The Bay Area Radio Museum and Hall of Fame is proud to announce the first recipients of the Don Sherwood Award, signifying the “people’s choice” for the favorite Bay Area radio personality from “back in the day,” and the most popular Bay Area radio personality currently on the air.
In the Sherwood Award Legends category, John Mack Flanagan was selected for induction into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame by the public’s vote. John, whose stellar career here included stints at KFRC, KRQR, KBGG, KIOI, KSFO/KYA-FM and KWSS, will go into BARHOF as a member of BARHOF’s Class of 2017, along with the other honorees selected by the Bay Area Radio Museum’s hall of fame committee. (Please click here to view the full BARHOF Class of 2017.)
Receiving the initial Sherwood Award in the Active category as the most popular personality currently on the air is Chris Jackson of 98.5 KFOX (KUFX) in San Jose. A product of San Jose State University, Chris has also worked locally at KHQT (Hot 97.7), KYLD and KWSS.
The Active category can include current members of the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame, while those already inducted into BARHOF are ineligible in the Legend (or “lifetime achievement”) category.
Other BARHOF categories, including News, Sports, Manager, Specialty and Pioneer, are selected by a committee comprised of current BARHOF inductees and members of the radio museum’s staff. The Engineering inductee into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame will once again be selected by members of the Society of Broadcast Engineers Chapter 40.
The recipients of the Sherwood Award will be honored at this year’s Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame ceremony on Saturday, September 23. The award is a tribute to Don Sherwood, “The World’s Greatest Disc Jockey,” who was an original inductee into BARHOF in 2006.
Visit the Bay Area Radio Museum’s Don Sherwood Collection
Not sure if non-active list nominations can include radio personalities heard in the SF Bay Area but not on local stations? Wolfman Jack on XERB was listened to widely in the Bay Area. XERB had better evening reception than many ‘local’ stations.
John,
This award is limited to those personalities that work (or worked) specifically in the Bay Area, on a station located in the Bay Area. I’m a huge Wolfman Jack fan, but he worked out of Los Angeles during his time on XERB, which was located in Rosarito Beach in Baja. If we opened it up to non-Bay Area personalities, it would defeat the purpose of the award.
If you’re interested, I’ve put together an XERB tribute page featuring several Wolfman Jack airchecks at:
http://www.xerbradio.com/
D.J.
My reason for nominating Scott Beach was the totality of his work not just on KSFO, but also KKHI, his TB and radio voicework, and his involvement with outside S.F. interests including leading Kazoo Night with the Giants, and his work with classical music organizations in The City. Frankly, a case could be made for everyone associated with KSFO from Sherwood’s time until King Broadcasting ruined it. (Sorkin, Jazzbeau, Carter B, Smith, Dick McGarvin, Jack Carney, Al Newman et al.)
Amen to all that. I also nominated Scott.
Don’t forget how King ruined KYA AM & FM too.
Was trying to forget:)
Scott Beach was a giant. Saw his read “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” one year at CCSF and he was mesmerizing. I came here too late to vote, but would have voted for him.
Is it true that Sherwood once stumbled onto the set of his local TV show (sponsored by Falstaff) obviously more than “tipsy” and carrying a can/bottle of another brand of beer (Harm’s, Lucky Lager or Olympia)?
Jack Kulp in my opinion has the best Radio voice I have ever heard! Liked him so much switched radio stations from when he was with Koit.
KMPX air-checks demonstate why these guys are in Valhalla. They were simply, as Bobby Riggs put it..The best of the BEST!!
Radio was such a huge part of my life when I was young!
First time I ever spoke on the radio was at the age of 6 sitting on Dan Sorkin’s lap at KSFO. I was visiting my brother Mark Leff at his first radio job and got to chat on air. He said I had such a nice brother to bring me to work and I said that sometimes he was such a pain. I wasn’t allowed to visit his work again for many years!
Dan loved doing that. When he was at KFRC on Bush St., I brought my 2 nephews to visit the station (ages 5 and 9). He said the youngest on 2 phone books on the stool next to him, and I whispered, “Uhh, I don’t think you want to do that.” Dan learned I was right because the 5 yr old was pretty snarky. They parried back k& forth. I still have the tape Dan sent me afterward.
(“sat”, not “said.” typo)
Great story, thanks for sharing!
Where is that tape, D.L.? We need to hear it!
That’s it for 2017 categories? It?s OK. I was tired of losing every single year anyway.
