Legendary Morning Host Dr. Don Rose Dies

[musicradio77]

From Radio & Records:

Legendary Morning Host Dr. Don Rose Dies

Dr. Don Rose, a Bay Area legend who first found fame as an air personality in Atlanta and Philadelphia, died in his sleep last night at his Concord, CA home. His age was not immediately known. From late 1973 until 1988, Rose ruled the morning roost at KFRC/San Francisco, remaining with the station following its August 1986 move from Top 40 to Adult Standards as "Magic 61." He then worked briefly at KKIS/San Francisco before joining crosstown KIOI for wakeups. That stint ended abruptly after Rose suffered a heart attack in the studio while on the air, forcing him into retirement.

Current KFRC PD Bob Harlow, who received the news of Rose's death this morning while on vacation in Oregon, told R&R he had just spoken with him last week. "He had called because a fan had contacted him and had a question about KFRC, and Don wanted to get the information right," Harlow said. "He was just that kind of guy." Harlow added, however, that Rose remarked that his health was not good and that he might have had walking pneumonia.

Before joining KFRC in 1973 — news that was the top story in R&R's first-ever weekly newspaper — Rose spent five years in mornings at Top 40 WFIL/Philadelphia. He also worked at Top 40 WQXI/Atlanta; an aircheck of Rose's time at the station is featured on the Crusin' 1967 album. He began his career at KOIL/Omaha in 1956 using his legal name, Donald Rosenberg. He was fired from that job. He later worked at KTSA/San Antonio and WEBC/Duluth, MN. As of May 2001, Rose had enjoyed 45 years of marriage with his wife, Kae. He had five children and nine grandchildren.

[treky]

a shame. I remember listening to him in the mornings, when I was growing up in Philadelphia. I also remember, he was also the announcer for a local Philadelphia TV station, in the 70s.