Radio veteran Bob Rogers today celebrates an extraordinary 20 years with Macquarie Radio Network’s music station 2CH.
Rogers hosts the hugely popular Morning weekday program from 9.00am to 1.00 pm and Saturday night’s ‘Reminiscing’ program on 2CH, bringing listeners the best music of the Big Bands, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s and interviewing some of the industry’s biggest music stars.
Born in country Victoria, Rogers has spent his life in radio, beginning his career in the record library at 3XY before transferring to studio duties as a panel operator in 1942.
He worked at many country Victorian radio stations over seven years before moving to 7HO Hobart, where he was given a copy of Vaughn Monroe’s ‘Riders in the Sky’ by an American freighter docked at the time, played it on 7HO and thus began Rogers’ career as one of the country’s first ‘disc jockeys’.
After a stint at 4BH in Brisbane, Rogers joined 2UE and began the “Top Forty” in 1958. Later at 2SM as one of the ‘Good Guys’, Rogers famously became known as the ‘Fifth Beatle’ after flying to Australia with The Beatles and broadcasting their entire tour of Australia and New Zealand.
Over his career, Rogers has interviewed a ‘who’s who’ of music and movie stars including Shirley Bassey, Billy Joel, Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Chubby Checker, Cleo Lane, Billy Hayley, Pat Boone, Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis, Johnny O’Keefe, Andy Williams, Gene Krupa, Rock Hudson, Buddy Greco, Betty Hutton, Barry Humphries, Stan Freiberg, Debbie Reynolds, the Bee Gees, Peter and Gordon, Frankie Lane, Ann Miller, Nat King Cole and Sammy Davis Jnr.
Being the father of four daughters, Rogers also established a chain of dress shops. He was on television on Channel 7 from 1969 to 1974 but never gave up his first love – radio. He joined Radio 2CH in 1995 and at the age of 72 John Singleton persuaded him to sign a 10-year contract.
Rogers celebrated his 20-year milestone with a special event at Macquarie Radio in Sydney with 2CH staff today.
During his program this morning there were many on air tributes and a live to air interview with John Singleton.
Macquarie Radio Network Sydney Operations Director Paul Bowd said: “We consider ourselves extremely privileged to have a broadcaster the calibre of Bob at 2CH and he continues to delight his loyal listeners with the music they love and guests they admire, who have most recently included Chris Isaak, Judith Durham and Tina Arena. Bob has enjoyed an outstanding and stellar radio career and it is fitting that we celebrate this 20 year milestone at 2CH.”
Rogers said: “This wouldn’t have been possible without Singo and by the way – what is this new thing called FM?”
Listen to Ray Hadley pay tribute to his long time friend and collegue.
