Chuck Shorter’s “Charting in the USA”

The year was 1962. I was eight years old at the time. The scene was my parents’ kitchen. I heard something coming from the top of the refrigerator… It was a radio playing music and I was hooked. I asked my Dad to take me to the record store to buy my first 45’s, “Go Away Little Girl,” by Steve Lawrence and “Ruby Baby,” by Dion. 

Then, I discovered American Bandstand and that solidified my passion for music. Growing up in Philadelphia didn’t hurt, where, at the time, some of the best music was heard on the great WIBG and WFIL. I knew then that I wanted to be a DJ, entertain, and play music.

In 1974, I attended broadcasting school and landed a job working in the mail room at WCAU-TV and radio, where I continued to learn about the broadcast media with the hopes of catching a break in a major market in the US. But, fate had other plans.

In 1977, I was offered a position at CBS Records to work in the mail room and learn the music business. I progressed from mail room to merchandiser to sales. In 1986, I was offered the opportunity to move to the Washington, DC region to manage a sales territory and I have been in Maryland ever since. This was by far the BEST job anyone could have!

In 1989, I realized my dream as I took over as an the on air host for a local pro wrestling talk show on WMET. In 1993, when the show ended, another co-host and I developed the show for TV. In 1994, the show debuted on Public Access TV in Montgomery County, Maryland  and Washington, DC. This show ran on air for twenty years before ending in 2014. In 2003, I came back to radio, hosting a show on WYRE and playing the great music of the 40’s through today. From 1975 through 2016, I was a mobile DJ working weddings, corporate events, family fun nights, and everything in between. I also managed to spend time in a wedding band from 1979 to 1984. So you see, entertainment and music were in my blood.

I am now retired from radio sales. Now, I am extremely excited to be working with the talented individuals at Hall Of Fame Music and Solid Gold Gem AM to bring my passion for the music of my youth, the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s to the airwaves.

As you can see, my life’s work has been entertaining people via various platforms for over 40 years, keeping the music alive. I hope to do the same for the Charting In The USA listeners.