Legendary Black Radio DJ Frankie Crocker (Information, Sayings, & Sound Files

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part III of a three part series on African American radio disc jockeys (DJs).

Part III provides information about legendary Black DJ Frankie Crocker and includes some examples of his sayings. Part III also features two YouTube sound files of Frankie Crocker's shows.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-early-history-of-african-american.html for Part I. Part I presents excerpts from various books and other online sources about the early history of African American radio (Black radio).

The Addendum to Part I features biographical information about three African American disc jockeys from the 1930 through the 1960s. Part II provides a definition of the term "jive talk" and presents excerpts from various books and other online sources about the use of African American jive talk (Black jive talk) by pioneer Black radio DJs and White radio DJs and by other Black radio DJs.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/radio-disc-jockeys-use-of-black.html for Part II of this series. Part II presents excerpts from various books and other online sources about the use of African American jive talk (Black jive talk) by pioneer Black radio DJs and White radio DJs and by other Black radio DJs.

The content of this post is presented for historical and cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Frankie Crocker for his entertainment legacy. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of the videos that are featured in this post.

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INFORMATION ABOUT FRANKIE CROCKER
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankie_Crocker
Frankie "Hollywood" Crocker (December 18, 1937, Buffalo, New York, USA - October 21, 2000, age 62, North Miami Beach, Florida) was a famous New York radio DJ.[1] (Coined "Hollywood" for his keen sense of showmanship and self-marketing tactics.)

Early Soul radio
According to popeducation.org, Crocker began his career in Buffalo at the AM Soul powerhouse WUFO (also the home to future greats Gerry Bledsoe,[2] Eddie O'Jay,[3] Herb Hamlett, Gary Byrd and Chucky T) before moving to Manhattan, where he first worked for Soul station WWRL and later top-40 WMCA in 1969. He then worked for WBLS-FM as program director, taking that station to the top of the ratings during the late 1970s and pioneering the radio format now known as urban contemporary. He sometimes called himself the "Chief Rocker", and he was as well known for his boastful on-air patter as for his off-air flamboyance.
"Moody's Mood for Love"

When Studio 54 was at the height of its popularity, Crocker rode in through the front entrance on a white stallion. In the studio, before he left for the day, Crocker would light a candle and invite female listeners to enjoy a candlelight bath with him. He signed off the air each night to the tune "Moody's Mood For Love" by vocalese crooner King Pleasure. Crocker, a native of Buffalo, coined the phrase "urban contemporary" in the 1970s, a label for the eclectic mix of songs that he played.[4]"....

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From http://newsone.com/1093115/top-20-radio-jockeys-of-all-time/ "Top 20 Black Radio Jockeys Of All Time" Written By smokey fontaine
2010
"9) Frankie Crocker
Crocker first became a household name on New York’s Black station, WWRL. But after becoming one of the first Black jocks to “cross over” into more mainstream radio (as one of WMCA’s “Good Guys”), Crocker crossed back when a Black-owned consortium hired him for a new FM station in New York called WBLS. Crocker assembled a huge, multiracial audience, and had a great influence on the mainstreaming of disco. Though resistant to rap, he played some of the first hip-hop records and hired hip-hop’s first legendary radio jock, Mr.Magic."

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From https://www.facebook.com/Frankie-Crocker-Tribute-Page-177795635568980/ Frankie Crocker Tribute Page (Facebook)
"Mr. Frances M. Crocker lays out the "basis" for the success of the "early" BLS sound and mix; "The Recipe" a NYC mix of the blues, jazz, soul, RnB, Latin(Salsa), Caribbean music. We called the "original" BLS "The Total Black Experience in Sound" = BLS, it changed the way FM Radio sounded and caused "spin off" sounds, ie, Lite Jazz stations ('cause we mixed in George Benson, Wes Montgomery, Miles, Errol Garner, ) Lite Rock & Pop stations ( caused we mixed Jimi Hendrix, Sly Stone, along with Johnny Mathis, Dionne Warwick etc). So what's the excuse for the current "State of NYC Radio's" lack luster existence? Better ask someone who knows how to create "The Sound"."...
-LeRoy Gillead, October 23, 2012

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EXAMPLES OF RADIO DJ FRANKIE CROCKER'S SAYINGS
These excerpts are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.

Excerpt #1
From The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-Hop by Dan Charnas [Google books- no page given]

Click https://www.amazon.com/Big-Payback-History-Business-Hip-Hop/dp/0451234782 for more information about this book.

“In junior high school, Anthony [Holloway] was captivated by the between-song spiel of New York’s most popular Black DJ-Frankie Crocker, on the AM soul station, Harlem’s WWRL. Frankie talked fast. Frankie talked slick:
I’ll put a dip in your hip, more cut in your strut, and more glide in your stride”, he said. “If you don’t dig it, you got a hole in your soul.”/”Don’t eat chicken on Sunday. ‘ Other cats be laughin and jokin/ Frankie Crocker be steady takin care of business.,’ “Cookin and smokin’.”/”For there is no other like this soul brother.”

