Rock Radio 50 Years Ago ~ October 1975

We’re Rockin’ Halloween’s Lyin’ Eyes!   

FINALLY! It’s 10/07/25 and the article is finished. As the Beatles once said, it’s a long and winding road, but I finally made it. Before we get into ROCKtober, we have some unfinished September business. 
       I would be remiss not to mention the last-minute RAMP news on the final day of September, which was also“Radio’s Best Friend’s” 80^th birthday! The spry Art Vuolo belies his age, thank goodness, as the broadcast industry truly relies on the guy who has spent a lifetime being the first to video-record so many pioneering legends behind the Radio mics across the country. And, I am happy to add, without whose help providing contacts, you may not have ever met Blast from Your Past! [Image: Art V (l.) and Shotgun Tom Kelly at his Hollywood star 2013.)

That said, anyone who’s read 50 Years Ago articles for a few years, knows I’m partial to October, Halloween and Wolfman Jack. Not always in that order! You’ll also have noticed that my article titles generally reflect the current month’s Song of Note on the Featured Radio Survey. Proof! There is method to my music madness! But what better month to be slightly mad, than ROCKtober. Let’s get Rockin’! 

Although we can’t Rock out over Halloween without mentioning Wolfman Jack in all his spooky glory, there will be more about him in December, as he kisses the mic on Portland, Oregon’s, KISN/91 survey cover. For now, just know my book series, Blast from Your Past, about pioneering Rock Radio DJs, is dedicated to Wolfie (as he was often affectionately called). So, with his growling persona in mind, let’s learn how Halloween hides Lyin’ Eyes and more! Explore Rock Radio 50 Years Ago this Month …   

º OCTOBER 1975 Radio News & Muse ♪ 
Who did what to get their song on the charts or their name in the news?

October 3^rd: The Who released The Who By Numbers album, making it their seventh studio release. That gives us a peek into the future with “Squeeze Box” becoming the #1 hit from the album. Debuting in November, the tune hit WVOK’s chart in December at #16 … ♪ Mama's got a squeeze box | Daddy never sleeps at night … ♪     

October 18^th: Saturday Night Live has been in the news for scrambling and suffering the ills of the current societal changes, but 50 Years Ago This Month, Simon & Garfunkel made news on SNL’s 2^nd episode, for reuniting on the show after a three-year hiatus. They were trying to make the reunion work, but their appearances together remained spotty.

♪ On Your Tinny Transistor Radio ♪  
Where were you bein’ spooky and having fun in October 1975? I understand Birmingham, Alabama, was a hoppin’ place to be! Here’s a sample of what and who you were listening to …

It’s a good thing I have only one Rockin’ Radio survey to report on this month … I feel like I’ve stepped into the honey of a beehive! WVOK/Birmingham, Alabama, has so much history in the station and their DJs, there’s no room for anything else! Welcome to the WVOK October 11, 1975 Radio history show …

At the top of the chart this month, Neil Sedaka (with buddy co-songwriter, Phil Cody) tried to warn a guy of the witch in the mask, but he didn’t listen. With a catchy, danceable melody, “Bad Blood” reportedly gave Sedaka the best commercial success of his career. ♪ … Bad (bad) blood (blood) | The bitch is in her smile | The lie is on her lips | Such an evil child … ♪    

Not only did WVOK listeners love Neil Sedaka, apparently they are still extremely loyal to their station … it can be generally tough to research Disc Jockeys from decades ago who often have either disappeared into other lives or rose to the highest status in Radio Heaven, with little documentation to honor them … only partially so, for WVOK listeners … their birth families and their listener families keep the memories alive, which allowed me to access some terrific history surrounding their family of Rockin’ DJs.

