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EspañolGARY BURBANK
'Gary Burbank' (born 'Billy Purser', July 1941, in Memphis, Tennessee) is an American radio personality. He currently appears on WLW in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he has hosted the station's afternoon drive time programming for more than two decades.
Burbank began his radio career in his hometown at WMPS in the mid 1960s, where he was known on the air as Johnny Apollo. In 1968 he moved to Louisville, Kentucky, where he became an instant hit on WAKY-AM. It was at WAKY that Billy Purser officially became Gary Burbank, a name taken from radio and television legend Gary Owens, who as a regular on ''Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In'' would announce that he was broadcasting from "beautiful downtown Burbank." (Burbank's natural voice is remarkably similar to Owens' on-air voice.)
Burbank left WAKY in 1973; his final program there was an elaborate prank in which he pretended to be fatally shot by a disgruntled listener. [1] At that point, he moved to New Orleans for a brief stint as program director of WNOE. From New Orleans, Burbank went on to CKLW in Detroit/Windsor, and then back to Louisville for a successful, lengthy afternoon gig on WHAS-AM.
Burbank left Louisville again for a brief spell in Tampa, Florida at WHNZ, but returned to the Ohio Valley in 1981 when he signed with WLW, originally doing morning drive time but later moving to afternoons. It is there that he has enjoyed his greatest success, developing his best-known characters: Earl Pitts Uhmerikun, Gilbert Gnarley, Howlin' Blind Muddy Slim (Blues Break 201), Eunice and Bernice, and the Right Rev. Deuteronomy Skaggs (the latter two carried over from his WHAS days). Burbank regularly satirizes former Cincinnati mayor Jerry Springer, local newscasters, and the Cincinnati Bengals, among many others.
Before moving to afternoons, he started in the morning drive time slot. His predecessor in this time slot was Jim O'Neill, a long-running local legend who often identified himself by his full name of James Francis Patrick O'Neill or the initials of his full name (JFPO). O'Neill was a somewhat cerebral personality, whose personality who created humor through the use of many characters and voice impersonations that one would not otherwise expect. Many wondered how anyone could follow in those footsteps. However, Burbank did just that, pushing the envelope with his outrageous humor and characters.
Burbank often does his show from a home in north central Florida, while the rest of his show's cast and crew is in the WLW studios in Cincinnati.
Burbank's Earl Pitts daily "commentaries" are syndicated throughout the country on about 200 stations. Burbank's show is also heard, along with the rest of WLW's programming, on XM Satellite Radio Channel 173.
Burbank has won several major awards, including back-to-back Marconi Awards as Large Market Personality of the Year in 1990 and 1991.
Burbank founded and owns Burbank's Real Bar-B-Q and Ribs restaurant in Sharonville, Ohio. The restaurant features real pit barbecue, live blues music, and menus that include commentaries from Earl Pitts Uhmerikun.
On March 7, 2007, Burbank announced that he would retire on December 31, at the expiration of his contract. [2]
1. 79waky.com: Gary Burbank air checks
2. WLW's Burbank will retire John Kiesewtter
★ Gary Burbank's page at www.700wlw.com
★ Earl Pitts Uhmerikun official site
★ Gary Burbank at WAKY retrospective site
★ Burbank's BBQ official site
| Contents |
| Career in Radio |
| Barbecue |
| Retirement |
| References |
| External links |
Career in Radio
Burbank began his radio career in his hometown at WMPS in the mid 1960s, where he was known on the air as Johnny Apollo. In 1968 he moved to Louisville, Kentucky, where he became an instant hit on WAKY-AM. It was at WAKY that Billy Purser officially became Gary Burbank, a name taken from radio and television legend Gary Owens, who as a regular on ''Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In'' would announce that he was broadcasting from "beautiful downtown Burbank." (Burbank's natural voice is remarkably similar to Owens' on-air voice.)
Burbank left WAKY in 1973; his final program there was an elaborate prank in which he pretended to be fatally shot by a disgruntled listener. [1] At that point, he moved to New Orleans for a brief stint as program director of WNOE. From New Orleans, Burbank went on to CKLW in Detroit/Windsor, and then back to Louisville for a successful, lengthy afternoon gig on WHAS-AM.
Burbank left Louisville again for a brief spell in Tampa, Florida at WHNZ, but returned to the Ohio Valley in 1981 when he signed with WLW, originally doing morning drive time but later moving to afternoons. It is there that he has enjoyed his greatest success, developing his best-known characters: Earl Pitts Uhmerikun, Gilbert Gnarley, Howlin' Blind Muddy Slim (Blues Break 201), Eunice and Bernice, and the Right Rev. Deuteronomy Skaggs (the latter two carried over from his WHAS days). Burbank regularly satirizes former Cincinnati mayor Jerry Springer, local newscasters, and the Cincinnati Bengals, among many others.
Before moving to afternoons, he started in the morning drive time slot. His predecessor in this time slot was Jim O'Neill, a long-running local legend who often identified himself by his full name of James Francis Patrick O'Neill or the initials of his full name (JFPO). O'Neill was a somewhat cerebral personality, whose personality who created humor through the use of many characters and voice impersonations that one would not otherwise expect. Many wondered how anyone could follow in those footsteps. However, Burbank did just that, pushing the envelope with his outrageous humor and characters.
Burbank often does his show from a home in north central Florida, while the rest of his show's cast and crew is in the WLW studios in Cincinnati.
Burbank's Earl Pitts daily "commentaries" are syndicated throughout the country on about 200 stations. Burbank's show is also heard, along with the rest of WLW's programming, on XM Satellite Radio Channel 173.
Burbank has won several major awards, including back-to-back Marconi Awards as Large Market Personality of the Year in 1990 and 1991.
Barbecue
Burbank founded and owns Burbank's Real Bar-B-Q and Ribs restaurant in Sharonville, Ohio. The restaurant features real pit barbecue, live blues music, and menus that include commentaries from Earl Pitts Uhmerikun.
Retirement
On March 7, 2007, Burbank announced that he would retire on December 31, at the expiration of his contract. [2]
References
1. 79waky.com: Gary Burbank air checks
2. WLW's Burbank will retire John Kiesewtter
External links
★ Gary Burbank's page at www.700wlw.com
★ Earl Pitts Uhmerikun official site
★ Gary Burbank at WAKY retrospective site
★ Burbank's BBQ official site
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