Born Donald Duane Rosenberg in North Platte, Nebraska, “Dr. Don” has been referred to as the “last of the great Top 40 DJ’s”.
His professional radio career began in 1955. While attending the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, Rosenberg began spinning records at a station in Beatrice, NE. He quickly moved to a station in Lincoln, then quite school to take a job in Tulsa. While he’d soon lose that job at KOIL, he got his nickname: the program director told him to just use “Rose” for a last name and employ his initials as an honorific. Thus, “Dr. Don Rose”.
Rose knocked around the Midwest for several years before catching on at Atlanta’s WQXI. His infectious personality, cornball jokes, and relentless sound effects proved to be a winning mix. From there, it was on to another top-rated show at WFIL in Philadelphia.
While at WFIL, Rose won Billboard magazine’s Disc Jockey of the Year for 1973. That caught the attention of RKO executives who convinced Rose to move to the Bay Area.
He arrived at the “Big 610” KFRC in October of 1973 and stayed, dominating the ratings, until 1986. By then, KFRC had swapped its Top 40 format for the nostalgia-focused “Magic 61” programming.
Rose dealt with a number of health issues. After leaving KFRC, there would be short stays at KKIS and K-101 before Dr. Don checked out of radio.
Dr. Don Rose died in 2005 at the age of 71.
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