Byron MacGregor
RCWal...@aol.com
This article in tonight's (January 4) Detroit NEWS...
PNEUMONIA CLAIMS RADIO'S MAC GREGOR AT THE AGE OF 46
by Douglas Ilka
The booming voice of Byron MacGregor, a broadcast legend in Metro Detroit
radio and television has been stilled at the age of 46.
MacGregor, who popularized a "20-20" style of radio journalism and stirred a
nation with his recording of THE AMERICANS, died Tuesday at Detroit's Henry
Ford Hospital from complications of pneumonia.
The Canadian-born MacGregor, who became an American citizen in 1983, exploded
on the radio scene in Detroit and Windsor at the age of 19 when he joined
50,000 watt superstation CKLW-AM in 1967.
"He led the way with the 20-20 news style, using phrases like 'nine bloodied
battered bodies' in his newscasts" recalled radio personality Tom Ryan.
Channel 2 television reporter Vince Wade recalls competing with MacGregor in
the late 1960's when MacGregor anchored the morning news broadcasts on CKLW
and Wade led the team at rival WKNR.
"Byron was part of the Bill Drake format that used a deep voice, rapid-fire
delivery and a rather staccato urgency to what they were saying," Wade said.
"MacGregor was the rock and roll version of Walter Winchell. One of Byron's
favorite phrases was to start off a story about a homicide in Detroit by
saying, 'The streets ran red with blood in the Motor City last night..."
Born in Calgary, Alberta, in 1948, MacGregor was an honors graduate of
Western Canada High School, the University of Calgary, and Wayne State
University.
MacGregor began his broadcasting career while in high school and college,
working for small radio stations in Yorktown, Saskatchewan; Winnipeg,
Manitoba and Calgary, Alberta.
Noted for his booming voice, golden tones and distinctive brand of
journalism, MacGregor became the youngest news director of a major market
radio station when he took over the 27 person news department at "The Big
Eight", CKLW-AM/Detroit and Windsor.
"Byron made his mark not only as one of the most respected broadcasters in
the industry, but will be remembered for his decency and personal kindness to
so many --- be they friends or strangers," said Chicago WMAQ-TV reporter
Sharon Wright, the sister of MacGregor's wife, Jo-Jo Shutty-MacGregor.
In 1974, MacGregor hired Shutty, a former Miss Teen-age Detroit and World's
Baton-Twirling Champion, to be the area's first female helicopter traffic
reporter. They were married in 1976, both 27 years old and at the height of
their careers.
>From 1977-90, MacGregor anchored the morning or afternoon prime-time
newscasts for WWJ-AM. He also anchored the prime time evening newscast for
WKBD-TV (Channel 50) in Detroit.
In recent years, MacGregor was the news director and morning anchor for Group
W Radio/WLLZ in Detroit and Greater Media's WCSX-FM in Detroit.
MacGregor's greatest fame came with his narrative recording of THE AMERICANS,
a tribute to the United States written by Toronto newspaperman Gordon
Sinclair.
The patriotic reading, enhanced by the sounds of the Detroit Symphony
Orchestra playing in the background, sold more than 3.5 million records and
was called "the greatest flag-waving success since Kate Smith".
The recording was a smash hit in 1973 and again during 1991's Operation
Desert Storm against Iraq. MacGregor donated his proceeds from the
recording, more than $125,000, to the American Red Cross.
Survivors include his wife, Jo-Jo Shutty-MacGregor; mother Murdena Mack, of
Calgary, Alberta; sister Leilani Harvie, of Calgary; and brother Hudson Mack,
of Victoria, British Columbia.
Funeral arrangements were incomplete.
-M.BAKER
>
>PNEUMONIA CLAIMS RADIO'S MAC GREGOR AT THE AGE OF 46
>
>
>on the radio scene in Detroit and Windsor at the age of 19 when he joined
>50,000 watt superstation CKLW-AM in 1967.
I can remember listening to CKLW-AM & his newscasts while growing up in
Erie, PA. "The Big 8" was like a local station...much better than any of
the small-town Erie AMs. My best friend's family used to take boat trips
on the Great Lakes in the summers, and I remember he brought back snapshots
of the CKLW (or so he said) antenna array down by the river (lake?) That
was quite impressive.
