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Tuesday, July 19, 2011

THE EASTSIDE SOUND HITS THE RADIO WAVES - DICK HUGG "HUGGY BOY"




"The always imitated but never duplicated" Dick Hugg better know as "Huggy Boy" was born Richard James Hugg on June 9, 1928 in Canton, Ohio.
  He would become a major force in the Chicano community with his loyalty to Chicano musicians and his listening audience.
  In 1947 he got a job as the assistant magager of the Boulevard Theater in East Los Angeles where he met the manager of Big Jay McNeely who gave him the chance to promote a Big Jay McNeely concert at the Orpheum theater in downtown Los Angeles.
 In 1951, Hugg would land a job at radio station KRKD and broadcats from the front window of John Dolphin's popular all-night record store, Dolphin's of Hollywood, at the corner of Central and Vernon Avenues. He also co-produced several artists, such as vocalist Jesse Belvin and saxophonist Joe Houston, on Dolphin's various record labels, including Cash and Money.
  He was one of the first, if not the first disc jockey's to play the Penguin's "Earth Angel" a true R&B, doo wop & Eastside Sound classic and certainly a favorite of mine.
  In 1955, Hugg would start his own record label, Caddy Records and release a single on his own label, "What Is A Teenage Girl" b/w "Teenage Girl Theme"






There is a great CD available entitled "The Best Of Caddy Records"












You may listen to the Dots "Good Luck To You" and "Heartsick & Lonely" here:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0l3YSlcRSZA




You may listen to the Dots "I Confess" here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AghP18pU8-g



You may listen to the Dots "Johnny" here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTu5DlNy8bY


You may listen to the Twilighters "I Believe" here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkU72Ic8OL8


You may listen to the Twilighters "Eternally" here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ED94cbBQY-o


Caddy Records Discography:




Caddy
101


The Dots
I Confess

I Wish (I Could Meet Her)
1956



Caddy
102


The Shades
of Rhythm
Gumbo

Bubble Gum



Caddy
103


The Twilighters
Eternally

I Believe
1955



Caddy
104


Huggie Boy
Orchestra
Teenage Girl Theme

What Is A Teenage Girl



Caddy
105


Chuck Higgins
Johnny Flamingo
Roller Coaster

So Long



Caddy
106


Jim Balscom and
The Shades
of Rhythm
Tribal Dance

Balcom's Blues



Caddy
107


The Dots
I Lost You

Johnny
1957



Caddy
108


Chuck Higgins
Blacksmith Blues

Flip-Top Box



Caddy
109


Frankie Day
Bobby Pierce
I Don't Care

100 Years From Today



Caddy
110


Jack and Jill
No One To Talk To (But The Blues)

Party Time



Caddy
111


The Dots
Good Luck To You (Best Wishes Too)

Heartsick And Lonely
1957



Caddy
112


Johnny Flamingo
Orchestra
Teenage Theme

Make Me A Present Of You



Caddy
113


Jeanette Baker
Be Mine Dear

Boo Hoo



Caddy
114


Johnny Flamingo
My Girl

I'll See You In My Dreams



Caddy
115
(EP)



The Twilighters
The Dots
Joe Houston
Johnny Flamingo
Eternally
I Confess


All Night Long
So Long



Caddy
116





Caddy
117


The Lonely Guys
The Way You Look Tonight

Moon Flight



Caddy
118


The Techniques
Tom And Jerry

El Corrido



Caddy






Caddy
1710


Johnny Flamingo
I Got Loaded

Raindrops In My Eyes



Caddy
4175


Johnny Flamingo
You're Mine

Is It A Dream



Though originally an R&B disc jockey, he gradually aimed his radio and television shows at Los Angeles' burgeoning Latino population and featured almost every young Chicano group coming out of East Los Angeles, the San Gabriel Valley, the Pomona Valley, and the San Fernando Valley. He promoted dances and shows in the barrio and was important in the growth of the city's so-called Eastside Sound.
  He hosted and oldies show on KRLA and for a time, a dance program, "The Huggie Boy Show", which aired weekly on KWHY channel 22. His popularity continued to increase long after the show went off the air.
  In 1965 he formed a joint venture with Eddie Torres, manager of Thee Midniters and started touring Southern California with them and acting as MC.
 
I have many fond memories of Huggy and followed him from station to station where ever he went. His playing of Thee Midniters records made me a huge fan of the group & I even had a PE class with one of the members, Al Anaya when I attended East Los Angeles College and I played their records as a disc jockey on the campus radio statio KELA.

