The word “icon” is thrown around alot these days, but some folks just qualify as goshdarn icons with no tired cliches attached. When it comes to radio icons, if you had to pick a few big ones, Cousin Brucie Morrow would be right there near the top of Modulation Mountain. He’s been there, done that: seen it all, even introduced The Beatles at Shea Stadium with Ed Sullivan. His voice was hard to miss on the radio in the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s until he moved to satellite radio in 2005.
But there was something that was always calling Cousin Brucie back to the radio radio. In this case, it was John A. Catsimatidis who literally called Brucie during his shows every Saturday night. After Catsimatidis purchased WABC in 2019, he knew he wanted to hear great music on his station and there was only one person who he saw fit to bring it back to a New York City audience via the airwaves: Cousin Bruce. Brucie returns to the station where his career began in 1961 with a new show on Saturday night at 6pm where he goes head-to-head on the airwaves in the same time slot as yours truly.
But, we’re not rivals. In fact, Brucie called me his “Cousin” which is really all I could have hoped to hear from this radio legend. He’s warm, he’s engaging. He’s one of those guys that you expect won’t have enough time for you and then makes you feel as if you’re the only one in the world. He’s had practice connecting with people and it shows. In this interview, we discuss his storied career, calming down a nervous John Lennon, his time on satellite, and how there’s no place like home on the radio airwaves beaming from an antenna and blanketing New York City.
Pull up a chair, cousin. We’re all family here.
Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Sharp Notes each Saturday evening at 6pm and TVD Radar on Sundays at 5AM on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.
