I’m often asked where the ideas for this blog come from. While many of them emanate right from news stories about media, technology, and radio, some are spur of the moment serendipity. They can be inspired by pretty much anything – a piece of media I experience, a conversation with a friend or client, or just pure happenstance.
That’s pretty much how today’s post came together early last June. I happened to re-watch an old favorite, American Graffiti and one of the scenes simply whacked me across the forehead. And the post that pretty much wrote itself turned out to make the top 10 most-read of the year.
Truth is, I probably would have included it in this year’s “Best of” anyway. It was one of my personal favorites, and aside from its nostalgic value, the post stimulated conversation…and memories.
The first is part of the core mission of JacoBLOG; the second is just a nice offshoot that sometimes happens when I manage to stir up a mental “blast from the past” for many of you.
More than a scene from an old movie, however, I hope the 4-minute clip I included from George Lucas’ ’70s masterpiece gives you something to think about whether you’re on the air, you manage those who are, or you perhaps run a radio company and you’re thinking about how the medium can remain fresh and relevant in an era of Spotify, satellite radio, podcasts, YouTube, and TikTok.
I walked away with 10 lessons any modern personality could take away from this charismatic DJ from a bygone era. Hopefully, one or two will resonate with you. – FJ
June 2023
Recognize this guy?
If you do, chances are you’re a radio veteran who’s likely now to be a member in good standing of AARP.
It’s Wolfman Jack (a.k.a. Robert Weston Smith) who was a legendary radio disc jockey back in the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s mostly. Like a lot of the iconic jocks of his era, the Wolfman worked during an era where personalities were as big – if not bigger – than the great music they played.
Wolfman knocked around U.S. radio for a few years before being sent to Mexico and the mega tower and transmitter of XERF-AM, and later XERB where he was on the air at night. At 250,000 watts, the station’s signal – and Wolfman Jack’s gravelly voice – could be picked up all over the U.S., and up and down the California coast.
While he eventually ended up at WNBC in New York City for a time during the ’70s, he returned to the West Coast to focus on a syndicated show.
The Wolfman was an enigma, heard more than seen. And while he changed up his appearance especially in his early years, it wasn’t until he was featured in George Lucas’ first film in 1973, the classic American Graffiti that most of us actually got a look at him.
Wolfman didn’t just star in the movie – he was its soundtrack as the teens raced and cruised up and down Modesto’s main drag.
I was on an airplane the other night, and DirecTV wasn’t working, forcing me to watch a movie. And for some reason, I stopped on American Graffiti and ended up seeing it for the first time in years.
As an ode to radio in the lives of teens, it is a special film loaded with famous names who went on to superstardom. American Graffiti was produced by the great Francis Ford Coppola, and stars Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, and Cindy Williams. And Harrison Ford makes his screen debut as a drag racing “heavy” who wears a cowboy hat.
But it is Wolfman Jack who sets the tone for what radio, the music, the memories, and the mystique meant to kids who grew up in this era.
We don’t see him until near the end of American Graffiti, but it’s a magical moment. Richard Dreyfuss plays Curt, a bright kid conflicted with going away to college or staying in town with his high school friends.
Early in the film, he catches a fleeting look of a beautiful blond driving a hot white T-Bird (Suzanne Sommers) and spends the rest of the night trying to reconnect with her.
Hoping Wolfman might be able to go on the air to help find her, Curt walks into the local radio station at night where he bumps into the jock on the air.
Watch this 4-minute video segment from American Graffiti. It’s loaded with lessons for today’s radio personalities that could only be delivered by Wolfman Jack. I went back and watched it a second time on the plane, marveling at some of the basic lessons I took away from this brief encounter with a DJ. It is truly a story within a story.
1. Radio stations are especially cool places at night when hardly anyone’s around – Curt makes his way through the rack room and into the studio, taking it all in. There’s a romantic quality to stations during these late, late moments, something George Lucas clearly sensed when he was writing the script. Much of that magic has been lost over the decades when there’s no one in the station during these hours connecting with the overnight audience.
2. Curt turns to the radio station during his dire time of need – And why not? That’s what many people did (and still do) when they need help, answers, or both. A lost pet, a broken heart, that song you have to hear RIGHT NOW. Where else but one’s hometown radio station.
3. Prerecorded radio is inherently disappointing – Curt learns Wolfman Jack may not be physically present at the station during this pivotal moment in his life, and it’s a huge letdown. “You mean, the man’s on tape?” he ask cynically. He’s been listening to the Wolfman paint pictures on the radio all night, and he’s now shattered to learn his radio hero isn’t even in the building, much less in the same state. It’s truly “the man behind the curtain” moment in Lucas’ great film.
