Al Anthony
Al Anthony (born, Endicott, NY Almondo Antonio Vincenzo Fiori) is a former Los Angeles radio personality. Anthony was most well known as a disc jockey for KAFY 550 AM in Bakersfield, California during the 1950s and later at KFXM 590 AM(KDUO-FM) in San Bernardino, California during the 1960s, where he was also the station's Director of Operations. Later, Executive Vice President of Tullis & Hearne California chain of broadcasting stations. In 1958 and 1959, Anthony was the top rated DJ in the United States. Al worked in 12 movies 1950-1960. Hosted his own TV show, "Al Anthony Dance Party" in the early sixties.[1] Follow link: almondo333.wordpress.com or Rockin & Reelin
Anthony is a Korean War veteran, having served as an aircraft flight engineer in a B-29 heavy bomber (the same that was used in the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki,Japan,ending World War II) in the United States Air Force. In 1949, he participated in a Boeing B-50 Superfortress named Lucky Lady II for a non-stop, around-the-world flight that was the first such flight in history. It took 96 hours and 4 minutes for the historic flight.[2]
Early Radio Career
After his military service, Anthony graduated from [Los Angeles City College]Los Angeles State College, where he majored in television and radio broadcasting. He later attended Ogden's Radio Operational Engineering School and earned a First Class FCC Radiotelephone Operators License.
Anthony's first radio jobs were part-time work for KBLA 1490 am in Burbank, California and KSPA 1400 am in Santa Paula. In 1956, Anthony was hired as a full-time personality at KSLR in Oceanside.He aided in setting up the very first radio station ever, located between Los Angeles and Oceanside, providing local broadcast service between those two major cities.He also worked as Director of Operations of KDEO, San Diego,KFXM, San Bernardino, KDUO, Riverside and Director of Operations or sales manager for other stations: KWIZ, KQLH, KCAL, KEAP,and temp on air, KFWB, KRLA, Los Angeles.[2]
AFTRA Strike
On October 25, 1968, Anthony was the Director of Operations at KFXM, Tiger Radio 590, when an AFTRA strike resulted in a walkout of the radio station's on-air staff, including Jim Conniff (son of big band leader Ray Conniff), Charlie Walters, Brad Edwards, Don McCoy (AKA "The Magical Mystery Man"), Jonny Bruce and Craig Denny—along with the announcing staff over at sister station KDUO-FM. Anthony and other members of the station's management and sales staff immediately took over disc jockeying duties, adopting the mysterious personas of The Jones Boys. Al Anthony went by the alias, Casey Jones, while the other fill-in DJs were similarly referred to as "John Paul Jones" (AKA Dan Daly), "Davy Jones" (AKA Danny Dare), "Lonesome Jones" (AKA Gary Evans), "Tom Jones" (AKA Dave McKay), "Unsinkable Jones" (AKA Bob b. Blue), "Just Plain Jones" (AKA Kim Terry) and "Anonymous Jones" (AKA Al Barnett). There was also a "Pappy Jones", a KFXM/KDUO-FM station engineer. This strategy not only allowed the station to survive the walkout, but resulted in an increase in ratings due to the mystery surrounding the "new" DJs. On July 4, 1969, the true air staff identities of The Jones Boys was finally publicly revealed in a new Tiger Tune Sheet weekly survey format published on that date. The certification of AFTRA, as a representing union of KFXM / KDUO-FM announcers was never completed.
Al also implemented the first and only radio that owned its own live Bengal Tiger during the sixties when'everything tiger' was the craze.He establishd "Tiger Radio as the logo/theme for KFXM, KAFY and KDEO, all top rated rock and roll outlets in Southern California.(4)
References
4. Archives of Tiger Mags, Tune Sheets, newspaper articles, interviews, diary notes, station documents, and personal knowledge/recollections by Ben e. McCoy. 5. Articles by Al Anthony, Rockin & Reelin, About Al Anthony, almondo333, http://almondo333.wordpress.com/about-2/ Template:Persondatahttp://almondo333.wordpress.com/about-2/