|
For the trivia buffs, the call letters of WVKO stand for Voice of Kolumbus Ohio (note that “C” was unavailable so “K” was substituted). The “W” was reserved for stations east of the Mississippi River.
Many probably think of Soul and R&B, or maybe Gospel, when they think of WVKO-AM 1580, but there was a time when WVKO was a rock and pop oriented station playing anything from Marty Robbins to Little Esther to The Shirelles to The Dovells. In the early 60’s WVKO shifted gears to become the premier Soul/R&B station in the area with now legendary DJ’s like Eddie Saunders, Kirk Bishop, Bill Moss and Les Brown at the microphone.
Eddie Saunders, Central Ohio’s first black DJ, was a pioneer in local radio broadcasting. Known for his love of Gospel music and his strong commitment to the community, he joined WVKO in 1948 and continued with the station until 1979.
In the 70’s, Les Brown’s “Blue Monday” program was broadcast live from Gordy’s Cascade Lounge featuring listener call-in requests for the best of the best slow jams.
Bill Moss is well-known in recent years for his tireless work as a member of the Columbus Public Shools Board. Many will also recall that Bill Moss created the short-lived Capsoul, a local record company that came very close to hitting the motherlode with an array of quality local artists such as the Four Mints, Marion Black, Kool Blues, Johnson-Hawkins-Tatum-and-Durr, Ronnie Taylor and none other than Bill Moss himself.
Only a couple of WVKO surveys are included in this gallery. It is not known how frequently these were printed and distributed over the years.
|
