NOMINATE CHARLIE TUNA LA DJ FOR AHMET ERTEGUN AWARD AT RRHOF ~ 2022

A leader in the music industry and a friend of Bo Diddley who has had a significant impact on the evolution, development & perpetuation, therefore, the preservation of Rock and Roll, Charlie Tuna. Let's vote him into the ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME
By - Marie Masson - Charlie Tuna's No.1 Radio Fan
Radio personality show host Charlie Tuna, real name Art Ferguson, LA DJ
4-18-1944 to 2-19-2016.
Written 5/15/2009 and the time now 4/10/2021 and beyond...

It all started with a ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME t-shirt.
It was one of those,black t-shirts they sell in their store shop with the year's RRHOF inductee's on the back.
I wondered why Charlie Tuna's name was NOT on the t-shirt? It's was like "SORRY CHARLIE"! I was indignant!!
A little more searching found Charlie Tuna is eligible, as a disc jockey to be nominated to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!
It would be under the then Non-Performer Category, now called the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
This award is an honor for music professionals in the industry who have had a major influence on rock and roll also includes songwriters, producers, other disc jockeys, record executives, and journalists.
So I started a petition for Charlie Tuna's nomination for this award into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
I told Charlie Tuna (real name Art Ferguson) that I had nominated him (by starting this petition). He was honored.
THEN I LEARNED HOW YOU REALLY GET NOMINATED when I made a
phone call to then, now retired, President & CEO of the RRHOF in Cleveland, Ohio, Terry Stewart.
The Ahmet Ertegun Award recipients are generally announced along with the rest of the inductees and are generally not voted on.
Show your support and electronically sign this petition below. Thanks!

On This Day In History:
Radio personality Charlie Tuna THE BEST Los Angeles D.J..
Charlie Tuna a big league player known for his distinctive morning radio voice subtly charmed us from 6 a.m to 9 a.m., His tight intro's when spinning the hit records and subtle sense of humor wit made me/ us laugh. Working! It was as child's play as you will later learn, Read on.

In his over his 40+ years on air Charlie has worked for more stations and formats than anyone in the history of radio.
The most star-kissable voice to have every graced both the morning radio airwaves in southern California and Armed Forces Radio, where Charlie Tuna did over 6,000 shows.
His annual “Tunathon” (2004–2007). raised nearly $250,000. for Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles.
Charlie Tuna sometimes sidelined as the TV announcer for various shows including; the “Mike Douglas Show”, Time Machine, Scrabble, Scattergories, The $25,000 Pyramid, The Quiz Kids Challenge, and The New Battlestars.
He was also featured in the Universal film “Rollercoaster” and the independent film “Racquet”.

It was Charlie's childhood hero from his hometown of Kearney, Nebraska, the late radio announcer Jack Lewis, who inspired Charlie to get into the music game. Charlie began his career in radio at age 5 spinning records on his record player in his home bedroom and worked later at age 16 in his hometown’s radio station KGFW. He went on to work in Wichita, Kansas, had a brief stint in Oklahoma City, and later went on to Boston in early 1967. His charisma and unmistakable voice got him noticed and in 1967 he landed a gig at 93 KHJ “Boss Radio” in L.A.
Later he moved on to station KBIG 104.3 where he hosted the top-rated and much-loved morning show “Charlie Tuna in the Morning”. KBIG was a loyal affiliate to legendary Casey Kasem and his weekly countdown show "American Top 20," which ran Sundays from 7:00am to 10:00am. Former KBIG morning man Charlie Tuna was Kasem's regular substitute host.
After a format change at KBIG where he was the Program Director, Charlie went to work for the well known L.A. oldies station, “K-EARTH 101,” where he was heard on the weekend slot.
Charlie Tuna, a super amazing L.A. D.J. in Southern California and later with the transition to internet radio on the world wide web.
I'm sure you tuned in to listen and feel good to Charlie, laughing with his tongue in cheek humor! A reel entertainer in every sense of the word. He also took part in numerous radio station promotional events on weekends. At these promos he gave away radio station memorabilia; hats, t shirts and bumper stickers to the public. He also pitched at radio station baseball games, His father also loved baseball.
Tuna received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame 1-10-1990.

Inducted into the Nebraska Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame, 8-19-1999.

In 2008, was inducted by long time friend Larry Lujack, into The National Radio Hall of Fame in Chicago, USA.
Here's what Lujack said: "Here's a Larry Lujack type introduction with/for 30 freakin' seconds because we're late! How I first met Charlie Tuna on the radio a guy named for a TV commercial cartoon fish, a West Coast freakin' Rock n' Roll Legend baby, Charlie Tuna."

Among other reasons why Charlie Tuna should be inducted it is that Bo Diddley, (the late), thinks he should too!
Actually Bo put Charlie Tuna right up there with Alan Freed and they (Diddley & Freed) both belong to the RRHOF CLUB!

Bo Diddley's exact interview stating the case for induction of Charlie Tuna into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is spelled out by clicking on the following link:
http://www.charlietuna.com/clips/index.php?start_from=80&ucat=&archive=&subaction=&id
Or from Charlie's website, http://www.charlietuna.com/
view it under TUNA CLIPS,
Favorite moments from 40 years of Charlie Tuna Shows in Los Angeles, on the bottom of the page (11), last entry titled:
From (1992) Charlie's visit with the late music legend & friend Bo Diddley
Posted by Charlie on 06/02/2008 @ 11:15 am
To quote Bo Diddley in that interview…
”I want to thank Alan Freed, Charlie Tuna, you guys is the ones that launched us by playing our music”…
and Charlie’s reply:…”It’s the roots of Rock 'n’ Roll, that’s what it’s all about."
It's an amazing interview!
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Here's Charlie Tuna's email to me about the honorary nomination to the RRHOF and the aforetomentioned Diddley interview:
Re: NOMINATION RELEASE From: Charlie Tuna Reply Fri 5/15/2009, 5:15 PM
To: Marie Masson
Wow Marie, You do your homework, I had forgotten all about that Bo Diddley comment until you reminded me of it with this note. And I was very sad when Bo died last Summer. He is/was just the very best! Charlie

Personal:
"I'll Remember You" song by Bob Dylan,
Dedicated to Charlie Tuna with his resonating baritone voice on family radio. Only The Best Get To Be StarKist and Tuna, you canned it!
Remembered also by his family Cherry Cherry & Sons and his request-a-song fans and your behind the mike radio co-workers.

How I first met Charlie Tuna as a listener.
I lived in Southern California. I heard a commercial on KHJ Radio inviting us to a charity baseball game where the KHJ Hot Jocks were playing. There was quite a talented personality line-up of on air jocks, Charlie Tuna mornings, Jay Stevens midday & Humble Humble Harve. What a line up! What good listening!
I saw you first that day as you stood on the pitchers mound at the game and finally put a face with the voice I/ we had been listening to all those years!
After that I moved to New York and lost touch. This was before internet radio.
I then contacted Gary Lycan of the Orange County register who has just wrote an article for RADIO entitled, "KODJ's Charlie Tuna recalls "Boss radio" dated May 11, 1990. He told me what station Tuna was at so I could again listen. to him on internet radio from New York.
After that II flew to LA. to attend various events several times and thanks to internet radio was able to hear Charlie's Radio show on my laptop and I would dance and carry on in the privacy of my room!
And as Charlie would say In the early days: "That's going to can it ."
I asked him years later why he didn't say that anymore and he just smiled.