* Celebrating Radio and Remembering the Life of JP McCarthy - Hour 1

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
Live across the Great Lake State. You're connected to Michigan's
most engaging and influential radio and television program, Michigan's Big
Show starring Michael Patrick Shields, presented by Blue Cross, Blue
Shield Michigan and Blue Care Network.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
I'm producer and creative director Tony Cuthberts.

Speaker 1 (00:25):
Now in the shadow of the Capitol Dome and Lansing.
He's heard from the beaches of Lake Michigan, to the
halls of power and behind closed doors. Here's Michigan's Michael
Patrick Shields.

Speaker 3 (00:38):
Michael Patrick Shields, I've got it written down right here.

Speaker 4 (00:40):
If you do, no one have a good time, and
you must have a good show with all the commercial Shoot, guys,
it's first I might heard you, and you sound great.

Speaker 5 (00:48):
It's like an old friend of mine once said, it's
not the money, it's the amount.

Speaker 6 (00:52):
Michael Patrick Shields is.

Speaker 7 (00:54):
On the air.

Speaker 5 (00:55):
Good morning world.

Speaker 8 (00:56):
It was a priceless day in August, all those years
ago that I went to work in the Fisher Building
in downtown Detroit, and having served as a producer starting
on weekend overnights and working my way all the way
through the lineup through the Jimmy Launces and the Joel
Alexanders and the Frank Beckmans and the Kevin Joyces that

(01:23):
finally they said you're going to be the producer for J. P. McCarthy.
And that's a story into itself. But JP was a
legend and is in the Radio Hall of Fame and
was a Marconi Award winner as number one for thirty years.
And imagine a young guy in his mid twenties suddenly
has the helm working for a man who was an institution.

(01:48):
And I was nervous as a cat's and it was
a big, big deal behind the glass at the man
the other side of the glass was myself and Cliff Coleman,
the board operator, and I wondered, you know, what would
this be like? And so the morning started and the
show started, and this music came on and I said

(02:09):
to the board operator, he's not here. It's don't worry,
you'll see And the theme song was playing and there
was no host. We're twenty two stories above downtown Detroit,
Son is not quite starting to come up yet. And
as this theme song plays, I hear a click and

(02:29):
the man called J. P. McCarthy drove his Cadillac from
Bloomfield Hills down the lodge, into the parking garage and
the bowels of the Fisher Building. Walk through that glorious building,
went up to twenty two story elevator, came into the lobby,
walked into his studio, threw his coat on the chair,

(02:52):
sat down, put his glasses on, took a sip of
the coffee I had waiting for him, headphones on, took
one peek at the headline of the newspaper, pushed the
microphone button and said, good morning world.

Speaker 9 (03:12):
But good morning.

Speaker 5 (03:13):
World or ohio guzeimus from our studios here in the
Okra Hotel in central Tokyo. Welcome to day two of
our Japanese sojourn. Mercy mersi monsieur. Good morning world from
the Celon Automobile Ala Park Day Exposition that's the Paris
Auto Show. Well, good morning world, and a very pleasant

(03:35):
Monday to you from the center court here at the
All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club and Wimbledon, England,
just about twenty miles or so outside of London. Well,
good morning world, and a very pleasant Friday to you.
It's the fourth of May and it is the day
before the Kentucky Derby nineteen ninety we are here on

(03:56):
the backstretch of historic Churchill, that twinspired track with so
much history.

Speaker 9 (04:03):
Well dobray outre world.

Speaker 5 (04:05):
Good morning from our studios in the Rascia Hotel here
in the shadow of the Kremlin in downtown Moscow.

Speaker 2 (04:12):
I'm JP McCarthy and always have been here at the
Tiger Stadium for the.

Speaker 10 (04:16):
Nineteen ninety one season opener, and I want you to
know this. It is the best season opener in terms
of the weather I have ever seen. It's a little cloudy,
but there's lots of blue up there, and it's actually muggy.
Happy Saint Patrick's Day nineteen eighty seven, everybody. We have
a very good group here already in the lobby of

(04:36):
the WJR Studios here in the twenty first floor.

Speaker 9 (04:39):
Top of the morning to you.

Speaker 2 (04:40):
We are at the Pegasus celebrating Saint Patrick's Day a
couple of days early this year for all the obvious reasons.

Speaker 5 (04:46):
It's really Sunday.

Speaker 2 (04:48):
We have a good early group on hand, several real
irishmen and several who would be on this day when
we're going to celebrate for the next couple of hours
the wearing of the green.

Speaker 5 (04:58):
But good morning world and a very pleasant Monday to you.
It's Groundhog's Day, February two, nineteen eighty seven, and I
can't believe it, but we are sitting here in Fremantle, Australia,
on the west coast of Australia, some twelve miles from Perth,
right by the beautiful blue Indian Ocean. As you must
know by now, it's the site of the America's Cup Races,

(05:21):
which have taken a definite United States turn as of today.
Some details on what just happened on the course a
few hours ago is we make our way through the morning.

