So Long, “Casual One”
by Fred Jacobs · December 21, 2023
Bruce, Ken, & Bob | Photo credit: Thomas Weschler
“Oh no, not again.”
I expect that's the reaction heard 'round the radio industry, and especially in the Detroit Metro area. We lost another one this week.
Those of you in the rock radio community are still trying to process Jim Ladd. And now Ken Calvert, the guy who represented Detroit radio so damn well has left the building. If you're just finding out about the passing of “The Casual One,” I hate to be the bearer of the sad news.
K.C., truly “one of the hardest working men in show business,” passed away a couple of nights back, and the sad news began to take flight yesterday afternoon. The ripples will most certainly be felt from Allen Park to Birmingham to St. Clair Shores. Ken wasn't just an incredibly accomplished personality, he was truly one of the nicest guys you could ever meet.
I watched his ability to instantaneously eradicate the awkwardness that goes with meeting a celebrity. Ken disarmed those odd moments, immediately putting a new acquaintance or fan at ease. The jokes would flow, often with a little touch of Rodney or Shecky. But that's who K.C. was – he made you comfortable, and he made you laugh.
In all the years I spent time with him at station events, I never saw him act the least bit cold or standoffish to a listener – or anyone else. He embraced interaction, loved to talk about music, barbequing, his lawn – anything.
With Billy Squier, me on the far left, Ken Calvert on the far right
I've had an eye on social media these past few hours and the outpouring has come from all corners – radio folks, rock stars, former Detroit Pistons, and of course, legions of fans who “knew” him from his decades on Detroit rock radio, as well as his high visiblity in the Motor City area. The man had no enemies or even people who didn't care for him. Ken Calvert was everyone's friend.
During some of my darker moments while programming WRIF (and there were more than a few of them), Ken would walk into my office and remind me to “Turn the frown upside down” and try to look at the bright side. As WRIF's midday monster during the station's first golden era, Kenny played his role well, bridging the station's incredible tentpole shows, J.J. and the Morning Crew and Arthur Penhallow. Many jocks stuck in between those two behemoth shows might have gotten a bit lost in the shuffle.
Not K.C. In fact, he made a strategic decision to be that Swiss Army Knife of WRIF, showing up everywhere and cultivating new audiences. Back then, ABC-Owned WRIF had plenty of marketing money budgeted every year – for TV, billboards, print, and owning the street. But Ken realized he was only going to get so much promotional firepower, so he took it upon himself to make his own noise, to generate his own buzz. And in the process, he brought the station new fans with his relentless pursuit to build his own brand. As a result, he contributed to WRIF in incalculable ways.
It took me a few years as a consultant to step back and understand the method behind his work ethic and after-hours activities. In a presentation I've shown dozen of times over the years, often called “Building Better DJs,” I talk about how radio personalities can take control over their careers and personas by becoming involved outside the station. My poster boy for this prezo? Ken Calvert, of course. And it took two slides to explain all the truly smart and savvy things he did in just a few short years to cement his legacy.
It was textbook – how you personally take a market by storm. Look at this body of work, all during a relatively short time.
Ken sold himself to WDIV-TV, the NBC affiliate in Detroit, as an entertainment reporter. His premise? Why send one of your “suits” to cover a Queen or Led Zeppelin concert at Cobo or Pine Knob when a veteran Detroit rocker could do a great job with the interview and event coverage? It worked for the TV news department and it worked for us at WRIF. Ken got access to bands and artists because of his television cred, while the radio station had to wait its turn. Of course, I repurposed his audio on WRIF every chance I could.
On the public service front, K.C. took it upon himself to hook up with the National Chili Foundation and their annual Chili Cookoff in Saline, Michigan. And Ken enlisted power chefs in Detroit to help him craft a killer chili recipe so he didn't just show up at the event – he competed in it.
Ken Calvert aka Chuck Roast
Ken created his own Sunday morning oldies show, The Electric Brunch. But the twist was that it wasn't hosted by Ken Calvert, it was jocked by a greased-back hair, '57 Chevy driving wildman named Chuck Roast – yes, Ken's alter ego. The show shot up to #1 where it stayed, and Ken hosted a special bar night every Sunday night at a popular Woodward Avenue drinking hole. It was always beyond packed.
