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Repost:The Home of the Buzzard, W-M-M-S, Cleveland

This post gets me many hits from Google searches. I will add a Cliff Note at the end of this about a book that was written about the station. And to the new readers, the picture to your lower right is me from 1976.

Okay, so I'm a sentimental old fool. But the voice of Len "Boom" Goldberg and that legal ID still resonates within me. I was a faithful listener in my late teens and early twenties after I kicked the WIXY habit. I don't care to discuss what I was doing in those days, however, since I try to maintain a family friendly blog, but I still, to this day remember what their long time lineup sounded like to this day. To your right is a picture of me from 1976. Draw your own conclusion.

I remember Jeff and Flash and the Morning Mind Exercise, Matt the Cat with the Coffee Break Concert, Kid Leo and his playing Bruce Springsteen at the end of his show Friday afternoons leading up to Murray Saul and the weekend salute-gotta-gotta-gotta-gotta-gotta-gotta-gotta
GET DOWN! Denny Sanders, who was program director then had his turn. From 10pm to 2am it was one of my instructors at the WIXY School, and a fellow WIXY grad, Steve Lushbaugh. Overnights belonged to Betty Korvan.

The 'mms I listened to "back in the day" was album oriented rock, or AOR. While the top 40 stations would play "Young Americans" by David Bowie, we would hear all the cuts from the album on the Buzzard. In the seventies, you would see the buzzard on clothes more often than Chief Wahoo. And you could call the station any hour of the night and have an actual conversation with the jock, unless, of course if it was Kid Leo, who was a jerk. (Someone on the message boards referred to him as "Kid Ego"). And it seemed that most cars in Northeast Ohio had at least one WMMS bumper sticker.

I haven't listened to 'mms in years, so why am I writing this? The Buzzard has flown the coop and probably won't be coming back. But then again, it's been on life support for years. Another part of my life soundtrack becoming a distant memory. It's now time for some of the good folks that brought us the unique sound that was the buzzard to put together a tribute site. Then our youth is only a mouse click away.

Radio hasn't had a local flavor in quite awhile, and it won't come back as we knew it. Just a fact of life that I have to accept.

Other photos in this post are from top Ed "Flash" Ferenc, present photo, Kid Leo with Bruce Springsteen, 1976 and John Gorman with Murray Saul.

Cliff Note: The program director of WMMS during it's glory days, John Gorman, has written a book called The Buzzard, which details the station much more accurately than my faint memory can.

Comments

Liquid said…
A great tribute!
Pat Jenkins said…
it is great how rock radio has allowed us all to cut our teeth on the tunes of our youth wixy. so many today will get it from the web, instead of out of that box on your night stand, and for a romantic like me that is a bit sad.....
Chelle said…
love the post, but love the 'flashback' photo even better...
keep rockin' with the best!
You were the bomb! Look at all that hair. This was indeed a fitting tribute, Cliff ... back down memory lane. It's good to have some good memories.
Anonymous said…
I always looked forward to hearing "Cleveland Rocks" at 5:00 on Friday. Still got my "MMS" shirt, can't really wear it anymore, but got it!!!

Have a great day!!!

B.
Cliff said…
At one time a good portion of my wardrobe had the buzzard on it.

A great idea on their part. We pay to have them advertise on our bodies.

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