John Kiesewetter reports:
I’m sure there will be more laughs than tears when former WLW-AM coworkers tell their favorite stories about the late Dale “Truckin’ Bozo” Sommers at a memorial service noon Saturday at Christ’s Church in Mason.
Gary Burbank, Bill Cunnningham, Bill “Seg” Dennison, Randy Michaels and Bozo’s son, Tribune broadcasting executive Sean Compton, are scheduled to speak about Sommers, who died Aug. 24 in Florida. He was 68. Compton says the family plans “a special tribute (service), just the way he would have liked it, entertaining and not sad.”
Cunningham told listeners Thursday that the passing of Bozo is the first among the “original six” at WLW-AM after Michaels bought the station in 1983 — Bozo, Burbank, Bob Trumpy, Bill Gable, Cunningham and Mike McConnell. But technically, Michaels and Alan Gardner hosted the “Midday” show until 1985, when freequent fill-in Mike McConnell took over the show.
Visitation begins 10 a.m. at the church, 5165 Western Row Road, Mason.
Born Glenn Council in Humboldt, Tenn. in 1943, he moved with his family to Cincinnati in 1958. A year later, at age 16, he made his radio debut, and eventually changed his name to Bruce Dale Sommers for radio. He worked for WUBE-AM, and stations in Evansville, Indianapolis, Seattle, San Diego, Kansas City and Miami, Fla., before returning here in 1984 to work for Michaels at WLW-AM.
Michaels gave Sommers his radio name when he was Dale’s boss at a Kansas City country station. During remodeling at the station, Michael saw Sommers kick a wall that crashed across a desk.
“God, you’re a bozo,” Michaels said. The name stuck.
His son, Steve Sommers, took over the radio show in 2004 when Bozo retired for health reason. He had insulin-dependent diabetes and Addison’s disease. But he didn’t stay retired long. He resumed a weekday show from home studios in Mason and Hernando, Fla., on XM radio. He did his last satellite show in early July, before he fell in the shower and broke his back.
The family suggests that memorial contributions be made to the Eastgate Community Church Building Fund, 3235 Omni Drive, Cincinnati 45245.
Here are links to his retirement story in 2004, my blog and my obituary about Sommers.
