R.I.P. Gorilla Ashwood

[Taco]

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=109663


Radio Legend Ashwood Dies
Former WOAI programmer suffered a heart attack
By Jim Forsyth

Thursday, November 13, 2008

http://radio.woai.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=&article=4582109

Andrew Ashwood, a radio programming legend and one of the towering figures in Clear Channel Communications' success, died late Thursday, three days after suffering a massive heart attack at his home in Sherman Oaks, California. He was 51.

Ashwood programmed radio stations in Florida, Wisconsin, Arizona, and elsewhere before being hired as Program Director of News Radio 1200 WOAI in San Antonio in 1997. In 2003, he was hired to become Vice President and General Manager of Fox Sports Radio, a unit of Premiere Radio Networks, a part of Clear Channel.

“He was truly a valued mentor, boss, employee, friend, and all around good guy who accomplished great things,” Premiere Radio Networks President Charlie Rahilly said.

Known to friends as 'the Gorilla,' Andrew’s larger than life personality became a fixture around San Antonio during his years in the market, and he was frequently seen at San Antonio Spurs games and other sporting events. His motto, ‘dare to be great!’ inspired numerous friends and co workers.

Three years ago, Andrew began a battle with cancer which he fought with amazing optimism and tenacity, often telling friends, ‘failure is not an option!’

Andrew was a native of Elm Grove Wisconsin and was a lifelong Green Bay Packers fan. He was a graduate of Albion College in Michigan.

Andrew is survived by his wife Sandra and his sisters, Ann and Lorry. Funeral arrangements are pending.


R.I.P. Gorilla Ashwood

I remember when Andrew came to WOAI & Ticket 760 he started changing from Local programming to nationally syndicated radio i.e. Rush Limbaugh, Dr Laura Schlessinger etc….

I did not like this, I did not like this at all, as you have read in my past posts on SPURSTALK.COM I LIKE LOCAL Programming, I
e-mailed Andrew and told him so. He respectfully E-mailed me back defending his position. I didn’t like it, but I could respect it.

I remember when he decided to re-run the Jim Rome show on WOAI @ night to which former WOAI Talk show host Carl Wigglesworth walked out of his Job while on the Air, Andrew immediately filled in taking all the calls live on the air from Irate callers defending his position. The dude had huge stones.

God Bless Andrew, I knew he was battling cancer not to long ago Rest in Peace Brother


Taco

[PeterBurns]

Taco...Very well put.
A very sad week for me, and a bunch of people here in San Antonio, and throughout Sports.

Andrew was an amazing person. If you had a chance to meet him, he just lit up the room. Rarely, do people have that effect, but he was a star, and made people believe.

A heavy heart this week.

[AlamoSpursFan]

When Jim Rome came here for Tour Stop #11, I sent out a mass e-mail to a bunch of folks on an old board I used to frequent promoting it. Somehow (I never found out how), word of my deed got to the Gorilla, and he sent me a nice e-mail thanking me and inviting me to find him at the TS and say hi. I found Gorilla talking to none other than J.T. The Brick, and I introduced myself. He not only remembered me, but he played me up like I was somebody important to J.T. and talked to me and the friend I attended the event with for a good 5 minutes. That alone was pretty cool in my book, but what really floored me about the Gorilla is that about a year or so later, I saw him walking by at a Spurs game in the Alamodome. I said "Hey Gorilla", expecting a dismissive "how are you" or something like that. Dude stopped, shook my hand, and said "Hey Joe! How's it going?" That's right. He remembered me by name...a complete nobody who did something silly like send out a mass e-mail.

He was a special person, and he will be missed greatly.

R.I.P. Gorilla.

[King]

I started working at CC only a few months after he left, so I never had a chance to meet him, but knew plenty of his disciples -- and are still friends with them to this day. I've heard nothing but good things about the guy from them - so I can't help but be saddened by this. He kickstarted some pretty good careers for people.

[baseline bum]

I met the Gorilla at a few Spurs games, and he was always really cool to my friends and I. RIP bro.

[samikeyp]

Dude was a legend. :toast

[boutons_]

51 is very young. Was he obese?

[GoGatos]

Michael Main, of San Antonio's First News, wrote a very good tribute to Ashwood on his blog. Gives you an excellent idea of the type of person Ashwood was. I had met him a few times, but did not know him as well as others at CC. Radio lost a good one.


As I begin to write this, a friend of mine is dying...before I publish it, he will be dead.

I didn't always call him a friend. In fact during the time period when we actually were in daily contact, he was not in the "friend" category at all...he was my boss. We didn't hang out or share many interests. Except radio.

I wrote about him a little over a year ago. He was going toe to toe with cancer and determined to be the victor.

READ THE REST OF IT HERE (http://www.michaelmain.com/2008/11/big-ears-big-heart-and-big-life_13.html)

[Nbadan]

bang!

[FromWayDowntown]

I met the Gorilla once or twice and corresponded with him a few other times about things that bothered me about his stations, and was always impressed with his willingess to listen to what I had to say, to sort through what made sense and what was just a rant, and to tackle reasonable complaints head-on. He didn't owe me any of that in any real sense -- I was just one of many listeners -- but he certainly made me feel as if he heard me and appreciated my thoughts, no matter unreasonable my complaints might be.

This news saddens me; but I think it's a tribute to Ashwood that the news saddens so many, both in the industry and outside of it. He made a mark and in doing that, I think he made a difference in a lot of people's lives, even if it just concerned how those people were entertained on a daily basis. There's definitely something to be said for that.

RIP Andrew.