No, Ron! What we’ve done is created a new award, named for Don Sherwood, honoring one currently active personality (or team) and one legend. It was announced a while back that the other inductees into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame would be selected by a committee comprised of BARHOF members — the categories for BARHOF still exist, we’ve just changed the voting procedure and added the Sherwood Awards.
Don’t understand this short list. What is the basis of active, and the criteria of impact? If one is still active, they cannot be a legend?
Lobster,
This is the list of personalities who were nominated by the public. “Active” means currently broadcasting. (Not certain what “the criteria of impact” is, or where that came up.) If someone is active, they can certainly also be a legend.
Keep in mind that there are quite a few BARHOF inductees that are still on the air. But once you’re in BARHOF, you’re no longer eligible for the Lifetime Achievement Sherwood.
This is public voting in two specific categories. The BARHOF committee will select a slate of inductees as well in all categories. The public wasn’t casting votes in large numbers for some of the categories (pioneer and management, for example) but the numbers were HUUUUUUUGE in these two specific categories, so it was decided to adjust the rules.
Old friend Ronnie Schell and I used to have an occasional breakfast with Sherwood after the show, in the Tonga Room. Some of Sherwood’s language would cause the most seasoned person to blush. Sherwood had a boat – a small cabin cruiser – berthed at the S.F. Marina. Ronnie and I once went on a Sunday cruise with him and 5 other friends. Over the door leading to the cabin below was this brass plaque that said – “MARRIAGES PERFORMED BY THE CAPTAIN OF THIS SHIP GOOD FOR THE DURATION OF THE VOYAGE ONLY.”
How funny to read about Ronnie Schell. I just played a clip of his Coors Light TV commercial with Don Adams, on my show today. It’s National Near Miss Day, so “missed it by that much” was an obvious bit to play!
‘Those Were The Days, My Friend …’
Jack Kulp is my absolute favorite. Love listening to him…..a daily must!
When these awards come around, I’m thrilled that my colleagues are acknowledged for the work they do or have done. I just feel like Cinderella, left with one shoe, ugly sisters and a mean step mother… All kidding aside, it would be great to be just nominated one year! Thanks for the wonderful moments in SF! ~Laurie Sanders (formerly of KOIT, now KQED)
You deserve it, Laurie! Next year?
Ronn Owens – class of 2007?
Yes, Sam, he’s nominated for the Sherwood Award for most popular active broadcaster. The “active” Sherwood is for “most popular.” The Sherwood Award for “lifetime achievement” is for inactive broadcasters and is the public’s choice for BARHOF. Ronn can’t be inducted into BARHOF in the lifetime achievement category, since he’s already in.
WASSUP! Maybe you should nominate JV from Wild 94-9 for next year’s ballot! He has the best Bay Area morning show and would appreciate it if he’s on next year’s ballot.
So there is no class of 2017 for the Hall of Fame since there’s no nominations list this year Is that correct? And if being a HOF member means you can’t be in the running for a Don Sherwood Award – as it states above – Sam Van Zant is correct is questioning Ronn Owens in this category as he’s a HOF Class of 2007 member …?
Bob,
As noted in the article (up above) and in my comments to Lobster (also up above) there will be a BARHOF Class of 2017. It will be voted on by the BARHOF committee.
I also wrote that if you are currently ACTIVE and on the air, you are eligible for the Sherwood Award in the ACTIVE category. It’s the award for the most popular ACTIVE person or team currently on the air. (Yes, it’s a popularity contest.)
If you are not currently on the air AND you are already in BARHOF, you cannot be eligible for the Lifetime Achievement Sherwood — you’re already in BARHOF, so you can’t be inducted twice. It’s the “People’s Choice” award for induction into BARHOF.
Ronn Owens is currently ACTIVE and on the air at KGO, so he is a nominee in the ACTIVE category. He is in BARHOF, so he is not eligible in the “Lifetime Achievement” category.
I’m with Sam. Laurie deserves the honor of a nomination … at least.
Big fan of Russ the Moose Syracuse, Jazzbeau Colllins, Bill Moen, Gene Nelson, Bobby Dale, Dan Sorkin, Bob Hudson, Wolfman Jack to name but a few of the old guard…. Top 40 stations KOBY and KEWB as well as KYA, old KSFO and also KOFY radio with Jim Gabbert and his K101 Time Capsule shows which I wish someone would bring back
I’m not a fan of AM radio. Too much *xxxxxx.* It has never been worse than now. The last bastion of good broadcasting, IMO, is NPR.