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Bobby Harper was one of Americas top DJs in the 1960s.

He was a model for WKRP's Johnny Fever. Skinny Bobby Harper

ruled the airwaves in Atlanta for many years.

Sadly, he passed on July 22 2003 at the age of 64.

"Without radio, I wouldn't have had a career," rock/pop legend Frankie Valli told a gathering of media and fans Friday at the National Top 40 Hall of Fame & Radio Museum in Lookout Valley.

Valli was in town for a sold-out show later in the day at the Tivoli Theatre in downtown Chattanooga. The Radio Museum is located inside the building of legendary WFLI Radio which signed on the air in 1961, the year before Valli and the Four Seasons had two of their biggest Top 40 hits "Sherry" and "Big Girls Don'y Cry."

If you are into Sea Trout or Redfish, Charlie is your man. He has been doing this for most of his life and it's my belief that he has forgotten more than most Captains learn.

The ribbon was cut on Friday (Nov. 16th 2018) for the "National top 40 hall of fame and radio museum". On hand for the ceremony was Mike Love of the original Beach Boys. The popular 60's, 70's singing group was in Chattanooga for a concert at the Tivoli Theater. Some of their million selling hits include, I get around, Surfin U.S.A., Help Me Rhonda, and Good Vibrations. 

I asked if I could bring my cameras and record the show? He said, "Let's do it." This is a non-stop two hour show with Roger Alan Wade. Roger Alan Wade is an American singer-songwriter. He is the cousin of Johnny Knoxville. Chattanooga, Tennessee proudly claims him as a native son. The name Roger Alan Wade for many Chattanoogan's is as familiar as Coca-Cola or the moon pie. Thanks again Roger, It was a fun night indeed!

Borrowing a line from the musical Oklahoma “We’ve gone about as far as we can go,” Chattanooga City Court Judge Russell Bean completed 22 years on the bench on Wednesday, August 31st 2022. Court Officer Pat Brown called Judge Bean’s court to order and the short docket consisted of several traffic cases. Mr. Brown told the courtroom filled with family and friends that “the city was given a gift of honor and distinction when Judge Bean took the job.” 

Judge Bean said he heard over 80,000 cases while on the bench.

When he had finished with his remarks, he left the courtroom but re-entered to shake hands and make pictures with his family and friends. He invited his friends back to his chambers where dozens of pictures with famous people and friends line the walls. Judge Bean said it’s known to some as the “tacky museum.” As to Judge Bean’s future, “I plan to enjoy life and spend a lot of time with my family. There’s plenty of good baseball (playoffs and World Series), football (Vols) and UTC basketball ahead, among my favorite teams, the Red Bank Lions.”

December 31st 2012 marked Luther's 72nd anniversary of being on the air at WDEF Radio as a morning drive personality. That's a world record that perhaps will never be broken. I miss him and think about him a lot. He was simply, one of a kind.

Digging around in my attic a while back, I found an old video addressed to me from the City of Chattanooga. I had no idea what it was. surprisingly enough, it played. Then I remembered the event from the early 1980s. I was Vice President General Manager of WDEF and was invited to the city commission meeting to accept a proclamation on behalf of WDEF. Dang, I didn't have a single grey hair, in fact, Commissioner Paul Clark remarked about my youth.... ha, those days are long gone.

He is known as Chattanooga's biscuit king by many locals.

I asked and received permission to record my friend Dario while he spun his magic. Dario has worked at Wally's Restaurant for many years and he plays no small part in Wally's great breakfast experience.

In 1970, disc jockey Bob Todd, "Chickamauga Charlie", took Chattanooga by storm. His keen "on air" timing with remarkable wit & humor has secured a permanent place in Chattanooga's rich radio history. Over 65 years later, "Chicky Poo" remains in the hearts & minds of many Chattanoogans.   It should also be noted that Chattanooga later became a vibrant model city and has continued that trend until this very day.

Yep! That's me in a bathtub in the middle of Northgate Mall.

This was a radio promotion that General manager Bill Nash & I worked out with Northgate Mall in Chattanooga.  Back then, we would have coffee and dream up promotions to get our call letters out in front of the public. The city of Chattanooga already had a promotion called, "sparkle day" coming up so we tied into that promotion with the bath tub in the mall idea. It got media attention and was a lot of fun.  WDOD was the first station to go on the air in Chattanooga.  I worked middays (10-3p) Mon-Fri  and 5:30a-10am on Saturdays. This audio was taken from my Saturday morning show. I was at WDOD for two years.  In that period. we were ranked #1 in Chattanooga on my mid day show with adults 18/49. #2 & #3, depending which particular demos you look at.  in brief, WDOD  always had strong ratings during this entire era."

