold, NY.

On August 23, 1990 Paul was getting out of his car to do a remote broadcast in Riverhead, Long Island when he suffered a massive heart attack. He passed away on September 1, 1990 at the age of 51.

audio: January 17, 1970
WPOP's Big Bill Love
BILL LOVE
November 30, 1968 - August 14, 1971
 

Born June 3, 1943, they called this native Kentuckian Big Bill Love because he was 6'6"...240 pounds...and 25 years old when he arrived to replace Steve Morgan on WPOP's 9:00PM-1:00AM shift. Bill arrived in Hartford just in time for Thanksgiving dinner at program director Danny Clayton's house; Bill promptly broke Clayton's electric carving knife. Bill later held down the 1:00-4:00PM and 10:00AM-3:00PM shifts before taking over morning drive from Bill Winters on January 28, 1970. He was teamed with Lou Morton on sports and Dick Orkin's syndicated Tooth Fairy series.

Bill was an all-state football player and all-state band instrumentalist. During high school he worked at a station in his hometown, WSIP Paintsville, KY. While a sophomore at the University of Kentucky, he became news director and later a deejay at WLAP in Lexington , KY. Then it was on to WHOO Orlando, FL and a brief stay at WKGN Knoxville, TN before heading north to Hartford.

Bill left WPOP for the morning show at WKLO in Louisville, KY. In 1973 he left for a few months to play album rock at WHK in Cleveland where he worked for another WPOP alum, Roy Cooper. Bill returned to WKLO and his career has taken him to WOMI/WBKR Owensboro, KY; WFBC Greenville/Spartanburg, SC; WSLR Akron, OH (where he worked with an ex-WPOP colleague, Bill Coffey); WBKR (again); and WDOD Chattanooga, TN. Bill did middays at WKDQ in Evansville, IN for 17 years before cutting back to part-time in October 2009.

On May 17, 2021 Bill began hosting morning drive on WLYD in Evansville, IN (e-mail); see his note. (5/10/21)

audio: December 18, 1968
Mad Daddy
MAD DADDY
prior to October 31, 1963 - January, 1964
 

Like Hound Dog before him, Mad Daddy provided a nightly syndicated show on tape to WPOP. Originating from the mythical "Sponge Rubber Heaven," WPOP aired the show for a few months from 10:00PM to midnight.

Born in San Francisco, Pete Myers cut his teeth with Armed Forces Radio during World War II. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and worked for a time as an actor. He went back to radio at KCBQ in San Diego, then began perfecting a frantic-paced rhyming act as "Mad Daddy" at WHK Cleveland.

In July 1959 he joined middle-of-the-road WNEW in New York but the Mad Daddy persona didn't fit it so he went across town to WINS. In 1965 Myers rejoined the staff at WNEW in New York where he worked under his own name.

He took his own life on October 4, 1968, at the age of 40.

audio: October 31, 1963
Jim Marko
JIM MARKO
prior to July 5, 1974 - ?
 

Jim was born in Bridgeport and attended Southern Connecticut State College, earning a bachelor of arts in English Literature. His voice was first heard on WNAB in Bridgeport. He moved on to WOWW in Naugatuck where he was news director and gosted an evening talk show. Later he was news director at WIOF (known as Radio 104) in Waterbury, also a Merv Griffin station.. He worked in the WPOP News department.

Since the early 1990s Jim has held a number of public relations and media consulting posts. Among the organizations he worked for: GLAD, the Justice Resource Institute, Community Research Initiative, Boston Center for the Arts, and development director for the Cantata Singers.

Jim is the Director of Development for the Lyric Stage Company in Boston (11-20-17).

audio: July 5, 1974
JOHN MARION
1964
 

Born November 19, 1925 in Hartford, Joseph John Mariani Jr. grew up in Connecticut, graduating from Wethersfield High School. He spent World War II in the South Pacific as a U.S. Navy radio operator. When he returned stateside he attended the New England School of Broadcasting in Bridgeport. He was hired as a disc jockey at WAVZ in New Haven in 1948. In 1953 he moved to WEEI in Boston where he reported news and hosted music programs before joining the WPOP news department in 1964. John left to become a newscaster at WCAU in Philadelphia. During these years John admitted to being a compulsive gambler until joining Gamblers Anonymous in 1965. He left WCAU in 1975 teaming up with his wife, Barbaranne, at WTMR, a religious station in Camden, NJ. He finished his career as an evangelist at WPHL TV in Philadelphia.

John died in Newark, Delaware on May 7, 2003 at the age of 77.