But perhaps the biggest move was snaring the P.A. gig for the Detroit Pistons not long before they were to enter their famous “Bad Boys Era.” Ken did the emceeing when the Pistons received their NBA Championship rings in 1988 and 1989 – an amazing position for your personality DJ to be in. (See the video at the end of this post.)
After leaving the station, I bought season tickets to the Pistons, and saw Ken every night at the scorers table, always accompanied by his lovely wife, Ann. Of course, Ken developed signature sounds when the key players scored – like “Joe DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-mars,” whenever the Pistons' all-star guard drained a bucket. Not surprisingly, former Pistons, including Isaiah Thomas, came out on social media last night to honor K.C.
In those days, the halftime shows were pretty lame – acrobats, dogs catching frisbees, etc. And on those nights when the opponent wasn't very good, they didn't bother to book anything or anyone for the intermission. Instead, Ken was the halftime show. The Pistons would pull a couple dozen fans out of the stands to try their hand at a half-court shot for some sort of prize. The truly entertaining part was Ken “interviewing” each fan before their big moment, ribbing them about their clothes, their job, their hometown – their lame shooting skills. I lived for those moments. It was worth the price of admission.
Ken “grokked” that by building his brand on the Detroit radio airwaves, he'd always have a great opportunity in the market. Over the years, he graced the air of WABX, W4, WRIF of course, WLLZ, WJR, and WCSX. He also worked as a Columbia/CBS Records rep before joining WRIF in 1979. (He really missed radio.) That was when I got to work with him and got to know him. We never actually talked about specific gigs, but I would bet he would look at his years at WRIF as the high point of his amazing career.
I hope I'm not missing any of Ken's gigs. But I know that everyone who ever worked with him, over him, or under him came away a better person for the experience. Ken made us all look good. His crossovers with the iconic Arthur Penhallow became legendary themselves. As Ken would introduce Art like an emcee (Master of Ceremeonies) would intro James Brown in concert, Ken came up with witticisms that stuck. I talked to Arthur last night to give him the sad news, and he reminded me, “He came up with all my names!” The Mayor of RIFFville, the Grand Poobah of Rock n' Roll, and on it went.
When it was announced I was going into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018, Paul threw me a surprise party at a local restaurant. And many of the old guard – including Ken and Arthur showed up. This photo captures Calvert (fourth from the left) perfectly:
L-R: Paul, Michael Mayer, Arthur Penhallow, Ken Calvert,
me, Mark Pasman, Tom Bender, Mark Pennington
After leaving WCSX exactly 10 years ago, Ken jumped into podcasting. And did he ever have questions. I hooked him up with Seth Resler, and we did our best to help guide him. But Ken knew where he was going. His own podcast was a series of interviews. And then there was his podcast with Father Joe Grimaldi from his famous high school, Birmingham Brother Rice. Did I mention that back in those days, Ken was the Brother Rice Warrior – yes, the school mascot. Who else?
Just a couple weeks back, Beasley Detroit programming guru, Scott Jameson, tapped Ken to host an all-day “Beatles Blitz.” It was great to hear “The Casual One” gracing the Detroit radio airways once again. Here's a photo of the dashboard display WCSX put together, a great tribute to Ken. As it turned out, it would be Ken's “last show.” I sent him the screen cap from my dash with the note, “Calv in my car!” And he responded, “Thanks, Fred. How cool is this?!” – KC.
My sincere condolences to Ken's wife, Ann, and his family and huge network of friends, his radio audiences over decades who spent their days listening to his great hosting and his companionship. Ken was a dear colleague and friend to so many of us.
He will be so missed.
Below are those Pistons announcements when those “Bad Boys” first got their rings. Ken is all over it, and his signature laugh is the perfect accompaniment to the celebration:
Ken also tracked the comings and goings of the rock/classic rock world every day on his socials. You can see his work on his Facebook page.
President & Founder at Jacobs Media
Fred Jacobs founded Jacobs Media in 1983, and quickly became known for the creation of the Classic Rock radio format.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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