dazed&perfuzed
2004-09-29 18:40:55 UTC
A sad day for radio.
Disc jockey Scott Muni, a radio veteran known as "Scottso" and "The
Professor" who became a legend for playing the Beatles, died last night. He
was 74.
Muni, who has worked at WAXQ (104.3 FM) since 1998, recently suffered a
serious stroke and had not returned to since.
Affectionately known as "Scottso" and "The Professor", Muni's daily show
aired weekdays on Q104.3 from Noon to 1:00pm kicking off each broadcast with
his signature "Beatles Block."
Born in Wichita and raised in New Orleans, Muni was the son of a pioneer in
aviation. He served in the Marine Corps and could be heard on Radio Guam.
Even back then, Muni knew how to keep them listening. His popular feature,
"Dear John" included the reading of letters of fellow serviceman who had
been unceremoniously dumped by their girlfriends back in the States.
One of Muni's earliest radio jobs found him replacing Alan Freed at Akron's
WAKR. He first graced the New York airwaves in the late '50s as a "Good Guy"
when he was the evening DJ on then Top 40 WMCA. In 1960, Muni moved to WABC,
where his four-year stint was intertwined with the onset of Beatlemania. He
first did late evenings at WABC and then settled into the early evening
shift where he remained until 1964.
Breaking new ground in FM Radio, Muni moved to WOR-FM and then in late 1967
to WNEW-FM, where he would spend the next 31 years of his career. As program
director of WNEW, Muni is credited with turning WNEW into one of the
country's first progressive rock radio stations. He also provided an outlet
for the protest songs and alternative music of the time. Muni enjoyed the
same legendary status as the artists that he played and is featured side by
side with them in an exhibit that honors radio personalities at the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.
Muni hosted countless syndicated radio programs including "Scott Muni's
World of Rock" and "Ticket To Ride." Muni's trademark gravelly voice was
featured in a "Rolaids" commercial ("How Do You Spell Relief?") as well as
in promotional announcements for ABC's Monday Night Football.
In August 1972, while holding several people hostage, a desperate bank
robber called Muni while he was on the air. Three
years later, that bank robbery would be turned into the Academy Award
Winning Film "Dog Day Afternoon."
Very active in area charities, Muni served on the boards of the TJ Martell
Foundation, United Cerebral Palsy and World Hunger Year. In 2003, he was
presented with the March of Dime's Lifetime Achievement Award.
Muni counted amongst his friends many of the artists he interviewed
throughout the years including Paul McCartney, Pete Townshend, Mick Jagger
and Bruce Springsteen. Muni maintained a very close relationship with Yoko
Ono and the Lennon family.
Disc jockey Scott Muni, a radio veteran known as "Scottso" and "The
Professor" who became a legend for playing the Beatles, died last night. He
was 74.
Muni, who has worked at WAXQ (104.3 FM) since 1998, recently suffered a
serious stroke and had not returned to since.
Affectionately known as "Scottso" and "The Professor", Muni's daily show
aired weekdays on Q104.3 from Noon to 1:00pm kicking off each broadcast with
his signature "Beatles Block."
Born in Wichita and raised in New Orleans, Muni was the son of a pioneer in
aviation. He served in the Marine Corps and could be heard on Radio Guam.
Even back then, Muni knew how to keep them listening. His popular feature,
"Dear John" included the reading of letters of fellow serviceman who had
been unceremoniously dumped by their girlfriends back in the States.
One of Muni's earliest radio jobs found him replacing Alan Freed at Akron's
WAKR. He first graced the New York airwaves in the late '50s as a "Good Guy"
when he was the evening DJ on then Top 40 WMCA. In 1960, Muni moved to WABC,
where his four-year stint was intertwined with the onset of Beatlemania. He
first did late evenings at WABC and then settled into the early evening
shift where he remained until 1964.
Breaking new ground in FM Radio, Muni moved to WOR-FM and then in late 1967
to WNEW-FM, where he would spend the next 31 years of his career. As program
director of WNEW, Muni is credited with turning WNEW into one of the
country's first progressive rock radio stations. He also provided an outlet
for the protest songs and alternative music of the time. Muni enjoyed the
same legendary status as the artists that he played and is featured side by
side with them in an exhibit that honors radio personalities at the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.
Muni hosted countless syndicated radio programs including "Scott Muni's
World of Rock" and "Ticket To Ride." Muni's trademark gravelly voice was
featured in a "Rolaids" commercial ("How Do You Spell Relief?") as well as
in promotional announcements for ABC's Monday Night Football.
In August 1972, while holding several people hostage, a desperate bank
robber called Muni while he was on the air. Three
years later, that bank robbery would be turned into the Academy Award
Winning Film "Dog Day Afternoon."
Very active in area charities, Muni served on the boards of the TJ Martell
Foundation, United Cerebral Palsy and World Hunger Year. In 2003, he was
presented with the March of Dime's Lifetime Achievement Award.
Muni counted amongst his friends many of the artists he interviewed
throughout the years including Paul McCartney, Pete Townshend, Mick Jagger
and Bruce Springsteen. Muni maintained a very close relationship with Yoko
Ono and the Lennon family.