Speaker 8 (05:32):
And as we made our way through that morning, I
was fully aware of the great history of J. P.
McCarthy and Oh, about thirty minutes into the show, it
was starting to get light and the sun streamed through
the window. And I had come from working for the
PGA tour in Panavitra Beach, Florida, returning to Detroit, returning

(05:54):
to the three letter station I mentioned, and J. P.
McCarthy heading into a segment. It surprised me by saying.

Speaker 4 (06:01):
This.

Speaker 5 (06:03):
Beautiful sunrise happening right now, and it's Monday.

Speaker 2 (06:06):
To fifth of August. It's like the start of a
great week around Chat. I'm JP McCarthy. That's welcome to
my new morning show. Producer Mike Shields just up from Florida.
Welcome Mike.

Speaker 4 (06:16):
Wow.

Speaker 8 (06:16):
Was I shocked and surprised, And I was shocked and
surprised for the rest of my career because this program
that you listen to right now with me starts with
his voice and it has for twenty years, three times
a day, saying good Morning World, just like you've heard
him say there. JP McCarthy said good Morning World all
the way into the Radio Hall of Fame and was

(06:39):
inducted in Chicago during my tenure.

Speaker 5 (06:44):
Good Morning World and day Yeah, very pleasant Wednesday to
you here at nineteen minutes after six. It's raining like
the old proverbial cats and dogs.

Speaker 11 (06:51):
When it comes to morning radio and Michigan, the weird
tradition is spelled with six letters JP.

Speaker 12 (06:58):
JP McCarthy is the voice of Detri.

Speaker 5 (07:00):
I can talk to very important or controversial people and
ask them very direct and pointed questions without being rude.

Speaker 7 (07:06):
I can't tell you how many mornings I've had breakfast
with JP McCarthy.

Speaker 5 (07:10):
What's the problem with Barry Sanders? It doesn't add up
to one hundred and fifty million governors. So where's the
rest of the money coming from. Your man has got
to get tougher if he's going to close the gap.
Doesn't it be nice to see the gloves off the
one more time, don't you think?

Speaker 11 (07:23):
President talking to you again.

Speaker 4 (07:25):
I'm glad to hear your boy.

Speaker 12 (07:27):
Well, it's nice to hear you.

Speaker 5 (07:28):
Performers, Charlton Heston, I'd lovely to be borrowing your audience,
the people all over, that's.

Speaker 9 (07:32):
What you think.

Speaker 4 (07:33):
Yeah, the morning fine.

Speaker 5 (07:36):
Everyone talks to JP at the end of my line
this morning, the maybe the greatest golfer who's ever lived.
Name is Jack Nicholas. I'm doing fine after his proudest moment.
Leiah Cooca, good morning like stuff, it's all about. Good morning,
General Yeager, John Delorian, and welcome back.

Speaker 12 (07:55):
JP.

Speaker 4 (07:56):
It's a pleasure to see you again.

Speaker 12 (07:57):
Thanks, Raquel.

Speaker 5 (07:58):
Well, it's doing it so that count better believe it.

Speaker 9 (08:01):
It's President Carter.

Speaker 12 (08:02):
You ever buried the hatchet with the Senator.

Speaker 13 (08:04):
We've never had any personal animos.

Speaker 11 (08:06):
No one understands Detroit better. Nowhere else will you find
a closer relationship between a city and its favorite radio personality.
JP knows everybody who's anybody in Detroit.

Speaker 13 (08:16):
He's comfortable to get up with.

Speaker 11 (08:17):
I like the way JP does it, while his legions
of loyal listeners are justifiably proud to them and to
everyone in Michigan. J. P. McCarthy has been a Hall
of Famer for a long long time.

Speaker 5 (08:31):
And JP McCarthy will get this turkey on the road
in a minute.

Speaker 8 (08:36):
And we were working on syndicating his program when he
passed away in August on this date, all those years ago,
nineteen ninety five, at the height of his powers. We
salute him today and we salute radio. It's Michael Patrick
Shields through the AT and T microphones. Viva JP.

Speaker 12 (09:06):
Grace.

Speaker 14 (09:06):
Guys are gonna clear up butt on a happy phase,
brush off the clouds, and cheer up butt on.

Speaker 9 (09:14):
A happy phase.

Speaker 14 (09:16):
Take off the gloomy mask of tragedy. It's not your style.
You look so good that you'll be glad you decided
to smile.

