``He was feeling really good.. He was also the first Radio DJ to nationally distribute a weekly show. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. In 1978, he appeared as Bob "The Jackal" Smith in a made-for-TV movie Deadman's Curve based on the musical careers of Jan Berry and Dean Torrence of Jan and Dean. On Tuesday, October 20, 2015 at 3:22:09 PM UTC-5. He was famous for his gravelly voice and his trademark "wolf howl". Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Brooklyn, Kings County (Brooklyn), New York, USA, Belvidere, Perquimans County, North Carolina, USA. Then the Beatles hit and everyone sounded like them. 'I gave him every breath I had, but it was quick. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. The Wolfman had recently lost 40 pounds through diet and exercise, he said. Please reset your password. ). His distinctive voice and musical tastes were spread around the globe through syndication. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11176976/wolfman-jack. Funeral arrangements were pending Saturday. A couple of shots of whiskey helps it. Wolfman Jack is portrayed by Jack Black in the 2022 satirical biopic Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. He began working on his career by enrolling in the Academy of Broadcasting in Washington D.C and supported his studies through door-to-door . Then the Beatles hit, and everyone sounded like them. Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Zoo Miami in Florida confirmed a Malayan tapir briefly escaped from its enclosure Tuesday before being safely contained about an hour later. The 'Jack' nickname was taken from the 'hipster' lingo of the 1950s, as in 'Take a page from my book, Jack', or the more popular, 'Hit the road, Jack. Disc Jockey, Actor, Entertainer. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. But that was the power of radio. But few people realize that one of the most iconic figures in the music and entertainment world is laid to rest right in the North Carolina front yard of the home he shared with his beloved wife. A car driving from New York to L.A. would never lose the station. Wolfman Jack's howls, yelps and fast-talking patter - a mixture of hip black argot, teenage slang and gobbledegook - made him a figure whose cult appeal was all the more potent for his never being seen. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Wolfman Jack, 57, the rock-and-roll disc jockey whose gravelly voice and trademark wolf howls made him one of the nation's most recognizable voices, died July 1 at his home here after a heart attack. Wolfman Jack, the rock-and-roll disk jockey whose unmistakable raspy voice and on-the-air howls brought him something of a cult following as one of America's best-known radio personalities, died yesterday at his home in Belvidere, N.C. "It's real American music -- what rock-and-roll originally was before people turned it around and sideways and upside down. In 1978, Wolfman appeared in the movie "Sgt. The Wolfman Jack Classic Hits and Classic Rock Shows feature all of Wolfman's legendary antics and bits for Classic Rock and Classic Hits formats. Wolfman Jack was a legendary DJ who rose to prominence during the 1960s thanks to his groundbreaking radio persona, complete with a wolf-howl gimmick and risqu attitude. Wolfman passed away in . Smith first gained fame in the early 1960s by broadcasting from a high-powered Mexican radio station, XERB, that spread the raucous sound of obscure blues, R&B and rockabilly recordings across most of the United States and parts of Canada. The film made the Wolfman the most famous disc-jockey in America, celebrated in songs by Todd Rundgren and Leon Russell and an American hit for the Guess Who, "Clap for the Wolfman". The mammoth signal allowed folks in every state in America to hear his prose and laugh at his on-air antics. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978) and Motel Hell (1980). What other famous celebs live in North Carolina? Try again later. The Wolfman, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., came to prominence in the early 1960s playing the latest rock-and-roll on XERF-AM, a Mexican station that broadcast at 250,000 watts, five times the power allowed any U.S. station at the time. 25:02. He was 57. The Wolfman flew in for the program every weekend and had done the show Friday night. 'He created a phenomenon just by playing black music at a time when pop music was still pretty segregated (in the United States),' said his son, Tod Weston Smith. Morgan. The border stations made money by renting time to Pentecostal preachers and psychics, and by taking 50% of the profit from anything sold by mail order. