Submitted by: Nick      From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Memory: I remember when I was a kid,in the mid fifties we used to go to the movies alot with my mother,aunt,and 4 year older sister.The theater was the Colvin Theater,and before the show they advertised The Hound on the screen.Just a still with a hound logo behind a filmy curtain.I was young but my sister listened to the radio constantly.In the kitchen doing dishes,doing homework,,in the car whereever we went.Just being around,her all that music sunk in.When the older guys in the neigborhood were hanging around her and her friends.They'd talk about all the cool songs they heard on the radio,at night.That what I wanted to hear,to be just like the big guys.

So I listened and though I truley didn't understand at the time,the foundation to everything I enjoy today,was because of my sister and The Hound.They're both gone but I'll bet she's still listening.

Submitted by: Mike McCormack      From: Los Angeles, california

Memory: Years ago, I worked on The Midnight Special with Wolfman Jack from time to time. Once, on a break, I told him something about him reminded me of a guy from my hometown who went by the name of The Hound Dog. He said, "It should, little brother, I based everything I do on him." As it turned out, Wolfman was from Brooklyn (when he was named Bob Smith!) and at nighttime, he could pick up the WKBW signal. So every night he listened to the Hound. According to him -- and who would know better? -- his name, Wolfman Jack, was a personal tribute to the Hound.

In one of those sad coincidences, like the Hound, Wolfman too died way too young.

Hey, Jill Glaser, I want to know more about the ol' Zanzibar. And Big Bob and Pal Al from "Handsome" Harry Bilsky's if you remember that.

Submitted by: Ken Munson      From: Old Lyme, Ct

Memory: Spending the entire summers at Hammonnassett State Park in the mid 50's introduced me to Alan Freed on WINS in NYC. He was every night except Sundays. There was also an afternoon show on WMGM in NYC with some other DJ whose name I don't remember. In the fall, winter and spring I needed my old "short wave" radio (which I bought for $1 from a neighborhood kid in New Britain, CT) to pick up an after school show out of Springfield, MA. But the thrill of hearing "the Hound" on WKBW in Buffalo was beyond description. That must've been about 1956-7. We moved from New Britain, CT to Kensington, CT, in the winter of 1955 and late-night radio was still preferred to TV. I stumbled onto the show and listened when it "came in" clearly enough to enjoy "the sounds". He was on later than Alan Freed and after Alan died he was the only one that we could listed to (other than local yokels who didn't know RNR from their rear-ends).

Imagine my ecstasy when he came to WPOP (1410 AM) in Hartford in 1958 (I'm pretty sure of the year). He was only there for a year or so, though. I think I may still have a reel-to-reel tape of an entire show (2 hours). "Bony Maroney" by Larry Williams is one of the tunes on it so that puts a time frame to it. One of his memorable sponsers was Gold Seal Catawba ("The anytime wine, baby").

Submitted by: hifitommy (tom roy)      From: Sylmar, california

Memory: I once won tickets to see elvis by entering the number of times marty robbins sang the phrase 'a white sport coat and a pink carnation' in the song of the same name. My mother, damn her, made me give the tickets back (and I actually met the hound) so I didnt get to go.

I used to love the way he would play the big heavy and talk over it-"the hounds around........mr movin is groovin." Its funny, here in LA, on the beginning of the blues program on kkjz, they just played that song. What a memory.

Also, Wolfman Jack once credited the hound with beiong his inspiration for his character.

Submitted by: Dr. Rick Ferris      From: Rochester, New York

Memory: My early musical influences were big band,C&W, and early RnR ( mostly the Sun recording artists,i.e.,Elvis,Jerry Lee, Carl & Roy,etc. ), while growing up in Rochester in the early 50s. Like most kids,I was hearing about artists primarily from AM radio. All of us were "flipping the dial",trying to catch the DJs from NYC,Chicago,Phili., to find out what artists were breaking. Then one glorious day,I came upon the "hound " broadcasting live from the club Zanzibar. This was really exotic, broadcasting from a club rather then a sterile studio. I was hooked from day one ! The next thing that stood out was his " big Heavy" theme. I never heard big band rhythm and blues before.I couldn't wait to get my hands on that 78rpm recording.In fact,as I recall, most of his programming consisted of R&B.

