Gary Dee
Encyclopedia
Gary David Gilbert, on-air name Gary Dee, was a pioneer in controversial talk radio
. He worked for stations which included WERE
, WHK, and WWWE (now WTAM
) in Cleveland, Ohio
. He spent a short time in New York
, but failed to achieve the huge following he had in Ohio
.
Gary Dee's style varied from a confrontational, "down home" manner, to satire
, and a no-holds barred shock jock
style. He paved the way for radio stars who would follow him. Gary made heavy use of country music, especially Johnny Cash
and George Jones
. In his tongue-in-cheek way, he would poke fun at politicians, society in general, and his own family and life.
. His father was a sharecropper
who moved the family to Exeter, California
when Dee was 11. There his father became a fire chief.
Dee went on to spend three semesters at the University of California, Berkeley
, studying accounting. He dropped out and went on to enter the College of the Sequoias
. He then finished his degree in radio and speech at Fresno State College while living in a funeral home rent-free in exchange for answering the phones at night; or at least that was the deal. Gary sublet two of his three rooms and had the other college students do the work. While in Fresno, he was on-air at KYNO
, the Gene Chenault-owned Top-40 station that was an early stop for famed programmer Bill Drake
. He appeared on-air at KYNO and cross-town rival KMAK
in both Top-40 and country incarnations.
In 1972, Cleveland, Ohio
radio station WERE hired him from Fresno, California
where he had been a country music disc jockey and advertising agency owner. At the time, he idolized television talk show host Joe Pyne
, who pioneered the confrontational style of hosting in which the host advocates a viewpoint and argues with guests and audience members. WERE itself was transitioning into a talk format dubbed "People Power," with an emphasis on controversial hosts and an in-your-face approach. Dee became the linchpin of the new format, and quickly became the highest-rated talk show host in Cleveland.
After an ownership change at WERE in 1975, country music outlet WHK
hired away Dee to be their new morning show host, where he continued to enjoy successful ratings for almost a decade. In the late 1970s, however, Dee himself made news headlines for breaking the nose of his then wife Liz Richards, who was a WEWS-TV
news anchor and co-host of that stations' high-profile breakfast television show, The Morning Exchange
. His divorce with her was highly publicized as well.
Gary became one of the best known (and most listened to) talk hosts in Cleveland. He was known for his encounters with politicians—especially legendary Cleveland City Councilman George Forbes
, who would go on the air with Gary, often trading jabs until both were laughing so hard they could not continue.
After a brief stint in New York and Washington, DC (at WPKX-FM, now WMAL-FM), Gary returned to Cleveland's WWWE (now WTAM
) in the 1980s. Highlights of this period included Gary finding out, on the air, that his beloved wooden boat (the Lyman, as he would refer to it) had been burned while docked outside of the city. Gary also had on-air encounters with his son, who Gary claimed was using illegal substances, and stealing from him. Gary's son later became a radio announcer.
Gary left WWWE after one of several ownership changes. His health began to fail, but he did return to WERE in the early 1990s for a brief run before his death on November 10, 1995.
In 1994 Jaz McKay took over the shift that Gary Dee had held for so long at WWWE. Many people said that McKay had continued the sprit of Gary Dee and many of his callers were former Gary Dee devotees. McKay always paid tribute to Dee. Not long after Gary died his wife visited Jaz at the station to tell him that Gary had heard his show and wanted to officially pass the torch of Cleveland's premiere shock jock on to him.
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
. He worked for stations which included WERE
WERE
WERE — branded News/Talk 1490 WERE-AM — is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland Heights, Ohio broadcasting a news/talk format. The station is owned by Radio One, and has studios at 2510 St. Clair Avenue, while the transmitter is along Euclid Avenue near East 118th Street, adjacent to...
, WHK, and WWWE (now WTAM
WTAM
WTAM — branded Newsradio WTAM 1100 — is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, serving Greater Cleveland and much of surrounding Northeast Ohio. Owned by Clear Channel Communications, the station broadcasts primarily a news/talk format...
) in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. He spent a short time in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, but failed to achieve the huge following he had in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
Gary Dee's style varied from a confrontational, "down home" manner, to satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
, and a no-holds barred shock jock
Shock jock
Shock jock is a slang term used to describe a type of any radio broadcaster who attracts attention using humor that a significant portion of the listening audience may find offensive. The term is usually used pejoratively to describe provocative or irreverent broadcasters whose mannerisms,...
style. He paved the way for radio stars who would follow him. Gary made heavy use of country music, especially Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
and George Jones
George Jones
George Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette....
. In his tongue-in-cheek way, he would poke fun at politicians, society in general, and his own family and life.
Background
Gary was born in Hope, ArkansasHope, Arkansas
Hope is a small city in Hempstead County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2008 United States Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 10,378...
. His father was a sharecropper
Sharecropping
Sharecropping is a system of agriculture in which a landowner allows a tenant to use the land in return for a share of the crop produced on the land . This should not be confused with a crop fixed rent contract, in which a landowner allows a tenant to use the land in return for a fixed amount of...
who moved the family to Exeter, California
Exeter, California
Exeter is a city in Tulare County, California, United States. It is situated near the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. The population was 10,334 at the 2010 census....
when Dee was 11. There his father became a fire chief.