 
WPOP's Bob Marshall (aka Bob Paiva)
BOB MARSHALL
1963 - July 1973
 

Robert Paiva was born on April 5, 1938 in Rhode Island but his family spent the early 1950s in Glen Cove, NY. He graduated from Bristol, RI High School in 1955 and attended the University of Rhode Island where he was involved with the student station, WRIU. He started working at WPOP in 1963 as assistant promotion director. Much of his work involved organizing shows at the Bushnell Auditorium and other venues. Some of the acts he brought to Hartford were Buffalo Springfield, The Moody Blues, Jimmy Hendricks, Paul Revere and the Raiders, the Beach Boys, and several Dick Clark touring caravans featuring multiple acts. In 1964 he helped coordinate the Rolling Stones show at Dillon Stadium. His on-air career started in February 1966 under a nom de plume when WPOP president Joe Amaturo appointed Bob as community relations and public service director.

He adopted the name Bob Marshall while working at a college station; it was a tribute to his favorite jock growing up in New York, WNEW's Jerry Marshall. Bob Marshall was listed in a WPOP newspaper ad as a reporter who covered election results in November, 1966. But he actually replaced Sam Holman as host of WPOP's late-night talk show, Hotline, later alternating the duties with Ed Clancy. Using his real name, Bob was WPOP's music director and did occasional airshifts. In September 1972 he was promoted to program director, replacing Lou Morton.

After WPOP Bob worked as program director at WWYZ Waterbury (and hired Ken Griffin for afternoons), WLEE in Richmond, VA (where he reunited with WPOP morning man Allen King), and was station manager at WCMB AM/WSFM FM in Harrisburg, PA. He spent five years at London Records and many years in the automotive business in Connecticut.

Bob died on December 7, 2023 at the age of 86; see his note. (12/8/23)

 
Bob Marx (aka Bart Mazzarella)
BOB MARX
Spring 1970
 

As a teenager growing up in New Britain, Bob was the bass player for a band called The Detroit Soul. WPOP's music director, Bob Paiva (see Bob Marshall above), had an interest in the group and the guys hung around the station a lot, playing at station events. With the encouragement of WPOP's Lee Simms, Bob started his own radio career in 1968, enrolling in the Cambridge School of Business & Broadcasting in Boston. He worked at a number of Connecticut radio stations including WLAE Meriden; WKSS Hartford; WINF Manchester; WCCC Hartford and WCNX Middletown. It was while working there in 1970 that WPOP news director Paul Lockwood hired Bob as a weekend 20/20 newsman.

His tour at The Big 14 was short but Bob later worked at WRCQ/WRCH Farmington and spent eight years hosting middays at WDRC. For 27 years Bob was morning man at WSCF in Vero Beach, FL using his real name, Bart Mazzarella (the Bartman).

Bob retired from full-time radio in November 2018 and lives in Florida; see his note (10-19-15) (e-mail).

 
WPOP's Mike McClellan
MIKE McCLELLAN
prior to October 8, 1961 - 1962?
 

Born in Knoxville in 1934, Samuel "Mike" McClellan was news director at WPCT in Putnam, CT, then moved to the news department of WICE Providence before landing at WKNB in New Britain.

Mike was hired in 1961 as night editor in the WPOP Pulse Beat News department. At the time, the station aired news at five minutes before the hour and twenty five minutes after the hour 20 hours a day. He left WPOP for a stint at WTIC, then headed for KSAN in San Francisco. He spent two months in the news department of WKBW Buffalo before being named news director at WUFO in Amherst, MA on May 1, 1962.

In September 1962 McClellan was named managing editor for Gordon McLendon's WYNR in Chicago. In April 1963 he crossed town to WVON in the Windy City. In April 1965 he was a street reporter for all-news WINS in New York. He was a news anchor/writer at WINZ in Miami and joined CNN2 in Atlanta in early 1982.

Mike's current whereabouts are unknown.

 
WPOP's Terry McKay (aka Mike Heid)
TERRY McKAY
June, 1967 - July 14, 1968
 

Terry McKay was the music-playing alter-ego of WPOP Newsman Mike Heid (who liked the name Terry; he borrowed McKay from his grandmother). He replaced Rusty Potz as the weekend swing shift jock in November, 1967 while writing and reading news during the week.

Mike/Terry had experience with Armed Forces Radio Service in the Philippines, where he was spotted by WPOP's continuity chief, Barbara Bodnar who had also worked for AFRS.

Also see Mike Heid; Mike died on April 13, 2022 after a lengthy illness; he was 79. (10/7/22) .

audio: November 17, 1967
Kevin McKeown
KEVIN McKEOWN
July-August, 1967
 

Kevin was born in New York City but moved to New Haven as a kid. He got involved in radio while a student at Yale (WYBC) then became a boss jock at WNHC and WDEE in nearby Hamden.

His employment at WPOP was brief, but his broadcast career has been lengthy: WPLR New Haven; KGB A/F San Diego, CA; KROQ and KWST Los Angeles, CA. He also published an on-line newsletter called The Source.