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Please enter your email and password to sign in. Resend Activation Email. Failed to report flower. The cause was a heart attack, said his daughter, Joy Renee Smith. To that end, he recorded a number of programs that never aired, because the station did not come on air according to schedule. At each appearance, he looked a little different because he had not decided what the Wolfman should look like. Entering into the 1970s, the Wolfman was a full-blown cult figure.In 1973, Wolfman Jack was immortalized on film thanks to his performance as a fictionalized version of himself in George Lucas nostalgic masterpiece American Graffiti. The Jack Benny Program S14E20: Jack Takes Violin . To use this feature, use a newer browser. Though he already was well known, it wasn't until the Wolfman played himself in George Lucas's 1973 movie, "American Graffiti," that America saw the face that went with the voice. He died on 1 July 1995 in Belvidere, North Carolina, USA. Try again. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. The character was based in part on the manner and style of bluesman Howlin' Wolf. Come join The Wolfman Jack Family of Stations and get in on the fun! The last movie he appeared in was titled "Midnight" in 1989. He recorded his shows in Los Angeles and shipped his tapes across the border into Mexico, where they would then be beamed across the U.S.[7], In 1971, the Mexican government, under pressure from the Roman Catholic church, banned the Pentecostal preachers from the radio, taking away 80% of XERB's revenue. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Wolfman Jack also became famous for his appearances in television commercials, especially extended "infomercials," in which he hawked rock-and-roll music collections. He also had his own syndicated TV show, "The Wolfman Jack Show.". "Everybody in America has a clear memory of that voice. The show played over the restaurant's sound system, with diners encouraged to get into the act. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. Robert Smith (Wolfman Jack), disc-jockey: born Brooklyn, New York 1939; married (one son, one daughter); died Belvidere, North Carolina 1 July 1995. ``But he still smoked his Camels. In 1962 he worked at KCIJ, a country station in Shreveport, La., where he went by the name Big Smith With the Records. He made his mark as a disc jockey from 1958 to 1966, on radio station XERF (1570 AM) in Ciudad Acua, Coahuila, Mexico, just across the river from Del. A funeral service is held for guitarist and singer Walter 'Wolfman' Washington at Jacob Schoen & Son Funeral Home in New Orleans, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023. He's voiced by Aaron Fecther. John Peel paying tribute to Wolfman Jack who died earlier in the week, broadcast on 7th July 1995 from BBC Radio One. Wolfman Jack was a hero of sorts to me -- a guy who played the music I loved and did so much to popularize it around the world. There was an error deleting this problem. In recent years, he made about 150 appearances a year, serving as host at a variety of events, said Lonnie Napier, Wolfman Jack's manager and the vice president of Wolfman Jack Entertainment. Three bison escape Maine farm, two recaptured. Wolfman Jack was born Robert Weston Smith, in Brooklyn, New York, on January 21, 1938. Learn more about managing a memorial . (It eventually returned in 1983 from a new ship, which remained at sea until 1990.) ``He had just done one of his best shows, Napier said. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Wolfman Jack was born Robert Weston Smith, in Brooklyn, New York, on January 21, 1938. In 1973, he appeared as himself in George Lucas's second feature film American Graffiti. Try again later. They loved it.". He was going to live the way he lived, Napier said. Failed to remove flower. Wolfman Jack's Halloween Special. He is survived by his wife, Lou Lamb Smith, a daughter and a son. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Did you know that Wolfman Jack is routinely considered to be one of the first shock jocks in the history of radio broadcasting and that his program was syndicated to American troops during the Vietnam War? In 1967, XERF closed down, and Wolfman crossed the border to Los Angeles to work on KDAY. In his early days, Wolfman Jack made sporadic public appearances, usually as a master of ceremonies for rock bands at Los Angeles clubs. Although the mystery was solved, Wolfman Jack continued to be a success, hosting NBC-TV's The Midnight Special. He had done a syndicated radio broadcast from a Planet Hollywood restaurant in Washington, D.C., on Friday night. "[5], Most of the border stations broadcast at 250,000 watts, five times the U.S. limit, meaning that their signals were picked up all over North America, and at night as far away as Europe and the Soviet Union. 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