A few more comments about Harry Scarborough
Anonymous said...
OMG! I'm stunned and saddened to learn about Harry's passing. I hope the details aren't as stark as reported, homeless and alone.
He was born on August 8, 1943, in Huntsville, Tx., an only child.
He left KGB to follow Buzz Bennett to KCBQ. The magical days of the "Boss Jocks". When Buzz left "Q" suddenly, Harry moved on to KIMN and KTLK in Denver, and then back to California...San Francisco. He loved San Francisco.
He was a gifted radio talent in his prime. I hope his soul is resting in peace and sunshine...
Keep on truckin' HSJ :)
Mon Jan 30, 12:56:00 AM PST
I just saw the sad news about Harry Scarborough and thought you might enjoy a story about vintage Harry.
I worked as a go-fer at KMEN in 1971 and spent many nights going through the station's old file cabinets. There were a thousand things I now wish I'd Xeroxed then: Stacks of the original KMEN Weekly Record Buyer's Guides, letters back and forth between Bill Watson in San Bernardino and Ron Jacobs in Fresno, memos from Watson to the DJs and from General Manager Jerry Jolstad to damn near everyone, and much more. I didn't copy any of those items, but one other piece was so extraordinary that I copied it and kept it for years. In fact, it may still be buried out in my garage somewhere. (If I can find it, I'll send it to you.)
The item I refer to was a copy of Harry Scarborough's job application. The station's application asked for all the normal stuff: employment history, references and the like.
Harry refused to fill it out and instead wrote and attached a long essay about how that kind of cookie cutter application demeaned him as and individual and as a creative, unique person. It was one of the most brilliantly written, outrageous things I'd ever seen. It was hilarious and frightening and bizarre all at once. If I had been the program director I wouldn't have known whether to hire him immediately or to hide behind a closed door if he ever again drove down that dusty road through the cow pasture.
Rest in peace, Harry. You were one of a kind.
I just saw the sad news about Harry Scarborough and thought you might enjoy a story about vintage Harry.
I worked as a go-fer at KMEN in 1971 and spent many nights going through the station's old file cabinets. There were a thousand things I now wish I'd Xeroxed then: Stacks of the original KMEN Weekly Record Buyer's Guides, letters back and forth between Bill Watson in San Bernardino and Ron Jacobs in Fresno, memos from Watson to the DJs and from General Manager Jerry Jolstad to damn near everyone, and much more. I didn't copy any of those items, but one other piece was so extraordinary that I copied it and kept it for years. In fact, it may still be buried out in my garage somewhere. (If I can find it, I'll send it to you.)
The item I refer to was a copy of Harry Scarborough's job application. The station's application asked for all the normal stuff: employment history, references and the like.
Harry refused to fill it out and instead wrote and attached a long essay about how that kind of cookie cutter application demeaned him as and individual and as a creative, unique person. It was one of the most brilliantly written, outrageous things I'd ever seen. It was hilarious and frightening and bizarre all at once. If I had been the program director I wouldn't have known whether to hire him immediately or to hide behind a closed door if he ever again drove down that dusty road through the cow pasture.
Rest in peace, Harry. You were one of a kind.
2 comments:
OUTSTANDING REMEMBRANCE of Happiness Harry, thank you.
NOTISE TO A "go-fer at KMEN in 1971":
some many years ago, around the mid-2000's, i dropped by the venerable K/MEN broadcasting site expecting to be welcomed there and was completely disheartened by what i saw... Disney & Co. (who had bought out the station) had BULLDOZED the olde/original studio and offices building -- smashing all of it into smithereens! you see, Dizzy Inc. had only wanted the FCC license and retained the transmitter, real estate property and the antenna towers, the rest was history.
and in all that debris (before it was eventually hauled away) i discovered much of those papers you were talking about along with accounts paperwork, memos, tapes, carts, logs (programming and transmitter), the actual control boards and other production equipment, etc., long with all types of personal effects including smashed-up furniture and other memorabilia.
like i said, seeing a beloved broadcasting outlet literally destroyed left a sad chapter for me to witness for all that 129 Radio had always meant to me.
i just wanted to share this very personal experience with you, matey.
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