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| .PRE-BEATLES, PRE-BEACH BOYS, PRE-BRITISH INVASION! | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
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| Bio info about Host Mark Edwards and Executive Producer Larry O'Neill and other friends of the show. |
| ABOUT THE HOST |
 Mark Edwards has been a local Bridgeport area resident all his life.
Currently residing in Stratford, Mark grew up in Bridgeport's west end, on a dead end
street named after his great-uncle.
He and his older brother Larry (unrelated to his Executive Producer), younger sister Vicki and parents Joe and Arlene enjoyed their modest home near the banks of the Rooster River on Renwick Place. Mark attended Bryant Elementary School on Maplewood Avenue from Kindergarten right through the 8th grade. His class would be the final 8th grade class to do so at Bryant, as the Bridgeport School System finally adopted a Middle School format, eliminating 7th and 8th grades at grammar schools.
For two years he attended Notre Dame HS in nearby Fairfield, although he finished his high school education back in Bridgeport at Central HS. It was there that Mark first got "on the air" at the schools radio station, WCHS. With this tenure inclusive his complete radio experience encompasses more than thirty years. After graduating, Mark entered several different fields, including recording studio engineer and technician, freelance photographer and restaurant entrepreneur. From 1981 through 1988, he volunteered his time as a Junior Achievement advisor and as a J.A. Center Manager from 1981 until 1996. It wasn't until 1990 that he decided to return to the air by applying for work at the station he was involved with at J.A. On January 1, 1991, he began a tenure that lasted nearly 13 years. At the station, he also served for 10 years as the Assistant Chief Engineer. Budget cuts and mixed motives finally brought about the end on September 11, 2003.
Mark's hobbies include photography,
videography, classic cars, motorcycles, boating, old movies, old music and computers. He
finds little tolerance for current TV or radio programming, which was one of the catalysts
for getting his own show on the radio. Current movies also find little favor with Mark,
who considers then to be "all effects, no plot." He thoroughly enjoys Marx
Brothers movies, the old Sci-Fi monster-on-the-loose flicks of the 50's and 60's, and
other classics from all pre-80's decades. |
.... | . |  Larry O’Neill originally hails from Memphis, Tennessee, a city
famous for its pork BBQ and great music. In the days before television was available
in the mid-South, Larry spent many hours listening to the radio, and became a big fan of
the various serial radio shows.
The Big Band era slowly gave way to R&B groups, and Rock and Roll provided a welcome relief to the Country songs that were so prolific in the area during that time. The armory (where the Memphis Belle sat on display) was the scene of many dances, and big names rolled through Memphis on a fairly regular basis.
Sprinkled throughout Memphis and the surrounding area were various night clubs and road houses where the local talent could try out their skills. You could stroll down Union Avenue past the Sun Recording Studios where the careers of Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison and Charlie Rich were launched. By the way, Sun’s catalog of Master Recordings now exceeds 7,000, including Merle Haggard, Patsy Cline, The Dixie Cups, Conway Twitty, Roger Miller, Willie Nelson, Patti Page, Webb Pierce, the Shangri-Las, Ricky Skaggs, Randy Travis and many others.
Sam Phillips’ other brother Dewey, took over WHBQ 560 AM Radio in 1949, and he started the “Red, Hot and Blue” program. Here’s Dewey with a “Wheelbarrow full of mad dogs.” In 1954 Dewey played the first Elvis Record ever recorded, “That’s Alright Mama.”
These were the roots of Larry’s loves of music, dance and radio. The years beyond those early days in Memphis brought Larry to New York and eventually Connecticut. Over those years, Larry’s accomplishments include Ballroom Dance Competitor, award winning amateur photographer, 5 children, and 10 grandchildren. Various careers include IBM, Chase Manhattan Bank, and The NASDAQ Stock Market. It was during the Fall of 1994 that Larry tuned in to “Sock Hop Saturday Night” for the first time. On the other end of that radio dial, Mark Edwards was slowing turning back the hands of time for Larry. Acting on impulse, Larry picked up the phone and made his first request, “Hello Stranger.” It was the beginning of a relationship that eventually brought Larry to become a part of Mark’s creation. Larry is extremely proud to be associated with one of the finest radio programs ever to be broadcast. |
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Other close friends of Mark and the Sock Hop radio program! |
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 MIKE COLBY For many years a major helping hand on the original Sock Hop Saturday Night radio program. Also helped with website coding, ideas and suggestions. Although no longer in broadcasting, Mike is still a great supporter of the program, and friend of all involved. |
 JOHN MICHAELS No "big unmotivated loser" here! John has served as Associate Producer for nearly all the remote broadcasts that Mark had to sneak on the air. Moonlights as one of Connecticut's Public Defenders in the courts, and initiated the only known case where such a defender "objected" to his client taking the oath, because it "cramped her style." |
 MIKE GAYDOS Whether you know him as Mike or Michael (the name that a consultant suggested he use to sound more "real"????) Mr. Gaydos has been a key supporter of the show, and was the producer of the very first Roof Top Doo Wop remote broadcast back in 1996. He is still on the air in Bridgeport Connecticut. |
 ALISSA BALOUSKUS Alissa has been there through thick and thin to help out Mark and Sock Hop through the good and the bad times. She excels in devotion, friendship and loyalty, and is always willing to do anything to help with the show. Well, almost anything. |
 ROSEMARY CARLSON Although she suggested we appoint her "Chief Troublemaker", Rose is programming Associate Producer. She resides in Virginia, and has the honor and distinction of being the World's Greatest Gene Pitney Fan! |
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