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Excerpt #2
From https://achilliad.wordpress.com/2011/05/13/book-exerpt-frankie-crocker-the-chief-rocker/
“If Frankie Crocker’s not on your radio, your radio’s not really ON…”
:-D ~~ Jimi

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Excerpt #3
From https://www.facebook.com/Frankie-Crocker-Tribute-Page-177795635568980/ Frankie Crocker Tribute Page (Facebook)
"If you don't dig it you got a hole in your soul and you don't eat chicken on Sunday"...
-Karla Solomon Gittens,February 10, 2012

"More strut in your step, more glide in your stride, clyde!"
-Shirley Kent, April 21, 2014

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"Do it Frankie do it to it."
-Christine Robinson, May 14, 2015
-snip-
This was a saying from Frankie Crocker's show (directed to Frankie by a sexy sounding woman.)

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Excerpt #4
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc_3ke1h9tI WRKS 98.7 Kiss New York - Frankie Crocker Tribute (Part 1/3) - Oct 2000 [Video given as Example #2 below]
"Tall, tan, young, and fly. Anytime you want me baby, reach out for me. I'm your guy.'

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"Just as good to you as it is for you."

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"Um! How could you lose with the stuff I use."

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Excerpt #5
From redcatbiker - July 14, 2014 (reposted from a YouTube video on https://plus.google.com/113257494299848567110/posts/N9iA5aXoFts
"Frankie Crocker used to also end his show saying this: "I hope you all live to be one hundred, but me, one hundred minus a day, so, that I never have to know that good people like you passed away."

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From http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/10/10/1580353/-Trump-threatens-to-put-Clinton-jail-taking-down-the-entire-Republican-Party-with-him

Denise Oliver Velez Oct 10, 2016 · 11:50:51 AM
heh. They are stuck with his ass — like white on rice.
-snip-
This comment refers to the Republicans being stuck with their Presidential candidate Donald Trump, whether they want to be on not.

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LamontCranston reply to Denise Oliver Velez Oct 10, 2016 11:53:45 AM
"like white on rice.
Heh…. I like that….. n/t

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Denise Oliver Velez reply to LamontCranston Oct 10, 2016 12:02:53 PM
"An old saying — Frankie Crocker — a famous radio DJ in NY used to say:

“closer than white on rice, closer than cold on ice, closer than the collar on a dog...closer than the ham on a country hog”"

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SHOWCASE SOUND FILES
Example #1:Frankie Crocker The Chief Rocker



Elmo 'Magic' Christian Published on Mar 29, 2012

Tribute to Frankie Crocker by John Noel

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Example #2: WRKS 98.7 Kiss New York - Frankie Crocker Tribute (Part 1/3) - Oct 2000



Ellis Feaster, Uploaded on Dec 10, 2011

Shortly after the passing of ledgenary radio programmer Frankie Crocker, 98.7 KISS aired this tribute. I would have expected this to be on WBLS, but Kiss did a great job remembering the Chief Rocker Frankie Crocker. Oct 2000. Features Ken Webb, G Keith Alexander, Bob Slade, and more.
-snip-
Here are a few selected comments from this sound file's discussion thread
1. Vaughn Baskin, 2013
"Frankie Crocker Alongside Jocko Henderson, Butterball, & Gary Byrd They Were The Original DJ Who Planted The Seeds Of Hip-Hopradio."

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2. Powerule, 2015
Still miss this dude...grew up on him. The greatest ever on urban radio.

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Reply
3. Ellis Feaster, 2015
"+Powerule Frankie was always a bit part of our afternoons in the 70s & 80s."

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Reply
4. Powerule, 2015
"+Ellis Feaster Very true. He was ever much a part of lives. It's sad that urban radio, which was once eloquent, insightful, inspiring, and entertaining has been replaced with ebonics, baby mama drama, whose got beef, how much did you spend for that chain, etc. It's all so self-suppressive, yet so sadly acceptable."

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Reply
5. Ellis Feaster, 2015
"True. Frankie was all about class & elegance, and an upscale lifestyle." 

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6. Cheryl David-Bailey, 2015
"Peace and Blessing ... I remember him from Kiss and had to hear Moody's Mood for Love."
-snip-
"Frankie Crocker would end his show each night on WBLS before 8 with Moody's Mood For Love by King Pleasure. 'There I go, There I go, There...I...go..'"[posted by Frankie Crocker Tribute Page on November 22, 2010 'The link for that page is given above].

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5. Taheem Akbar, 2015
"All I know growing up in the Bronx was Frankie was the man.. upon moving to Los Angeles in 1976 I heard him once again on KUTE 102 Glendale... which upon he did his same version of mixing from WBLS.. I know for a FACT he was mixing BEFORE any CALIFORNIA radio station MIXED.... If I am incorrect let me stand down.... RIP THE MASTER ROCKER."...

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This concludes Part III of this three part series.

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