Dale Dorman knew he wanted to be in
radio since he was very young. He literally walked by a radio and heard
a man's voice come out of it and said to his mother, "who's that guy,
how does that work?" She said that he was miles away talking into a
microphone and that it was through the air to the radio. Dale thought
that was the coolest thing. From then on that is what he wanted to do.
So he banged on a million radio station doors during high school and
finally he knocked on the right door in Syracuse, NY at WOLF/1490 AM.
The morning guy had quit and they also had another position to fill.
Just the day before they had told him that they didn't have any openings
but to fill out an application just in case you never know! Well the
General Manager called Dale where he was working as a bookkeeper in a
bank and asked for a tape. He didn't have a tape because he had no
experience. So the GM gave him some records and a tape and sent him into
a studio. The GM told him to make believe he was on the radio. This
happened at 5 PM and at 6 PM he was on the air on the 6-Midnight shift
and has been working in radio ever since. Originally, Dale thought radio
was a great way to get all the new music. The other thing was that the
business really does fascinate him, even to this day. "You talk into
this piece of metal and people can hear you it's crazy!!!"
Al Gates told me he'd quit WRKO Big 68 because he didn't like Bill
Drake's format (others claim Drake simply couldn't get Gates to follow
his format properly). So, enter Dale Dorman. Dale worked for a KFRC in
San Francisco for two years before moving to Boston to work for WRKO.
(The first song Dale played on WRKO was
Midnight Confessions by the Grass Roots) He stayed at WRKO for
almost 10 years (1968-1978) during which he also was the voice over on
Boston's TV Channel 56 for the Kids Block Cartoons, morning and
afternoon. He was known there as Uncle Dale from 1969-1991. KISS 108 had
just come on the air less than a year before Dale came on board. He
loved the energy KISS was a disco station at the time. The station was
wild and nuts! Dale hung out in the building after his shift at another
station (WRKO) until they hired him. Dale's calling card or personal
trademarks would be that he always signs on his show with "Hi Ma", and
being called "Uncle Dale."
In mid-1975, Johnny Dark ― for reasons unclear ― temporarily replaced
Dorman doing mornings, In September of 1978, Dorman was replaced by the
team of Charlie & Harrigan who quit the station shortly thereafter.
Charlie & Harrigan didn't do well at all in Boston. And Dorman moved on
to WVBF, after ten long, loyal (and popular) years at WRKO.
On Bill Drake: "I met an up-and-coming programmer named Bill Drake, who
turned out being pretty darned successful, Dorman fondly recalls. I sent
him a tape and he hired me to work at KYNO. He taught me his style and
formula and I absolutely loved it. The central-New York State native
candidly confesses he has absolutely no idea why he's been so successful
in Boston. I keep going to work every day and they're kind enough to
keep me there. Its just turned into a career; Ive been very lucky. I had
no idea it would last this long.[Boston] just feels like home and being
on the ocean made me happy. As long as the public accepts me and I'm
healthy, Id love to continue doing this [in Boston] for as long as
they'll have me.
One day at a meeting at WRKO, Dorman suggested that management flip
WRKO-AM to WRKO-FM and let WRKO-AM do Talk. The music sounded great in
stereo on FM, he says. People scoffed and laughed at me, but look what
happened."
In addition to working under Drake, Dorman was also fortunate to have
one-on-one contact with Paul Drew. When Drake finally gave up the
hands-on, he allowed Paul to deal with me, Dorman recalls. I've been
very lucky to work with guys who've been absolute giants in the
business. Bill Drake [is] a wonderful man and smart as anything. He's
very savvy, yet leaves the personality alone. There's a little guidance
and a little nudge in a certain direction." (Under Drake) " The
secret wasn't 'shut up and play the music.' The secret was the fewer
things you say, the more important those things become.
One day at KYNO, Dorman was walking up the long intro of Mitch Ryder &
The Detroit Wheels Devil With A Blue
Dress. Recounting the story, he notes, "I did a weather forecast
over it and something else. [Bill Drake] came into the studio and told
me that he was in Los Angeles the previous day and The Real Don Steele
played that same song. Over that intro, Steele said, Hey little girl,
want to go for a ride? By doing that, Steele said more in fewer words
than I could have done if I did five weather forecasts. Drake was a
great teacher and a great trainer. Man, did I learn from that." |
