Sam was a local disc jockey and hosted local dance party TV shows. NINTH STREET WEST and HOLLYWOOD A GO GO were the ones I remember although he hosted three or four others. (I was once on NINTH STREET WEST. Thank God no tapes of that exist.)
But he was a disc jockey when that meant something. Ironic that this should happen now, so soon after my post on radio and the plethora of comments yay or nay. Say what you will, radio was once a real shared event. Everyone listened to the same one or two stations, we all heard the same new music, and the DJ’s were part of our lives. They were our friends. They talked directly to us. A study in the mid ‘60s found that next to clergy, teenagers trusted disc jockeys more than anyone else — more than teachers, more than parents.
And Sam Riddle was one of the best known and most trusted of all. Like Dick Clark, his delivery was very smooth. He talked to you like an adult who “got you.” His emphasis was on the music. Hosting all these shows featuring musical acts meant that he knew them all and was able to share some inside stories. Listeners obviously have opinions on disc jockeys. I don’t anyone who didn’t like Sam Riddle.
I first met him in the mid ‘60s. KFWB, then the number one station, was broadcasting every Saturday from a remote studio in the Topanga Plaza — a mile from where I lived. Gene Weed was the jock and had a “guest DJ” contest, which I won. However, the day I was supposed to do it Gene got sick and Sam had to substitute for him. When I arrived he knew nothing of this. Meanwhile, I had told all my friends I was going to be on (which was probably stupid in the very likely event that I sucked). It would have been so easy for Sam to say, “Sorry. No one told me. Come back next week.” Instead he said, “Okay” and could not have been more supportive. But that’s Sam.
I didn’t know him well over the years. Would bump into him occasionally. He was always gracious.
Sam was also smart. Unlike a lot of jocks of that era, he sensed that radio DJ was a stop not an endgame. He gravitated towards TV; first hosting shows and then producing them. Remember STAR SEARCH? That was Sam’s baby. If only he had Ryan Seacrest host instead of Ed McMahon. He produced other shows as well.
I last saw Sam in January on Zoom. I interviewed him for a podcast (not mine). He was struggling that day. So when I got the word I was not surprised.
Again, many of you never heard of him. But there were disc jockeys in your market that did make an impression. So consider this a tribute and celebration of all DJ’s and a chance to say thanks for all the hours of entertainment and companionship. It hurts when they sign-off for good.
“So long, music lovers.” That was Sam Riddle’s. He was one of the reasons I was a music lover.
from By Ken Levine
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