Bob Crane: The Definitive Biography took a long time to research. We wanted to get it right. We wanted to do Bob Crane proper justice. We knew we had a big mountain to climb, and it wasn't going to be easy. But thankfully, we had a lot of people who helped us along the way—people who cared about Bob and who wanted his true life story to be told.
One of our strongest allies was—and still is—WICC 600 AM Radio in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where Bob worked from April 1951 to August 1956. WICC has always been a strong advocate of Bob Crane and a terrific supporter of Bob Crane: The Definitive Biography. WICC also supports our ongoing efforts for Bob's induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame and officially endorsed his nomination in 2011.
On August 19, 2008, Morgan Kaolian dedicated an hour of WICC air time to Bob Crane. This special aired, in part, to assist us with researching Bob Crane: The Definitive Biography (then with the working title "Flipside: The True Story of Bob Crane"). A retired pilot, aerial photographer, and former WICC Art Director and traffic announcer (known locally as "Captain Traffic"), Morgan knew Bob well, considered him a good friend, and spent many hours working with him on WICC's Channel 43 during the 1950s. Broadcasting live on the new UHF station, the duo performed many improvisational shows that included, according to Kaolian, "some crazy stunts in the style of Ernie Kovacs." One of Morgan's favorite recollections is the day Bob came riding into the studio on horseback to the sounds of familiar Native American music.
One of our strongest allies was—and still is—WICC 600 AM Radio in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where Bob worked from April 1951 to August 1956. WICC has always been a strong advocate of Bob Crane and a terrific supporter of Bob Crane: The Definitive Biography. WICC also supports our ongoing efforts for Bob's induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame and officially endorsed his nomination in 2011.
On August 19, 2008, Morgan Kaolian dedicated an hour of WICC air time to Bob Crane. This special aired, in part, to assist us with researching Bob Crane: The Definitive Biography (then with the working title "Flipside: The True Story of Bob Crane"). A retired pilot, aerial photographer, and former WICC Art Director and traffic announcer (known locally as "Captain Traffic"), Morgan knew Bob well, considered him a good friend, and spent many hours working with him on WICC's Channel 43 during the 1950s. Broadcasting live on the new UHF station, the duo performed many improvisational shows that included, according to Kaolian, "some crazy stunts in the style of Ernie Kovacs." One of Morgan's favorite recollections is the day Bob came riding into the studio on horseback to the sounds of familiar Native American music.
During his WICC broadcast, he talked about their friendship, their time spent working together at WICC and Channel 43, and Bob's successes in radio and television. "I knew Bob as a good musician; a very, very talented man on radio; and a just a great, all-around, fun-type guy," Morgan said. He also took calls from WICC listeners, who remembered Bob Crane as a prominent figure in Bridgeport history.
A lot of time has passed since this broadcast aired—almost ten years. Morgan, who I now count as one of my most cherished friends, is thrilled with the way our book turned out. I am deeply indebted to Morgan and WICC for all of their ongoing support. Without their contributions and efforts, we would never have been able to bring this important chapter of Bob's story to life!
Recording uploaded with permission from WICC.
Note: The Yahoo email address mentioned in this recording is no longer active.
Note: The Yahoo email address mentioned in this recording is no longer active.