Dee went on to spend three semesters at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, studying accounting. He dropped out and went on to enter the College of the Sequoias
College of the Sequoias
College of the Sequoias is a public two-year community college located in Visalia in Tulare County, in California's San Joaquin Valley. The current enrollment of COS is 13,000 students, and the college offers a variety of transfer, vocational, and community-based classes, including the fire/police...
. He then finished his degree in radio and speech at Fresno State College while living in a funeral home rent-free in exchange for answering the phones at night; or at least that was the deal. Gary sublet two of his three rooms and had the other college students do the work. While in Fresno, he was on-air at KYNO
KYNO
KYNO is a News/Talk radio station broadcasting at 940 kHz in Fresno, California, United States of America.-Station history:KYNO from 1957 and throughout the 1960s and 1970s, was a Top-40 station, and was the #1 "Hooper" rated station in Fresno under the ownership of Eugene Chenault...
, the Gene Chenault-owned Top-40 station that was an early stop for famed programmer Bill Drake
Bill Drake
Bill Drake , born Philip Yarbrough, was an American radio programmer who co-developed the Boss Radio format with Gene Chenault via their company Drake-Chenault.-Early career:...
. He appeared on-air at KYNO and cross-town rival KMAK
KMAK
KMAK is an American radio station licensed toserve the community of Orange Cove, California, United States. The station, established in 1990, is owned by founder Richard B...
in both Top-40 and country incarnations.
In 1972, Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
radio station WERE hired him from Fresno, California
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
where he had been a country music disc jockey and advertising agency owner. At the time, he idolized television talk show host Joe Pyne
Joe Pyne
Joe Pyne was an American radio and television talk show host, who pioneered the confrontational style in which the host advocates a viewpoint and argues with guests and audience members...
, who pioneered the confrontational style of hosting in which the host advocates a viewpoint and argues with guests and audience members. WERE itself was transitioning into a talk format dubbed "People Power," with an emphasis on controversial hosts and an in-your-face approach. Dee became the linchpin of the new format, and quickly became the highest-rated talk show host in Cleveland.
After an ownership change at WERE in 1975, country music outlet WHK
WHK (AM)
WHK is the oldest radio station in Ohio, and 15th oldest in the country still broadcasting. WHK is currently owned by Salem Communications and broadcasts on 1420 kHz with a news/talk format with programming provided by the Salem Radio Network, as well as being the Cleveland affiliate for The...
hired away Dee to be their new morning show host, where he continued to enjoy successful ratings for almost a decade. In the late 1970s, however, Dee himself made news headlines for breaking the nose of his then wife Liz Richards, who was a WEWS-TV
WEWS-TV
WEWS-TV, virtual channel 5 , is a television station in Cleveland, Ohio. WEWS has been owned by the E. W. Scripps Company since its inception, and is an affiliate of the ABC television network...
news anchor and co-host of that stations' high-profile breakfast television show, The Morning Exchange
The Morning Exchange
The Morning Exchange was a daily morning TV show that aired on WEWS-TV in Cleveland, Ohio from 1972 to 1999. The program is widely regarded as one of the most successful local programs in the history of U.S. television. On a typical day in the 1970s, over 2/3 of all TV sets in the Cleveland...
. His divorce with her was highly publicized as well.
Gary became one of the best known (and most listened to) talk hosts in Cleveland. He was known for his encounters with politicians—especially legendary Cleveland City Councilman George Forbes
George L. Forbes
George Lawrence Forbes is an American politician of the Democratic Party. From 1974 to 1989, Forbes served as one of the most powerful presidents of Cleveland City Council. He is the former President of the Cleveland NAACP and is semi-retired from practicing law.-Early and personal life:Forbes was...
, who would go on the air with Gary, often trading jabs until both were laughing so hard they could not continue.
After a brief stint in New York and Washington, DC (at WPKX-FM, now WMAL-FM), Gary returned to Cleveland's WWWE (now WTAM
WTAM
WTAM — branded Newsradio WTAM 1100 — is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, serving Greater Cleveland and much of surrounding Northeast Ohio. Owned by Clear Channel Communications, the station broadcasts primarily a news/talk format...
) in the 1980s. Highlights of this period included Gary finding out, on the air, that his beloved wooden boat (the Lyman, as he would refer to it) had been burned while docked outside of the city. Gary also had on-air encounters with his son, who Gary claimed was using illegal substances, and stealing from him. Gary's son later became a radio announcer.
Gary left WWWE after one of several ownership changes. His health began to fail, but he did return to WERE in the early 1990s for a brief run before his death on November 10, 1995.
In 1994 Jaz McKay took over the shift that Gary Dee had held for so long at WWWE. Many people said that McKay had continued the sprit of Gary Dee and many of his callers were former Gary Dee devotees. McKay always paid tribute to Dee. Not long after Gary died his wife visited Jaz at the station to tell him that Gary had heard his show and wanted to officially pass the torch of Cleveland's premiere shock jock on to him.