75 Tomorrow: Had Lan Roberts Lived

Stories and info about those no longer involved in the industry

75 Tomorrow: Had Lan Roberts Lived

Postby jon » Sat Dec 17, 2011 5:56 pm

Tomorrow would have been Lan Roberts' 75th birthday. If you didn't "know" Lan Roberts, you really missed something. I've included links to a couple of Lan airchecks at the bottom of this post for those who want to get a feel for what he was like on air. I was lucky enough to listen to him on his second time at KOL Seattle that began in 1969. And be able to call him a friend from 2000 until his death 6 years ago as of the 30th of this month.

I was reminded of Lan twice in the last 24 hours. I just bought Bill Young's new book "Dead Air". And near the beginning, as Bill Young's first major Top 40 mentor, it was Lan Roberts, at WACO-AM in 1957. Lan also rolled Bill's car, but that is another story....

Then, about half an hour ago, I spotted three Hungarian Partridges in my back yard, a first. The end of an aircheck I recorded in 1969 has Lan reading a News story from Edmonton about enough DDT being found in Hungarian Partridges to call off the hunting season throughout Alberta.

From a three year old post by radiofan:
Here's a couple of airchecks of Lan at KJR and KYYX in Seattle.

Lan at KJR on his return from vacation in July of 1972. Click Here

In 1977 Lan was once again working for Pat O'Day at Pat's KYYX-FM. Here's Lan in Morning Drive from April 11, 1977 at 96 KYYX. Click Here
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Re: 75 Tomorrow: Had Lan Roberts Lived

Postby hagopian » Sat Dec 17, 2011 7:28 pm

I had the HONOUR of meeting Lan a couple of times, and spent some hilarious hours with he and Pat O'Day and Red Robinson - all arranged with a deft touch by a certain talented guy named Phil Mackesy.
To actually meet Lan was to love him.
He was as kind and loveable as I could have imagined.
It was the highlight of my mediocre career.
Lan - look up a guy named Darryl B.
You two would get along like a house on fire.
Bless Him.
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