"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
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:
| 101 | I Confess I Wish (I Could Meet Her) | 1956 | ||
| 102 | of Rhythm | Gumbo Bubble Gum | ||
| 103 | Eternally I Believe | 1955 | ||
| 104 | Orchestra | Teenage Girl Theme What Is A Teenage Girl | ||
| 105 | Johnny Flamingo | Roller Coaster So Long | ||
| 106 | The Shades of Rhythm | Tribal Dance Balcom's Blues | ||
| 107 | I Lost You Johnny | 1957 | ||
| 108 | Blacksmith Blues Flip-Top Box | |||
| 109 | Bobby Pierce | I Don't Care 100 Years From Today | ||
| 110 | No One To Talk To (But The Blues) Party Time | |||
| 111 | Good Luck To You (Best Wishes Too) Heartsick And Lonely | 1957 | ||
| 112 | Orchestra | Teenage Theme Make Me A Present Of You | ||
| 113 | Be Mine Dear Boo Hoo | |||
| 114 | My Girl I'll See You In My Dreams | |||
| 115 (EP) | The Dots Joe Houston Johnny Flamingo | Eternally I Confess All Night Long So Long | ||
| 116 | ||||
| 117 | The Way You Look Tonight Moon Flight | |||
| 118 | Tom And Jerry El Corrido | |||
| 1710 | I Got Loaded Raindrops In My Eyes | |||
| 4175 | 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.
"Huggy Boy" was a throw-back to a time, when disc jockeys,
ReplyDeletecared 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
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.
ReplyDeleteYour comments are much appreciated.
can you show huggieboy show videos
ReplyDeleteYes, 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.
ReplyDeleteORALE 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
ReplyDeleteI have been looking for Huugy Boy Dance Show clips for 40 years. Haven't even got a sniff. They may be lost forever.
ReplyDeleteI believe The Huggy Boy Dance Show was live, so don't think any recordings exist.
ReplyDeleteThat was before home tv recorders.
Do these collections of " Huggy boy" presents ,have his air comments between the rolás ?
ReplyDeleteThe CD has an intro by Huggy
DeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteI was in one show,got interview myself and my girl appr.1973. Need to see it.
ReplyDeletedoes anybody know what happened to his first wife Nyla? I was friends with her when she was 14.
ReplyDelete