Speaker 8 (09:27):
We're smiling this morning at radio, and we're on radio
stations across the state of Michigan. It's Michael Patrick Shields
with you and growing up, people say, well, why did
you get into radio? I heard voices in Detroit on
the radio, and of course the great Larry King nationally.
That just charmed me to death, and I was like,

(09:48):
I'm off to the flame. So we're gonna celebrate the
voices of some of them this morning. Let us as
we salute JP McCarthy, remember that his counterparts on the FM.
Since JP was on the AM, what's the big star
there on the FM? The comedy guy was Dick Purton,
and I got the chance to understudy as an intern
and then an assistant producer for Dick Purton before I

(10:11):
got to work for J. P. McCarthy in the formal capacity.
Here's a touch of what Dick Purton was like on
Cozy's w c z Y ninety five point five FM.

Speaker 12 (10:20):
Bruce hornsby the range.

Speaker 3 (10:21):
That's the Valley Road and it's a seven after eight
hat oh seven in the morning on z ninety five
point five five in the last hour, forty four degrees
and mostly Sunday in a high sixty two. We go
to the phone here, Good morning, Will.

Speaker 15 (10:31):
Good morning Dick. Ronald Reagan, President of the United States
and traveling kind of guy.

Speaker 3 (10:37):
Right you are, mister President. It's off to the summit,
I guess today.

Speaker 15 (10:41):
Huh, Well, I'm not sure where I'm headed, Dick. Nancy
says that information is on a need to know basis.

Speaker 3 (10:48):
Oh I see, I say, well, this could be an
historic meeting.

Speaker 15 (10:52):
You mean when Jupiter aligns with Mars.

Speaker 3 (10:55):
No, No, mis President, I meant the big superpower confrontation
you're headed for.

Speaker 12 (11:00):
Oh there, Yeah.

Speaker 15 (11:01):
Well, I don't think there will be any trouble. Nancy
and missus Gorbacheff will probably be a lot friendly.

Speaker 3 (11:07):
No, mister President, I was referring to you and mister Gorbachev.

Speaker 15 (11:11):
Oh is he going to be there too?

Speaker 11 (11:13):
Yes?

Speaker 15 (11:14):
He is, Nancy, did you know her husband is going
to be there.

Speaker 12 (11:18):
Too, mister president?

Speaker 9 (11:19):
Look it, yeah, let me change it for a moment.

Speaker 3 (11:22):
In his new book, Lei Cooker refers to you as
a nice guy but shallow in your grasp of the presidency,
and he says that you would rather tell anecdotes than
confront tough issues.

Speaker 15 (11:32):
Will It's funny that you should mention that. Really, it
reminds me at the time that I was working on
the picture.

Speaker 11 (11:39):
Really, what happened, Nancy?

Speaker 15 (11:41):
Why did you kick me?

Speaker 3 (11:42):
Look, mister President, let me just say I want to
I want to wish you good luck on the summit,
and we're really all behind.

Speaker 15 (11:47):
You will I am too right.

Speaker 3 (11:51):
Good bye, mister President, thank you for joining us on
the Dick Purton Show this morning, and see ninety five
point five.

Speaker 12 (11:56):
Bye bye bye bye.

Speaker 15 (11:58):
Okay, Nancy, let play Rambo three this time. I'll be
the helicopter and you.

Speaker 12 (12:04):
Grabbed the bow and arrows, so I was the president.

Speaker 15 (12:08):
Bye bye.

Speaker 8 (12:10):
Before Dick Pertin was on Cozy ninety five, he's with
Tom Ryan on CKLW, which was across the river in Windsor.

Speaker 6 (12:22):
Did eleven forty. This is John Belmont CKL double You
twenty twenty News. Congratulations Detroit, you can be thoroughly ashamed
of yourself. The nineteen seventy three homicide tool has reached
a nice even seven hundred and fifty. Details on the
latest leveling from police Sergent Bob Buddy. How does Detroit
Police Commissioner Jerry Tanyon react to the record number of
homicides with shock and determination to change things next year?

(12:45):
Tanian points out that detroiters aren't in danger just to
walk down the street. Most blowoffs are among acquaintances or
dope dealers. Windsor Police Chief Gord Preston dealt with for
murders during nineteen seventy three, the same as seventy two.
He credits Canada's strict gun control laws.

Speaker 8 (12:59):
Then you're not gonna believe it, but John Belmont, the
voice you heard there, who went on to network radio,
was the brother of Jeff Elliot, who was the Jeff
of Jeff and Jair. And Jeff and Jair were the
two comedy guys on Magic ninety five that I called
when I was in high school to ask them is
it possible even to make a living in radio? And
they invited me into the studio and I got to

(13:21):
watch their show, and I became lifelong friends and eventually
nominated them for the Radio Hall of Fame, and they
got inducted in Chicago. Here's what they sounded like in.

Speaker 16 (13:32):
Detroit WMJC Magic ninety five at twenty six after seven,
we should have played thirty in a row. We could
just sit here and have a good time with these
people all morning.

Speaker 9 (13:40):
This is easy. There's nothing to this. And do I
have the dress up or anything?

Speaker 17 (13:43):
All right?

Speaker 9 (13:43):
You tell them what time it is?