Thanks to very informative historical websites, like Tripod.com, Bhamwiki.com (a historical wiki specifically about Birmingham, Alabama) and a couple of the DJs’ personal sites, I found that DJs Dan Brennan, Joe Rumore and Johnny Davis had been at WVOK since 1966. Nine years at one station was ultra-rare for a DJ, but I can’t even imagine the stats on three.  Early copies of the station’s surveys on Tripod prove it!
       And that wasn’t even the most astonishing tidbit. Joe Rumore’s website (not a secure site) reported that he spent “4 decades, 33 years and 3 months” at WVOK. To add prestige to longevity, DJ Don Keith may not have stayed at WVOK or even remained a Radio DJ, but he can be forgiven, becoming a prolific screenwriter, filmmaker, and author of more than 40 books!
       Let’s start with the station itself, and then I’ll introduce you to the five dynamic Rock Radio DJs who kept the same line-up at WVOK from 1972 to around 1980. 

Bhamwiki certainly has the in depth history for WVOK-AM 690 and FM. For us, it’s the AM station we’re most interested in, which stretched from 1947 to 1992. It was a family affair … As a joint venture, members of the Brennan and Benns families established the station in Birmingham, eventually giving voice to stations in Montgomery (WBAM-AM) and WAPE-AM in Jacksonville, Florida. Yep, DJ Dan Brennan worked his way up the ladder in the family business.  

WVOK was proud of their 50,000 watts that covered a huge swath of Alabama, from Huntsville down to Montgomery, and even across the line to eastern Mississippi. Along with their DJs the station also lauded local high school sports team standouts, like students for Hayden and Tarrant.  

If you were there and WVOK was your go-to for local news and current Rockin’ music, you’ll also likely know that like most Radio stations, the “morning guy (or gal)” is the DJ anchor, setting the musical tone and attitude. So, let’s take it from the top for October 11, 1975, as we wake up with … 

♪ DJ DON KEITH started your day from “sign-on”* ‘til 9:00a.m. … *it wasn’t until early 1980s that WVOK got its “big boy” broadcast pants, to delight listeners 24/7.
       Not only was Don a popular DJ, but he co-owned WZEW in Mobile, Alabama, in the mid-eighties and still keeps a hand on the mic in Radio today; that is, when he isn’t writing.
       As an outstanding author in historical fiction and non-fiction, to military thrillers, to biography, Don has moved well beyond the station microphone. However, I caught up with him recently and he commented on writing and broadcasting similarities …
       People often remark that writing is so very different from being a radio personality that they’re surprised I’ve found some success in both ways of communicating. But the truth is they are quite similar. In both, I sit all alone in a room, talking with people I cannot see or hear, attempting to create something on the fly that will affect them emotionally. And once I send that creation out to listeners or readers, I can’t take it back. It better be as powerful as it can be the first time! Sound advice!  
       Don’s still proud of his Radio DJ escapades, sandwiching this broadcast tidbit in-between writing awards, on his website: “As an on-the-air broadcaster, Don was twice named Billboard Magazine "Radio Personality of the Year." 

I was thrilled to catch up with one of the DJs from Rock Radio’s glory days 50 Years Ago, and thanked Don for his comments. He also imparted news of the other 1975 WVOK DJs, “Shocking thing is that I am the only one of those five deejays pictured who remains alive.” He was also, however, one of the younger ones.

While we contemplate the length and breadth of these monthly articles, let’s meet the rest of WVOK’s October 1975 DJs …

DJ JOE RUMORE (1920-1993) took over the airwaves after Don and played your requests up to the noon hour.   
       A veteran broadcaster, it is still felt that Joe’s experience and innovations reverberate over the airwaves today. I found a tribute website for Joe (link above), but be aware, it is not a secure site. That said, it’s quite an accolade by family and friends who report, January 29, 1982, “… Joe Rumore makes his final broadcast, closing a radio career that spanned 40 years covering 4 decades, 33 years and 3 months at WVOK.” He spent practically his whole radio life at WVOK and many of the station’s listeners likely grew up listening to Joe.
       At age seven Joe made his radio debut on “Station WJOE,” as Master Rumore. How cute! The site reported that he, “… rigged up a make-believe microphone by nailing a tea strainer to a cigar box.” But it was the part about a pair of earmuffs as headphones that cracked me up.  
       Joe began his official gig behind the mic in 1941 and segued to WVOK in October 1948, exactly 77 years ago. He headed up to Radio DJ Heaven December 20, 1993, at age 73.

