Paul Drew
PAUL DREW is originally from Detroit. While attending Wayne State University, he worked at WHLS in Port Huron, Michigan. In 1957, on the advice from his uncle he went to Atlanta and the day he arrived was hired as an announcer at WGST. Drew moved to WAKE in 1961 where he cultivated a large teen audience by visiting high schools gathering names to use on his nightly show. In 1963, Paul moved to WQXI. As host of the 7P-12M shift, he introduced Atlanta to and later toured with the Beatles. He eventually became program director of WQXI a position he held until 1967, when he left to program CKLW in Detroit, KFRC in San Francisco, and KHJ in Los Angeles. Paul then became Vice President of Programming for RKO Radio.
In December of 1984, Paul was named director of the Voice Of Americas’s Radio Marti Program, which he had been consulting for several months.
He formed Paul Drew Enterprises in the 70's, with clients in the US and Japan.
Paul Drew died on May 16. 2013.
Courtesy of George Junak and California Aircheck.com for exclusive use of the GRHOF
BILLBOARD ARTICLE ON PAUL DREW 12/11/1974
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Frank Sinatra, Paul, and unknown man.
(1) Ann Drew , Glen Campbell, Paul (2) John Denver with Paul (3) Paul w/Aretha Franklin
(4) Bette Midler and Paul* (5) Paul with Cher (6) Paul with David Bowie
(7) Paul with Duane Allman (8) Paul and Diana Ross (9) Paul and George Harrison (10 & 11) Paul with George and Ringo (12) Paul with Ed Byrnes
13) Paul with Tony Orlando (14) Paul, Linda and Paul McCartney (15 Paul, Marie Osmond, Debbie Boone, Donny Osmond
(16) Paul with Petula Clark (17) Paul and Smokey Robinson (18) Paul and Sonny Bono
*Bette Midler - Bette on the Boards - Broken Blossom (1977)
Someone introduced me to the program director of all the RKO stations, Paul Drew. He was holding my record and said he
hated it” So I grabbed the record from his hand, broke it across my knee and smacked him across the face. And I've been banned on RKO
stations since, although recently he and I had lunch together and we've made up. He dined out on that story for a year. What can I say? I'm
real sorry it happened, but that's show biz."
Pictures courtesy of Paul Drew
Letters to Paul Drew from John Lennon and George Harrison
Courtesy of the Estate of Paul Drew
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Paul Drew RKO Paul Drew WQXI Paul Drew KFRC Paul Drew KHJ