Speaker 16 (13:44):
Yeah, twenty six after seven, if you've just joined us listening,
and now we're playing five songs in a row. This
was our announcement this morning. We haven't given you the
entire reason we're doing this yet, so you're still in
on it. We're playing five songs in a row. You
write down the title and the artist, and it's gonna
be it's gonna mean a lot to you when we're done.

Speaker 12 (14:00):
Here.

Speaker 9 (14:00):
Here's the last one.

Speaker 13 (14:01):
What is it?

Speaker 17 (14:01):
I don't have the list Dobie Brothers. Listen to the music,
my Dewey Brothers, and listen to the music. There's last
one here, five in a row, and then we will
tell you why you've been writing down the title in
the artist, all right, twenty five minutes after seven o'clock
at WMJC.

Speaker 8 (14:14):
And before Jeff and Jair became Jeff and Jair, it
was Jim and Jair. Jim Harper was partnered with Jerry
Saint James, and after Jerry Saint James split off on
his own, well, it became Harper Gannon and you on
w N I C Hi.

Speaker 13 (14:29):
I'm Jim Harper wn I c FM one hundred Am
thirteen and I'm Steve Gannon, and we'd like to invite
you to listen to our show every morning on wn
I s Steve, you.

Speaker 9 (14:36):
Know you've developed a real bad habit.

Speaker 12 (14:38):
I'm finishing your sentences.

Speaker 9 (14:39):
Yeah, but if I were to tell a joke right now, I.

Speaker 11 (14:41):
Tell the punchline, I wouldn't do that.

Speaker 9 (14:43):
Come on, are you sure?

Speaker 18 (14:44):
Yeah?

Speaker 9 (14:44):
Positive?

Speaker 12 (14:45):
Okay.

Speaker 9 (14:45):
The guy walks up to me.

Speaker 16 (14:46):
The other day and says he hasn't had a bite
in three so you bet him.

Speaker 17 (14:53):
Harper and Gannon dys good mornings on wn I c
FM one hundred am thirteen.

Speaker 12 (14:57):
Jim webe what do you want?

Speaker 18 (14:58):
A mate?

Speaker 8 (14:59):
From when I was in high school, I called into
their show to introduce the Beatle Break, and eventually Jim
Harper did the commercials for one of my recent books.
You heard him on this show announcing I call him
mister President. All these years later, I kept in touch
with these guys who were my heroes when I was
of that age. If you were on one hundred point

(15:21):
three WNIC and you went up the dial, you know
eight points is what it is. I think till you
get to the next FM station, Well, it was the Riff.
And if you were on wrif you were listening to
Arthur Panhello.

Speaker 6 (15:36):
This is the Riff doing thirty minutes a nonstyle rock,
starting with the Bruiser Band. It's a MotorCity Jam, three
rock and roll, the Bruiser Band doing it on the
riff with me, Arthur p Let's.

Speaker 8 (15:46):
Crew Baby, And then of course came well. I came
to know George Norrie Coast to Coast am overnight. He's
on six hundred and fifty stations off and across the
table from me.

Speaker 19 (16:03):
I want to say hi to all my Michiganders. They
are the best. It's a great state. I love the Midwest.
I go back there as often as I can. Just
a hello to everybody in Michigan that listens to your show,
because Michael Shields is doing a great job keeping things
going in.

Speaker 8 (16:19):
Michigan for everybody. Thank you to all of the great
voices of radio who put me where I am today
and inspired me and hopefully YouTube. It's Michael Patrick Shields
near This was the theme of Larry King's overnight radio show,

(16:52):
long before he came on television on CNN, and his
show was amazing Overnight. It was weird, it was funny,
It had news makers and everybody from Frank Sinatra to
Jackie Gleeson to presidents of the United States on the
mutual broadcasting system from the nation's capital as and I

(17:12):
knew he smoked through that show, and he took weird calls.
And one of those weird calls was me once again.
When I was in high school listening in the middle
of the night Arthur Penthalo from the Riff speaking of presidents.
I'm told had a presidential campaign, and it sounded like this.

Speaker 12 (17:36):
A lot of people out there are worried.

Speaker 16 (17:37):
They're worried about their jobs, about the economy, about whether
or not we may ever get a decent football team.

Speaker 5 (17:42):
Well, I'm here to tell you worry no more.

Speaker 9 (17:45):
It's time to get on board the Party Party with me.
Arthur P. The Party Party stands up.

Speaker 10 (17:51):
For you, and you're right to have a good time
wherever whatever.

Speaker 3 (17:55):
And I have the hottest running mate in the country.

Speaker 9 (17:58):
I give you Christy Lee for VP.

Speaker 20 (18:04):
Thanks big Daddy. We're not going to sit here and
talk about change or the horrendous economy. We just want
to rock, plain and simple. So be sure to log
onto WF dot com to find out where you can
get your Arthur P for President lawnsign so you can
represent the Party Party.