DJ JOHNNY DAVIS (1937-2014) filled in your midday travels from noon to 3:00p.m. at WVOK, where he resided off-air as Jim Romine.
       Unfortunately, Johnny was one for whom I couldn’t locate much information. It is interesting, though, that he found a way to meld raucous Rock & Roll music with his community life as “Minister of Music with several churches” and even sang with a local quartet. Johnny’s broadcast career likely began in the US Navy where he served as a radio operator. Alabama listeners may also remember him at WZZK. Radio DJ Heaven has had the pleasure of Jim’s singing, since October 18, 2014.

DJ DAN BRENNAN (1930-2020) was not just another pretty face as he drove you home from work, 3:00p.m. to sign-off.
       Often known as “Dan the Music Man,” he came up through the ranks of the family who created and owned WVOK. His whole life was with Brennan Broadcasting and he and brother, Cyril, reveled in life behind the mic. As a member of Birmingham’s Radio royalty, Dan was a community icon who apparently enjoyed a rollicking 80^th birthday party in 2010.
       Interestingly, I could find no further personal details about his life. Which, as I’ve said, is the norm when writing about 50 Years Ago This Month. With such a well-known, and by all appearances, beloved family history, though, you’d think there would be more online accounts. Dan’s broadcasting in Radio DJ Heaven began December 19, 2020.

DJ BOB GORDON (1945-2013) otherwise known as Gordon E. Lackey, kept you listening and Rocking to WVOK all weekend long!
       And all I could learn about Bob is he apparently spent time behind the mic at WSGN and WYAM, too, and he served in the U.S. Army. If anyone knows more about him, feel free to contact me!  

It’s just for this lack of information about some of the men and women who entertained us in a unique era, that I write these articles. I often stumble on details that may only be available in one obscure place and enjoy sharing them with you. I believe people—more than just the prominent and famous—should be remembered for the happiness they shared.    

So, WVOK made memories for some of you, and I hope they give you a pleasant reverie into your own history. The rest of us can slip back in time to October 1975, wherever we were, to enjoy our Rockin’ memories, too. For what else are we now, if not the sum of our lives?

The 1960s and ‘70s were WVOK’s Top 40 years as “The Mighty 690.” It brought you fun concerts known as their “Shower of Stars,” to make memories of performances by iconic musicians such as the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones and Neil Diamond.
       By 1976, their competition, WSGN, wore them down and they switched to Country, which worked until 1985. After that it continued to search for a comfortable niche in a changing Radio world. Today on 690 you’ll find Sports channel WJOX. And life goes on …

But before you move on today, and while you’re wallowing in nostalgia, let’s have some Halloween fun with the rollicking music of October 1975!

♪ October ’75 Song of Note ♪   
For the second month in a row, our Featured Radio Survey’s #1 hot hit is our

Song of Note! It’s dress-up party time, do you have your mask on? Go look in the mirror … what do you see? Remember, your eyes are the most expressive part of your body … windows to your soul.
       Glenn Frey and Don Henley of The Eagles knew it in October 1975 when their chat about cheatin’ women turned into a hit tune on WVOK’s chart. Something about those “Lyin’ Eyes” … and Halloween is a great testing ground as we don masks for fun, or … ♪ Your smile is a thin disguise | I thought by now you'd realize | There ain't no way to hide your lyin' eyes … ♪       

♪ October 2025 Music Events & More ♪    

There isn’t much this month for applicable celebrations or special days. It is, however, Country Music Month and as I’ve said before, Rock & Roll is full of Country, Blue Grass, and Folk Music! So celebrate Country and enjoy the crossover tunes.  

Friday ~ October 10^th: And today celebrates an instrument that transcends all genres of music … it’s Hug A Drummer Day! Yes, it’s a real day. Just ask the folks at the World Drumming Association. They’re serious about those skins and sticks. Though they’re the sponsor, it hasn’t been updated lately. The site does, however, have lots of info you might want to check out it you’re interested in becoming a drummer. Or here, for 20 Rock Drum Beats and Patterns.

