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Don Cannon, 74, Philadelphia Radio Legend
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Diner
Aug 22, 2014, 1:47:27 PM8/22/14
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http://www.phillymag.com/news/2014/08/22/don-cannon-philadelphia-radio-legend-passed/
Don Cannon, Philadelphia Radio Legend, Has Passed
Even Rocky woke up to "The Dean of Philadelphia Radio."
By Larry Mendte | August 22, 2014 at 10:30 am
A Philadelphia radio legend, Don Cannon, has passed away.
Cannon was known as "The Dean of Philadelphia Radio." He was a voice on morning radio in Philadelphia from 1969 until he retired in 2004. The "Cannon in the Morning" show started on WIBG and has been heard on WIP, WFIL, WIFI, WSNI and WOGL.
Don Cannon could also be seen as host of "Inside Golf" Saturday nights on the Comcast Sports Network.
You may remember that in the original Rocky movie, when the morning alarm clock goes off for Rocky's run, it is Cannon's voice on the radio.
On a personal note, my first job in broadcasting was at WFIL radio where Don Cannon was the host of the morning show, one of the original "Boss Jocks." He was kind and supportive to a very young broadcaster. I have met him over the years at charity events, where he has always been more than generous with his time. The March of Dimes awarded Don Cannon a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999.
According to friends at WOGL, Cannon died from an abscess in his tooth that spread to his brain. He had been receiving treated at the Intensive Care Unit at Lankenau Hospital for the past month.
On the Broadcast Pioneers web site, President Gerry Wilkinson writes:
"Don was legend among legends. When you thought of morning drive, you had to think of Don Cannon. He was one of the good people in this industry. I can't remember a time when someone asked Don to do something and he couldn't or didn't do it. ... Now heaven has a new morning drive air personality."
Don Cannon's given name is Dominic Canzano. He was 74 years old. He is survived by his wife Terri, his son Christopher, and his granddaughter Angel.
Copyright (c) 2014 Metro Corp. All rights reserved.
Don Cannon, Philadelphia Radio Legend, Has Passed
Even Rocky woke up to "The Dean of Philadelphia Radio."
By Larry Mendte | August 22, 2014 at 10:30 am
A Philadelphia radio legend, Don Cannon, has passed away.
Cannon was known as "The Dean of Philadelphia Radio." He was a voice on morning radio in Philadelphia from 1969 until he retired in 2004. The "Cannon in the Morning" show started on WIBG and has been heard on WIP, WFIL, WIFI, WSNI and WOGL.
Don Cannon could also be seen as host of "Inside Golf" Saturday nights on the Comcast Sports Network.
You may remember that in the original Rocky movie, when the morning alarm clock goes off for Rocky's run, it is Cannon's voice on the radio.
On a personal note, my first job in broadcasting was at WFIL radio where Don Cannon was the host of the morning show, one of the original "Boss Jocks." He was kind and supportive to a very young broadcaster. I have met him over the years at charity events, where he has always been more than generous with his time. The March of Dimes awarded Don Cannon a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999.
According to friends at WOGL, Cannon died from an abscess in his tooth that spread to his brain. He had been receiving treated at the Intensive Care Unit at Lankenau Hospital for the past month.
On the Broadcast Pioneers web site, President Gerry Wilkinson writes:
"Don was legend among legends. When you thought of morning drive, you had to think of Don Cannon. He was one of the good people in this industry. I can't remember a time when someone asked Don to do something and he couldn't or didn't do it. ... Now heaven has a new morning drive air personality."
Don Cannon's given name is Dominic Canzano. He was 74 years old. He is survived by his wife Terri, his son Christopher, and his granddaughter Angel.
Copyright (c) 2014 Metro Corp. All rights reserved.
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tr...@iwvisp.com
Aug 22, 2014, 4:49:46 PM8/22/14
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Although, Cannon was not, "one of the original [WFIL] "Boss Jocks."
Ray Arthur
Diner
Aug 23, 2014, 9:25:15 PM8/23/14
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On Friday, August 22, 2014 4:49:46 PM UTC-4, tr...@iwvisp.com wrote:
>
> A sad day. In the waning years of WIBBAGE, after WFIL had captured the TOP 40 market with a stranglehold, Don Cannon was still WIBG's bright spot.
>
> Although, Cannon was not, "one of the original [WFIL] "Boss Jocks."
>
> Ray Arthur
You're right. I believe Cannon did not join WFIL (home of the Boss Jocks) until after WIBG called it quits in 1977.
>
> A sad day. In the waning years of WIBBAGE, after WFIL had captured the TOP 40 market with a stranglehold, Don Cannon was still WIBG's bright spot.
>
> Although, Cannon was not, "one of the original [WFIL] "Boss Jocks."
>
> Ray Arthur
(The great Jim O'Brien was the WFIL morning man until he gave up radio for good and switched full-time to WPVI-TV - the former WFIL-TV, located in the same building as WFIL-AM - around 1976. Not sure if Cannon directly succeeded O'Brien or if there was an interim host.)
Interesting update: The phillymag.com article now concludes with the following correction:
"A previous version of this story reported that sources indicated Cannon's cause of death was an abscess in his tooth that spread to his brain. We have been told that that is untrue."
In the comments below, Larry Mendte, who wrote the obit, writes:
"I got that information initially from three different sources. But it is clear, that even if that was the initial cause of hospitalization, the family does not want that reported and I respect their wishes."
BTW, Cannon's son Christopher - who uses the on-air name Christopher Knight - was a DJ on Philadelphia's 104.5 FM (then Star 104.5) in the nineties,and now works at New Jersey 101.5 in Trenton.
-Tim
tr...@iwvisp.com
Aug 24, 2014, 2:06:55 AM8/24/14
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Of the original WFIL Boss Jocks only Dave Parks and Frank Kingston Smith, both retired, remain.
Ray
Ray
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