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Picture of
Norm in his bedroom in 1966 and his home radio studio

Picture of
Norm at KUDU, Ventura, 1970

Picture of
Norm and friend at a movie publicity party,
21st century

 The Norm Garr Collection

The announcing bug hit Norm Garr very early in life, when among a collection of birthday gifts there was a "working" microphone and speaker. Hours of listening to KFWB and KHJ in the 60's kept the "announcing" bug alive, including many opportunities to sit in on the Johnny Williams show at the Boss Radio station.

His first real DJ job was in the summer of 1970 as a weekender at KUDU, Ventura, CA., a "BOSS" country station that had every Drake-type jingle, a SOLID GOLD weekend, et. al.

For his senior project at San Diego State University, Norm interviewed a number of air personalities, including Robert W. Morgan and B. Mitchell Reed. (Some day, down the road, those interviews might show up in the Repository).

Also, during his time at SDSU from 1970-1972, Norm netted some "golden" time with legendary programmer Ron Jacobs at KGB, where Norm was interning — and that was after a previous internship at KCBQ with Buzz Bennett & Rich Brother Robbin.

Bobby Ocean, Shotgun Tom Kelly, Eric Chase, Barry Kaye, Christopher Cane, K.O. Bailey and Chuck Browning were among the personalities working in San Diego at the time. WOW!

After returning to LA to spend three years working as a news assistant at KNXT-TV and a sports producer at KFI radio, Norm did weekends and fill-in again at KUDU, and then KACY in Ventura, CA., until he went to Longview, WA. for two years as a news director and operations manager.

Norm returned to LA to pursue his dream of working in network television, which he did for three years at NBC. His "executive assistant" roles have taken him to the every major motion picture studio in Hollywood, including eight years at Disney and almost four years at MGM/UA.

Norm is presently (and possibly, permanently) retired, but very busy doing all the things he never had the time to do while working 50-60 hours weeks in the "biz."

The Repository thanks Norm Garr for sharing!

 

The KHJ History of Rock & Roll was the first "Rockumentary", produced by KHJ Program Director Ron Jacobs.

Following the unprecedented success of this legendary broadcast, Jacobs left KHJ later that year. RKO made the show available to the other stations in their group, narrated by station-specific talent. When RKO was done with it, Drake-Chenault offered a re-recorded version in syndication three times between 1972 and 1982.

An edited version (no jingle) of the last release, narrated by Bill Drake, was still in syndication as of 2006.

The morse code REELRADIO "copymark" included in these exhibits is a reminder that duplication and distribution for trade or sale is illegal and inappropriate.

Do not copy, do not trade, do not sell.
G2/5.0 compatible TOP STREAM 32Kbps (10Khz)
PLAY Robert W. Morgan, KHJ Los Angeles,
February 22, 1969 2AM-3AM (59:12)

. . . The KHJ History Of Rock and Roll rolls on through 1958 . . .

Picture of Johnny Mathis
Johnny Mathis

Picture of Cozy Cole
Cozy Cole

[Description by Uncle Ricky]

For Hour Fifteen of the First and Original History Of Rock And Roll, as broadcast by KHJ, we temporarily leave The Don Kent Collection for this hour contributed by Norm Garr.

Norm's recording of the program is one generation from the original KHJ master. This hour was broadcast between 2AM and 3AM on February 22, 1969, but it does not include any of the local commercial breaks. Our host is Robert W. Morgan.

The "Pop Music" segment of the History is continued, again featuring artists that were played on radio along with the new "rock and roll" performers.


COMMENT ROBERT W. MORGAN HOUR 15 KHJ HISTORY OF R&R

G2/5.0 compatible TOP STREAM 32Kbps (10Khz)
PLAY Robert W. Morgan, KHJ Los Angeles,
February 22, 1969 2AM-4:30AM (01:17:46)

. . . the perils and pleasures of success at a young age . . .

Picture of Paul Anka
Paul Anka

Picture of Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin

Picture of Bobby Rydell
Bobby Rydell

[Description by Uncle Ricky]

This exhibit, contributed by Norm Garr, presents Hour 16 and the first half-hour of Hour 17 of the First and Original History Of Rock And Roll, as broadcast by KHJ in the wee morning hours of February 22, 1969. Norm's recording of the program is a low-speed copy one generation from the original composite prepared for winners of a KHJ contest. We estimate the content in this part was broadcast between 3AM and (estimated) about 4:30 AM. It does not include any of the local commercial breaks or newscasts. Our host is Robert W. Morgan.