Speaker 18 (18:18):
In eight.

Speaker 8 (18:21):
The Party Party JP McCarthy, of course, was where I
ended up really really accelerating into the radio business as
a producer. And on any given morning throughout the Midwest
and beyond, you heard this.

Speaker 5 (18:39):
Good morning at a very pleasant Thursday to you. It
is the last day in April, and a beautiful morning,
Thank you God, gorgeous day. The sky is absolutely baby
blue like your eyes. And so this is it for
studio day to day, this venerable old place.

Speaker 12 (18:57):
Seventeen minutes after seven in the morning.

Speaker 5 (18:59):
Now here's Ray Stephen.

Speaker 8 (19:04):
And here we are now on thirteen radio stations across
the state of Michigan, celebrating radio this morning with you
and always at MIBiG show dot com. Bobby Laurel wrote

(19:48):
this song for JP McCarthy and created this jingle.

Speaker 9 (19:53):
And when we.

Speaker 8 (19:53):
Speak about the great voices of radio, we're hearing this morning,
including JP McCarthy, it's Michael Patrick Shield saluting the Wally
Phillips was one of the great voices in Chicago, which
was another really really big, big radio town with Steve
Dall and Gary Meyer and all the rest of them
there and Wally Phillips. When the Radio Hall of Fame

(20:15):
induction took place, the National Radio Hall of Fame is
in Chicago, Tim McGuire and I once visited there, and
I was there, of course when Jeff and Jerr were
installed in the Hall of Fame. And when JP was
inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame, it was
Wally Phillips, and it was Paul Harvey, if you can

(20:35):
believe it, who also had history at w kz O
and Kalamazoo anchored his national show from Chicago. Those two big,
big voices introduced JP.

Speaker 6 (20:47):
Now in the category of local or regional personality. Here
to present this year's award is WGNS Wally Phillips.

Speaker 21 (20:56):
One score and seven years ago, our fathers, who owned
a piece of WJR in Detroit, scoured the country to
find a young, brilliant, educated, intelligent, innovative, imaginative, erudite, sophisticated, mature, articulate, devoted, sincere, perspicacious, astute,

(21:17):
extremely good looking talent for their morning drive time. Unfortunately,
I was signed with WGN at the time, so I
wasn't available.

Speaker 13 (21:26):
So they thought, well, let's.

Speaker 21 (21:27):
Try another text. What if we were to get something
really innovative, the most ignorant, insulting, smarmy scuzzy, scurrilous, revolting, repulsive, bias, bigoted, angry, tasteless, obnoxious,
and obscene broadcaster in America. But at that time, Howard
was eight years old and was still under supervision for

(21:53):
a misguided lewd conduct report at a confessional at Saint
Patrick's Cathedral.

Speaker 11 (22:00):
Pick j P.

Speaker 21 (22:00):
McCarthy, a man who had been turned down twice by
the Barbara Walters School of Speech. Nonetheless, he's been waking
up Detroit on WJR radio for over twenty seven years,
has been rated number one for each of these years.
He has a knack forgetting important people to talk to
him when they refuse interviews everywhere else he sends his
rejects to Larry King, the only person whoever declined an

(22:23):
interview with JP. I don't know where he yesterday, but
I'm sure mister Hoffe learned to regret. He's a self
made man, which will show you in a minute what
unskilled labor can do. But the National Association of Broadcasters
has nominated JP's Major Market Personality of the Year for
the Marconi Awards four years of the awards existence, and

(22:44):
Billboard magazine has given jps National Radio Personality the Year
Award four.

Speaker 8 (22:49):
Times amazing and Paul Harvey, good day, and the rest
of the story. The voice you heard there at the
beginning with even high Stern got a shout out on
this radio show today, didn't he? But Paul Harvey, you
almost never heard his voice other than noon till twelve
twenty when he gave his full lunchtime newscast, which was

(23:14):
followed by the Focus Show with JP McCarthy. But he
also gave a little insert at eight thirty in the morning,
and Paul Harvey, though deigned to be interviewed by of
course JP McCarthy.

Speaker 5 (23:26):
Paul Harvey, good morning, Paul, It's Friday.

Speaker 4 (23:30):
Good morning American. Hey, I'm so glad for a chance
to greet you on this significant day. That's quite a
milestone in our industry.

Speaker 5 (23:39):
Wasn't it fun to be able to have a successfully
avoided work all these years? And I know that's the
same way you feel about it.

Speaker 4 (23:46):
I do, indeed, JV. I don't think either of us
has ever got an honest job.

Speaker 5 (23:50):
I never have, you know, I kind of surround you
every day. You're not aware of this because you're on
a million stations around the country.

Speaker 4 (23:58):
But nonder to make your constituency. From what I hear
from the JR listening audience, you and I are you.
You and I are going to steady. We're a team.