Huggy Boy's DJ career:

He was on KRKD, 1951–55; KWKW, 1954; KALI; KGFJ, 1955; KBLA, 1965; KRKD, 1965–66; KRTH, 1975; XPRS, 1981–82; KRLA, 1983–98; KRTH, 1998-2002.

Hugg's influence was noted on Lighter Shade Of Brown's record "Huggy Boy Show." and The Blasters' classic "Border Radio" was inspired by Hugg’s dedication show on XPRS.Hugg died of cardiac arrest. on August 30, 2006 at age of 78.

We lost a true giant in the fields of R&B, radio personalities, concert promotions and the Eastside Sound. I still miss him.

Some of the great music Huggy played on his shows can be found on these CDs & LPs. I strongly suggest you pick them up & listen for yourself.

HUGGY BOY PRESENTS:



   


1. There'll Come A Time - Betty Everett
2. You Need Confidence - The Van Dykes
3. I Love You Baby - The Moovers
4. High on a Hill - Scott English
5. Don't Let It Go to Your Head - Lorraine Ellison
6. Let's Get Together Again - Carol Hughes
7. I Wish - Bertha Tillman
8. In the Morning - The Marvelows
9. I'm So Happy - The Dupremes
10. I Belong to You - Love Unlimited
11. Something I Want to Tell You - Johnny & The Expressions
12. Victim of Circumstance (Pt. 1) - Mike & The Censations
13. Hey Romeo - The Sequins
14. I Gave to You - The Delfonics
15. My Baby Said - The Ribbions
16. I Want Love - Brenton Wood
17. Find Me - The Attractions


HUGGIE BOY'S RARE R&B OLDIES VOLUMES 1 THRU 5



















NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED!!

Solely for historical, educational & listening pleasure.

12 comments:

  1. "Huggy Boy" was a throw-back to a time, when disc jockeys,
    cared about the listeners. In turn, his extended
    radio family loved him as well, [even more so
    than the beloved vocalists and bands he played
    on-the-air throughout the years]. The supposedly
    young, one-named, full-of-themselves hip-hop and
    urban/HOT AC
    dj's --of all cultural stripes-- have no clue.
    {Ryan Seacrest: ya gotta be kiddin' me}.

    My friend: DAVE HULL--"THE HULLABALOOER"
    of KRLA fame, also loved his dear radio fans.

    HUGGY BOY and DAVE HULL--along with several others--knew it wasn't about them, it was all about
    their loyal listeners.

    Art Uvaas
    Riverside, California

    ReplyDelete
  2. You are so right Art. Huggy was a true class act on radio & off. I used to listen to Dave Hull of KRLA fame everyday after school. Art Laboe is cut out of that Huggy boy mold & he is still going strong. I will never forget when he invited me to his Original Sound Studios and laid a bunch of vinyl on me when I was a disc jockey at East LA College. What I wouldn't to bring those days back.
    Your comments are much appreciated.

    ReplyDelete
  3. can you show huggieboy show videos

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yes, please show some clips of the Huggy Boy Dance Show. I vividly recall seeing it when I was a kid and thought it was so cool before we temporary moved from Long Beach to Texas. Never got to see it ever again and have been searching the WEB to find some clips especially because it had MexicanAmericans dancing back in the day; we had our own American Bandstand!!! Robert from So Cal.

    ReplyDelete
  5. ORALE QUE PASA DOES ANYONE OUT THERE IN OLDIE LAND HAVE ARCHIVES OF HUGGY BOY DANCE SHOW OR WERE THEY LOST FOREVER I THOUGHT IT WAS FIRME TO BE ON IT GOT TO MEET RUCAS FROM FROM OTHER BARRIOS SAD DAY WHEN IT ENDED BUT THE ROLAS KEPT PLAYING QUE VIVA OG DE HARBOR CITY

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have been looking for Huugy Boy Dance Show clips for 40 years. Haven't even got a sniff. They may be lost forever.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I believe The Huggy Boy Dance Show was live, so don't think any recordings exist.
    That was before home tv recorders.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Do these collections of " Huggy boy" presents ,have his air comments between the rolás ?

    ReplyDelete
  9. I would like to find the song, que viva la raza. It was like a theme song for the dance show. I would love to find videos from the dance show! I was on it in 1976. 2 of my friends that went with me passed away too young in the 1980s.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I was in one show,got interview myself and my girl appr.1973. Need to see it.

    ReplyDelete
  11. does anybody know what happened to his first wife Nyla? I was friends with her when she was 14.

    ReplyDelete