Bob Shannon (Picture: WCBS-FM)
Longtime WCBS-FM/NEW YORK on-air character DON BOMBARD, often called BOB SHANNON, handed away on the age of 75. He was additionally the writer of the ebook “Behind The Hits: Inside Tales Of Traditional Pop And Rock & Roll.”
He’s survived by his spouse, CONNIE T. EMPRESS, a son, SCOTT and a daughter, AVERY.
BOMBARD was first launched on radio by future sportscaster MARV ALBERG, then working at WOLF/SYRACUSE, in MAY 1962 because the winner of a visitor DJ contest whereas nonetheless a junior highschool pupil.
At age 15, BOMBARD experimented with broadcasting from his residence, utilizing a radio that had the wiring reversed to develop into a transmitter. The radio’s antenna was hooked to a radiator, using the water pipes to get the sign out to his neighborhood. In highschool he helped produce “Massive 50 Hits Of The Week Survey,” which was printed and distributed in SYRACUSE to native document shops.
He joined the employees of SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY station WAER-FM as a freshman in 1965.
BOMBARD got here to the eye of the native Prime 40 stations WNDR and WOLF. He went on to work at each stations from 1967 to 1977, turning into the music director at WOLF, a part of the crew that returned the station to a Prime 40 format and remained as music director and night time DJ till the next yr, when he was employed again full-time at WNDR.
In 1975, he left radio briefly to run “DON BOMBARD DISCO,” returning to WOLF the next yr to take over as PD.
In 1977, BOMBARD moved to PITTSBURGH to work at station WKTQ (13Q). He started as manufacturing director after which moved to afternoon drive. He originated and hosted “The Sunday Night time Oldies Get together.”
In late 1981, BOMBARD moved to NEW YORK, launching a radio syndication firm referred to as SIRIUS PRODUCTIONS. He then started as a fill-in announcer at WYNY (now WQHT). Shortly after, he would go away WYNY for WCBS-FM. He used his given identify on WYNY, however at CBS-FM his on-air identify was modified to BOBBY SHANNON and finally, BOB SHANNON.
At WCBS-FM, SHANNON programmed music options resembling “Rockeology,” “Palms Throughout the Water,” “First And Foremost,” “misplaced hits,” “songs with the identical title however are totally different,” “WEDNESDAY Fourplay/Three For The Street”, and others. In 1986 he collected his interviews with music acts right into a ebook, “Behind The Hits: Inside Tales Of Traditional Pop And Rock & Roll,”
co-authored with JOHN JAVNA.
SHANNON hosted quite a lot of nationally syndicated radio exhibits, together with “The Oldies Countdown” for MJI BROADCASTING and “Holding The ’70s Alive” and “Behind The Hits” for ON THE RADIO BROADCASTING. He co-hosted, with WCBS-FM’s BOBBY JAY, reside broadcasts for WESTWOOD ONE from the ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME induction ceremonies in NEW YORK.
After leaving WCBS-FM in JUNE, 2005, SHANNON started a weekly present together with his spouse, CONNIE T. EMPRESS, on WLNG/LONG ISLAND, NY. He additionally hosted a weekly Web program, “Behind The Hits,” on VIP RADIO in EUROPE. He additionally broadcast weekly web radio exhibits at RADIOMAX MUSIC, and was instrumental within the creation of the “Throughout The Tracks” format used there.
When WCBS-FM returned to NEW YORK radio with its Grownup Hits/Oldies format on JULY twelfth, 2007, SHANNON helped re-launch the station. SHANNON stopped performing his mid-day shift at WCBS-FM in late 2011.It was reported that he left the station for well being causes and was finally changed by RON PARKER.
ART VUOLO, “Radio’s Greatest Buddy” assembled this video tribute to SHANNON.
Bob Shannon Tribute 2023 from Art Vuolo on Vimeo.