4. For radio personalities, mystique matters – The guy behind the console responds, “The Wolfman is EVERYWHERE!” as if the man, the myth, and the moment are omnipresent, bigger than life, well beyond the confines of walls, land, and water. There are no boundaries to a true radio star.
5. Accessibility and “eye contact” are great radio strengths – The moment the Wolfman sees Curt looking around, he invites him in. He offers Curt a seat in the studio…and a popsicle. This young listener is welcomed and made to feel comfortable in this environment.
6. There’s a lot to be learned sitting in the control room and hanging out with a veteran DJ – How many of us spent hours, days, entire shows sitting where Curt sits – right across from the veteran on the air? It’s where you learn the trade, and maybe even a little something about life. Many of us have sat in Curt’s chair, learning “the ropes” this way by just being in the presence of a great radio personality in their milieu – their element. Watching them cue up records, changing carts, filling out the log, taking calls – those routine tasks were all part of the process of becoming a radio personality. And along the way, you might just pick up a little homespun philosophy about relationships, music, the world, and life.
7. The “go for it” spirit is part of the radio experience – Wolfman urges Curt to “get out of Dodge,” and see the world, above and beyond the narrow confines of one’s hometown. And he reminds the kid his own world view has been shaped by travel and life experience. It’s what makes you a better radio person.
8. Radio is a cool way to make a living – Sure, this is a movie, a fantasy, and it’s set more than six decades ago. Still, being in that station is rarefied air. Wolfman’s alter ego tells Curt how he feels gratitude about what he does and the breaks he’s received along the way.
9. The element of surprise is a radio DJ superpower – Just when Curt (and us) is beginning to believe the Wolfman isn’t even in the same state, he looks back at the control room glass only to learn he’s been talking to his hero all along.
10. Radio is a soundtrack – Or at least it was. For American Graffiti, the music and the DJs provided the continuity for the entire film. Decades later, Quentin Tarantino used the same technique for Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood. The right song for the moment, a smart quip that’s timely and relevant, a moment talking to a listener tuning in just like we are, a connection to something about the place where we live and work – all of that is how radio can play its lifestyle role so well.
Now I know some of you reading this are going to instantly dismiss these comments as the nostalgic ravings of a radio remnant from another era. And perhaps you’re thinking radio today bears about as much a resemblance to Wolfman’s station in American Graffiti as the teens in the film do to Generation Z’s of today.
And while the actors in Lucas’ film aren’t staring at their phones, posting on Instagram, or scrolling for dates on Hinge, they’re very much going through many of the same motions and emotions
as today’s teens do – figuring out life after high school, will they go to college, who are they, where do they belong, and how are their identities changing as they leave adolescence and head into adulthood.
That doesn’t mean a radio station of today could hope to replace Spotify or YouTube in their lives. I think George Lucas would agree that while 1960s America was light years different than the country we live in today, the struggles of people – of kids, in particular – are pretty darn universal. They had the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Civil Rights Movement as their existential moments and threats, not that far afield from what today’s teens obsess about. It’s why American Graffiti clicked in 1973 when it was released, and it still works today, decades later.
Even if you dismiss my observations and think I’m reading too much into an old rock n’ roll-infused movie, it’s not hard for us radio vets to see a lot to like in Wolfman Jack and the radio experience depicted in “American Graffiti.
And no, you can’t bum a smoke.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Fred: I have been out of the business for 20 years; after surviving for 30 years of the best hobby I could have for a job. You have nailed it. It is what is missing in todays radio, personality
Fred, it’s that simple. Thanks for chiming in on this and i’m glad it resonated for you.
I love this movie! As a Millennial, I first watched it on a military deployment– it was an escape to an unfamiliar era and place that still somehow resonates within me. Wolfman Jack is real cool.
It was a fun time to grow up for teens of that era. And I’m not surprised it connects with future generations of young people. Thanks for commenting, Jordan.