Speaker 5 (24:08):
Well, you're in the middle of my show in the
morning at eight thirty, and then you precede my noontime
interview show focused at the noon hour, so you may
not be aware of it, but we're partners. Paul Harvey,
I'm delighted.

Speaker 4 (24:19):
You delighted.

Speaker 5 (24:21):
You're nice to call this morning. Tell me something, Now,
what time? A lot of people have asked me this,
and I have no idea, But what time do you
get up to prepare those shows?

Speaker 4 (24:30):
Well, let's see, I got up at three thirty Chicago
time and get to my desk about four twenty. The
biggest problem JV is when I'm on the West Coast,
because then, of course I'm still on Eastern time, and
I'm up at one thirty in the morning, and there's
nobody abroad but you know, bakery drivers, bad girls, and
Paul Harvey's. That's a lonely life out there. There's no

(24:55):
place to eat breakfast.

Speaker 8 (24:58):
Ironically, ironically, the first time I ever heard the phrase
polo lounge ever uttered was on the j P. McCarthy show,
and I was just a kid, and they were joking
about taking a phone call at the important Polo Lounge.
It was in a promo and I ran into Sugar
Ray Leonard not too long ago, and he was very

(25:20):
friendly at Polo Lounge. And he was mentioned in a
conversation with another national broadcasting star who agreed to join J. P.
McCarthy on the radio, and that was the sports star
Howard co Cell.

Speaker 22 (25:35):
After all, you're talking to the man who introduced Ray
Leonard to the whole world at Cortier Square in nineteen
seventy six, with the late Sage Johnson, who taught him
boxing and who died tragically in that crash at Warsaw
Airport a number of years back. But Sage was the

(25:57):
man behind Ray Leonard and the man behind the American
boxing team in the seventy six Olympics, and of course,
on June twentieth, nineteen eighty, in the Olympic Stadium in Montreal,
I called the first fight, and four months later in
the super Dome, I call the second fight. When the
bully quit.

Speaker 5 (26:18):
Yeh, no Moss, no Moss.

Speaker 22 (26:20):
But apparently about these men, what can I tell you
I think.

Speaker 18 (26:25):
It's a farce.

Speaker 5 (26:27):
Well, it's a farce, but Bray Leonard is going to
walk out of there with twelve or thirteen million dollars.

Speaker 4 (26:31):
That's right.

Speaker 22 (26:32):
He now has a safe deposit box where a heart
used to be. He was once a very nice kid,
but he's not that anymore.

Speaker 8 (26:42):
He's got or something else, aren't they. They also talked
Howard Cosell and JP about sports and Pearl Harbor.

Speaker 5 (26:51):
Well, you know, Howard, it's like an old friend of
mine once said, it's not the money, it's the amount.
Good to talk to you this morning, and I hope
we talk again soon.

Speaker 22 (27:01):
I hope so. And happy well, I can't say happy
Pearl Harper day. Well, I remember it too vividly.

Speaker 5 (27:09):
Hard to believe that that was forty eight years ago.

Speaker 4 (27:11):
Today, forty eight years ago today, and you know what
was happening at the old Polo Grounds.

Speaker 18 (27:17):
No.

Speaker 22 (27:18):
The public address announcer was the late author Daily Appeal
at Surprise, winning sports writer of the New York Times,
the sports columnist, and he kept in toning to all
of us at the arena that day because then Brooklyn
Football Dotch has simply crushed the then New York football

(27:41):
Giants twenty one to seven, and he kept saying, with
your report to your unit immediately, and people in uniform
were leaving and leaving as quickly as possible. Incredibly, we
didn't really know that what had happened at Pearl Harper.

Speaker 4 (27:58):
God bless you well.

Speaker 5 (27:59):
Hangover second later that day, Howard, this is the way
you heard it, I'm sure and the rest of the nation,
have you got a second? This is the way it
was announced forty eight years ago today from the MVPU.

Speaker 8 (28:11):
Roman New York men who witnessed history and became radio
history and remain radio history, celebrated by me Michael Patrick
Shields today. An active view of life and living in

(28:35):
the Great Lakes Area, a lively look at people, places,
events and attitudes put into focus by JP McCarthy. And
this was one of the theme songs for JP. Unless
you think it always went as smooth as you've been hearing,
there were occasions, because it's live radio, where the unusual happened,

(28:56):
the surprise happened. And let's go to the thanks Giving
Day parade coverage when JP was the anchor and the
man you heard at all those Tiger games, the man
who went to Central Michigan University. Paul Carey was seated
next to JP as his color analyst for the parade,
and along came a group of singing pom pom girls,

(29:18):
which was very strange. That was the next item in
the parade. And we had a book in front, and
they could see in the book, which you know, attractions
were coming by next. And so Paul Carey described the
singing pom pom girls like this.

Speaker 13 (29:35):
Joe, I had no idea that pom pom girls could
be so delightful or really.

