Kerr Hits 46 In NY, Igo Retiring
• Despite all the craziness going on just outside our walls, this week did give us two very good reasons to celebrate a couple of genuine radio milestones — 1) Jim Kerr celebrated 46 years on New York radio, and 2) New England radio icon Chuck Igo announced his impending retirement after a 40-year radio career, last 17 at Saga Classic Hits WYNZ (Rewind 100.9)/Portland, ME.
Leave it to “Radio’s Best Friend,” Art Vuolo to find an actual connection between these two talented gentlemen, as he explains, “The call letters of Chuck’s station, WYNZ, were originally attached to 1520 AM, a daytimer in Ypsilanti, Michigan, adjacent to Ann Arbor. It was there that a 15-year-old kid named Jim Kerr got his very first job in radio!”
Kerr (pictured here with his longtime co-host Shelli Sonstein) on iHeartMedia Classic Rock WAXQ (Q104.3)/New York, recently spoke with SiriusXM’s Phlash Phelps about his 46 years on New York radio. [Video courtesy of Art Vuolo]
• RAMP also caught up with fellow native New Englander Chuck Igo, who announced his impending retirement from WYNZ (Rewind 100.9)/Portland, effective March 27, capping a successful four-decade radio career. “It’s been a fun ride and I achieved everything and then some that I had hoped to accomplish,” said Igo, who originally hails from Cambridge, MA. “I always wanted to work on the air in my hometown, so Boston was my target, and I achieved that after 1 1/2 years in fulltime radio.” Igo had the privilege of plugging in at WROR, WHDH, WBZ and WKLB, working alongside such Boston radio luminaries as Jess Cain, Dave Maynard, Harry Nelson, JJ Wright, Ken Shelton, Tom Kennedy, Mike Addams and Loren & Wally, to name a few. Igo added, “And in Maine it’s an honor to work alongside some of the state’s best known broadcasters in both radio and TV, at WGAN, WPOR and WYNZ.”
Igo continued, “For my entire 40+ years, my now wife ‘Saint’ Debbie has ‘tolerated’ what I do for a living — from that first part-time gig in ’79 to the changes along the way, and for the past 38 years, we’ve been fortunate to have the same home phone number and address, as well as being blessed with three incredible kids and now three grandkids, too.” In closing, Igo said, “Every moment has been a unique pleasure, and I will say that I was able to channel my initial ‘visions of greatness’ into something more worthy and that once I realized the true potential of what we can do WITH the gift of broadcasting that I hope I have made a difference.” Your best wishes can be shared with Chuck at Chuck@Chuckigo.com.
Bonus Chuck Igo Fun Fact: “I had a very busy 1984 where I worked full-time in Augusta, ME, and part-time in Portland and Boston — my Saturdays consisted of 5-9am at WABK/Augusta, then straight to WGAN/Portland for 10am-2pm and then to WHDH/Boston to do 4-7pm and the overnight shift, before heading back to Maine for a little sleep, followed by a Sunday 4-7pm on WGAN before grabbing some sleep ahead of another full week in Augusta — and I NEVER blew the call letters!“
