Homegrown DJs boosted Kiwanis Club
The mid-Monongahela Valley has produced a good number of disc jockeys over the years – talented individuals who brought entertainment to people of all ages with a variety of music.
They have included, but are not limited to, Francis “Slops” Delmastro, Terry Lee, Dee Galiffa, John Barbero, Bill Richards, Jim “JD the DJ” Dudas, Jerry “Soapy” Moffit, Bill Quay, Bill Betler, Ted Mathews, Donn Henderson, Larry Traversari, Pete Povich and Ralph Trilli.
We will apologize at this point for any inadvertent oversight and we need to emphasize that we haven’t forgotten Porky Chedwick, Barry Kay, Bill Powell, Jay Michael or other Pittsburgh disc jockeys who spun the discs at area venues.
As we said above, we’re talking about local talent.
Another unique group of turntable artists shared the spotlight in the mid-1950s, albeit if only for a brief time. They were known as High School Disc Jockeys and they played key roles in the annual Kids Day fundraising efforts of the Charleroi Kiwanis Club.
The first recorded (no pun intended) acknowledgment of those young disc jockeys came in a large advertisement in The Charleroi Mail on Sept. 23, 1954. That was two days before they were to appear live on radio station WESA in Charleroi to play requests from callers making monetary pledges to the Kids Day campaign. Comprising that group were these students from area high schools:
?California, William Bielawski; Charleroi, Barbara Fabian and Norma Hopton; Bellmar, Toni Steinberg; Ellsworth, Dave Daniloff; Rostraver, Patty Balog and David Brown; Brownsville, Jerry Swarts and Walter Konjolka; Donora, Sabina Sala; Monessen, Henry Aloisi; Bentleyville, Betty Kendra, and Perry Lower Tyrone, Virginia Trensinutto and Janelle Dadisman.
Monongahela High School also participated in the event but the names of its representatives were not listed.
Also providing special entertainment that day were these “All Star High School Acts”:
Solo vocalists Bevery Lichko of Charleroi and Loretta Mayhut of Brownsville, The Dixieland Five of Monessen, accordianists Josephine Suppa Bellmar and James Pauline of Rostraver, the Musical Singing Group of Ten of Monongahela, and a quartet of singing athletes from Bentleyville.
An added highlight to the Kiwanis Club’s festivities was a free two-hour afternoon concert in the parking lot in front of WESA. It featured Frankie Barr and his Orchestra with Jess Wilson on vocals, the Barr Glee Club, Charleroi’s own Kossol Sisters and other performers.
Radio and newspaper personality Ruth Marek was a special guest throughout the day.
The Kiwanis Club of Charleroi joined with hundreds of other communities throughout the Untied States, Canada, Alaska and Hawaii in developing the Kids Day program with complete local flavor to fit the general theme of “Build For Tomorrow.’
Frank McCaffrey, president of Charleroi Kiwanis, announced that Frank Buscanics, manager of Colonial Life Insurance Co. in Charleroi and a longtime sportscaster in the area, was general chairman of the local Kids Day observance.
In addition to the volunteer efforts of the teenagers entertaining in the radio appeal at WESA the Kiwanis Club staged a traditional tag day in downtown Charleroi.
Glen Brady, a veteran drummer in several bands in the area, served as chairman of the concert in the parking lot adjacent to WESA, which was located behind what is now known as Chamber Plaza. Frankie Barr’s orchestra, which featured many of the district’s top musicians, played special requests for individuals making pledges to the Kids Day Fund.
Money raised during the day was used for boys and girls work by the Kiwanis Club for the children of the area.
“Every cent collected … remains in this area, so please make your call to station WESA Saturday, Sept. 25 and help make Kids Day a real success for the children,” The Charleroi Mail said in urging Mon Valley residents to support the project.
It is interesting to note that on the same day that the teen disc jockeys were answering the telephones and spinning the records at WESA hundreds of other area young people were marking time for a big dance that evening at the Jumpin’ Jive Bee Hive in Charleroi. Barry Kaye of WJAS in Pittsburgh, who made numerous appearances in the Mon Valley, was the DJ at the Bee Hive that night.
Like the Kiwanis Club event, Kaye’s dance was a successful venture. And Kaye’s teenage counterparts at WESA proved to be just as popular in their roles.
Buoyed by the positive results of the 1954 fundraising efforts, the Charleroi Kiwanis Club held a similar event on Oct. 15, 1955. The radio appeal again featured High School Disc Jockeys volunteering their time at WESA. They included:
Charleroi, Frank McGeever and Becky Campbell; Rostraver, Jimmy Pauline and Norma J. Alberini; Monessen, Robert Cowan and Virginia Mussano; Perryopolis, Carolyn Turkish and George Bednar; Donora, Sabena Sala and Irene Adamusko, and Bellmar, Don DeFazio and Garnett Glover.
As was the case a year earlier, the teen DJs fulfilled requests from callers offering contributions to the Kids Day Fund. They also gave away “wonderful gifts” every half-hour during their stints on the air from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Another highlight of the Kiwanians’ project that day was a free Kiddies Show at The Palace Theater. The 10:30 a.m. festivities included movies, cartoons and treats.
There are no newspaper accounts of the Kiwanis Club presenting similar High School Disc Jockeys programs after 1955. But we would like to hear from anyone with additional information about the events.
If you have memories to share or story ideas please contact Ron Paglia at ronpaglia@verizon.net or c/o the Observer-Reporter, 122 South Main St., Washington, PA 15301.