Speaker 5 (29:45):
They certainly are very attractive and they sound good. They're
also dressed in as you'll note, blue and silver. Now
maybe that's an honor of it.

Speaker 1 (29:54):
Back in the day.

Speaker 8 (29:55):
When the parade ended, JD would get right into a
limousine and be taken up to the Pontiac Silver Dome
to go to the Lions Thanksgiving Day game. I remember
seeing that very clearly. And then sometimes he would take
callers live callers, of course, and he would have little
segments called what's bothering You? And you could call in

(30:15):
and venture spleen, as Dick Purtin used to say, or
you could call in and give your winner or loser
of the day and it was always spontaneous, and so
this happened.

Speaker 5 (30:28):
Yeah, we have time for a quick winter here before
we join Paul Harvey.

Speaker 9 (30:31):
You have a winner or a loser.

Speaker 4 (30:32):
If you have a luler for you, who is it?

Speaker 5 (30:36):
Thank you so much. I needed that this morning. I
stay with us for Paul Harvey from Chicago here on
WJR superstation seven sixty.

Speaker 8 (30:47):
And how about it when a guest goes sideways like
the very grumpy mort.

Speaker 9 (30:53):
Saul, let's hold a commercial place.

Speaker 2 (31:06):
I'm going to meet more solid who is currently at
the Capistrano here in Detroit, and we gave the business
to yesterday because he wasn't here.

Speaker 12 (31:16):
I wouldn't have said, could you explain that remark to me?

Speaker 5 (31:19):
You know, I was just I just assumed, not what
you would do yesterday, No kidding, And I kidded you
about it off the air, even.

Speaker 13 (31:26):
Though I informed the press agent and the owner of
the club that I tape a show in California on
Sunday and with the time change, I would be flying
during Monday. So who scheduled me? They knew that two
weeks before I opened.

Speaker 15 (31:41):
I don't know.

Speaker 13 (31:42):
There's no need to apologize or even apologize. I've been
in this business thirteen years and I've never missed the
performance sickness or otherwise. So nobody informed me I was
supposed to be here.

Speaker 12 (32:00):
Okay, an explanation really wasn't necessary.

Speaker 13 (32:03):
Well, since I got wrapped, I guess maybe I don't
know about it.

Speaker 5 (32:06):
You didn't get wrapped that bad or it was all
in you know it's in humor, yes, hopefully. Wait listen
you you know you're you really are an angry young.

Speaker 12 (32:15):
Man, aren't you?

Speaker 18 (32:16):
No?

Speaker 12 (32:17):
But what upsets you? Tell us some of the things.
What upsets me?

Speaker 13 (32:22):
Well, I think America was a good idea and I'd
like to see it.

Speaker 12 (32:25):
Go on and not come to an end. Do you
think it's in danger of coming to an end? You bet? Why?

Speaker 13 (32:31):
Why mediocrity and greed? Now which end of the spectrum
do you want to go through?

Speaker 12 (32:38):
Talking to more Saul more in your nightclub back? Will
you take an unpleasant situation and make it funny.

Speaker 13 (32:45):
With with cynicism living? No, not cynicism. I'm going to
give you a blitz education here. Okay, Cynicism is the
classmate of inexperience. I think you're talking about being embittered.
I am not a cynic?

Speaker 12 (33:00):
Are you embittered?

Speaker 13 (33:00):
If I was a cynic, I wouldn't get out of
bed in the morning and go to work and try
to talk to people.

Speaker 12 (33:05):
Do you read Thomas Wolf?

Speaker 7 (33:07):
No?

Speaker 13 (33:09):
Try it sometime you might find out where we live.
Just the normal guy who'd like to know who killed
the president?

Speaker 12 (33:16):
You don't think it was Harvey Eyswell, no, I don't.

Speaker 13 (33:18):
They didn't just bury a guy that buried their justice.
And you don't avenge the president's death by electing his brother.
These are all things people should be thinking about.

Speaker 12 (33:27):
Do you think they're going to elect the president's brother?
Of course in nineteen sixty.

Speaker 13 (33:31):
Eight, of course maybe if he can quell his ambition
that long, they might elect them in nineteen seventy two.
They probably will. It won't make any difference by them anyway.

Speaker 12 (33:41):
Tell us about your show, then, isn't it true the
happy guy? Isn't he?

Speaker 18 (33:45):
Okay?

Speaker 12 (33:46):
What's a happy guy? Someone who agrees with you? Not necessarily?
How long has it been since you smiled?

Speaker 13 (33:52):
How long has it been since you've seen me work?

Speaker 12 (33:54):
Two years?

Speaker 13 (33:55):
You're flying blind, aren't you?

Speaker 12 (33:57):
Two years? Fact is it's not a.

Speaker 13 (34:00):
Matter of being a happy guy it's a matter of
talking sense. When you ask me a question, I pay
you the courtesy of answering you straight. I don't use
you as a springboard to be funny for the audience.