[mouse]

I had met him a few times,


Where did you meet him, and why did the Ticket show today start off with talking about Porn Star Friday?

[Logan]

Andrew was a good guy. He will be sorely missed.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v453/BethBill/various%20%20remotes%20%20and%20gtgs/flag-andrew-bill.jpg

[alamo50]

WOW, to get this kinda news totaly unexpected.....
I had the pleasure the meet Gorilla several times and he was always a friendly man taking time for others.

I am truly shocked by this news.........

[2centsworth]

When Jim Rome came here for Tour Stop #11, I sent out a mass e-mail to a bunch of folks on an old board I used to frequent promoting it. Somehow (I never found out how), word of my deed got to the Gorilla, and he sent me a nice e-mail thanking me and inviting me to find him at the TS and say hi. I found Gorilla talking to none other than J.T. The Brick, and I introduced myself. He not only remembered me, but he played me up like I was somebody important to J.T. and talked to me and the friend I attended the event with for a good 5 minutes. That alone was pretty cool in my book, but what really floored me about the Gorilla is that about a year or so later, I saw him walking by at a Spurs game in the Alamodome. I said "Hey Gorilla", expecting a dismissive "how are you" or something like that. Dude stopped, shook my hand, and said "Hey Joe! How's it going?" That's right. He remembered me by name...a complete nobody who did something silly like send out a mass e-mail.

He was a special person, and he will be missed greatly.

R.I.P. Gorilla.

Great story and speaks volumes.

[T Park]

Disagreed with alot of his moves IE the station, but he was always cool to me when we met.

RIP.

[GoGatos]

Where did you meet him, and why did the Ticket show today start off with talking about Porn Star Friday?

I met him in 05 and in 07 when the Spurs were in the finals and he came down with Shemon, Washington and JT the Brick. And we started off with porn Star Friday because we always do. If there was anyone on this earth who didn't want a talk show to stop down and deviate from their normal and talk about his death, it was Ashwood.

[Logan]

From Jakle's Jacuzzi:



November 16, 2008
Here's to Andrew Ashwood, who rocked S.A. talk
Andrew Ashwood, one of the most dynamic and colorful forces to impact San Antonio talk radio, passed away late last week.

Ashwood, with his unconventional hair and beard, hefty build and booming personality, reminded me of a civilized Grizzly Adams. Others in the business called him "The Gorilla."

He was such a vivid character, in fact, I'm still finding it difficult to wrap my brain around the fact that he's gone. His old cohorts at WOAI and other broadcasters who knew him informed me that he died late Thursday after suffering a massive heart attack three days earlier.

The man who eventually went to oversee Fox Sports Radio spent the last few years battling cancer; I'm told, in true Andrew style, he never lost his wicked sense of humor.

There were those who liked him and those who didn't in local broadcasting when he ran WOAI from 1997 to 2003, but it's doubtful anyone who encountered him would ever forget him.

When I met him, he had just taken over as operations manager of the conservative Clear Channel station, which then attracted a core audience of 55-plus. He was eager to make some changes to entice younger listeners to tune in.

The minute I laid eyes on him at our lunch interview, I knew this guy was anything but status quo. His shaggy hair and stubbly chin made him look more like Joe Cocker or John Belushi than a local radio executive.

The afternoon-drive slot on WOAI had just opened up. His ideal choice for a new talk host? "Bad boys" John Lisle and Steve Hahn from KISS-FM. He wanted the new voice — or voices — he hired to have "sizzle," he said.

That was just the beginning of his vision for the station. During his six-year watch:

• WOAI, which had trailed KTSA in ratings when Ashwood came on board, now easily bests its talk-radio rival.

• Carl Wiglesworth, a WOAI staple who manned the early afternoons, walked out and never came back. His unease started with Ashwood's preoccupation with the 18 to 49 demographic; Wiglesworth was 57 at the time.

• Fans were shocked when he fired veteran sports show host Jay Howard.

• He launched "The Great American Talk-off," a gimmick that had a strange variety of talk hosts from across the country competing for the early afternoon talk show slot. Those trying out ranged from Fred Goldman, father of murder victim Ron Goldman to Jimmy Walker, aka "J.J." of "Good Times."

• He brought Chris Duel, then a comedian, to radio as afternoon-drive host. Duel, who's now doing sports talk on S.A.'s ESPN affiliate, still talks about how he can never thank Andrew enough for giving him that chance.

• Ashwood also met the challenge of having only 48 hours to figure out where to put Rush Limbaugh when KTSA dropped him. He found a place for the behemoth talk host, of course, and WOAI keeps smiling all the way to the bank.

Even after he left for California to oversee more than 150 Fox Sports affiliates, he'd call to check up on how his "baby" WOAI was doing — and ask if the new guy in charge was treating me right.

Maybe, but not nearly as "right" as the old one had. Of course, that was an unusually tough act to follow.

Andrew Ashwood — without a doubt — was a media critic's dream. Even when I'd be away in Hollywood covering the TV networks, he'd occasionally phone with some scoop or other to keep me from forgetting where my bread was really buttered, he'd say: San Antonio.

"Make sure you get this in the paper," he'd tell me, "and don't stay out too late. But if you do," he'd add with a twinkle, "have a Bombay Sapphire gin and tonic for me."

I've ceased even trying to drink gin anymore. But the other night, I did just that. After hearing the sad news, I went out and ordered that special gin and tonic he always recommended. And, yes, I had one just for Andrew, one man who didn't just talk about it, but really did make a difference in S.A. radio.

http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/jakle06/

[samikeyp]

Good post.

[mouse]

Legends never die.