Here are the final moments of a spectacular radio career…
Gary Burbank spent 35 years doing more things brilliantly than any radio personality I’ve ever heard.
In 1992, Gary was a guest speaker at one of my seminars. I’ve never seen anyone as ill as Gary was that weekend. He flew into town, slept for 12 hours, and could barely walk into the seminar room. But as soon as the mic was on, he was on. Ninety minutes later, he returned to his hotel room and slept another 12 hours.
Here’s the audio from that day. That’s Gary Burbank, sick as a dog but 100% committed to helping other young jocks.
I hope you will join me in voting for Gary Burbank for induction into the Radio Hall of Fame.
Deadline is July 15.
Gary is in the third category: “2008 Nominees – Local Pioneer”
The voting process is very quick and easy.
Note: At 26:15 of the audio, a rude word is used in a recorded bit. If you read the explanation underneath the audio player, you’ll understand why that word is used.
I was a young jock when I first heard Gary Burbank. He raised the bar for all of us.
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I listened to Gary Burbank religiously back in his Louisville days. An incredible talent and always an exceptionally nice guy.
I remember in Louisville when he convinced all the TV networks that we were infested with snows sharks. One of a kind, one of a kind.
Met Gary (at at Uncle Primo’s retaurant in New Philadelpha, Ohio). Very nice guy and really down to earth. Just voted for him. Good luck, Gary! You certainly deserve the well earned recognition. Dan Slentz WHIZ
My high school years were spent listening to Gary in Louisville, along with Bill Bailey, Johnny Randolph & other greats, at WAKY Radio. I had great training in being a personality, not a liner jock. I interviewed Gary for my high school journalism project. I hung out at WAKY, just wanting to be one of them. Somewhere, we became friends, not just me being a fan. I last saw him at a Country Radio Seminar in Nashville, quite a few years ago. He was my inspiration(though I was never funny & gifted like him)…to just be real, to talk to my listeners just like I talk to a friend, to make everything, even the littlest thing relatable. He is & was my radio hero. I wish you & family many blessings in this new retired chapter! Sheila Richards, Atlanta, GA(KLOVE radio network)
I listened to Gary for many many years on WLW. I had the privledge of meeting him at a seminar Dan O’Day held in Cincinnati in the late summer/early fall of 1990. Meeting Gary was a joy and he was very geniune and down to earth, just like on the air. Please vote for Gary, he was and is a true radio talent. We could use more Gary Burbanks in radio today. Tim Rush, Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion, Indiana.
@ Tim: And, of course, at that particular seminar Gary brought barbecue for everyone. It doesn’t get much better than that….
I grew up listening to Gary… he is one of the best! Thanks so much
for this.
I met Gary a couple of times once at your seminar in Cincinnati (I was the first public radio person to ever attend one of your seminars and you had me stand to get recognition for that. One of the coolest things ever.) Another time was when I was visiting a friend there. I went to Burbank’s to see a Blues Piano player Big Joe Duskin that was a local legend and I knew I would never see any other time. I’m enjoying the show but need to go to the john. I go and who’s in there but Gary listening to one of his shows that they were pumping into the john on a speaker. I introduced myself. Told him I was a hugh fan of his stuff. He was very nice and told me he sneaks into the john to hear his stuff in order to critique it. “It’s the only chance I get to hear myself !” I almost fell on the floor. I am surprised that he wasn’t already inducted. Hopefully, that will be rectified soon.
Jim doesn’t mean he went to Burbank’s house. Gary has a restaurant called Burbank’s Real Barbecue.
So, I can fairly say, “I replaced Gary Burbank.” But, only technically. Gary was doing the Morning Show at CKLW The Big 8 and he was amazing. I only came in to do some part-time fill from the sister station in Ottawa. But, when Gary moved on to Cincinati they hired me – but for all-nights – NOT the morning show. Let’s get that straight. In doing the fill shows, instead of going back to the hotel to sleep after the shift, I would stay and watch Gary work his magic. He was so ahead of his time. His “on-air” voice at CKLW was a character voice. He was really “putting on” the Gary Owens style voice as announcer man. So, when he slipped into a “character” voice – he was really using his own voice and so it was so easy to do. The audience never knew that. How brilliant was that? And, he could do a two voice conversation with himself on the fly – just like that. So fast – Robin Williams fast – just way before Robin Williams. His best bit – dumping a truckload of manure in news director Byron McGregor’s driveway as a prank payback. I did meet up with Gary recently at Dan’s seminar, and what a mind – he remembered the young jock who hung around to see the magic happening. A vote for Gary is a vote honoring a legend.
