Monday, May 20, 2024

The Forgotten Hits Challenge ...

... should you choose to accept it ...

 

20-something years ago, we ran the definitive article on WHO PLAYED THE FIRST BEATLES RECORD IN AMERICA?

http://forgottenhits.com/who_played_the_very_first_beatles_record_in_america

It was the piece that kinda put Forgotten Hits on the map ... and has been quoted from countless times since.

But the other day I got an email from somebody (who happened across our article) posing this question ...

Hello Kent Kotal and Alex McNeil -

My name is Gregory Miller and I am a student of local history research at the University of Oxford. 
 
I am currently writing a paper on The Beatles' influence on African Americans during the Civil Rights Era and am interested in finding out the name of the first black radio station that played The Beatles' music in America, as well as the name of the first black radio disc jockey who played The Beatles' music in America. 
 
In searching internet sources, I came across this blog by Kent Kotal, which included a copy of an email between you (Mr. McNeil) and Mr. Kotal. 
 
http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2012/03/who-played-first-beatles-record-in.html
I am wondering between the two of you if you  can answer these questions:
  1. What was the first black radio station that played records by The Beatles in America?
     
  2. Who was the first black disc jockey who played records by The Beatles on American radio?
I look forward to your reply.
Kindly,

Gregory R. Miller
Student Researcher of Local History


 

 

Now this is going to be an extremely tough one to nail down ... and apparently Mr. McNeil (whom I have never met and don't really remember corresponding with during the course of my original research) feels the same way ... (see his response below) ...

But he DOES offer up some possibilities.

So I put it out to YOU, dear Forgotten Hits Readers ...

Are you up to the challenge of helping us narrow this down and (ideally) finding the definitive answers to these two questions posed by Gregory R. Miller?

(I've already done MY thing ... thru extensive research, we were able to declare definitively, that Dick Biondi was the very first DJ in America to play The Beatles on the air ... and he did it right here in Chicago on WLS.  In fact, there's even a documentary out now, touting many of Dick's contributions to the History Of Rock and Roll and Top 40 Radio.)

But if any of you out there can send me good leads on what you've been able to track down, I will take those leads to see if the lead us to the definitive answer to THIS question, too. (Unfortunately, I just don't have the time, bandwidth and energy to take this project on myself ... so I'm reaching out for your assistance.)

Please get back to me with whatever you're able to find and we'll take it from there.

Meanwhile, here is the response that Gregory R. Miller got from Alex McNeil ...

Hello Gregory Miller - 

First, good job tracking med down!

Second, I doubt that you’ll ever find a definitive answer to your questions about the first black ration station and first black disc jockey to play the Beatles on American radio.
 
But, from reading through the entire thread that you referenced in your email, Sam Lit’s reference to WDAS and Georgie Woods is a reasonable provisional answer, unless someone can show otherwise. 
 
Just because Woods was mistaken about the date (1962 instead of early 1963) doesn’t destroy his credibility. It certainly makes sense to me that (a) he would’ve regularly received promo copies of Vee Jay singles; (b) because Vee Jay was mainly a soul label (though they were riding high with the Four Seasons at this time), Woods, being unfamiliar with the artist, would have at least listened to Please Please Me and then decided to play it.
 
Using the same logic, it’s conceivable that a Chicago soul station might have played PPM also, especially as Vee Jay was headquartered there. 
Perhaps Kent Kotal has further information.
 
Good luck in your research!

Alex McNeil

So, loyal readers, this is your mission, should you choose to accept it.

(This posting will self-destruct in thirty seconds.)  kk 

 

60 YEARS AGO TODAY:

5/20/64 – Rudy Lewis of The Drifters dies of a drug-related brain seizure

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