Today is #NationalDJDay, the day we celebrate the men and women who entertain us every day. I couldn’t say it better than the late Bill Gavin, who published the Gavin Report, a guide for radio stations and record companies. This comment from Bill years ago stuck with me:

“The pin-pointing of an idea into a few words, compressing a thought into a sentence, talking over the intros and fade-outs of the records, having something different to say about those same old hit records, knowing when not to say anything, avoiding cliches and platitudes, always sounding alive and human and real — these are some of the attributes of an air personality.

I think most broadcasters would agree that in the long run the rating battles are fought mostly on the microphones rather than on the turntables. The right music, good news, sharp promotional messages and contests, smooth production, and then the personal part of radio — the deejay’s voice.”

It’s also the day before what would have been legendary DJ Wolfman Jack‘s 84th birthday. You probably remember him most from George Lucas‘s movie “American Graffiti”, TV’s “The Midnight Special”, or The Guess Who‘s “Clap For The Wolfman”, but he had a long radio career beginning in Mexico in the early Sixties.

The Wolfman guested on my CISL morning show in 1994 to promote his book “Have Mercy! Confessions of the Original Rock ‘N’ Roll Animal”. We talked about his friendship with Elvis, his adventures in Mexico and our shared love of rock’n’roll, and my listeners loved it. As Wolfman Jack said in closing, “I like to call it The Happiness Business!”

On this #NationalDJDay, we celebrate one of the enduring DJ’s of our era, along with all the folks who make radio fun today. Happy Birthday, Wolfman!