I was desperate to buy and enjoy this music that George was playing. I joined the Hound Dogs to qualify for the discount "hound sounds". The local record store would block off a section just for that music and we could purchase it at discount prices. George was a major influence in my discovery and life long love of R&B music. God bless you George.

Submitted by: Lou      From: Wichita, Kansas

Memory: Late 50's a buddy and I stayed up all night and snuck out of the house early in the am and went to the studio on Cayuga Rd in Wmsville. We walked right in and George was there alone with his engineer. He let us stay and we watched his entire show. He talked to us while the records were playing. I wish I had a tape recording of those conversations, they were funny. He as quite a guy. He sure liked the youth of America.

Submitted by: Mike Carter      From: Port St Lucie, Florida

Memory: I became a fan of the "Hound Dog" as a young boy growing up in Buffalo. My father thought that Rock and Roll would destroy the world so I had to turn WKBW off quickly when he came home from work. I loved Goerge's theme song "Big Heavy". I finally got a copy of it from my wife for my 60th birthday. I play it all the time and it never fails to bring back fond memories of the Hound Dog and the great music he played. Thanks for your wonderful tribute to an American Icon.

Submitted by: Tom Krzeminski      From: East Aurora, NY

Memory: As I remember, one of the reasons The Hound left KB was because they wouldn't let him use the word FUNKY.

While driving down Paderewski Drive in my Chevy convertible on the first night The Hound was broadcasting from his station WBLK, he opened the show by repeatedly saying FUNKY, FUNKY, FUNKY and continued to do so all night long between songs.

It's great to hear his voice again. Thanks for the memories.

Submitted by: Jill Glaser      From: Dallas, Texas

Memory: My father,Ralph Glaser,owned the Zanzibar. On Sundays, my dad would take my brother and I to the club and George "Hound Dog" Lorenz would take the two of us into his booth and let us say a few words into the microphone. Those were the days of such innocent fun. When I was older, my dad told me many stories of all of the entertainers that performed at the "Zanz".

Submitted by: Hugh Guillaume      From: Amherst, NY

Memory: Commercials - as cool as the music was - the commercials were even more cool! Here are a few sponsors I remember: Rockin' Doc Abrams Drug Store, Herb Ross' Rhythmland Record Store, Sam the Wailin' Tailor, Ben Glaser's, Big Bob & Pal Al - The Happiness Boys, Mad Man Muntz TV, The Salad Bowl Restaurant, Tony Carruba's Good Gulf Station, Eddie & Jessie's Chicken on Wheels, Mama Goldstein's Top of the Vine Wine, Richard's Wild Irish Rose Wine(accompanied by Larry Liggett's instrumental version of My Wild Irish Rose), Al Maroone Ford, Cavage's, Rab's Righteous House of Rockin' Records,etc. It would be really cool to hear those commercials again.

Other background music: Barrellhouse by Chuck Calhoun's All-Stars on Atlantic(actually the Atlantic house band), Night Life by Jesse Stone on Atco(almost always played behind The Hound talking), etc. I have a list somewhere - I know there are more.

One night after a Bison game at Offerman Stadium we came wheeling down Main Street just as The Hound was pulling out of the KB lot in his '56 Ford ragtop. We yelled out at him. He yelled back and waved frantically in a blue cloud of cigarette smoke and was gone down Utica Street, probably headed for The Zanzibar. Cool, very cool. Unforgettable!

Also very cool was "Make It or Break It" when he would ask listeners to call in on new records. If the tune was a loser he broke it - probably in those days it was a 78 - 45s were a little tougher.