MICHAEL J. RAYMOND • WENE ( with a babe)

Comments

[Al Quaglieri]

Mike was a dear friend, from back in the days we played radio in his modest little home on lower Sheridan Ave. in Albany (WKTR!). He gave me the morning shift when taking over WKOP-FM, and remained my friend until his passing.

[John Solak]

Michael gave me a job at WKOP FM when I was 17. I got the job because He had me take his brand new Camaro to the dealership for a oil change. I made him put in in writing. He wrote on a napkin that I would get the next opening and two months latter I was on the air. But more importantly encouraged me as a record producer. I played him a test pressing of a recording I was going to shelve, but he immediately wanted to play it. That record went on to become #1 for a few weeks at WKBW and I made some money on it. I only wish I new more about his family background in Albany. it would have helped me understand him better.

[Harrison Reed]

Michael J. Raymond (later known as Mike Harris), was a dear friend of mine who grew up in downtown Albany, New York, where he was raised by his grandmother. He was a phenomenal talent, greatly under-appreciated, and sadly, no longer with us since late Novemember of 2019. He began as a Teen-ager at W.S.B.S. in Great Barrington, then went to.W.D.O.T. in Burlington. By age 18, at 980-W.T.R.Y.; he was a famous local personality, but kept in the shadow of Lee Gray. He then went to W.E.N.E. in Endicott, where he dominated the Binghamton market. It was there, that he took over W.K.O.P.-- F.M.(later, W.A.A.L.), and single-handedly invented the concept which would come to move current popular music from "top-40" A.M. to album-oriented F.M. formats. Mike Plath (his actual name) was a visionary with flawless timing and a wise-ass sense of ironic humour that simply flowed from him without preparation: many others in radio routinely stole "bits" he just had invented on the fly and in the moment. He helped to define an era in popular music radio and kept audiences loyally hooked. We all miss him! In the end, excessive weight, severe diabetes, heart-problems and other health-issues took him from us. He deserves vastly more recognition than he has received!