May 5 Radio History

In 1899...Radio actor, Freeman Gosden, was born in Richmond, Virginia. He was "Amos" on the famed "Amos 'n' Andy" Radio show.

Freeman Gosden was born in Richmond, Virginia. During World War I he served in the United States Navy as a wireless operator, which prompted his great interest in the young medium of radio. While attending school in Richmond, Gozzie worked part-time in Tarrant's Drug Store at 1 West Broad Street.

Freeman Gosden, Charles Correll

In 1921, Gosden first teamed up with Charles Correll to do radio work, presenting comedy acts, sketches, and hosting variety shows. They met in Durham, North Carolina, both working for the Joe Bren Producing Company. Their first regular show came in 1925 with their WEBH Chicago show Correll and Gosden, the Life of the Party. On this show the two told jokes, sang, and played music (Correll played piano and Gosden banjo).

In 1926, Gosden and Correll had a hit with their radio show Sam & Henry on Chicago radio station WGN. Sam & Henry is considered by some historians to have been the first situation comedy.

Amos'n'Andy circa Early '40s

From 1928 to 1960, Gosden and Correll broadcast their Amos 'n' Andy show, which was one of the most famous and popular shows on radio in the 1930s. Gosden voiced the characters "Amos", "George 'Kingfish' Stevens", "Lightning", "Brother Crawford", and some dozen other characters.


In 1969, Gosden was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in radio. He died from congestive heart failure in Los Angeles, California in 1982 at the age of 83


In 1965...Boss Radio 93 KHJ in Los Angeles launched its Top 40 format on the 930 AM frequency. Little did it know that it would change the face of radio for the next 15 years.

While KHJ had been on the air since 1922, two amazing, brilliant programmers, Bill Drake and Gene Chenault, developed the Boss format in April 1965. Ron Jacobs was hired as the station’s program director.



The premise of the format was simple: a relatively tight playlist of songs and short, tight commentary by the DJ’s.   A few announcers were permitted to develop on-air personalities, such as morning man Robert W. Morgan, Charlie Tuna (who is still on the air in LA on CBS Radio’s KRTH-FM), Humble Harve, and The Real Don Steele.

Many of America’s most talented personalities were on KHJ: Roger Christian, Gary Mack, Dave Dimond, Johnny Williams, Charlie Van Dyke, Frank Terry, Scotty Brink, Bobby Tripp, and Bill Wade.

The format, coupled with top-notched promotion, was so succesful in Los Angeles that it was instituted at other Drake-Chenault consulted stations such as CKLW/Windsor, Ontario, KFRC/San Francisco, WFIL/Philadelphia, KGB/San Diego, WQXI/Atlanta, and WRKO/Boston.


In 1986…Rock and Roll Hall of Fame chairman Ahmet Ertegen announced that Cleveland, Ohio had been chosen as the city where the Hall would be built.


In 2008...John R. Gambling rejoins WOR 710 AM NYC.

When WOR ended Rambling with Gambling in 2000 after 75 years on the air, John R. Gambling moved up the dial to WABC, taking over the post-morning-drive 10 a.m. - noon slot. Gambling was fired by WABC on February 29, 2008 in a cost-cutting move.  On April 30, 2008, WOR announced the return of John R. Gambling to its air waves in his old morning-drive timeslot starting May 5, 2008.