[DuncanNewmarchMember]

Unfortunately Charlie Tuna, a familiar voice with jingle fans has passed away. http://m.digitaljournal.com/pr/2853107
http://www.jingles.com/jam/radioids/demodl-BigEdition.php

[nleibo]

Article says he passed away Feb 19th–10 DAYS ago–and we’re just hearing about it?? Only 71—passed “peacefully in his sleep”–hmmm…

[IainJohnston]

Many UK JMers will remember him from the KHJ Los Angeles Drake packages and format.

At one time in the early 1970s his show ratings on KHJ were over 30 percent.
An audience level unimaginable today in the USA’s heavily fragmented radio and online listening environment.

[PKMember]

Great shame about Charlie Tuna and a very sad loss. He was still on air at K-Earth 101 quite recently doing weekends and his syndicated “Charlie Tuna The 70s” show across the USA as well.

Great BIG voice, wonderful great broadcaster.

I also remember the BIG powerful voice overs Charlie did for various Hot FM and Hotter Mix aired on Chiltern Radio, Northants 96, Horizon Radio, Severn Sound and Galaxy Radio.

[RobinBlamires]

That’s Charlie Van Dyke who did the Chiltern V/Os. Also voiced the “Breakthrough” demo.

[PKMember]

Yes I stand corrected on the Chiltern voice overs. It’s only been a week or so since I last heard Charlie on K-Earth 101.

[ratnobMember]

Terribly sad to hear this. I just loved his v/o work on JAM’s ‘Big Edition’, etc – a man who clearly loved radio, loved jingles.

[Tracy CarmanMember]

Just as an FYI, Charlie Tuna narrated ID jingle demos for Joseph P. Cuff & Company before the existence of JAM Creative Productions. Take a listen…

https://soundcloud.com/user-702563692/joseph-p-cuff-company-image-i-and-image-ii-jingle-demos

[IainJohnston]

Haven’t heard that Cuff demo in about 40 years!

And if we can cross-ref this thread to the references about PAMS/Tanner comparisons, the Cuff cuts were very much more than a “nod” to the Drake Series 1 and even TM Propellents and the like.

But everybody increasingly copied everybody else then, and individual cuts spiralled inwards in style to formulaic percussion-in/3-notes-brass-front/strings-under-station-name-to-same-logo-as-everyone-else … until JAM appeared as a breath of badly needed fresh air.

Oddly enough, “today’s product” is also just as formulaic, but we’ve already been there on that topic.

[tyty21]

might I chime in on this? just going a little off topic on his jingle career, he did do a little tv as well! His most notable being his announcing gig for Scrabble, a game show based on the board game from the 80’s and 90’s. Look it up on youtube.

[ratnobMember]

Joseph P. Cuff & Company. Take a listen…
https://soundcloud.com/user-702563692/joseph-p-cuff-company-image-i-and-image-ii-jingle-demos

Totally new to me and fascinating. Thank you.

[Tracy CarmanMember]

Joseph P. Cuff & Company. Take a listen…
https://soundcloud.com/user-702563692/joseph-p-cuff-company-image-i-and-image-ii-jingle-demos

Totally new to me and fascinating. Thank you.

You’re welcome. I’ll post more Cuff stuff soon.

[Walkerbroadcasting]

Charlie Tuna’s voice lives on at our NPR/Public/Community radio station in the middle of Alaska’s central Interior Region in the form of our network ID and some liners/promos. Check it out streaming online at http://www.kiyu.com

Paul Walker
“Community Radio For Alaska:KIYU” Program Director

[Author]

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