Anita Kerr Teams with WXYZ and Dick Marx Productions in 1966 In 1965, the Anita Kerr Singers reached a significant milestone by winning two Grammy
Anita Kerr Teams with WXYZ and Dick Marx Productions in 1966
In 1965, the Anita Kerr Singers reached a significant milestone by winning two Grammy Awards. They secured the “Best Performance by a Vocal Group” award for their RCA album “We Dig Mancini”, triumphing over The Beatles’ “Help!” in the same category. Additionally, their collaboration with George Beverly Shea on the 1964 RCA album *Southland Favorites* earned them the “Best Gospel Album” accolade.
Later that year, a Billboard magazine article published on October 16, 1965, noted Anita Kerr’s move from Nashville to Hollywood. There, she founded Anita Kerr Enterprises to explore ventures in commercial radio and the jingle industry. Partnering with Alexandre Grob, a former RCA Victor European sales administrator, and Charlie Williams, an ex-songwriter and RCA Records personal manager, Kerr aimed to integrate her Nashville-based group into the West Coast jingle market. According to Billboard, the group remained signed under the RCA label.
By 1967, Anita Kerr Enterprises had produced jingles for notable radio stations across the United States, including KMPC AM 710 in Los Angeles, WLS AM 890 in Chicago, WGH AM 1310 in Newport News, Virginia, and WXYZ AM 1270 in Detroit.
At WXYZ AM in Detroit, Lee Alan was the program director. In late 1965, while preparing for the 1966 programming shift dubbed the “Detroit Sound,” Alan composed the “Personality Plus” jingle series. As WXYZ-AM was affiliated with the ABC Radio Network in New York, approval from ABC was necessary. Once granted, General Manager Chuck Fritz gave Alan the green light to hire Dick Marx Productions from Chicago to finalize arrangements and bring in Anita Kerr for the vocal work. Lee Alan commented, “Years earlier, Dick Marx had produced jingles for our sister station WLS-AM in Chicago.”
Dick Marx Productions, Inc. | “Personality-Plus” | WXYZ [ 1966 ]
Audio Digitally Remastered by USA Radio Museum
Alan, later reflected, “The jingles were carefully designed to refresh and elevate WXYZ’s overall sound. Working with Dick Marx, we coordinated two recording sessions over two days featuring Anita Kerr and her singers.” He added, “I was subsequently asked to craft another jingle series for WXYZ-FM, which operated separately from AM due to FCC regulations. Concurrently, I created opening jingles for the new Martin and Howard morning show in 1967, once again collaborating with Dick Marx and Anita Kerr.”
This beautifully arranged series of jingles Anita Kerr recorded for WXYZ in 1966 stands out as one of the finest custom packages ever created for Detroit radio during the 1960s.
A special acknowledgment goes to Lee Alan for his pivotal role in bringing this extraordinary WXYZ jingle series to life. Lee Alan, he passed away on October 29, 2024, age 89, one week short of his 90th birthday.