Speaker 15 (34:12):
Now.

Speaker 13 (34:12):
I'll talk to you about anything you want, But if
you question me about that was the week that was,
or political matters or the death of the president, it's
hard to be funny about that. There's nothing worse in
America than a loser. In fact, all the German people
I was there last year, all they have against Hitler
is that he lost. That's all anybody has against the
candidate here. He can do anything except lose. You can

(34:33):
steal and kill, but don't lose. Who do you think
would be What do I mean, who would I back
for president?

Speaker 5 (34:40):
If somebody came up to you and said, mort Saul,
We'd like to have a candidate for the Mortsaul Party.

Speaker 13 (34:45):
Anyone who would end the war in Vietnam, and you
know what, he'd be elected if he had the sense
to say it. If Romney got up to speak locally
and said he in the war, he'd be elected in
a landslide. Ronald Reagan could be president if he'd end
the war. The American people have not been given choice.

Speaker 5 (35:02):
Is it your opinion that we should end the war
by pulling out of Vietnam?

Speaker 13 (35:07):
Come on, you know what you're doing now, aren't you?

Speaker 12 (35:09):
What am I doing?

Speaker 13 (35:10):
You're waving a flag, you're taking no position, and you're
trying to make me the heavy.

Speaker 12 (35:16):
I think you're doing a good job of that yourself.
If you made a statement.

Speaker 5 (35:19):
What would you how would you solve the war in Vietnam?

Speaker 12 (35:23):
How would you get us out of it?

Speaker 11 (35:24):
Now?

Speaker 13 (35:24):
You know this may come as a shock to you,
but I'm going to remind you something you forgot in
the last fourteen minutes. I'm in show business. The last
man that asked me about ending the war in Vietnam
was President Johnson, eminently more qualified than you and eminently
more courteous.

Speaker 8 (35:39):
Wow, sometimes you have a tiger by the tail. It's
Michael Patrick Shields celebrating J. P. McCarthy and radio through
the AT and T microphone.

Speaker 9 (35:54):
Oh, it's a lot of fun to go to a
ball game.

Speaker 21 (35:58):
Who in the fighting Tigers.

Speaker 8 (36:02):
Speaking of having a tiger by the tail? This is
the singing J. P. McCarthy saluting the tigers. And at
a segment where we typically talked sports with Tony Cuthbert,
another great voice in radio, and we were just talking
recently about the bloopers of J. P. McCarthy. Here's one
that goes together when we're talking about Greg Norman, the

(36:25):
great golfer with whom JP played in his pal tournament
that raised money for charity. Greg Norman and a caller.

Speaker 5 (36:33):
Okay, but what's your point?

Speaker 18 (36:34):
Okay? Now? Greg Norman and has a tendency to be
in contention when he gets into the backside and then
for some reason or other, he loses. Do you know
which hole gave him the most problem last year?

Speaker 9 (36:52):
Which hole? A?

Speaker 5 (36:53):
Augusta?

Speaker 18 (36:53):
Yeah, well, in general?

Speaker 5 (36:55):
Which hole?

Speaker 18 (36:56):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (36:57):
Oh you mean the eighteenth hall?

Speaker 18 (36:59):
Well, no, not necessarily. I hope this doesn't offend any
of your listeners, but it was the one that was
next to the hemorrhoids he got.

Speaker 5 (37:10):
You know what, I'm surprised at you. Shame on you.
You're too old to talk like that.

Speaker 8 (37:17):
Let's go back to baseball. Here's Sparky Anderson.

Speaker 7 (37:22):
Right, this is Sparky Anderson. JP. Let me say this,
there's no greater honor that you could have than to
be inducted into the National Broadcasting Hall of Fame on
November fifteenth. But you certainly deserve it, and this isn't
just something for words. I've been interviewed many, many times
in my career, and I have never been interviewed by

(37:46):
somebody to interview better than you. I certainly congratulate you. JP.

Speaker 8 (37:51):
How about Joe Paterno, the Penn State coach with Bo Schambeckler,
Michigan's football coach.

Speaker 5 (37:57):
Who did some coaching up at the University of Michigan
twenty rather extraordinary years. Glenn bow scham Beckler.

Speaker 4 (38:04):
I didn't I didn't know there was a Glenny post
to see you. Glenn know my first name.

Speaker 5 (38:12):
Are well listen, welcome to the Big ten. Joe Paterno,
you win it in your second year. Not such a
tough division.

Speaker 15 (38:20):
Well, that's that's one of That's a flute.

Speaker 4 (38:22):
I mean, that's a flu catchy. You know, we we're
gonna was.

Speaker 8 (38:27):
Gonna it's not nice how the greats are somehow humble,
and then Joe Paterno's case got humbled. It's Michael Patrick Shields.
We take the work seriously, but don't take ourselves seriously,
and we love radio