Remembering a Voice That Traveled the Eastern Seaboard, and a Spirit That Never Left the Air Joel Cash — born Joel Lubin — one of the original
Remembering a Voice That Traveled the Eastern Seaboard, and a Spirit That Never Left the Air
WRKO: Joel Cash
Joel Cash — born Joel Lubin — one of the original air personalities who helped launch 68 WRKO/Boston into Top 40 legend, passed away on March 13 at age 87. Services were held on Thursday, March 26 in Boynton Beach, Florida, where Cash spent much of his life and career. A veteran, he received full military honors and was laid to rest at the V.A. cemetery in Lake Worth.
A Career That Began in the Heat of Miami Radio
Cash’s radio journey began in 1958 at WKAT 1360/Miami, a station buzzing with ambition and raw talent. Among his early colleagues was a young, fast‑talking Larry King — two future broadcasting lifers cutting their teeth in a market that was just beginning to find its modern voice.
From the start, Cash had the qualities that defined great mid‑century radio: warmth, timing, a conversational ease, and a knack for making listeners feel like they were part of something happening right now. His delivery was clean, confident, and unmistakably friendly — the kind of presence that made a station feel human.
Up the Coast and Into New England
Art Vuolo “Radio’s Best Friend” with Joel Cash, 2019. (Credit: Art Vuolo)
After Miami, Cash moved north to WBZT 1290/West Palm Beach, then made the leap to New England, joining WDRC 1360/Hartford. At WDRC — one of the most influential Top 40 stations in the region — Cash sharpened his pacing, his production instincts, and his ability to connect with a broad, youthful audience.
Those four years in Hartford became the runway for the moment that would define his national legacy.
1967: The Birth of WRKO — and Joel Cash at Midday
When WNAC flipped to Top 40 in March 1967 and became 68 WRKO, the station needed personalities who could carry the new format with authority and spark. Joel Cash was one of the voices chosen to help launch the revolution.
(Credit: The Big 68 WRKO/Facebook)
Cash held down the midday shift, perfectly positioned between morning host Al Gates and afternoon drive’s JJ Jeffery. It was a prime slot — the hours when Boston’s offices, classrooms, and lunch counters were alive with transistor radios and dashboard dials.
His style fit WRKO’s sound: bright, tight, and modern. He was part of the team that helped transform WRKO from a format flip into a cultural force — a station that would soon dominate New England and become one of the most influential Top 40 outlets in America.
A Lifelong Connection to The Big 68
Even after leaving Boston, Cash never lost his bond with WRKO or the people who made it special. According to “Radio’s Best Friend,” Art Vuolo, Cash returned for both the 25th reunion in 1992 and the 50th reunion in 2017, reconnecting with colleagues and fans who remembered him as one of the station’s original voices.
Vuolo’s 2019 photo with Cash — smiling, relaxed, unmistakably proud — captures a broadcaster who understood the significance of the era he helped shape.
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WRKO 680 (Boston) | Joel Cash | October 10, 1971
Audio Digitally Enhanced by USA Radio Museum
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Back to South Florida — and a Life Well Lived
(Credit: The Big 68 WRKO/Facebook)
After enduring several New England winters, Cash returned to South Florida, where he ran his own business and continued doing part‑time radio and voiceover work. He remained active, engaged, and connected to the medium he loved.
He is survived by his wife, Carol R. Lubin; his children Richard (Sheri) Lubin and Debbie (Jeffrey) Torine; his grandchild Reed Torine; and his brother David (Elke) Lubin.
A Voice Remembered
Joel Cash’s career was not defined by celebrity or flash, but by something more enduring: professionalism, consistency, and the ability to make radio feel personal. He was part of the generation that carried Top 40 radio from regional experimentation into national influence. His work at WRKO places him forever in the story of one of America’s great stations.
At the USA Radio Museum, we honor Joel Cash not only for the shifts he worked, but for the lives he touched — the listeners who heard him on their way to school, the colleagues who respected him, and the legacy he helped build in Boston, Hartford, Miami, and beyond.
May his memory be a blessing, and may his voice echo on in the archives and hearts of those who remember his broadcasting legacy and The Big 68.
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Contact: jimf.usaradiomuseum@gmail.com
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