Remembering Roger Allan…

Thursday, July, 3, 2008 by Mel Phillips.

(July 4th Weekend Edition)… 

News Directors aren’t supposed to like music formats but when we changed the format at WRKO to music in 1967, Roger Allan embraced it.  When we launched the 20/20 news format Roger was like a little kid.  It rubbed off on his staff and despite the format change, the news awards kept piling up - at a top 40 station!  Roger was a carry-over from the old Yankee News Network at WNAC yet handled the new format seamlessly.  He knew Boston, knew where the bodies were buried.  Ask Roger to find someone or get you an interview, it was done.  He was the best news director I ever had the pleasure of working with.  But he was much more than that…

Roger was one of the nicest guys you’d ever want to meet and he was a friend to the end.  As his wife Carolyn told me, “Roger had so many friends, so many people that loved him.”  She also added “be sure to tell everyone how much he hated today’s radio.”  Roger was a stickler for accurate information.  He believed in fact-checking.  He wouldn’t accept inaccuracy, partial stories or mangling of a name.  Roger was news director at WRKO until 1990 when he retired but he couldn’t stay away from radio.  As recently as last year he was doing a local talk show in New Hampshire.  He suffered a broken back in a fall and although he would recover, his health suffered…

Roger Allan Bump suffered renal failure and died on Tuesday, July 1.  Roger was one month away from his 80th birthday.  His wife Carolyn and he were married 52 years.  There will be a private family service for Roger and then his ashes will be scattered near his home in Lebanon, New Hampshire…

R.I.P. my good friend and don’t give them a hard time up there…

10 Timeline Memories:

1. 1776] The birth of a nation: The Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence (7/4)…
2. 1826] A bad day for president’s: Former presidents and mostly friends despite their differences - John Adams  and Thomas Jefferson  die on the same day (7/4). Adams was 90, Jefferson 83…1831] James Monroe, our 5th president passes away at 73 (7/4)…1872] Independence Day was a good day for our 30th president, Calvin Coolidge, born in Plymouth (VT) (7/4)…
3. 1933] The 1st All-Star Game: Is played in Chicago at Comiskey Park (7/6). The American League won that game too, 4-2…
4. 1939] The luckiest man: Lou Gehrig gives his touching farewell speech  in front of a packed house (61,800) at Yankee Stadium (7/4). Afflicted with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the fatal disease that will bear his name, the Iron Man retires from baseball…
5. 1947] Breaking the color barrier: Larry Doby becomes the American League’s first black player when he strikes out in a pinch-hitting role for the Cleveland Indians (7/5)…1975] Arthur Ashe  is the first black to win a Wimbledon singles title when he defeats Jimmy Connors (7/5)…1982] Jackie Robinson  becomes the 1st black to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y (7/3)…
6. 1969] Rock & Roll Tragedies: 27-year old Brian Jones  of the Rolling Stones is found at the bottom of a swimming pool (7/3)…1971] Jim Morrison, 27 of The Doors is found dead in a bathtub in Paris. He died of heart failure, likely caused by a drug overdose (7/3)…
7. 1971] “Happy Trails”: Louis (”Satchmo”) Armstrong dies of a heart attack at his home in Corona (Queens) at 69 (7/6)…1998] Roy Rogers  passes away peacefully in his sleep at 86 (7/6)…2002] After a lengthy illness, Baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams  dies at 83 (7/5)…2003] Singer Barry White  dies at 58 from renal failure (7/4)…2007] Bill Pinkney, last surviving member of the original Drifters passes away from undisclosed causes at 81 (7/4)…
8. 1978] “Seven dirty words”: The Supreme Court rules (5-4) that the FCC has a right to reprimand WBAI New York for broadcasting George Carlin’s “filthy words” which would become known as “seven dirty words” (7/3)…
9. 1983] Oh No: Wade Boggs becomes Dave Righetti’s final victim as he strikes out and ‘Rags’ completes a no-hitter against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium (7/4). I had tickets for the following day’s game…
10. 1986] Lady Liberty: The Statue of Liberty is re-dedicated as President Ronald Reagan lights up the lady  before a global TV audience estimated at 1.5 billion (7/3)…

Music Memories:

• 1963]  Number One on this date:  “Easier Said Than Done” - Essex (7/6)…
• 1965]  Formed on this date:  Jefferson Airplane (7/6).  Here they are  a couple of years later…
• 1968]  Opened on this date:  Bill Graham opens the Fillmore in San Francisco (7/5).  The building is still there…
• 1978]  In the money on this date: Eddie Mahoney legally changes his name to Eddie Money (7/6)… 

Commentary: 

Zogby just released a survey that finds that 75% of respondents believe gas will hit $5 per gallon this summer.  65% of those polled said they will not travel much at all and most plan to spend the long July 4th weekend less than they did last year or very little over the holiday.  What ever your plans are for the weekend, have a safe and happy one.  To kick off your weekend on a festive note here are clips of last year’s Macy’s Fireworks  and Charles River Esplanade displays…

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday“:

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