Dick Hugg

Richard James 'Dick' Hugg (pka "Huggy Boy") (June 9, 1928 – August 30, 2006) was a radio disc jockey in Los Angeles, California.[2][1]

Dick 'Huggy Boy' Hugg
Born
Richard James Hugg[1]

June 9, 1928
Canton, Ohio
DiedAugust 30, 2006 (aged 78)
Long Beach, California
Occupationdisc jockey
Years active1950s–2006

Rock and Roll

Hugg, known to his listeners as "Huggy Boy", was instrumental in the promotion of rock and roll in the 1950s. He is credited with bringing rhythm and blues to the airwaves of Southern California, as well as bringing the "Eastside Sound" to large audience. He was the first white disc jockey to broadcast (on station KRKD) from the front window of John Dolphin's popular all-night record store, Dolphin's of Hollywood, at the corner of Central and Vernon Avenues. He also co-produced several artists, such as vocalist Jesse Belvin and saxophonist Joe Houston, on Dolphin's various record labels, including Cash and Money. With his own record label, Caddy Records, Hugg recorded local favorites Jim Balcom, Jeanette Baker, Chuck Higgins and Johnny Flamingo. Hugg later promoted bands like The Jaguars, the Village Callers, Thee Midniters and The Champs, later known as the Chicano rock movement.[3]

Though originally an R&B disc jockey, he gradually aimed his radio and television shows at Los Angeles' burgeoning Latino population and featured almost every young Chicano group coming out of East Los Angeles, the San Gabriel Valley, the Pomona Valley, and the San Fernando Valley. He promoted dances and shows in the barrio and was important in the growth of the city's so-called Eastside Sound.

He also brought to East Los Angeles groups like Them, Sonny and Cher, The Righteous Brothers and Dusty Springfield, acts that may otherwise have not been accessible to Mexican-American audiences.

He was on KRKD, 1951–55; KWKW, 1954; KALI; KGFJ, 1955; KBLA, 1965;[4] KRKD, 1965–66; KRTH, 1975; XPRS, 1981–82; KRLA, 1983–98; KRTH, 1998-2002.[5] He hosted an oldies show on KRLA and for a time, a dance program, "The Huggie Boy Show", which aired weekly on KWHY channel 22. His popularity continued to increase long after the show went off the air.[3]

Hugg was one of the Emcee's for the fourteenth famed Cavalcade of Jazz concerts being produced by Leon Hefflin, Sr. held at that year at the Shrine Auditorium on August 3, 1958. The last Cavalcade of Jazz concert was a tribute to the city's most prominent r&b jocks- Charles Trammel, Hunter Hancock and Jim Randolph teamed up with Hugg.[6] Lionel Hampton, Big Jay McNeely, Dinah Washington, Betty Carter, Billy Eckstine, Jimmy Witherspoon, Louis Jordan, Nat "King" Cole, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Sam Cooke were just a few of the numerous artists that performed over the years.[7][8][9]

Following the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which profoundly deregulated how many radio and television stations one corporation can own, CBS ended up buying KRLA in 1998. CBS also owned K-Earth 101, which was also an oldies station. Likely in the name of avoiding any potential competition, even though KRLA was very much an "Eastside Sound" oldies station as opposed to K-Earth, which was a general oldies station, CBS ended the oldies format on KRLA turning 1110 AM into a talk station. While some people were out of a job, as is the nature of broadcasting, Huggy Boy was, to the genuine surprise to many in the industry, given a nightly spot on 101.1 FM, which is a very coveted position in L.A. radio.

While it was a very generous gesture on CBS' and KRTH's part, The Huggy Boy Show on K-Earth was not quite the same, to say the least. In 1998, as it is now, K-Earth had a very highly restrictive oldies playlist, and Huggy Boy was only able to play one tune from his unique oldies collection only once an hour. As listeners to the radio station at 101.1 FM know, K-Earth is a very tightly run on-air operation, which for Huggy Boy meant his sometimes fun rambling between the music, or during requests and dedications, was greatly limited.[10]

Hugg's influence was noted on Lighter Shade of Brown's record "Huggy Boy Show." and The Blasters’ classic "Border Radio" was inspired by Hugg’s dedication show on XPRS.[11]

Personal life

Hugg was married to Emily for 25 years and had three girls: Darlene, Lisa & Tiffany. With Sandy Flores he had his only son Richard Hugg, Jr. and two more grandchildren. He died of cardiac arrest on August 30, 2006, at age of 78.[12] He is interred at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, California.

Hugg is referenced in Season 2, Episode 14 of The Rockford Files, "The Hammer of C Block." Isaac Hayes's character, Gandolph Fitch, while searching for a radio station says, "Nobody's playing music anymore? Where's Huggy Boy or Hunter Hancock?"

gollark: Um. How?
gollark: Also, aren't cytokine storms a thing of *too much* immune response?
gollark: Plus it might be dependent on long-term environmental things or genetics, in which case good luck.
gollark: I would assume it's because the immune system still isn't extremely well-understood, and vaccination is easier and more consistent.
gollark: Huh, this somehow runs at 100 FPS.
  • Huggy Boy at KRLA radio on YouTube
  • "Doo wop Society".
  • Huggy Boy Presents Rare R&B Oldies (CD). Aries Music Entertainment Inc.
  • "Richard James "Huggy Boy" Hugg". findagrave.com.

References
  1. Miller, Martin (2006-09-01). "Dick 'Huggy Boy' Hugg, 78; DJ Introduced White L.A. Listeners to Rhythm & Blues". Los Angeles Times.
  2. "Soul Strut - World Famous Forums". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
  3. "THE STORY-TELLERS". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
  4. "KBLA Hikes Power; Bows New Personnel", Billboard. February 27, 1965. pp. 50, 51. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  5. "~Los Angeles Radio People, Where Are They Now?h". www.laradio.com.
  6. Guralnick, Peter. (2005). Dream boogie : the triumph of Sam Cooke (1st ed.). New York: Little, Brown. ISBN 0316377945. OCLC 57393650.
  7. Guralnick, Peter. (2005). Dream boogie : the triumph of Sam Cooke (1st ed.). New York: Little, Brown. ISBN 0316377945. OCLC 57393650.
  8. “Disc Jockeys Working Mike At Cavalcade” Article The California Eagle July 10, 1958.
  9. “Top Deejays to Emcee Cavalcade Of Jazz Aug. 3” Los Angeles Sentinel July 10, 1958.
  10. Rosenthal, Jason (19 February 2015). "The Southern Californian: Nine Southern California Voices We Will Never Hear Again".
  11. Heller, Skip (13 September 2000). "He's an Angel". L.A. Weekly.
  12. "'That's All' for former DJ 'Huggy Boy'". Daily News. Associated Press. 2006-09-01.
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