I tuned in for old times sake when back in Ohio last month for Christmas.
Somehow it's just not the same. I had heard that they were a big band
sound for a while, but now it was NewsTalk 800.
>
>"He led the way with the 20-20 news style, using phrases like 'nine bloodied
>battered bodies' in his newscasts" recalled radio personality Tom Ryan.
>
Ah yes, his alliterative style. I remember "Detroit boys in blue ......."
at least once in each newscast. Must've liked the 'b' sound :-)
Why is the name Tom Ryan so familiar ? Wasn't he also on CKLW as a DJ ?
What happened to some of the others (excuse the spelling) -- Gary Burbank,
Johnny Williams, Truckin Teddy Bear, etc. I'm sure they're still around.
>From the news side, about the only other name which comes to mind is Grant
Hudson. ??
>
>In 1974, MacGregor hired Shutty, a former Miss Teen-age Detroit and World's
>Baton-Twirling Champion, to be the area's first female helicopter traffic
>reporter. They were married in 1976, both 27 years old and at the height of
>their careers.
>
I never knew that they got married later. Was this well known to the
listening audience/public ?
All in all, a sad thing to read about.
PETER Q. GEORGE
I need to say that if anyone should be called a great American, I would whole
heartedly say Byron MacGregor. "The Americans" couldn't have been better
said by anyone else. It pains me to think how much we Americans on the lower
side of the border take for granted the freedoms that we should nurture and
cherish, instead of finding fault with one another. The U.S. has always been
the savior of some third world or underdeveloped country now for decades.
Sure, some of the these countries turn around and denounce the very hand that
feeds them. Remember Somalia ? Remember Bosnia ? We have seen hundreds
of times that this country has provided humanitarian aid in any circumstance
whether it be famine, drought, war and illiteracy. Yet many of these samees
countries turn around and deliberately defame and totally descredit the very
source that tries to save their most precious commodity....life.
I think Byron said it best when he basically said that the Americans are the
most unselfish and most the most unappreciated people one the face of the
earth. He also said that he would not blame this country if where it can
came to the point where there this country would standup in digust and
simply say "TO HELL WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD". Let someone else do it.
His voice is probably the most imitated but yet never duplicated one in the
history of modern radio. He was "CKLW 20/20 News", complete with bloated
dead burned bodies, bloody suicides and all of the things worth living for.
:-) All kidding aside, as you have probably seen the many tributes coming
in over the past couple days...he and his wife have dedicated many of their
time and energies for countless charities in and around the "Motor City".
Yet, I had not seen nor heard about any recognition afforded to him and
his wife until today. I grew up with CKLW during its' heyday back in 1968
here in the Boston area. In addition to the great Bill Drake format complete
with Johnny Mann Singers jingles.....his "pipes" were the most memorable voice
I remember as a child. They broke the mold when they made him.
Peter Q. George (N1GGP)
The WOWO Listeners' Guild
Fred Ennis
mrb...@hodcs.ho.att.com (-M.BAKER) writes:
> In article <3eg1b7$5...@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu>, <RCWal...@aol.com> wrote:
> >
> What happened to some of the others (excuse the spelling) -- Gary Burbank,
> Johnny Williams, Truckin Teddy Bear, etc. I'm sure they're still around.
> >From the news side, about the only other name which comes to mind is Grant
> Hudson. ??
>From the news side, let's see. Don Patrick went to WXYZ in 1969. Don
West became a management type. Dick Smyth is still heard on CFTR the
all news Toronto station (Dick is 60, by the way). Bob Losher is at
CNN in Atlanta. Steve Madely is doing mornings on CFRA in Ottawa.
And, what about Earle Fredericks? Uhh, that would be me. I worked with
Byron, otherwise known as "Barfton McKreuger", the way he used to
sign the mileage log in the news cars. For some unknown reason that
perhaps underlines our bizzare senses of humor, we used to send each
other postcards with pictures of Mounties on them.
Cheers!
Fred
--
Fred Ennis, fr...@page6.pinetree.org