Remembering Ken Calvert
• Ken Calvert, a fixture on Detroit radio for over 40 years, died in his sleep Wednesday, Dec. 20 at the age of 72 — exactly ten years to the day that he retired from radio — Dec. 20, 2013. Fellow Michigan industry legend, “Radio’s Best Friend,” Art Vuolo, fondly remembers Calvert —
“Born and raised in the Motor City, Calvert, known on the air as ‘The Casual One,’ worked for several Detroit rock stations, including WRIF, WCSX, WWWW (W4), & WLLZ, and later as a talk host on WJR-AM. He also served as a key PA announcer for the Detroit Pistons for 16 years. Former Pistons’ point guard Isiah Thomas posted his condolences to social media. As part of his long industry career, Calvert also held positions at Columbia Records as a local and regional promotion manager.
As an announcer, Calvert ‘invented a lot of new ways to hype the sport… he was awesome,’ according to longtime friend and radio personality Jim (JJ) Johnson. Interestingly Calvert was a guest on Johnson’s farewell show on WOMC just three weeks ago. Johnson noted, ‘Ken Calvert was among the first people I ever met in the radio business in Detroit in 1975. Our careers intertwined, from WWWW in the mid ’70s, to WRIF in the late ’70s and early ’80s, to WLLZ in the ’80s and ’90s, to WCSX in the 2000s. He also did a weekend classic oldies show under the radio name of ‘Chuck Roast!’
In recent years, Calvert hosted the Ken Calvert Show Podcast, featuring interviews involving classic rock, sports, comedy, and more.
Calvert will be remembered as ‘a mentor, a friend, and a compatriot,’ Johnson added. ‘The world is a sadder place today than it was yesterday. God bless you Ken Calvert… rest in peace.’
As is his longstanding tradition, Art has labored for many hours to assemble this wonderful Ken Calvert tribute video that he hopes will be seen by his many friends and fans. Art has also included this bonus 1996 clip of Calvert on WJR.
