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This month our DJ spotlight is on Larry Flegle from WUCG in Blairsville, Ga.
I had a few questions for him and here are his answers. Thanks Larry for helping keep this great music alive!
VE: At what age did you become interested in radio and what sparked that
interest?
LF: My parents gave me a six-transistor radio in 1961. I would listen with a little earphone every night when I went to sleep. I would usually wake up with a dead battery in the morning. As a result I feel in love with radio. In late 1964, I rode my bike out to the local radio station in Arcadia, Florida to visit a friend who was a radio announcer. The general manager of the station told me if I would learn how to operate the station he would hire me. I started working there a week later.
VE: What is your favorite hobby?
LF: I have several. Fishing is number one. I mostly catch and release. About once a year I keep a few trout for the table. I also like to metal detect for lost relics and coins. Twice I have recovered wedding bands for friends and once for my Mother.
VE: If one day in radio had to be your best day, what day was it and what
happened?
LF: My dad was a Baptist pastor. We left Arcadia because he accepted a new church. I was heartbroken to lose my radio job. I didn’t know it but he called the radio station in our new hometown and got me an interview. I was immediately hired to do “Good Morning Gospel” on WHAN, Haines City, Florida in August 1965. I love gospel music so having a gospel radio show was not work, it was fun. My favorite group of all time is “The Rebels Quartet.”
I have been in and out of radio for the last 51 years. I have worked for 15 radio stations. I am also an online college professor.
VE: What would be your dream vacation?
LF: My dream vacation would be to take my lovely bride of 45 years to Hawaii.
VE: Tell me about your family.
LF: My wife of 45 years is Jan. She is my best friend. She is a special, talented lady. She is a precious gift God gave to me. Jan and I are dog lovers and have two Maltese: Lacy and Lily. Our 36-year-old daughter is Krista LeAnn. She lives in Decatur, Georgia with her three dogs.
Larry adds the following story:
In 1964, a fifteen-year-old preacher’s son, Larry Flegle rode his bike five miles to Arcadia, Florida’s WAPGAM 1480 radio to visit a friend. When he arrived he met the general manager of the station who was desperate for a disc jockey to work the daily afternoon Rock ‘N Roll show. He told Larry if he learned how to run the station he could have the job. Larry immediately took him up on the offer and the “Larry Vee” show was born. Larry rocked on from 4pm until local sunset five days week. He played Elvis, the Beach Boys, Ricky Nelson and a new group from England called the Beatles. The summer of 1965 brought a big change for Larry when his father accepted the pastorate of a church in Dundee, Florida. Larry was crushed having to leave his radio show. Shortly after the move his Dad asked him to go for a ride. The destination was Haines City’s WHANAM 930 radio just eight miles away. Larry was asked to take over the morning gospel show and the afternoon rock show and started that afternoon. He stayed with Channel 93 WHAN until February 1967 when he joined the announcing staff at WIPCAM 1280, Lake Wales, Florida. Larry was asked to run the Country music show at midday. Rock ‘N Roll was in his blood and he left the fall of ’67 to run the “Nightbeat with Larry Vee” on WSIRAM 1490 in Winter Haven.
July, 1968 brought a letter from the Selective Service office and a temporary end to spinning records. Larry joined the Navy and it was four years before his return to radio. In June, 1972 Larry began a degree program in broadcasting at the University of South Florida in Tampa. A few months later he was hired by Jim Maloy and became “Larry Michaels” at WQYK AM & FM in Tampa working the overnight shift from midnight to 6am. Some years later Larry went on to become co owner of WBTGFM Gospel Radio in Sheffield, Alabama.
Dr. Flegle is now a college professor with fond memories of being part of the early days of Rock ‘N Roll radio. He now runs AMU Internet Radio for American Military University. Classic rock, of course. amuradio.com/ He also runs Cowboy Gospel NETradio over the internet at www.cowboygospelnetradio.com/ Larry also was with Radio Forecast Network announcing weathercasts for 25 radio stations per day. He is now owner and manager of WUCG M, 93.1, Blairsville, Georgia. URL www.wucg.org/ G93 as it is known, plays gospel and country music 24/7.
In 2013 Larry was fan voted DJ of the year by the Gospel Music Express Showcase for his work with Cowboy Gospel NETradio. He is on the Campfire Council for the International Cowboy Church Network Alliance.
First published by SGN Scoops in December 2014. For current issues see the SGN Scoops mainpage.