The "Pop Music" segment of the History is continued, focusing on 1959 and 1960, spotlighting performers at the top of the charts as the Fifties became the Sixties. Classic torch songs by divas Brenda Lee and Miss Toni Fisher are featured, while handsome young men with big hair were all the rage, fueled by their appearances on Dick Clark's American Bandstand.

COMMENT ROBERT W. MORGAN HOUR 16 KHJ HISTORY OF R&R

G2/5.0 compatible TOP STREAM 32Kbps (8Khz)
PLAY Robert W. Morgan, KHJ Los Angeles,
February 22, 1969 4:30AM-6:00AM (01:17:43)

. . . The bass guitarist . . . had amplifier problems . . .

Picture of
Bobby Vee

Picture of
Percy Faith

[Description by Uncle Ricky]

This exhibit, contributed by Norm Garr, presents Hour 18 and the last half-hour of Hour 17 of the First and Original History Of Rock And Roll, as broadcast by KHJ in the wee morning hours of Saturday, February 22, 1969. Norm's recording of the program is a low-speed copy one generation from the original composite prepared for winners of a KHJ contest. We estimate the content in this part was broadcast between (estimated) 4:30 AM and 6:00 AM. It does not include any of the local commercial breaks or newscasts. Our host is Robert W. Morgan.

The "Pop Music" segment of the History is continued, focusing on 1960 and 1961. We're gonna do The Twist, and it goes like this: We learn that the first fuzz guitar effect in a popular song was a technical difficulty, hear a demonstration of the first popular record in 5/4 time, but are clueless as to why a song about an agricultural pest should top the charts in 1961. Perhaps people liked remembering those old cotton fields back home?

COMMENT ROBERT W. MORGAN & HOURS 17-18 KHJ HISTORY OF R&R
G2/5.0 compatible TOP STREAM 32Kbps (10Khz)
PLAY Robert W. Morgan, KHJ History of R&R,
February 22, 1969 Hour 19 (50:46)

. . . a number of crazes swept through 1962 - the twist, the Bossa-Nova, and the lifestyle and beat of surfing . . .

Picture of
Jorgen Ingmann

Picture of
Brian Wilson

[Description by Uncle Ricky]

This exhibit, contributed by Norm Garr, presents Hour 19 of the First and Original History Of Rock And Roll, as broadcast by KHJ on Saturday, February 22, 1969. Our best guess is that the content in this part was broadcast between 6 and 7 AM. It does not include any of the local commercial breaks or newscasts. Our host is Robert W. Morgan.

Pop Music from 1961 and 1962, an era of Top 40 with exceptional variety, is featured in this segment. Comments from Neil Sedaka and Ray Charles are included. You'll also hear Brian Wilson define "surfing" music.

COMMENT ROBERT W. MORGAN HOUR 19 KHJ HISTORY OF R&R

G2/5.0 compatible TOP STREAM 32Kbps (10Khz)
PLAY Robert W. Morgan, KHJ History of R&R,
February 22, 1969 Hour 20 (48:53)

. . . There weren't too many prototypes of songs of that nature . . .

Picture of
Dionne Warwick

Picture of
Sammy Davis, Jr.

[Description by Uncle Ricky]

This is hour 20 of the First and Original History Of Rock And Roll, contributed by Norm Garr. It is one generation out from the KHJ Contest Winner tape of the program, as broadcast by KHJ on Saturday, February 22, 1969.

This part was broadcast between 7 and 8 AM, and does not include any of the local commercial breaks or newscasts. Our host is Robert W. Morgan.

1963 is the focus of this segment, another era of Top 40 music that boasts outstanding variety. You'll hear comments from Dionne Warwick, Trini Lopez and Gerry Goffin.

You'll also hear a rare mistake in the script. The hit by Sammy Davis, Jr. was not from Fiddler On The Roof, but from Stop The World, I Want To Get Off.

COMMENT ROBERT W. MORGAN HOUR 20 KHJ HISTORY OF R&R

More to Come from The Norm Garr Collection!
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