Well, you moved my memory again, Fred. I was the “kid” sitting in the control room for a number of years, beginning as a 12-year old with a fascination for radio. I met many of the “voices” (who NEVER looked like they sounded) and dreamed of being there one day. Part of my late nights was listening on a small radio to the sounds that emanated from the ether. I knew about FM (from the educational lectures we’d sit through in school) but didn’t need it. We had Art Roberts, Bruce Morrow, Dick Summer, Dick Biondi, Barney Pip, Chuck Buell, Ron Britain, Joey Reynolds, WSAI, WLS, WCFL, WBBF, WKBW, WABC, WBZ…and our own local “dedication” station which was the 60s version of “X”. One night I heard the gravely voice of Wolfman Jack emanating from XERF and added him to my list of “RF companions”. The Army brought me to California in 1970, working late nights outside of Salinas, and hearing XERB “over Los Angeles” at night with the familiar voice of The Wolfman. His story wasn’t much different from what we saw in American Graffiti – except he WAS on tape most of the time to avoid any confrontation like he dealt with at XERF. I met the guy in a 1986 visit to L.A. and was amazed at his appearance on WSM in Nashville for awhile playing country. His entrepreneurial acumen showed no bounds -and his perseverance helped to propel him into the prominence he so rightfully deserved. Sad that he left us way too soon – but you’re totally right on that he’s a true role model for the way radio should be. AM, FM, Short-wave (think WRMI) – the medium can still howl if we let it.
Great stories on Wolfman, a truly special talent with an intutive understanding of using radio to connect with audiences – of all types. Thanks, Dave.
I had the honor as a baby DJ of doing a 2-person remote with Wolfman at the JC Penney at KEWB Redding in 1983. Owner/GM Bob Breck flew him in for a day of remotes, paired with each local jock. Wolfman surprised me by saying that Late-Nights was his favorite daypart to perform. Reason: “the listener is alone in the dark, and they really pay attention and use their imagination as they listen to you”. He loved being that live companion in the dark of the night. Wolfman also gave me career tips that day: “When you get a new gig, ask 2 questions: Where’s the bathroom? and Where’s the check?” First reaction- silly…but as time passed I realized both were sage advice.
Dave, I love his “take” on nights – thats truly whaat personality radio is all about.
What a treat it was to read this article – and watch the American Graffiti clip – late at night when I couldn’t sleep. In high school
I was mesmerized listening to Alison Steele on WNEW-FM at night. Not just the music she played, but HER. In college, I sat in the studio as an intern at WLIR-FM and couldn’t believe I was in the presence of the great Earle Bailey (afternoon drive, but stilll…) Wonderful piece, Fred.
I think a lot of us could relate to what Curt experienced spending time with a radio idol. Thanks for connecting on this one, Tony.
Thanks for the column on radio’s past personalities.There were many in Los Angeles that I enjoyed including the Real Don Steele,Paul Compton and Holman and Barkley. they were able to fit their personality into a strict format and were able reach thousands of listeners with fun and music.
I think the problem why there are no big personalities on radio now is the program directors and general managers won’t let them spread their wings to attract listeners.They follow a strict format setup that does not allow for any deviation.Fun and individual opinions do not belong on their station according to their manuals.
This is one of the reasons I listen to public radio as there is more freedom to explore the various kinds of music and political dissertations.You are not limited to a Top 40 format and there can be some experimentation.Sometimes it does not work out,but when it does,it can be uplifting.
Clearly, “the rules” often make it challenging for today’s personalities to spread their wings. But the great personalities find a way of breaking through, whether theey go the syndicated route or another avenue that provides more freedom and flexibility.
Fred, you managed to capture the feeling that (former) air personalities can recall from their first visits to radio stations in the 70’s. We can all remember the smell of the stale cigarette smoke and overcooked coffee, but more important, we could idolize those men and women who cracked a mic and made magic that was shared across an area. It is unfortunate that radio went to a more homogenized, automated style, and that was overshadowed by the new opportunities of social media. Now, anyone could create a screen name and put out whatever came to mind, from brilliant poetry to photos of meals that the writer was capturing. Glad that I could enjoy the 70’s part of radio’s history.
Scott, you hit the nail on the head. Many of us were lucky to grow up during times of truly amazing radio, delivered by talented, charismatic hosts. We were fortunate to have been there.
At 8 years old, I was transfixed by Wolfman’s show blasting out of XERB to Santa Barbara late nights. Bob could be your own personal Preacher, “Put your hands on your radio NOW.” Or he could be suggestive, “Take your clothes off like the Wolfman”. And to some female callers, (whispering right on top of the mic) “Are you naked?”
His howling, patter and demeanor was influential in my on-air career. And as you said, American Graffiti was my first glimpse of Wolfman Jack; followed later when he hosted midnight special. He was quite a character.
Most of us, especially of “a certain age,” were heavily influenced by the radio and the air personalities we grew up listening to as kids. The fact it was Wolfman Jack is all the more reason to appreciate the power of radio as a cultural medium in your life. Thanks for sharing the story.