Joe Niagara, a fixture on Philadelphia radio for more than four decades, died on June 4 of heart failure. He was 76.
Born Joseph F. Nigro Jr., the South Philadelphia native served in the U.S. Army for one year. He was only 20 when he landed his first job on the radio at WDAS-AM.
The fast-talking broadcaster joined WIBG-AM as a disk jockey in 1956 and spent more than 13,000 days at the microphone. Known as The Rockin' Bird, he built a reputation for mixing Perry Como and Doris Day music with upstart genres like R&B and rock 'n roll. Teens adored these new tunes and boosted the station's ratings by becoming devoted Niagara listeners. They also crammed into high school sock hops to hear him spin songs like "The Bristol Stomp" and "You Send Me."
In 1959, disc jockeys all over the country lost their jobs for taking under-the-table payoffs to play certain songs on the radio. Known as "payola," the practice sparked an investigation by the U.S. House of Representatives and caused Niagara to resign from WIBG. He moved to Los Angeles for a couple years, did a bit part in the Elvis Presley movie "Blue Hawaii," then returned to Philadelphia -- and his old job. He also worked for WFIL-AM, WCAU-AM, WCAU-FM, WDAS-AM and WIFI-FM before ending his career in 2002 at WPEN-AM.
Niagara was listed in the 1980 Guinness Book of World Records for playing the most consecutive different versions of "Stardust"; he aired more than 500 covers of the song. Niagara also received a star on the Philadelphia Music Alliance Walk of Fame.
Posted on June 15, 2004 7:24 AMWe grew up in philly and listened to Joe, loved his personality, will miss him so much
Posted by Pz25 on June 28, 2004 12:21 PMBesides the enjoyable music, Joe played Traffic
Trivia. One of his questions was; How does the state of PA get its southeast boundry line with the the state of DE and what is the distance?
I was the first to answer this question with; The arc of a circle with radius point at the Court Houst in New Castle, DE and radiuds of 14 miles.
I won 2 tickets to the Keswick Theater to hear Glen Miller.
It was 1956, I had my brand new drivers license in my wallet. WIBG’s Joe Niagara was spinning “toons” on my car radio as we cruised Upper Darby. I well recall the booming question, “where is wibbish, where is the WIBH hide-a-way, it’s somewhere in wibbishland. Joe was carrying on, in fine form, the night Gail and I lost our virginity in the backseat of my 1950 Ford Convertible. A Friday night high school “sock-hop,” with Joe in-person, was never to be forgotten. The memories of Joe and those days are like vintage wine in my mind. I'd pay plenty to return to just one more night, in my 50 Ford and Gail, with Joe and wibbish.
Posted by Walt Ruch on November 23, 2004 1:28 PMI don't remember Philidelphia, but I sure do remember listening to Joe!
Posted by Dave Lubin on December 26, 2004 2:26 PMI grew up in cheltenham village in the 60's
and we all listened to W.I.B.G. Joe and the other
D.J's Took out all of the hassles of growing up.I will miss Him Dearly.
I first met Joe when my friend Jack and I worked as summer relief engineers at KYW we went to check some kind of problem with WIBG getting into some equipment we had. He was a funny dynamic and above all a gentlemen.I next met Joe when I was working at WCAU-FM around 1973 just when they went live. Joe was doing mornings and I was his
engineer (after Long John Wade left....I also worked with him before Joe). It was a blast,he was
the "rockin bird!!" It truly was the time of my
life. I had grown up listening to him and here I
was working side by side with him. I had been with
during that period to his record hops, reunions
and private parties and I was at his home and met
his wife and son, he was a gracious and kind person and I was honored to be involved in all these things, it was special. All good things come
to an end and a few years later a fatal idea on
managements part destroyed a fine radio station.
And WCAU-FM went down the toilet.I went into TV.
I ran into Joe again in the early 90's when I
moved back to Phila.I met him and spent the afternoon before he went on just remembering
how it used to be... the only thing that didn't
change was Joe he was Joe still the "ROCKIN BIRD" and the greatest personality I had ever met!!
And I had the honor of working with him!!!
It truly was an honor. I miss you Joe!!!!
I remember Joe in Philly he wqs very good
Posted by Paul on February 19, 2006 4:24 PMHe was simply the very best DJ ever. I had the
pleasure of knowing him, working with him. Joe
could make anything exciting. Long before I ever
met him ,WIBG had this "Hi-Fi Club" and you received your membership card when you joined.
Just about every kid in my high school had a card. We ALL listened to Joe. Later, after I got
to know him I was sitting in his living room
one evening. We were having a little wine and
some cheese his wife Evelyn cut up. We were
listening to new "45's . I thought, wow this is
really great....Joe was as nice as could be.
I have been in the radio business for 40 years. I was Joe Niagara's engineer when he worked at WFIL in the early 70s. Working with him was the most fun I ever had in radio.
Posted by Bruce Northwood on May 18, 2007 4:58 PMThe guys at the job love listening to Joe on the cruisin 1957 tape. We always get a laugh at the classic Muntz TV commercial he did.
Posted by patrick on July 18, 2007 8:25 PMIt was Joe who inspired me to go into radio. I wound up in Alaska, first as an engineer/announcer, and then as a GM for thirty years.
I wound up president of the Alaska Broadcasters Association twice and was inducted to the Alaska Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Am I bragging? Well, yes, but it was all due to Joe, to whom I'll be forever grateful.
Back in '73, a fellow announcer who also credits Joe with the inspiration, and I, formed the "Nome Alaska Joe Niagara Fan Club," and on a trip to Philly, I was able to meet my idol and present him with a small piece of carved ivory from the two of us. It was a great thrill. I just learned of his death more than a year after the fact, and will have to face a world without Joe Niagara in it.
Posted by Tom Busch on March 11, 2008 9:41 PM