BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — After more than four decades on the airwaves in Buffalo, legendary rock jock Carl Russo is signing off at 97 Rock.
“It's been wild fun," said Russo. "I’ve got to leave, spilt, blow, fly, scoot, scram – take it on the lamb.”
I stopped by the radio studio Friday to discuss his decades on the radio and why he says it’s now time to drop the mic.
Russo, a member of the 2017 Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame, has spent 45 years on the radio dial and about 41 at 97 Rock.
Russo said when he started in radio in the early 1980s, it was a program director who told him, “Just be yourself."
“Just be yourself," He said. "It’s like, dude, I’m just out of high school, I don't even know who I am, but OK."
In 1985, the 97 Rock format was dropped and Russo left to work in radio in Indianapolis and Dallas.
“Hello, I’m Carl ‘Rock-n-Roll’ Russo and we're getting the lead out from A to Z on Q95,” Russo said in an old broadcast.
By 1988, the 97 Rock format returned to the airwaves, and so did Russo.
“We're baaack!” Russo declared in a station announcement in 1985.
When Russo’s not on the radio, he's serving his community as a volunteer firefighter in West Seneca.
“I joined, took my EMT course, passed that, took my firefighter course, passed that, so whenever I’m home, I respond to calls,” said Russo. “Sometimes a guy wakes up. You're pumping his chest – ‘Hey, you're Carl Russo’”, Russo said.
Russo also races cars and plays the banjo.
“Charlie Daniels gave me the one lesson I had, he said, I love the banjo – you got to pick your middle finger and your thumb finger,” Russo explained.
Russo also met countless rock stars.
“Guys like Kevin DuBrow of Quiet Riot...we became friends, we kept in touch until cocaine killed him 20 years ago,” Russo said. “Ozzy – go down to the Aud, pick up Ozzy, drive down to the radio station, and get to the station, there's girls throwing themselves in front of the van. ‘Ozzy, I love you.'"
But now, after more than four decades, he's ready to hang up the headphones and retire.
“I’m gonna be 68 in June, and I’ve gone as far in this man's army as a guy can go,” replied Russo. "I suppose when I get off the air, I won't say goodbye, I’ll just say – ‘see you in the streets’, like I’ve always done, always hitting the Buffalo bars, always hitting the action spots, the drag strip, the stock car track.”
Russo is saying goodbye to his loyal listeners. “On 97 Rooock!," he shouted.