♪♪ BFYP Featured Radio Survey ♪♪ October 11, 1975 ~ WVOK/Birmingham, Alabama. By now you know what Rockin’ Radio station is on the FRS page. If you listened to WVOK back in the day, you’ll be familiar with their “Tough Twenty” chart. Their local pride showed not only in high school mentions, but in their survey quality with three-color printing and featured DJ drawings. In 1975 that was a pricey extravagance. Take your nostalgia, grab a libation, and head back to … 50 Years Ago this Month in Rock & Roll Radio! Where were you that groovy day when your radio played … 

If you’ve stuck with me all the way through to the end of this long and winding road, thank you! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Rock OCTOBER 1975 and … howl at the Halloween moon!  

Winsome Witch of the West  
BFYP Book 1 (1954-1959) on Amazon         
BFYP Book 2 (Swinging ‘60s) on Amazon 
Blast from Your Past Gifts 
Share your Golden Oldies R&R fun on X: @BlastFromPastBk 

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LinDee Rochelle is a writer and editor by trade, and author by way of Rock & Roll. Two books (of three planned) are published in her Blast from Your Past^TM series, available on Amazon: Book 1 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The First Five Years 1954-1959^TM (eBook only; coming soon in updated print edition) and Book 2 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The Swinging Sixties^TM (eBook & print). Coming soon-ish … Book 3 – The Psychedelic Seventies!^TM 

Note: FYI – All links in the BFYP site are personally visited, verified, and vetted. Most are linked to commonly accessed sites of reputable note. Occasionally, since I often feature real people and/or singular sources there may be an unsecured link. As with everything cyber-security, use at your own discretion and risk. This site is wholly owned by LinDee Rochelle & sponsored by PenchantForPenning.com^TM. No compensation is received for any mentions of businesses, products, or other commercial interests. *All holiday and special event days are found at Brownielocks.com’s calendar site. Enjoy! 
            01/01/25: The Blast from Your Past site has never and will never (knowingly) be written or assisted, by Artificial Intelligence. It’s just stupid ol’ “I” and I enjoy writing these articles. They soothe my soul. So why would I hand that indulgence over to an artificial, soulless entity that can’t feel pleasure?!

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Rock Radio “ROCK”TOBER 1972 Spooky Nights & Witches

From Spooky Nights to Swingin' Witches it’s ROCKtober! 

Of course, when October rolls around, our minds float like a ghost to Halloween festivities. It's ROCKtober 1972 and we have everything from goblins to Wolfman Jack, in a month-long celebration, so let’s get on with it!

Classic/Oldies Rock & Roll concerts seem to flourish across the country this month, and somewhere along the way we dubbed October, “Rock”tober, and it stuck. But that isn’t the first time we messed with poor October’s moniker.

Oktoberfest for beer lovers, has been a tradition from latter September through early October since about 1811 ...  but with a couple of twists, October could become ...
      BACHtober for classical music celebrations of Johann Sebastian Bach! Oh! How about SOCKtober, as the time of year we celebrate our silly sockies for winter. Um, okay, we’ll stick to Rocktober ...

To make this month even more special, Rocktober became Wolfman Jack’s fave month too, fitting right into all its fun, spooky, party glory. Awwwwooooo! Let’s Rock On ... 50 Years Ago this Month! 

Then & Now Rockin’ News & Views ♪  

Last month was Classical Music Month, so let’s turn our attention this month to those ol’ honky tonks of the South for Country Music Month*! Country Music and Rock & Roll have gone hand-in-hand and guitar pickin’ together for decades, creating great crossover music and Rockabilly. *President Richard Nixon asked the American people to mark October as Country Music Month in October 1970. And then ...