So, I can fairly say, “I replaced Gary Burbank.” But, only technically. Gary was doing the Morning Show at CKLW The Big 8 and he was amazing. I only came in to do some part-time fill from the sister station in Ottawa. But, when Gary moved on to Cincinati they hired me – but for all-nights – NOT the morning show. Let’s get that straight. In doing the fill shows, instead of going back to the hotel to sleep after the shift, I would stay and watch Gary work his magic. He was so ahead of his time. His “on-air” voice at CKLW was a character voice. He was really “putting on” the Gary Owens style voice as announcer man. So, when he slipped into a “character” voice – he was really using his own voice and so it was so easy to do. The audience never knew that. How brilliant was that? And, he could do a two voice conversation with himself on the fly – just like that. So fast – Robin Williams fast – just way before Robin Williams. His best bit – dumping a truckload of manure in news director Byron McGregor’s driveway as a prank payback. I did meet up with Gary recently at Dan’s seminar, and what a mind – he remembered the young jock who hung around to see the magic happening. A vote for Gary is a vote honoring a legend.
So, I can fairly say, “I replaced Gary Burbank.” But, only technically. Gary was doing the Morning Show at CKLW The Big 8 and he was amazing. I only came in to do some part-time fill from the sister station in Ottawa. But, when Gary moved on to Cincinati they hired me – but for all-nights – NOT the morning show. Let’s get that straight. In doing the fill shows, instead of going back to the hotel to sleep after the shift, I would stay and watch Gary work his magic. He was so ahead of his time. His “on-air” voice at CKLW was a character voice. He was really “putting on” the Gary Owens style voice as announcer man. So, when he slipped into a “character” voice – he was really using his own voice and so it was so easy to do. The audience never knew that. How brilliant was that? And, he could do a two voice conversation with himself on the fly – just like that. So fast – Robin Williams fast – just way before Robin Williams. His best bit – dumping a truckload of manure in news director Byron McGregor’s driveway as a prank payback. I did meet up with Gary recently at Dan’s seminar, and what a mind – he remembered the young jock who hung around to see the magic happening. A vote for Gary is a vote honoring a legend.
The second aircheck I ever heard of Gary was from CKLW. The longstanding tag line for Buick car commercials was, “Wouldn’t you really rather have a Buick?”
Gary played a spot that ended with the announcer giving that tag, to which one of Gary’s characters responded, “Not if I was pregnant.”
It was also at his CKLW days that he drove to work on his motorcycle, very early in the morning. To wake himself up, he’d scream along the way.
Finally a cop pulled him over: “So YOU’RE the guy who’s been scaring everyone in the neighborhood each morning.” Fortunately, the cop was a fan, so Gary avoided arrest.
I regretfully never got a chance to meet Gary personally, but I would have to say that he was one of the reasons why I got into radio. I remember fondly listening to bits like “All My Bengals” and anything he did with Gilbert Gnarley. Hands down he gets my vote for the hall. He also gets my vote for having a great BBQ restaurant.
As a morning host, I appreciate folks who get up very early and do it right. Gary Burbank is one of the very best. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.He definately has my vote.
Thank you so much for asking for votes to get Gary Burbank into the National Radio Hall of Fame. Gary’s already received my vote, as I enjoyed listening to him every weekday afternoon from 3-6pm on 700 WLW, the many years he worked in Cincinnati! Even though Gary retired in December, I get a treat at 6:25am every weekday, as Earl Pitts says “Wake Up Uhmerica”and gives a one minute opinion of something. We in Cincinnati, via our now single newspaper The Cincinnati Enquirer, and its entertainment reporter John Kiesewetter, have been generating local votes since May, but national votes are even more important. John Kiesewetter has included the link to your blog on his blog. I have another friend who writes a three times a week national newsletter called Jim Rose Remembers Radio. Jim is a former broadcaster who is not a blogger but publishes that newletter every Mon, Weds, and Fri.He has already mentioned Gary Burbank’s Hall of Fame candidacy in that newsletter. Hopefully the combination of your blog and Jim’s newsletter will generate the national votes Gary might need to give him the key to the Hall of Fame. Thanks for agreeing with me that Gary Burbank deserves to be inducted!
GARY BURBANK IS A RADIO GOD.
He’s the reason WLW has a button on my car radio to this day. I met Gary in 1988? 89? Earl Pitts came to our station to do a day’s worth of personal appearances, as we were an early EP affiliate. Afterwards, our PD gathered us around and said, ‘Mr. Burbank is a very busy man, so don’t waste his time. Come with a list of questions to ask him, and he’s agreed to speak to us.’
