GREGORY STEVENS (Greg) SHERLOCK     

[ Displayed Biograpy for BIG BAND HALL of FAME RADIO AWARD O2-05-2003 West Palm Beach, FL. ]                                     

Devoted his entire life to the promotion of BIG  BAND Music. His mission is to preserve this incomparable sound by educating and exposing as many people as possible to the vitality, harmony and elevating qualities of music.

For the last 35 years, he has continuously hosted and programmed BIG BAND radio shows in Illinois, Wisconsin and Florida. Also in these markets, he conducted his "American Band Classics" road shows in hotels and clubs. Today, his  "Great American Classics" BIG BAND Show can be heard on the Worldwide Internet,  www.rwpr.net/ 

The greater majority of  BIG BAND Music played is from his personal " Remember When  Music Heritage Library" which today includes some 25,000 LP's  and 10,000 CD's, as well as more than 1,500 72-80 minute CD's, which he personally programmed including listeners requests.

Greg's interest in this irreplaceable music begun with his family.  His parents were devotees of the sound, frequenting the Arogon and Trianon Ballrooms in Chicago with their friends in the 1930's  and 1940's. In the 1950's , their parents introduced Greg and his sister Valerie to the Aragon Ballroom, hotel ballrooms, concerts and other Big Band environments in Chicago and the Gold Coast of Florida. When Greg was growing up, not a day went by without this music being heard either on the radio, TV, records or tapes in the family's home or autos. The music was revered, with songs and performers discussed as if they were family friends---- and they surely were. 

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In his teens, Greg went to the next level of  Big Band promotion and preservation through personal research, developing a record and book collection, hosting Big Band radio shows and interviewing experts and performers from the era. His comprehensive knowledge of Big Band history and impressive body of trivia further developed through interaction with knowledgeable radio personalities and employers ( including Vic Knight of Delray Beach ), and call-ins by listeners. In addition, he avidly reads every recording's liner notes ( even writing on request), attends concerts and has seen every remaining Big Bands perform.

Greg's radio career began at the age of 17 in 1967. He played Big Band music station WLUV-AM & FM (Rockford, IL) and that same year attended Midwestern Broadcasting School in Chicago, receiving a Diploma in Radio Announcing. The following year, at the age of 18, he hosted "Afternoon Serenade", a daily Big Band show on WMCW-AM ( Harward, IL). That year he attended Elkins Institute of Radio Electronics ( Chicago ), receiving a Diploma in Radio-TV Engineering.

From 1968 through 1973, Greg continued his music shows at WMCW-AM and at WSUF-FM ( Whitewater, WI ) while also attending Columbia College ( Chicago ), majoring in Radio-TV Journalism; then Judson College ( Elgin, IL ), receiving a B.A. in Human Relations; followed by post-graduate work in Education at the University of Wisconsin ( Whitewater ).

From 1974 to1991 he continued to work only at radio stations enabling his focus on Big Band shows and programming. These included: Illinois: Rockford ( WRRR-AM ); Greater Chicago (WIVS-AM and WGSB-AM ); Wisconsin: Beloit ( WGEZ-AM ); Florida: Boca Raton (WWOG-FM ); Delray Beach ( WDBF-AM ); Jupiter ( WRYZ-AM & FM ); Vero Beach ( WTTB-AM ); Melbourne (WMEL-AM ).

In 1992, he joined WAMT-AM  ( now WIXC-AM ) in Titusville, Florida. Starting as Program Director, he is now General Manager. For the last 10 years, he also hosted and formatted  the station's notable variety of Big Band  music, airing daily on WIXC -AM and on it's sister station WHOO-AM ( Orlando ). Greg was gratified  that his highly-customized programming -- featuring a wealth of Big Band favorites and rare finds, commentary and interviews-- was heard from coast-to-coast in Florida.

Remarkably his local programming enabled WIXC-AM to increase listenership by more than 200% in a 9-month period. When Greg  increased the frequency of his live " Great American Classics" Big Band Show  to all day-every day, the station went from a 1.4 rating in fall 2001 to a remarkable 3.2 rating by July 2002. Before the ratings came out, WIXC 's format was changed to all sports, including ESPN news, by station owner Starter Enterprises, Inc.    

Impressed by WIXC's ratings and feedback from listeners, Cumulus of Brevard County launched a nostalgia music format on WAOA-AM on September 12th. A month later , Greg's "Great American Classics" had found a new home and begun airing daily on WAOA-AM , Melbourne, Florida. 

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Over the years, highlights of his radio shows have included his vintage " Interviews Beyond the Liner Notes " with Big Band legends such as Patti Page, Don Cornell, Guy Lombardo, Kenny Gardner, Wayne King, Jack Morgan ( son of Russ Morgan ) and Franklyn MacCormack  WGN Chicago radio's esteemed all-night music host and long time announcer for Wayne King )--- all of which he has preserved and airs from his tape library.

Greg also has collected memorabilia ranging from Big Band books and photos and menus signed by popular band leaders, to professional-release sheet music and a silver cigar box from the famed Poul "Pops" Whiteman and other items given to James C. "Jimmy" Petrillo, legendary president of the American Federation of Musicians.

Of all that has been his privilege to experience, Greg Sherlock is most proud of and grateful for the opportunity to work in a medium that has enabled him to keep BIG BAND Music and its history before the public continuously for 35 years. He looks forward to continuing the work on behalf of all the dedicated and talented musicians who have left this treasured legacy.

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THE GREG SHERLOCK ENTERPRISES;www.rwpr.net [Click on ]

 REMEMBER WHEN PRODUCTIONS [since 1984] /GS MUSIC STUDIO [NFP]

REMEMBER WHEN PUBLIC RADIO, Inc. [since 2003] / MUSIC FOR ALL NETWORK [NFP] 

Gregory S. Sherlock   PO Box 278 Crescent City, Florida 32112 USA                                                             

Tel: 1-386-749-1003 

gsmusicstudio@yahoo.com