> ROCKTOBER 1972 Rockin’ News Then …  

♪ On Your Tinny Transistor Radio 

Special guest commentary from BFYP DJ Extraordinaire, Bill Gardner:
      “Did a quick peek at the Billboard Hot 100 from October 1972, and again thought "What a strange year!" Of all the fabulous classic songs that Chuck Berry contributed to the rock and roll era, 'My Ding A Ling' was his ONLY #1. Really???? Yep. [It wasn’t just climbing the KOIL/Omaha* chart—it leaped 10 spots to #10 this month.]
      Further down and streaking up, what might be my all-time favorite song, ‘I'll Be Around’ by the Spinners led by wonderful Bobby Smith up front. Had the chance to interview Bobby on my morning show at KOOL 94.5 Phoenix. Before our interview, I played "I'll Be Around, and turned the studio speakers way up! 
       Bobby heard me singing along at the top of my lungs, and if you listen to the interview at BillGardnerOnTheRadio.com, you'll hear sweet and kind Bobby compliment me on my singing, saying they might want to bring me onstage to join them for their upcoming local (Phoenix) appearance. In reality, I know my singing is more like the sound a dog makes when you step on his tail :-) ! But what a great guy to say something so kind.
      Some other personal favorites that month include the O'Jays ‘Backstabbers,’ Johnny Nash's ‘I Can See Clearly Now,’ Curtis Mayfield's ‘Freddie's Dead,’ the forgotten one-hit-wonder ‘Good Time Charley's Got the Blues’ by Danny O'Keefe, and even Rick Nelson's chart finale, ‘Garden Party.’ Wow, what GREAT songs! And ‘My Ding A Ling’ hits number one????”
      Bill’s SO right. 1972 is winding down the year with just as many incredible, iconic songs as it began with ... but still, “My Ding A Ling”? LOL We didn’t say they were all masterpieces ...

And, we’re bringing you another Featured Radio Survey 2-FER this month, with *KOIL/Omaha, Nebraska’s week ending October 11^th, and WCFL/Chicago taking us through October 28^th. Famed Radio Rock Superjock, Larry Lujack, smiles invitingly from Chicago’s survey cover of “collector’s issue 86” and kept your afternoons humming along with ...   

Monthly Song of Note ♪ 

The Moody Blues’ “Nights in White Satin” is a dreamy doobie-smokin’, lava lamp watchin’, lovin’ your honey song for a full moon night (October 9^th), but the perfect Rocktober Halloween song and a personal fave, “Witchy Woman” by the Eagles, wins our vote for Song of Note ♪! Not only does it tell us about the ruby lips of a seductress, but it features venerated drummer, Don Henley, singing. **See below for why that’s a Rocktober big deal.
      KOIL/Omaha is ahead of the pack on this one, as “Witchy Woman” is already #25 up five notches at beginning of the month, hitting its New Music Survey’s top ten before the month is over. Meanwhile, at month’s end WCFL/Chicago lags behind with the eventual mega-hit, only #23. It took ‘til end of November to hit the top ten in Chicago. ♪ She’s a restless spirit on an endless flight ... ♪  

Quirky Band Names  
Oh my, this song / band nearly became my first song & band to place as both Quirky Band Name and Song of Note! “Popcorn,” by Hot Butter! LOL The band, popular for its synth-pop cover of composer Gershon Kingsley’s instrumental (1969), stuck themselves in a hot butter mess, following their first self-titled album, with  More Hot Butter, Popcorn with Hot Butter, Moog Hits (a nod to their synthesizer), and Popcorn. I love butter on nearly everything, but that was a bit much. Apparently, a lot of radio fans felt that way too, as Hot Butter disbanded by late 1970s.
      More Rocktober Quirky Band Names: Lobo! True, he’s not a “band,” but apparently, Roland Kent

LaVoie, felt like a lone wolf and took the distinctive solo name, which translates to “wolf” in Spanish. Still on his way up to legend status this year, his “I Want You to Love Me,” is a heartfelt tune for fans.
      And one more, particularly fitting for ROCKtober ... rattle dem Bones on your ol’ phonograph and play their “Roberta,” #34 and on its way up at WCFL. The short-lived band had fun with the quirky cover of an old pre-Rock & Roll tune ... ♪ I ain’t mad at you | Don’t be mad at me ... ♪ 

> ROCKTOBER 2022 Rockin’ News Now … 

While we’re playing those Country crossover tunes and reminiscing about the good ol’ days, think about the music and what you like best in it. Are you a guitar fan? Piano or organ? How about the horns? All terrific instruments in their own right. But this month we honor the percussion family for keeping the beat ...

