Ralph Michaels
Christy Springfield called him "The Big Man In the Big Chair." After almost 30 years in the radio business, Ralph has retired from radio. From his days as manager of Seafood Shanty to his days as a DJ in many a local club, Ralph has always been involved with music. In all his years in the business, Ralph has worked for many different Philly stations, including WIOQ, WSNI, WEGX, and recently, and for the longest period of time, WOGL. In addition to being "In Studio Producer" of "Bob Pantano's Saturday Night Dance Party", Ralph also handled many a dayshift at WOGL, for many greats such as, Mike St John, Charlie Bennett, and even Don Cannon. But Ralph's greatest contribution was being Hy Lit's producer and board op. Ralph and Hy shared a real closeness on & off the air, almost like two brothers. When Hy's sickness really began to take a toll on his physical abillities to perform, it was Ralph to the rescue. Probably the biggest heartbreak in Ralph's life was when Hy finally passed away. He truly misses him everyday.
Here is the Ralph Michaels Top of the hour ID For WOGL. Click Here To Listen!
Here's a short clip of Ralph from Bob Pantano's 30th Anniversary. Click Here To Listen
Here's a short bit featuring the "Question Of The Day". Listen To The Guy On The phone!
Here's a great picture of the 1990's WOGL gang, along with Billy Harner on the far right. Ralph is 3rd from the left.
In addition to his fondness of top 40 music from the 1960's to the 1980's, Ralph has one of the largest collection of Christmas music on the planet. His neighbors always know when October hits. They can hear Bing, Dean, Frank, and Nat, blasting out of his in home studio for hours. Ralph likes to put the neighbors in the mood early.
On a personal note, I've known Ralph for over 20 years. I first met him when I was selling records at Pat's Music in Philly back in the 1980's. Some may say he's a bit rough around the edges, but let me tell you that his heart is as big as they come. His fondness of his pets is almost overwhelming at times. He taught me about digital sound editing, as well as how to run a tight board at "Oldies 98.". His generosity with having the time & patience with me (sorry about the night I forgot to cue up the jingles) is something I can never repay.
So congratulations on your retirement. I know your health hasn't been good for the last few years, but something tells me you'll be back to your old self before you know it. I miss the sound of your warm greeting on the other end of the phone. ( "Yo, Jerk-Off. Whadya doin?"--- Priceless!!)
