How many radio personalities can say they dated Ann-Margret, that their show theme song become a Top 10 hit, and that they helped launch “96 Tears” by Question Mark & The Mysterians into the world?
According to The Detroit News, Tom Shannon, a top jock at the “Big 8,” CKLW Detroit-Windsor during its golden era, did all that and more.
Shannon died Wednesday from pancreatic cancer, in Salinas, California, said Rob Lynch, longtime partner of Shannon's daughter Catherine. He was 82 and had been under hospice care after a recent diagnosis. Shannon had been living in California since his 2005 retirement from radio.
With his tagline, “The sun never sets on the Shannon empire,” the handsome, smooth-voiced legend was touted by CKLW for his “Irish charm and wit” in newspaper ads in the '60s.
“He was good-looking, smooth and cool in every way,” said Pat St. John of Sirius XM satellite radio, adding: “He didn’t act cool, Tom was cool.”
Radio historian Art Vuolo was a longtime friend. “Nobody will ever have a show theme song become a national hit, because there aren’t many theme songs anymore,” said Vuolo. “For that matter, there aren’t many personalities on radio the likes of Tom Shannon.”
In 1969, Shannon was voted the No. 1 pop music disc jockey in the United States and Canada, earning him the Bill Gavin Radio-Record Award, the industry’s top honor. That same year Pat St. John, just 18, was hired by CKLW hired for his first music DJ job. Despite the disparity in career arcs, Shannon wasn’t cocky.
“I just loved listening to him,” said St. John. “He didn’t scream. Tom was this friendly, down to earth guy, somebody you really wanted to know. You could have a cup of coffee with him and he was genuinely interested in you. A very rare talent.
Before he figured out that he needed to find his own style, St. John admits he copied his hero, admiring how effortlessly friendly and real Shannon sounded. “He just kind of spoke, he didn’t put on a voice. He really seemed to talk to you one on one.”
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