After a full day of appearances (in costume as Earl) Gary comes into the room, and says “Anywhere I can get some good barbecue?” We proceeded to talk about BBQ nationally for an hour and a half, and he told us of his plans for his upcoming restaurant.
A brilliant broadcaster, and a heckuva good guy. Plus he makes a mean mustard based sauce. Hall of Fame material for sure. He don’t…he don’t…he don’t mess around. Hey!
I most certainly will vote for Mr. Burbank. I don’t recall ever hearing him here in the NW, but I watched your video and truly understand the fading away of quality talent. Those personal friendships gained through years of association are so very hard to replace. Unfortunately as we grow older, this is becoming commonplace and you know the good thing is Gary is retiring. So many we read about are passing and that is very sad.
Dan,
I’m delighted to vote for Gary. Meeting him at the Summit a few years ago was a huge highlight of that year’s event.
Be well,
Bob
Thanks, Bob. Isn’t it amazing that with his long career on top, NOBODY ever has had a bad thing to say about him?
As a Program Director visiting WAKY, I had the pleasure of being in the studio and watiching Gary work.
Talk about mic technique, while you could barely hear him in the studio, the people listening heard this deep, rich Gary Owens like voice coming out of their radios.
More amazing was his ability to carry on conversations with his various characters live (no tape). You’d swear there were two people talking at the same time. But no, it was just Gary talking to himself!
And who can forget his final show at WAKY when a supposedly upset listener called and threatened to come down to the station and have it out with him. Several minutes later, listeners heard this guy burst into the studio and shoot Burbank on the air! It was all a dramatization, but it still sent chills up your spine as it ended in a burst of gunfire.
Gary deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. He’s got my vote.
Larry White
Charlotte, NC area
Gary’s “last day at WAKY” was the first time I’d ever heard him. It blew me away. The WAKY DJ who found Gary, lying on the control room floor and “dying,” was Lee Masters — who went on to become VP of Programming for MTV and, later, CEO of the E! Entertainment network.
With his dying breath, Gary told him, “On Monday, my chair will be empty. I want you to fill it, Lee.” And he “died.”
Silence, and then Lee says, “Gee, I always wanted to work the afternoon show!”
Burbank is one of the absolute BEST…a master at his craft!
@Dan,
Yes, that was the best barbecue I’ve EVER had. And the cornbread was amazing as well. As Gary would say “I must be off…”
You know what? I’d been thinking of scheduling a teleseminar with Gary…to talk about radio.
But maybe instead we should do one devoted to barbecuing.
Only problem would be limiting Gary to 70 mniutes.
I’m happy to see another post about Gary Burbank today. The voting for the Radio Hall of Fame ends one week from tomorrow. The Cincinnati Enquirer is giving Gary another push. Newspaper readers were invited today in the local section to go to John Kiesewetter’s blog, which includes the link to this blog, and a link which will give them specific instructions on how to vote. My husband finally got around to casting his vote for Gary tonight.
What’s nice about the HOF site is that you can play a clip of Gary’s many chracters, before deciding if you want to cast a vote for him. The Cincinnati Enquirer today even had a photo of Gary. John Kiesewetter told me that on Sunday July 13, he will have a news article on him, two days before the final vote is cast.
Gary and I have crossed paths many times. Linn Broadcasting, Multi Media. He as been one of the true creative talents of radio, and there just a few of those left. Funny, but I thought he’d been doing this longer than 35 years.
Larry Ryan
You’re right, it was more than 35 years. I was just estimating.
Or…It could be that I was saying it was only during the last 35 years that he was doing it brilliantly.
It was more than 35 years, exactly 45 years to be exact. That according to the Cincinnati Enquirer’s John Kiesewetter. Gary’s final 27 years of his radio career were at 700 WLW. Of course all of us hope that Earl Pitts will grace the air-waves for many more years to come!
This is NOT a Hall of Famer yet! The Radio Hall of Fame has announced the 2008 inductees. The winner in the category of which Gary Burbank was a nominee, is Charlie Tuna!
Charlie Tuna is a terrific talent who has earned his way into the Hall of Fame.
Still, it’s amazing that Gary wasn’t inducted 20 years ago.
I agree with you Dan that Gary Burbank is an incredible radio talent worthy of the Radio Hall of Fame. Hopefully he’ll be nominated again in a not too distant future year!