Knowra Wolfman Jack Wolfman Jack Wolfman Jack was the radio persona of American disc jockey Robert Weston Smith, known for his gravelly delivery and influential rock-and-roll broadcasts.
Alan Freed : An American radio disc jockey who helped popularize rhythm and blues and rock and roll in the 1950s. Like Freed, Wolfman Jack used radio personality and presentation to bring rock and roll to broad audiences.
Radio broadcasting : The transmission of audio programming to receivers by radio waves. Wolfman Jack's career depended on radio's ability to distribute a live voice to dispersed audiences.
American Graffiti : A 1973 film by George Lucas about teenagers in California during one night in 1962. Wolfman Jack appears as himself, making his radio persona part of the film's sound and setting.
Rock and roll : A popular music genre that emerged in the United States in the 1950s from rhythm and blues, country, and related styles. Wolfman Jack's broadcasts helped circulate rock and roll to listeners across regional boundaries.
Clear-channel station : A high-power AM station protected from co-channel interference at night under North American broadcasting agreements. Clear-channel stations relied on regulated, protected coverage rather than the cross-border reach of Mexican stations.
Casey Kasem : An American radio host and voice actor known for hosting the syndicated countdown show American Top 40. Kasem represents another nationally recognized radio personality whose voice became a defining part of popular music broadcasting.
XERF-AM : A Mexican border-blaster radio station known for transmitting powerful signals into the United States. Wolfman Jack broadcast from XERF-AM, whose reach helped make his show widely heard in the United States.
The Midnight Special : An American television music program broadcast by NBC from 1972 to 1981. Wolfman Jack hosted the show, bringing his radio style to a national television audience.
Top 40 radio : A radio format built around repeatedly playing a ranked selection of popular songs. His freewheeling presentation stood apart from the tightly programmed hit-radio format that also shaped rock listening.
Public radio : Radio broadcasting supported primarily by public funding, listener contributions, or nonprofit institutions. Its institutional funding and programming traditions differ from Wolfman Jack's commercial, personality-driven broadcasts.
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