Jimmy Tawater legendary Chattanooga performer sings Johnny B Goode at the Tommy Jett 15th Annual Entertainers Reunion.

I loved my conversations with my friend the late Fletcher Bright. 

Fletcher Bright (1931–2017) was a prominent Chattanooga, Tennessee real estate developer and renowned bluegrass fiddler. He was the Chairman of the Fletcher Bright Company and founder of the Three Sisters Bluegrass Festival. 

Chattanoogaben.com

Brad Walker, Director of the Les Elgart Band explains how Dick Clark secured the rights to the theme song for the television show, American Bandstand.

It was an evening mostly of old favorites as the Chuck Wagon Gang sang to over 150 fans at the Hullander Farm in Apison on Sunday October 20th 2019.  The evening included favorites like “Church in the Wildwood",  “After the Sunrise”, “Echo’s from the Burning Bush”, “I’ll fly away” and songs from their latest recording “No Depression in Heaven, songs of the Carter Family.”

Guess I was in the right place at the right time with my video camera when Mitch Ryder showed up to visit his old friend Frankie

Valli at the Legendary  WFLI studios.

My friendship with Tommy lasted for over fifty years.

Tommy Jett ruled the airwaves in Chattanooga during most all of the 1960s and 1970s. At one time, Tommy had a night time audience share of 71% on WFLI which has never, to this day been equaled or beaten. on May 4th 2013, he was inducted into the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame.

Tommy Jett will always be remembered as one of

Chattanoogas most loved DJs.

Tommy died at his Flintstone Georgia home on April 25 2018.

Riverfront Nights Song.

It was a lot of fun writing the lyrics and piecing this song together.

Chattanooga is a great party town.

~

Ben Cagle

This is the most accurate story of the historic Battle of Chickamauga that I have found. This video was produced by the History Channel.

I post it only for historical purposes.

A true story of how the single vision of one man saved many lives....... including his own! 

Report by the late Paul Harvey.

Those sweet memories remain

In addition to his Medal of Honor, Desmond Doss also received a bronze star for valor with one Oak Leaf Cluster (signifying two bronze stars), the Asiatic-Pacific campaign medal with three bronze stars, and beachhead arrowhead (signifying service in 4 combat campaigns including an amphibious landing under combat conditions), and the Good Conduct Medal, as well as the aforementioned Purple Heart with two Oak Leaf clusters (signifying three Purple Hearts).

Desmond Doss is buried at the Chattanooga National Cemetery in Chattanooga, Tennessee. His grave is located in 

section P, Grave # 6399-A

Scenic City Women's Network remembers the families who lost loved ones on that dreadful day of 9/11. This is General Bell's personal story on that day. We greatly acknowledge the work of our first responders and the Military for their selfless acts of service on that day. Their daily sacrifices safeguard our freedom and deserve our sincerest thanks, appreciation and deepest support. Featured speaker was Chattanooga's very own, 5 Star General B.B. Bell.

Red Skelton's Chattanooga visit - April 1979. 

Red Skelton had a meeting with the Chattanooga area press during his visit here in April 1979. He was presented a key to the city. Red tells several interesting stories during this meeting. This the only known audio that exists from that meeting.

Several thousand people lined Market Street, Martin Luther King Boulevard, Bailey Avenue and Holtzclaw Avenue to say goodbye to hometown hero and Medal of Honor recipient Capt. Larry Taylor 

who passed on Jan. 28th 2024.

Capt. Taylor is buried next to other Congressional Medal of Honor Recipients Charles Coolidge and Desmond Doss.

Dedication was on December 3rd 2019.

One of the most influential and significant groups in African-American music, the Impressions founding members included Chattanooga resident Arthur Brooks, Fred Cash, Richard Brooks and Sam Gooden.Their hits from the 60s and 70s bridged doo-wop, rhythm and blues, gopspel and soul music.Some of their songs addressed African-American identity issues and became civil rights anthems.

When you walk thru those big beautiful gates at Erlanger Park, It's most likely that one of the first faces you see will be 

"Wonderful Wanda."  Here's a little song that I wrote 

and put music to at the beginning of the 2026 season.

( Voice on the song is Allen Ingle or A I )

The unifying finale event for the entire celebration series. This free downtown celebration, produced in partnership with Hamilton County, Featured a world-class 500-drone show above the Tennessee River in a choreographed patriotic performance, along with a dramatic 1,000-foot pyro waterfall cascading from the Market Street Bridge. This Tennessee America 250 Program is supported in part by the Tennessee Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial. Date July 4th 2026.

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