**October 10^th: Get your arms ready for a big ol’ Hug A Drummer Day! Unfortunately, the official link is several years old, but that won’t stop us from celebrating drummers all month long. We’re starting with the version of “Witchy Woman” (Eagles) linked above, and its more than four minutes of a guitar-lovers’ instrumental intro. Then Don Henley takes over, pounding his drums and belting out their iconic soulful song in a 1976 Houston concert ... awesome.
      And surely you know a few other incredible, thrumming and drumming experts, like Deep Purple’s Ian Paice, the lefty known for his heavy metal bangin’; The Rolling Stones’ laid back and groovy Charlie Watts, and The Who’s wild-‘n’-crazy Keith Moon ... who’s your fave?

October 26^th: Ready to celebrate Halloween any day of the year? Start now with the master party bar entertainment, Howl at The Moon Night. “Come have a ghoulish time at Howl at the Moon this Halloween! Our annual party is happening in late October with drink specials, games and – everyone’s favorite – a costume contest!” They boast fourteen locations in the East and Midwest, plus cruises with Norwegian. Reading this in December or January? No worries. They party all year long ...

Rocktober 31^st: Not close to a Howl location? That’s okay! We’ll just celebrate Halloween and Wolfman Jack as we give our old Rock & Roll platters another spin on the turntable and munch on our chocolate witches. Though Halloween didn’t begin as a party-animal play-night, leave it to Americans to turn it into one, complete with a howling radio playlist! Listen with me as we recall Wolfman Jack’s growling voice, goblin antics and ... give a chilling howl at the moon ... awwwooooo! ♪ We gonna bop ‘til ya drop, and we gonna push in your tush! ♪ 

♪ BFYP Featured Radio Survey 
Another FRS 2-FER for Rocktober 1972 ~ KOIL/Omaha, Nebraska, October 4^th -11^th and   WCFL/Chicago, October 28^th ... how did your fave songs fare from top to bottom of the month? KOIL claimed to be the “Rock of the Midwest.” Though their stylized rock on the cover was interesting, what catches your eye is the Ford Model A car they were giving away … 50 Years Ago this Month in Rock & Roll Radio! Where were you that groovy day when your radio played … 

Let’s Celebrate “ROCK”TOBER 1972 and … Rock On!  ♪  

BFYP Book 1 (1954-1959) on Amazon
BFYP Book 2 (Swinging ‘60s) on Amazon 
Share your Oldies R&R fun on Twitter: @BlastFromPastBk                

 

 
LR / BFYP NOTE ♪ 10/04/22 ~ Phew! It’s all I could do to get the “bare bones” of October up, still needing to update Featured Radio Survey, but it’s a full skeleton, for the most part.

Original LR / BFYP NOTE ♪ 10/01/22: It’s my fave Rockin’ month to write about, but "important" is relative when it comes to family versus writing. So, likely this article won’t complete until Sunday, ROCKtober 2^nd. Music played right into Halloween this month with another vintage radio survey 2-fer!
       Come on back in a couple of days to pull the ghostly gossamer screen back and reveal our Monthly Song of Note ♪. As a sinewy, terrifically doobie-smokin’, lava lamp-watchin’, lovin’ your honey song for Halloween night, the Moody Blues’ “Nights in White Satin” nearly made the cut. But not quite ... what song is even more “wicked”? ♪ ... She can rock you in the nighttime ... ♪
       In the meantime, have you bopped down to September’s Talkin’ to the Sky? Rock On ... 

LinDee Rochelle is a writer and editor by trade, and author by way of Rock & Roll. Two books (of three) are published in her Blast from Your Past series, available on Amazon (eBook and print): Book 1 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The First Five Years 1954-1959; and Book 2 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The Swinging Sixties. Coming soon … The Psychedelic Seventies!

Note: FYI – All links in the BFYP site are personally visited, verified, and vetted. Most are linked to commonly accessed sites of reputable note. Occasionally, since I often feature real people and/or singular sources there may be an unsecured link. As with everything cyber-security, use at your own discretion and risk. No compensation is received for any mentions of businesses, products, or other commercial interests. *All holiday and special event days are found at Brownielocks.com’s calendar site. Enjoy! 

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