Today Kevin is a Councilman in Santa Monica, CA. He runs Kitchen Synch Consulting, producing radio commercials for movies and television (e-mail); see his note. (5/13/01)

 
WPOP's Jim McLaughlin
JIM McLAUGHLIN
March 30, 1964 - August, 1965
 

A native of Pittsburgh, Jim served in the US Army with two years active in the Counter Intelligence Corps, stationed at the Pentagon. He was honorably discharged and completed his military obligation with 4 years in the reserves. Jolly Jim McLaughlin came to WPOP from KQV in Pittsburgh to host 11:00AM-3:00PM and later 9:00AM-noon. A graduate of the University of Kentucky at Louisville, one highlight of his stay at WPOP was competing against WTIC's Bob Steele in a cleanup contest in front of Hartford's Old State House in May, 1964.

He left The Good Guys to join WNHC New Haven, and after 10 years in broadcasting jumped ship to advertising becoming creative director at Van Leeuwen Advertising.

Jim retired as a partner in McLaughlin, DelVecchio & Casey Advertising in New Haven, which he founded in 1972; see his note. (5/14/01)

audio: March 27, 1964
WPOP's Gentleman Jim Meeker
JIM MEEKER
April, 1966 - spring, 1967
 

A native of Beloit, Kansas, Jim studied pre-law at Washburn University and engineering at Kansas State University. Gentleman Jim Meeker arrived in Hartford from KGB in San Diego to join WPOP, hosting the 3:00-6:30PM shift. He had previously held radio posts in California, Indiana and Missouri, and KISN in Portland, OR.

After leaving The Big 14 Jim became the off-air program director at KOL Seattle, WA before returning to California where he worked at KWIZ Santa Ana; KRLA Pasadena; KEZY Anaheim; KWOW Pomona. He was also president of Studio West in Newport Beach where he produced syndicated radio programs. Through the 1980s he held management positions at KONG A/F in Visalia, CA; KSNN Merced, CA; KXA Seattle, WA; KSAN FM/KNEW San Francisco, CA; and was director of engineering for Crista Broadcasting.

After Jim retired from radio he lived in Oregon and owned a company in Kirkland, WA called Northwest Home Appraisals.

Jim died in early October, 2016 of prostate cancer; he was 78. (10/15/16)

 
Steve Morgan
STEVE MORGAN
prior to July 12 - November, 1968
 

An alumni of WMNZ Montezuma, GA...WQSI & WTMA in Charleston, SC...WFEA Manchester, NH and WSAI Cincinnati (all as Johnny Long)...WQXI in Atlanta...and WFUN in Miami (as Stephen W. Morgan), Steve came to WPOP when Steve O'Brien left for Philadelphia. Dick Heatherton vacated his 9:00PM-1:00AM shift for Morgan, and took over O'Brien's 6:00-9:00PM shift. Steve Morgan roomed with Heatherton and had the chance to meet his sultry singing sister, Joey.

In addition to his on-air duties Morgan visited area high schools to show off the WPOP/14 Arrow Shark Corvette and give away copies of the WPOP "POP" Music Explosion oldies album. His stay in Hartford was short, and Steve left for WQAM, WMYQ, WINZ, WWOK, WGST, WAIA/WIOD (all in Miami) and WTPX in Fort Lauderdale, replaced by Big Bill Love.

In 2001 he wrote a novel called The Human Legacy under his real name, J.L. Long. It's about a veteran cop and his TV anchorwife and "greed, ignorance, environmental cover-up and waste."

Steve is retired and living in Kentucky (e-mail).(10-12-12)

 
WPOP's Lou Morton (aka Kilroy)
LOU MORTON
January, 1969 - September 9, 1972
 

A native of Hamilton, OH, this was Lovable Lou's second stint at The Big 14. From 1965-66 he did morning drive as Kilroy. Between times he co-hosted Speak Up Greater Hartford on WINF in Manchester with Tracy Cole. He was also WINF's program director, and did a wake-up stint at WEXT in West Hartford.

In 1969 he joined Allen King's morning show doing news and sports. Later he worked with Bill Winters and Bill Love in morning drive and eventually became program director.

After his second stint at The Big 14, Lou worked at WCDQ Hamden; WOWW Naugatuck; WATR, WQQW and WWYZ Waterbury. In 1979 he was doing morning drive at beautiful-music WKCI in the New Haven market. His last on-air gig was at WGAB West Hartford (a show produced by his son, Larry Morton).

Lou died on Veterans's Day 2014 at the age of 88 (click to read more).

audio: October 1969

audio: February 24, 1970

MADCAP JACK MURPHY
prior to January 16, 1961 - February 1962?
 

Jack was a talented morning man at WPOP. He came from WKNB, replacing Paul Smith who moved from morning drive to the WPOP News Department, and was replaced by Morton "Doc" Downey.

His current whereabouts are unknown.

 
WPOP's Michael Murphy/Bobby Brooks
MICHAEL MURPHY
September 3-December, 1972
 

Coming from WCCC Hartford, Michael was hired for weekend work at WPOP. He left to return to college and made a couple of guest appearances around Memorial Day 1973. He later returned to WPOP in August, 1973.

Also see Bobby Brooks. (e-mail)

audio: May, 1973
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