Submitted by: Kihm Winship      From: Skaneateles, NY

Memory: When I was a boy growing up in Kenmore, New York, my older brother used to play the radio after "lights out," and we would listen to The Hound, often broadcasting live from The Zanzibar on Williams Street, playing Rhythm & Blues tunes, and talking to us like he knew us. I had a classmate whose father knew The Hound, and I got an autographed picture. It's been lost, but I still remember the inscription, "To Kihm, one cool cat." He was an original, a pioneer, and truly cool, a good man. Thanks for putting up this website.

Submitted by: norma & reg gale      From: mt. forest ont. canada, canada

Memory: What great memories of 'The Hound' we have. As a teen I lived in Hamilton Ontario and my husband to be lived in Beamsville Ontario. As teens we would hurry home from school to listen to WINE radio & later WKBW.

The 'Hound' was our hero & he was instrumental in our love of R&B music right to this day. Solomon burkes' 'cry to me' he would play 5-6 times in a row. Gotta love that!!!!

Submitted by: Rich--      From: Mocksville, N.C.

Memory: Norwich N.Y.- 1957 winter --colder that snot -- setting pins by hand in a bowling alley-- girl friend would walk down and start the car-1950 buick super-- warm it up --we would cruse east and west Main -with WKBW on the AM radio---long ago--good times for sure

Submitted by: Nick      From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Memory: I remember when I was a kid,in the mid fifties we used to go to the movies alot with my mother,aunt,and 4 year older sister.The theater was the Colvin Theater,and before the show they advertised The Hound on the screen.Just a still with a hound logo behind a filmy curtain.I was young but my sister listened to the radio constantly.In the kitchen doing dishes,doing homework,,in the car whereever we went.Just being around,her all that music sunk in.When the older guys in the neigborhood were hanging around her and her friends.They'd talk about all the cool songs they heard on the radio,at night.That what I wanted to hear,to be just like the big guys.

So I listened and though I truley didn't understand at the time,the foundation to everything I enjoy today,was because of my sister and The Hound.They're both gone but I'll bet she's still listening.

Submitted by: Mike McCormack      From: Los Angeles, california

Memory: Years ago, I worked on The Midnight Special with Wolfman Jack from time to time. Once, on a break, I told him something about him reminded me of a guy from my hometown who went by the name of The Hound Dog. He said, "It should, little brother, I based everything I do on him." As it turned out, Wolfman was from Brooklyn (when he was named Bob Smith!) and at nighttime, he could pick up the WKBW signal. So every night he listened to the Hound. According to him -- and who would know better? -- his name, Wolfman Jack, was a personal tribute to the Hound.

In one of those sad coincidences, like the Hound, Wolfman too died way too young.

Hey, Jill Glaser, I want to know more about the ol' Zanzibar. And Big Bob and Pal Al from "Handsome" Harry Bilsky's if you remember that.

Submitted by: Ken Munson      From: Old Lyme, Ct

Memory: Spending the entire summers at Hammonnassett State Park in the mid 50's introduced me to Alan Freed on WINS in NYC. He was every night except Sundays. There was also an afternoon show on WMGM in NYC with some other DJ whose name I don't remember. In the fall, winter and spring I needed my old "short wave" radio (which I bought for $1 from a neighborhood kid in New Britain, CT) to pick up an after school show out of Springfield, MA. But the thrill of hearing "the Hound" on WKBW in Buffalo was beyond description. That must've been about 1956-7. We moved from New Britain, CT to Kensington, CT, in the winter of 1955 and late-night radio was still preferred to TV. I stumbled onto the show and listened when it "came in" clearly enough to enjoy "the sounds". He was on later than Alan Freed and after Alan died he was the only one that we could listed to (other than local yokels who didn't know RNR from their rear-ends).

Imagine my ecstasy when he came to WPOP (1410 AM) in Hartford in 1958 (I'm pretty sure of the year). He was only there for a year or so, though. I think I may still have a reel-to-reel tape of an entire show (2 hours). "Bony Maroney" by Larry Williams is one of the tunes on it so that puts a time frame to it. One of his memorable sponsers was Gold Seal Catawba ("The anytime wine, baby").

Submitted by: hifitommy (tom roy)      From: Sylmar, california

Memory: I once won tickets to see elvis by entering the number of times marty robbins sang the phrase 'a white sport coat and a pink carnation' in the song of the same name. My mother, damn her, made me give the tickets back (and I actually met the hound) so I didnt get to go.

I used to love the way he would play the big heavy and talk over it-"the hounds around........mr movin is groovin." Its funny, here in LA, on the beginning of the blues program on kkjz, they just played that song. What a memory.

Also, Wolfman Jack once credited the hound with beiong his inspiration for his character.

Submitted by: Dr. Rick Ferris      From: Rochester, New York

Memory: My early musical influences were big band,C&W, and early RnR ( mostly the Sun recording artists,i.e.,Elvis,Jerry Lee, Carl & Roy,etc. ), while growing up in Rochester in the early 50s. Like most kids,I was hearing about artists primarily from AM radio. All of us were "flipping the dial",trying to catch the DJs from NYC,Chicago,Phili., to find out what artists were breaking. Then one glorious day,I came upon the "hound " broadcasting live from the club Zanzibar. This was really exotic, broadcasting from a club rather then a sterile studio. I was hooked from day one ! The next thing that stood out was his " big Heavy" theme. I never heard big band rhythm and blues before.I couldn't wait to get my hands on that 78rpm recording.In fact,as I recall, most of his programming consisted of R&B.

I was desperate to buy and enjoy this music that George was playing. I joined the Hound Dogs to qualify for the discount "hound sounds". The local record store would block off a section just for that music and we could purchase it at discount prices. George was a major influence in my discovery and life long love of R&B music. God bless you George.

Submitted by: Lou      From: Wichita, Kansas

Memory: Late 50's a buddy and I stayed up all night and snuck out of the house early in the am and went to the studio on Cayuga Rd in Wmsville. We walked right in and George was there alone with his engineer. He let us stay and we watched his entire show. He talked to us while the records were playing. I wish I had a tape recording of those conversations, they were funny. He as quite a guy. He sure liked the youth of America.

Submitted by: Mike Carter      From: Port St Lucie, Florida

Memory: I became a fan of the "Hound Dog" as a young boy growing up in Buffalo. My father thought that Rock and Roll would destroy the world so I had to turn WKBW off quickly when he came home from work. I loved Goerge's theme song "Big Heavy". I finally got a copy of it from my wife for my 60th birthday. I play it all the time and it never fails to bring back fond memories of the Hound Dog and the great music he played. Thanks for your wonderful tribute to an American Icon.