George Oxford

KDIA 1310 Radio
Oakland, California

February 22, 1963

George Oxford (1966 Photo)
George Oxford at KDIA, 1966

In the early 1950s, KWBR (1310 kc.) in Oakland — along with KSAN (1450 kc.) in San Francisco — paved the way in bringing a new type of music, rhythm and blues, to Bay Area listeners. At both stations, first at KWBR and then at KSAN, it was Jumpin’ George Oxford that listeners heard between the records.

A decade after he first worked at KWBR, “Old G.O.” returned to the Eastbay station — recently rechristened as KDIA, under the new ownership of Memphis-based Sonderling Broadcasting — doing a morning show targeted primarily for the burgeoning black audience around the Bay Area.

As heard here in this recording assembled from fragments of the “Carnation Time” broadcast on George Washington’s Birthday 1963, “Old Adorable” George Oxford has abandoned his “Jumpin′” moniker, reportedly left behind at KSAN in a legal dispute over who owned the rights to it. KSAN apparently won, as evidenced by his use of every possible nickname he has … except for Jumpin′.

George Oxford remained a mainstay of KDIA for several more years, continuing as the station’s morning show host through its transition to “Boss Soul Radio” in the mid-1960s. In the Summer of 1966, G.O. was moved from mornings to part-time weekend duty.

This broadcast concludes with George’s familiar sign-off line: “Remember, I love everybody … especially you, baby!”

George Oxford was elected to the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame with the first class to be inducted in 2006. He retired to the town of Volcano (Amador County) in 1976, where he lived with his wife, the former Marcia Young, until his death at the age of 80 in November 1993.

On The Air Sign (Image)

George Oxford on KDIA
February 22, 1963

 

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